The moment I returned to our apartment, I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
Over and over, I told myself it was all just a nightmare. Once I woke up, everything would be fine again.
In my dream, my memories drifted back to the year my father had suddenly fallen ill.
I was still a medical resident then, and my family couldn't afford his surgery.
Without a second thought, Daniel handed over every dollar he had saved to start his business.
"Clara, money can always be earned again, but you can't get your father back."
From that day on, I silently swore that I would spend the rest of my life treating Daniel well.
Later, Daniel's business ventures failed one after another, leaving him buried in debt.
I followed him into rundown neighborhoods where sunlight barely reached, enduring one difficult year after another by his side.
Every paycheck I earned went toward paying off those debts, and I never once regretted it.
The night we got married, our celebration was nothing more than a cheap meal from a small shop downstairs. Yet back then, it had felt like enough.
I jolted awake. My pillow was damp, and the corners of my eyes still felt cold.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. I got your favorite breakfast waiting for you."
Daniel leaned against the bedside, watching me with the same gentle eyes I knew so well.
This was the Daniel I remembered.
The nightmare had to be over.
"Daniel, I missed you so much."
Without caring how I looked, I threw myself into his arms and breathed in the familiar scent that had always made me feel safe.
With a fond smile, Daniel ran his fingers through my hair, the warmth of his touch slowly easing into my heart.
Then I noticed that two buttons on his shirt had come undone. A vivid red mark stood out against his skin.
A love bite. A deep one.
I shoved him away instinctively as my reason slowly returned.
Daniel glanced down at the mark. A flicker of disgust crossed his eyes before he calmly buttoned up his shirt.
"Clara, Oliver has probably already answered some of your questions. You just need to understand one thing. My marriage to Emily is about family interests, nothing more. There are no feelings involved. I love only you, and from now on, I promise I'll never lie to you again."
"Was it fun? Making a fool out of me?"
I sat against the headboard, looking calm on the surface, though I was completely drained.
"As long as you don't make things difficult, nothing has to change. Just think of yesterday as attending a friend's wedding. After that, life goes on exactly as before."
The emotions in Daniel's eyes were as still and lifeless as stagnant water, sending a chill through me.
Could anything really go back to the way it was?
After breakfast, Daniel drove me to the hospital in the same used car as always.
Before I got out, he kissed my forehead just as he always had.
The coworkers passing by still looked at us with envy.
A strange sense of unreality washed over me.
The Carter-Morgan wedding had dominated headlines across the city yesterday. How could anyone in Riverton not know Daniel's true identity by now?
Yet everyone acted as though nothing had happened.
It felt like I was trapped inside The Truman Show.
Sure enough, by the time my shift ended, not a single person had asked me about Daniel.
One of the younger nurses greeted me cheerfully from the nurses' station.
"Dr. Parker, your husband really adores you. He shows up half an hour before your shift ends every single day to take you home, rain or shine."
The smile on her face reminded me of the times I'd visited Daniel's company. Everyone there had been equally kind to me.
But looking back now, I realized every smile had carried the same polished perfection, as if it had been carefully rehearsed.
I watched Daniel walking toward me step by step. The hand that never trembled while holding a scalpel was shaking uncontrollably.
Only then did I understand. This had been a cage built specifically for me.
Run, Clara. Before it was too late.
