Chapter 2

I drove home in a daze, my mind still reeling from the courthouse steps and Daniel's unexpected appearance with those children—those impossibly familiar children. The marriage license sat in my purse, signed in a moment of blind impulse that I still couldn't fully comprehend. Everything had happened so quickly, like a fever dream.

As I turned onto my street in Beverly Hills, the first sign that something was wrong was the massive moving truck parked in my driveway. Two burly men were unloading an ornate cream-colored chaise lounge that I immediately recognized as Victoria's—I'd seen it in countless Instagram posts where she lounged like a pampered cat.

My stomach dropped. I pulled up behind the truck and sat frozen, watching as another mover carried in what looked like Marcus's prized record collection.

This couldn't be happening. Not today. Not this fast.

I finally found the strength to exit my car, clutching my purse like a shield as I approached my own front door. The movers barely glanced at me, continuing their steady stream into my house—*my* house, the one thing Marcus hadn't managed to take from me in the divorce.

'Careful with that!' Victoria's sharp voice rang out from inside. 'It's an antique.'

I stepped through my own doorway feeling like an intruder. The entryway, once decorated with my carefully chosen minimalist artwork, now featured a gaudy gilt-framed mirror that screamed Victoria's taste.

'Oh, you're back.' Marcus appeared from the kitchen, coffee mug in hand—my favorite mug, the one my mother had given me before her last deployment. 'We didn't expect you so soon.'

'What are you doing?' My voice sounded small, even to my own ears.

'Getting settled, of course.' He smiled that practiced smile that never reached his eyes. 'The movers are efficient, aren't they? Victoria insisted on using her family's company.'

Before I could respond, a clicking of nails on hardwood approached, and my throat immediately tightened. Victoria rounded the corner, a massive German Shepherd trotting beside her. She wore white linen pants and a silk blouse, looking for all the world like she belonged here more than I did.

'Isabella, meet Thor.' She patted the dog's head lovingly. 'He's a rescue. Aren't you, baby?' She looked up at me with a smile that didn't mask the triumph in her eyes. 'I hope you don't mind. He needs a big yard to run in.'

My airway constricted as the dog's dander filled the air. Victoria knew—she *knew* about my severe allergies. Marcus had witnessed my reactions firsthand, had once even driven me to the ER when a friend's cat had triggered an attack.

'You know I'm allergic,' I managed, already feeling the telltale itch spreading across my skin.

'Oh, are you?' Victoria's eyes widened in mock concern. 'Marcus never mentioned. Did you, darling?'

Marcus shrugged, not meeting my eyes. 'I'm sure it's not that bad. Thor's hypoallergenic.'

He wasn't. No dog was completely hypoallergenic, and certainly not a German Shepherd with its thick coat. My eyes were already watering, my chest tightening in that familiar, frightening way.

'You need to leave,' I said, trying to sound firm despite my increasingly labored breathing. 'This is my house.'

Victoria laughed, the sound like glass breaking. 'Oh, honey. Didn't Marcus explain? This is our marital home now. The papers were filed this morning.'

My phone buzzed in my hand. A text notification. I glanced down, desperate for any distraction from the nightmare unfolding around me.

It was from Chloe Vance, Victoria's best friend and the queen bee of their social circle. I didn't even know she had my number.

*'Hey Isabella! Hope you don't mind, but we're having V's bachelorette at your place tonight. 8 PM. Don't worry about cleaning up—we know the place is a mess with your... situation. Bringing the whole squad! XOXO'*

I looked up from my phone to see Victoria watching me, a smirk playing at the corners of her perfect mouth. She knew exactly when Chloe had sent that text.

'You can't do this,' I whispered, my breathing becoming more labored as Thor circled closer, sniffing at my legs.

'We already are,' Victoria replied softly, her voice almost gentle, as if explaining something to a child. 'And really, Isabella, you should be thanking us. We're taking this... ordinary little house and giving it the upgrade it desperately needs.'

My mother's house. My sanctuary. My last connection to her.

As Thor barked excitedly at a mover carrying in another box, I felt my throat closing completely, spots dancing at the edges of my vision. I fumbled for my purse, for the emergency inhaler I always carried.

But it was too late. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Victoria's perfectly manicured hand resting possessively on Marcus's arm, both of them watching me fall with detached curiosity, making no move to help.