When Vanessa Bright walked in, I almost didn’t recognize her.
Just five days ago, she was as radiant as a blooming flower. Now, her cheeks were swollen, the corners of her mouth cracked, and bruises mottled her exposed wrists—so severe they were horrifying to look at.
“Claire!” She dropped to her knees the moment she saw me, the dull thud of bone against the floor echoing sharply. “Please let me go. I can’t take it anymore!”
Instinctively, I stepped back. “What are you talking about?”
“They make you train day and night. You’re not even allowed to eat!” She lifted her skirt, revealing dark scars on her waist. “I fainted from hunger and exhaustion. They whipped me awake with a leather strap!”
“That’s impossible!” I blurted out. Before agreeing to send her there, I had thoroughly vetted the company—they had no record of mistreating trainees.
Vanessa Bright’s tears splashed onto the floor. “It’s true! Please don’t make me go back. I can’t be a trainee anymore!”
A chill ran through me. “What do you mean I’m forcing you? You told me it was your dream. You begged me to help you!”
“I never had a dream. I just wanted to stay by Victor’s side.”
Then she turned to Victor with a heartbreaking expression. “Victor, training is too hard. I really can’t handle it. Can I stay with you instead? I promise I’ll be good.”
Victor reached out, gently patting her head and helping her up.
When he turned to me, his gaze was as cold as a blade of ice. “Why did you force her?”
“I didn’t!” I protested, my voice trembling. “She begged me to go! I investigated that company—they don’t treat people like that. There must be some kind of misunderstanding—”
“Look at her injuries,” Victor cut in, his brow furrowed. “What misunderstanding could explain this?”
“Since you refuse to admit it, then you should experience the same suffering Vanessa did. Think of it as penance.”
I tried to speak, but he was already dragging me to the storage room. His grip was so tight on my wrist that I felt the bruise forming instantly.
He called Vanessa Bright over and told her to bring Ethan.
Victor had always been gentle with our son. So when Ethan saw him, he giggled, stretched out his little arms, and nestled against him, seeking affection.
But Victor didn’t respond. With a cold expression, he peeled the child from his neck and shoved him into my arms.
“Vanessa was beaten. I won’t lay a hand on you—but your son will suffer with you instead.”
“Victor!” I clung to his arm. “I swear, I didn’t do anything! We can check the cameras—call the police!”
“So now you’re saying Vanessa is lying?” Victor’s voice dropped, trying to stay calm. “Who would do this to themselves just to frame someone?”
“I’ve raised Vanessa for six years. I know her—she’s gentle, kind, pure.”
“But you...” His eyes turned colder than ever. I felt like a stranger under his gaze. “Claire, when did you become so cruel? You would even harm a little girl?”
It felt like my soul was being dragged into a frozen abyss.
We had known each other for sixteen years. We shared a bed for six.
Yet all it took was Vanessa Bright’s tears to erase everything.
The storage room door slammed shut, plunging us into darkness. Ethan’s cries filled the air, loud and desperate.
The hot, dusty air choked us. My baby, still recovering from illness, thrashed restlessly in my arms. His cries turned from sharp wails to broken, hoarse sobs.
“Victor! Open the door! He’s burning up again!” I pounded the door with all my strength, my palms going numb. “He was just released from the hospital! His wounds haven’t healed! He’ll die in here!”
“Victor, punish me—hit me if you want! But save Ethan!”
“He’s your son, too! I’m begging you!”
Silence.
Only silence.
I slid down to the floor, my body trembling. It felt as if my heart had been carved out of my chest while I was still alive.
Ethan’s cries began to fade. His breath grew shallow.
“Ethan! Don’t fall asleep!” I slapped his cheek gently. “Baby, look at Mommy!”
His lips parted slightly, making a faint sound, but his eyes never opened.
“Ethan!”
