Addison POV:
The sharp crack of the vase against the wall was instantly followed by a searing pain on my temple. My hand flew to my head, coming away sticky with blood. I stumbled back, my vision blurring for a moment.
"You witch! You tried to kill my mother!" Aurora's mother, Mrs. Carter, lay propped up in bed, her face contorted in a mask of pure rage. Her eyes, bloodshot and wild, glared at me with an intensity that burned.
I stood there, blood trickling down my face, clenching my fists. The sheer audacity. The absolute gall of this woman, after what I had endured, after the ultimate sacrifice I had made for her. The thought of Anissa, plummeted from that bridge, still fresh in my mind, made my blood run cold.
"You're well enough to throw things, I see," I said, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "That' s good. It means you' re recovering just fine."
I turned to leave, the stench of disinfectant and unearned privilege suffocating me. But Aurora blocked the doorway, her pampered hand placed firmly on my shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going? You're not leaving until my mother is completely out of the woods. Clark won't let you," she purred, her voice dripping with false concern. The veiled threat wasn't lost on me.
I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth, the anger a hot, throbbing pulse beneath my skin. I walked slowly to the bedside table, ignoring Mrs. Carter's furious glares. I picked up a sterile tray, my movements precise, professional. My hands, the instruments of healing, felt like foreign objects.
Before I could even reach for a swab, a sharp sting blossomed on my cheek. Mrs. Carter had slapped me. Her eyes were still burning.
"Don't you dare touch me, you murderer!" she shrieked, her voice raspy. "You killed my daughter's... no, you killed Clark's future! You're nothing but a gold-digger! My Aurora told me everything about your mother and your sister. A drunk and a whore, isn't that right? No wonder they met such a fitting end."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My mother. Anissa. The two most precious people in my life, irrevocably lost, and now being slandered by this vile woman. My vision narrowed. The world around me faded, replaced by a blinding red haze.
My hand shot out, grabbing Mrs. Carter's throat. My fingers tightened, squeezing. Her eyes bulged, her face turning a mottled purple.
"You think you know anything about them?" My voice was low, guttural, a sound I barely recognized as my own. "You talk about murderers? Your daughter killed my mother. And your son-in-law killed my sister. They took everything from me. And you… you deserve to rot in hell right alongside them." My grip tightened further, the fragile bones in her throat pressing against my palm. "Say another word about my family, and I swear, I will finish what the surgery couldn't."
A sudden, violent shove sent me sprawling. I hit the wall with a sickening thud, my head cracking against the plaster. Clark stood over me, his face contorted in a mask of fury, his eyes blazing. He had pushed me. Hard.
He pulled Aurora and her now-gasping mother behind him, shielding them. His gaze, when it landed on me, was filled with a chilling disgust. "You've gone too far, Addison. I knew you were ungrateful, but this... this is beyond unforgivable. You've become a monster."
Aurora, ever the victim, clung to him, sobbing dramatically. "She tried to kill my mother, Clark! She's truly insane!"
Clark' s jaw was clenched. He met my eyes, his voice cold and hard. "Apologize. Now."
I pushed myself up, my body bruised, my head throbbing. I clenched my fists, shaking my head. "Never."
"Guards!" Clark bellowed, his voice echoing through the sterile hallway. Two hulking figures appeared instantly. "Take her. Take her to the cellar. And make sure she stays there until she learns her place. She needs to understand who she is dealing with."
The cellar. My blood ran cold. The wine cellar. It wasn't just a cellar. It was where he kept his Dobermans. Vicious, snarling beasts, trained to attack anything that moved. He called it his "stress relief" room.
My eyes widened in fear. "No! Clark, not there! Please!" The words were torn from my throat, raw with terror.
But his face was impassive, devoid of mercy. The guards grabbed me, their hands like iron bands on my arms, dragging me out of the room. I struggled, but they were too strong. They pulled me down, down into the cold, damp silence of the cellar.
The growling started immediately. Deep, menacing, resonating in the darkness. Two massive Dobermans, their eyes glinting green in the dim light, lunged towards the bars of their kennels, snarling, teeth bared.
"No! Please!" I begged, my voice cracking. I fought, desperate, but they dragged me past the kennels, deeper into the cavernous space. They opened a heavy, iron-barred door, pushing me inside a small, empty enclosure. Then they slammed the door shut, the clang echoing like a death knell.
The Dobermans in the main cellar were now a frenzy of barks and snarls, their eyes fixed on me. They prowled outside my cage, their breath hot against the bars. I pressed myself against the farthest wall, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Clark! Please! Don't do this!" My voice was a desperate shriek. "They'll kill me!"
From above, in the main house, I heard the faint, distorted sound of his voice. "Not until you beg, Addison. Not until you realize your mistakes."
A terrifying growl erupted directly in front of me. One of the Dobermans had found a weak spot, a gap in the bars. Its snout pushed through, sniffing. Then, its fangs, long and sharp, sank into my arm.
Pain, blinding and excruciating, ripped through me. I screamed, thrashing, trying to pull away. But its grip was firm. I could feel its teeth tearing at my flesh, grinding against bone. I was trapped.
I fumbled for my phone, my fingers slick with blood, tears streaming down my face. I dialed Clark, my last, desperate hope.
"Clark! They're... they're attacking me! Please! Help me!" My voice was a broken whimper, barely audible over the snarling.
A cold, calm voice entered the call. Aurora. "She's just being dramatic, Clark. Don't listen to her. She's manipulating you."
"Addison, admit what you did," Clark's voice, distant and emotionless. "Admit you tried to kill Aurora's mother. Apologize for slandering her family."
"No! I didn't! Please! My hand! It's… it's broken!" The words were torn from me, but it was useless. He wouldn't listen. He never did.
Despair, cold and absolute, washed over me. He was truly letting me die. My heart shriveled into a tiny, shrunken thing. This man, my husband, was nothing but a monster.
A sudden, agonizing crunch. My wrist. The Doberman's jaws had clamped down, twisting, tearing. A blinding white hot pain, then a sickening pop. My hand went limp, dangling uselessly. The Doberman growled, shaking its head, then let go, leaving a mangled mess of flesh and bone.
I screamed, a sound that tore from the deepest part of my soul. But it quickly died in my throat. The pain was too intense, too all-consuming. Darkness swam before my eyes. Just before I passed out, I saw Clark, his face pale and horrified, bursting through the cellar door, rushing towards me. He scooped me into his arms, his voice a panicked whisper.
"Addison? My love? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."
His apology was a cruel joke.
