Kaia stood up. She ignored the empty trash can where the food lay discarded. She dragged her exhausted, aching body down the hall and into the master bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the mattress. Before she could even lie down, the bedroom door was violently shoved open.
Gerrit stormed into the room. His skin was flushed from the hot water. He wore nothing but a white towel wrapped low around his waist. Water dripped from his wet hair onto his chest. His eyes burned with aggressive, dominating anger.
Kaia instinctively shrank back. Her hand flew to her side, pressing over the black silk robe to protect her injured waist.
Gerrit crossed the room in three massive strides. He stood over her, casting a dark shadow across the bed. "What exactly did you say to Seraphina this afternoon?"
Kaia turned her face away. "I didn't say anything. She came here on her own."
Gerrit reached down and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You are a liar. She was crying the entire ride back to her apartment."
He leaned down. His warm breath hit her face, but his eyes were freezing cold. It was a look of pure punishment.
Suddenly, Gerrit reached out and grabbed the collar of her black silk robe. He yanked it hard, ripping the fabric open, exposing her collarbone.
Kaia gasped loudly. She thrashed backward, her hands desperately grabbing the torn silk to cover her stomach and the bandages hidden beneath.
Gerrit scoffed. "Don't act like you don't want this. Isn't this exactly why you pulled those pathetic stunts?"
He pushed her down onto the mattress. His heavy body pressed against hers, pinning her in place. He leaned in, his face inches from hers, aiming to press his mouth against her neck to establish dominance. But as his breath brushed her skin, he froze. His movements, initially rough and angry, halted abruptly. He saw the sheer terror and physical agony twisting her pale features. Disgust-both at her and perhaps a fraction at himself-flashed in his eyes. He stopped completely, refusing to cross that final line, completely devoid of any warmth or love.
A wave of absolute humiliation crashed over Kaia. Hot tears spilled from her eyes and soaked into her hair.
And then, the cancer woke up.
A pain so sharp, so agonizing it felt like a serrated knife twisting in her intestines, exploded in the center of her abdomen.
Kaia's entire body went rigid. A choked, guttural moan ripped out of her throat.
Her hands let go of the robe. Her fingers dug into the bedsheets, twisting the fabric until her knuckles turned bone-white.
Gerrit felt her body lock up beneath him. He pulled away completely. He pushed himself up on his forearms and looked down at her.
Kaia's face was the color of a corpse. Thick beads of cold sweat instantly popped out on her forehead. She couldn't pull air into her lungs. Her breathing came in short, broken gasps.
She forced her mouth open. "Pills," she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "Drawer... please."
Gerrit stared at her twisted, agonizing expression. For a split second, doubt flickered in his eyes. But then, the image of Seraphina falling to the floor this afternoon flashed in his mind.
His face hardened into stone. He pushed himself off the bed and stood up, adjusting the towel around his waist.
He looked down at her curled up in a tight, trembling ball. "Your acting is pathetic, Kaia. This fake illness routine makes me sick."
Kaia couldn't even form the words to defend herself. The pain was eating her alive. She stared up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief and pure despair.
Gerrit didn't show a single ounce of mercy. He turned his back on her and walked toward the door.
"Have that dead look off your face by morning," he ordered. "Don't embarrass the Downs family."
He walked out. The heavy oak door slammed shut. The sound of his footsteps faded down the hallway until there was nothing but silence.
Kaia writhed on the massive bed. The pain was blinding. She rolled too far and crashed onto the floor.
She dragged her body across the carpet using her elbows. She reached the nightstand, pulled the drawer open, and grabbed the plastic bottle. Her shaking hands spilled pills everywhere. She shoved a handful into her mouth, swallowing them dry, and lay on the floor, waiting for the darkness to take her.
