Chapter 100
The first few days after escaping felt like stepping into an unfamiliar body–one that no longer belonged to me. Yes, I was finally free, but freedom didn’t feel like victory. It felt like exhaustion so deep it seeped into my bones.\
I stayed in bed. Curtains drawn. Lights off. I barely ate. I barely moved. My whole body was heavy, as if the mattress was swallowing me whole.
It wasn’t just my body that was tired–it was my soul. My mind. Every thought, every breath, was a reminder of what Colton and Beatrice had done to me.
Even in my dreams, they found me. My sleep was filled with the kiss cam replaying over and over, with the cold voice of Colton telling the doctor he never wanted our baby, with Beatrice’s smirk as she poured alcohol over my burns.§
I woke in the dark, heart racing, feeling their shadows crawl over my skin. Some nights, I was so afraid of closing my eyes that I stayed awake until the sun crept through the cracks in the curtains.}
Eventually, the exhaustion became unbearable. I had to take the sleeping medicine the doctor prescribed, just to shut my mind off. But even then, the rest didn’t feel real.
It was on the twelfth day that something inside me shifted.
I opened my eyes to the same ceiling I’d been staring at for almost two weeks. The air felt stale. My body ached from lying still for so long. I couldn’t stay here forever–not if I wanted to start over.
Slowly, I pushed the blankets off and swung my feet onto the floor. My knees felt weak, as if I’d forgotten how to stand. Step by step, I walked to the door and opened it for the first time in weeks.
The hallway outside was quiet, the faint scent of flowers drifting toward me. I followed it, and as I turned the corner toward the sitting area, I froze.
Bouquets. Dozens of them. Arranged neatly along the wall, some fresh and vibrant, others wilted and drooping, petals littering the floor.
I stepped closer, brushing my fingers against a soft white rose. Each bouquet had a small card tucked into it. I pulled one out.
“Rest well. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” – Scott
Another one:
4
“No matter what happened before, you’re my sister. And I’m not letting you go again.” Nathan
My throat tightened.
They’d been here. Every day. Waiting for me to come out.
”
–
Th
རས་ ི་ ད་ད་པ་ད་ ད་མ་ད་ད་ཚད་ས་དས་ ཅད་པ་
Memories of Nathan flooded back–the way he used to look out for me when we were children, making sure I ate the last slice of cake at every birthday, carrying me on his back when i fell asleep in the car. He was more than my brother. He was my safe place.[
I could still see us on summer afternoons, sprawled out on the old rug in the living room, trading secrets like they were treasures no one else could touch. He used to help me build forts out of blankets and chairs, standing guard at the “door” to keep our parents out during our imaginary “missions.“\
When I scraped my knee climbing the garden wall, Nathan had been the one to bandage it, scolding me gently while making sure I didn’t cry. And on stormy nights, when the thunder rattled the windows, he’d sneak into my room and sit by my bed until I fell asleep.
He’d been my fiercest protector. My partner–in–crime. My best friend.
And then I’d thrown it all away.
The memory of his face the day I told him I was choosing Colton over my family still burned in my mind–hurt and disbelief fighting for space in his eyes. I’d told myself he would get over it, that one day he’d understand.
But now, standing here surrounded by flowers he’d sent just to make sure I felt loved, I knew I’d broken something precious between us.
And I’d left him!
I’d left thern all, running into the arms of a man who turned me against my own blood. I could still remember the last fight we had–his voice breaking when he told me I was making a mistake, my own words sharp and unforgiving when I told him to stay out of my life.
My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor, clutching the card to my chest as the tears came. Heavy, unstoppable sobs.
“Nadia?”
1 looked up through blurred vision. Nathan stood at the end of the hall, watching me with that same mixture of worry and love he’d always had.
212 40.0%
0
4:03 PM PP.
Before I could say anything, he closed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug. His arms were warm, steady,
unshakable.
“I’m sorry,” I choked out against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Nathan. For leaving. For choosing Colton. For being a selfish-“” “Stop,” he murmured, holding me tighter. “What’s important is that you’re here now. You’re safe. That’s all that matters.“”
I nodded against him, my tears soaking into his shirt. “I promise I’ll never leave again.“\
“You won’t have to,” he said, leaning back just enough to look me in the eyes. “Everything’s going to be fine now. I’ll make sure
of it.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added, “You probably already know this… but Colton’s company is in chaos. The board pushed him out. He’s no longer CEO.“[
Something in me snapped–not with sadness, but with a sharp, unexpected laugh. “Good. He deserves every bit of it.“” Nathan smiled faintly. “Then you deserve to be happy. And we’ll get you there.“}
We went downstairs together, and for the first time in weeks, I sat at the dining table. The smell of freshly cooked food filled the air. Nathan served me a plate, and we ate in easy silence at first, then started talking–about childhood memories, about ridiculous things our parents used to say, about everything except the years I’d been gone.”
For the first time in a long time, I laughed. And it didn’t feel forced.
When the plates were cleared away, the sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
few moments later, one of the staff appeared in the doorway. “Miss Nadia, Scott is here. Would you like him to come in?“}
Nathan looked at me carefully. “Are you ready to talk to him?”
I felt a small smile tug at my lips. “Yes. About time.”}
