For five days, I stared at the hospital ceiling. Each breath reminded me of how I'd abandoned everything for him.
My position as heiress to the Northern Lake pack and my family's legacy. All sacrificed for what I'd foolishly believed was love.
Now I lay broken in a hospital bed while Derek paraded around with his stepsister.
My phone chimed with a notification. With trembling fingers, I unlocked the screen. A new video from Tara.
They were at our favorite beach, the one where Derek had first told me he loved me. Tara was wearing my swimsuit, laughing as Derek chased her into the waves.
A second video arrived moments later. Tara was twirling in my wedding dress—the one I'd preserved in a box, waiting for an anniversary Derek would acknowledge. He stood behind her, his hands trailing down her sides as he whispered something in her ear.
"Remember when you said this dress was bad luck?" Tara's voice rang out. "Turns out it just needed the right bride."
I closed my phone and took a deep breath. Just five more days. Five days until my divorce was finalized and my visa to leave the country was processed. Five days until freedom.
Three days later, they discharged me. True to their word, Derek and Tara came to pick me up.
In the car, Tara's high-pitched voice grated against my nerves as she leaned over the front seat to face me.
"Oh my God, Hazel! You missed so much because of your unfortunate incident," she emphasized the word 'incident' as if I'd merely stubbed my toe rather than been stabbed by her. "Derek took me to the Diamond Falls last weekend. You know, that place he always refused to take you?"
Derek's eyes met mine briefly in the rearview mirror, cold and warning.
"And that's not all," Tara continued, practically bouncing in her seat. "We drove your car—I mean, the Bugatti—all around the state. Derek even signed it over to me. Isn't that right, baby?"
Derek reached over to squeeze her thigh. "Nothing but the best for you."
Tara squealed with delight before reaching into the footwell. "Oh! I almost forgot. I got you something, Hazel."
She passed back a small paper bag. "Go ahead, open it."
When I opened it, my stomach churned. Inside was a single heel—one I recognized from the photos she'd sent me covered in dirt and clearly rescued from a dumpster. Below it lay my black lace lingerie, torn and stained.
Without a word, I threw the bag back at her. The heel hit her shoulder, and she let out an exaggerated yelp.
Tears immediately sprang to her eyes. "Derek! She hurt me! I was just trying to be nice!"
"Why did you hurt her?" Derek roared, slamming his hand against the steering wheel. "She's trying her best to welcome you back, and this is how you repay her?"
Tara placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Don't shout at her, Derek darling. I'm sure it's because of the hospital trauma. She's still trying to recover her... sanity."
She reached into her purse and pulled out an amber prescription bottle. "Here, Hazel. The doctor gave me these for you. They'll help with your pain and... mood swings."
When I refused to take it, Derek grabbed my jaw roughly, forcing my mouth open as Tara shoved two pills onto my tongue. Derek clamped his hand over my mouth until I swallowed.
My vision blurred almost instantly. The world tilted and swayed around me as I slumped against the seat. The last thing I heard was Tara's giggle as darkness claimed me.
When I woke, my head pounded mercilessly and something itched against my skin. I looked down to find my body covered in fur—cat fur. My stomach dropped as I remembered my beloved cat, Jinx, who I'd left behind when I fled to the hospital.
"No, no, no," I whispered, staggering to my feet.
Racing upstairs, I threw open the door to my bedroom and froze at the threshold.
Jinx, my beloved cat who'd been my only comfort during years of a loveless marriage lay motionless on the blood-soaked sheets. Beside her sat Tara, scissors in hand, carefully removing strips of fur from my pet's lifeless body.
"Oh, you're awake!" Tara smiled, holding up a patch of orange and white fur. "Hope you don't mind. I've always wanted a fur-lined coat, and your cat had the most beautiful coloring."
I snapped. I ran forward with my fist connecting with Tara's face before she could react.
She fell back and slid on Jinx's blood, her white dress now stained red as she crashed hard onto the floor.
