The garden's morning light couldn't disguise my wounds. I knelt among the roses, my bandaged left hand trembling as I pruned thorns with awkward precision. Three days had passed since I'd collapsed from heat exhaustion, yet Sloan's "therapeutic rehabilitation" continued unabated.
"Anne?"
I startled at the familiar voice, nearly cutting my palm on a rose thorn. Travis Jensen stood at the garden's edge, his expression shifting from concern to horror as he took in my condition.
"Travis," I whispered, instinctively lowering my head. "Asher's not home."
"I know." He approached cautiously, as if I might shatter. "He's in Chicago until tomorrow. I... I came to see you."
The kindness in his eyes made my throat tighten. When was the last time someone had looked at me with genuine concern?
"Let me see your hands," he said gently, kneeling beside me.
I tried to hide them, but Travis was persistent. His touch was feather-light as he examined the bandages, his jaw tightening at what he found beneath.
"This is criminal," he muttered, producing a small first aid kit from his jacket. "I brought antiseptic and proper bandages."
As he cleaned my wounds, I fought back tears. "Thank you," I managed.
"Anne." His voice dropped lower. "You don't have to stay here. I can help you leave."
Leave? The word hung between us, dangerous and tempting.
"I have a secure phone you can use," he continued, pressing something cool into my palm. "And my estate is prepared for you. No one would find you there."
I stared at the phone, its weight suddenly unbearable. "My father—"
"Would be safer away from Asher's control," Travis finished firmly.
For a moment, I wavered. Freedom beckoned, but fear held me captive.
"I can't," I whispered finally. "Not yet."
Travis nodded, understanding in his eyes. He didn't push, didn't condemn. Instead, he wrapped my hands properly and helped me to my feet.
"If you change your mind," he said, slipping the phone into my pocket, "use this to call me. Day or night."
After he left, I found my mother's old recipe book on the garden bench. Inside, tucked between pages of her handwritten notes, was Travis's contact information.
---
The dinner party glittered with false elegance. Crystal chandeliers cast sharp shadows across faces I'd once called friends. Now they watched me with thinly veiled curiosity, whispering behind manicured hands.
"More wine, Anne?" Sloan appeared at my elbow, her smile predatory.
Before I could answer, she gasped dramatically, dropping the bottle with a crash. Red wine splashed across my white dress like blood.
"Oh my God," she cried, her eyes wide with manufactured confusion. "Who are you? Why is this strange woman with one arm in our house?"
The room fell silent. Dozens of eyes fixed on me, standing frozen in my ruined dress.
"Sloan," I said quietly, "it's me. Anne."
She blinked rapidly, her performance flawless. "Anne? But... Asher said you were away. He said you had a breakdown."
Heat rushed to my face as whispers erupted around us.
"Asher!" Sloan called out, her voice trembling perfectly. "Asher, help me! I'm having an episode!"
He appeared instantly at her side, protective arm around her shoulders. "It's alright," he murmured, then turned to the stunned guests. "I apologize for the confusion. As some of you know, Sloan suffers from dissociative identity disorder."
His eyes found mine across the room. "Anne, perhaps you should retire for the evening. You're clearly upsetting her."
"But I—" I began.
"Enough," he cut me off, his voice cold. "Can't you see she's suffering?"
The guests shifted uncomfortably, their judgment palpable. In that moment, I became the villain—the insensitive wife who couldn't accommodate her husband's mentally ill friend.
---
I found the recording device three days later.
Hidden beneath my bedside lamp, the small black box blinked with a tiny red light. My blood ran cold as I carefully extracted it, my fingers trembling.
"What are you doing?"
Sloan stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable.
"There's a recording device in my bedroom," I said, holding it up. "Care to explain?"
She tilted her head, a practiced look of confusion crossing her features. "The doctors installed those. To monitor my episodes."
"Episodes?" I laughed bitterly. "You mean your performances?"
"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, snatching the device from my hand. "These are for my protection. For your protection."
"My protection?"
"Of course." Her smile returned, cold and calculating. "We need evidence of your... instability."
The realization hit me like a physical blow. The recordings—edited, twisted versions of our conversations—had been her insurance policy. Her weapon.
"You've been using these to prove I'm the one who's crazy," I whispered.
Sloan's eyes glittered with triumph. "It's working, isn't it?"
In that moment, I understood with perfect clarity: there was no escape from this web of lies unless I broke free completely.
