Chapter 141
Anna’s POV:
I way trapped like a rat. The basement room felt smaller with each passing hour as I moved around like a headless chicken, desperately searching for a way out.
I held my phone up in every corner, its faint blue light barely illuminating the darkness as I hunted for even one bar of signal.
*Come on, come on, I muttered, my fingers trembling.
When that failed, I tried prying the lock with the underwire from my bra. My fingertips turned red and raw from the effort, but the door wouldn’t budge. Desperate, I toppled a bookshelf, hoping the crash would bring someone running.
“Help! Can anyone hear me?” I screamed until my voice turned hoarse.
Nothing. Just the sound of my own breathing and my increasingly rapid heartbeat.
I slid down against the wall, exhausted. There was no point wasting more energy. I needed to conserve what strength i had left, especially now.
My thoughts drifted to Blake. “He’s always saying I’m the one who really wants a divorce. But isn’t he the same? He brought me back here and doesn’t even care where I am…”
Hours later, I heard shuffling outside the door. Before I could call out, the lights went completely dead. I froze.
“Anna.” Claire’s voice came through the door.
“Claire, isn’t this trick a bit pathetic?” I tried to keep my voice steady
Her laugh echoed in the hallway. “Pathetic or not, you’re locked up, aren’t you? Anna, you can’t divorce Blakey, at least not while Scarlett’s in Boston.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What are you going to do with Scarlett?”
“I don’t know yet,” she taunted. “What do you think I should do?”
I took a deep breath. “If you don’t want Blake to have children, just talk to him. Or let me out, and I’ll help you talk to him. You know he adores you.”
“Shut up!” She slammed something against the door, making me jump back, “Blakey won’t listen to anything you say. He said he never wants to see you again!”
My heart sank. I felt tears gathering but refused to let them fall. I placed a hand over my belly, fingers trembling.
Night fell. I wrapped myself in whatever clothes I could find, covering everything except my eyes and nose, curling into a ball in the corner. To stay awake, I tried reciting marine species classifications, but my thoughts grew increasingly jumbled.
My condition deteriorated rapidly. Body heat drained away, lips cracked, and a splitting headache throbbed behind my eyes.
When morning light finally streamed through the small window, I gathered my last reserves of strength to bang on the wa creating a rhythmic noise I hoped would attract attention.
es,
Finally, I heard voices outside.
1/3
Chapter 141
Mrs. Wright, what are you doing in here?!”
I watched as the photo pieces I’d spent all night assembling were trampled under their feet. Too weak to respond, I closed my eyes.
Blake’s angry voice woke me.
“How could this happen? Are you all fucking blind? He was shouting at the staff, his voice harsher than I’d ever heard it.
Exhausted, I dragged myself out of bed and cracked open the door. Make stood with his back to me, wearing an impeccable suit. Probably just returned from dropping Claire off at her theatre. His favoritism was so damn obvious,
A staff member spotted me. “Ma’am…”
Blake spun around. Something flickered in his eyes–pain?-before he strode toward me. I backed away and slammed the door in his
face, but his hand caught it.
“How are you feeling? I’ll take you to the hospital,” he said, pushing his way in.
I shuffled back to bed like a zombie, feeling the air grow thin with his presence. I didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to be near him.
“Don’t touch me,” I mumbled when he tried to pick me up. “Just let me sleep.”
Going to the hospital would be smart, but he might discover the pregnancy. No way was I giving him that information.
“Did I somehow miss testing your IQ before we got married?” he snapped.
I didn’t bother responding. He probably thought I’d accidentally locked myself in the basement. Even if I told him Claire did it, he wouldn’t believe me. Or worse, he wouldn’t care.
I turned my back to him.
“You think you can take care of yourself after we divorce?” he asked.
‘I’m not exactly being taken care of now, am I?‘ I thought bitterly. And you’re certainly not doing it.‘
“If that’s the case, Mr. Wright, please include a generous settlement so I can bring Emily over to take care of me,” I replied weakly.
“You can both get the hell out together!” he barked.
I suddenly remembered my bag and sat up, looking around the room. Finding it, I dumped the contents out on the bed. My dead phone and the medicine from my doctor tumbled out.
Shit. I tried to hide the pill bottle, but Blake had already spotted it.
“Are you sick? What medication is that?” His brow furrowed.
“It’s not mine,” I lied. “It’s Emily’s. I’ve been with her these past few days.”
He frowned but didn’t press further.
I picked up my phone. “It’s dead. I need to charge it so I can call someone to pick me up.”
Blake snatched the phone and threw it onto the table. “We’re not divorced yet. Where exactly do you think you’re going?”
Outside, the sky had darkened. Rain pattered against the windows, matching my mood.
2/3
Chapter 141
16
Memories of Blake and me folded my mind all those sweet moments now seemed like slides from someone else’s life. I’d only ever loved him. Did everyone leakups hurt this much?
I thought about our innocent by and clasped my hands tightly, knickles white with the effort of holding back tears.
Then what do you want me to do? I finally asked, my voice rising from a whisper to a shout. Tears finally spilled over. Blake, what do you want from me? Where am I supposed to go?”
His throat worked as if he wanted to say something, but his expression hardened into indifference,
“Let’s get divorced,” I suggested, wiping my face. “Claire tore up our marriage certificate, but the records office should have it on file. We can work out the agreement later. There’s a waiting period, anyway.”
I took a deep breath and walked toward the door with whatever dignity I had left. Blake didn’t move an inch.
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his eyes darkening. I was shocked- I couldn’t stand smoke now.
I tried to walk around him and reach for the doorknob, but his arm shot out, muscles tense as he blocked my exit. Smoke wafted into my face, making me cough. My eyes watered from the irritation.
Blake stared down at my reaction, then suddenly dropped the cigarette and crushed it under his foot. In one swift motion, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him, kissing me forcefully.
I struggled to push him away, but he was too strong. When he finally released me, a cold smirk played on his lips.
“If you don’t want a divorce, just say it,” he said. “Did you really think I wouldn’t see through your little trick about Claire tearing up our marriage certificate?”
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