Chapter 8
David raised his hand and gently patted my shoulder. The gesture was tender yet ruthless.
"See? Anna doesn't want to go out either. Let's stay at home," he said.
He took hold of my arm and led me back to the living room, as if I were nothing more than a soulless puppet.
I stared at the front door, tightly shut. I'd never be able to open it again. Despair washed over me like a tidal wave.
I slumped onto the couch.
David walked over to the window and drew the heavy curtains shut. The living room was instantly swallowed by darkness.
He came up to me and snatched my phone. "You've been looking really worn out lately.
"All that phone radiation isn't good for you. Stop using it for now."
Right in front of me, he removed the SIM card and dropped it into the fish tank nearby.
I watched as the tiny card slowly sank to the bottom of the tank.
I knew that I was completely cut off from the outside world.
I was now a prisoner, trapped in my own home.
*****
From that day on, this place became my cage.
And David and Haley turned into my wardens.
They didn't even bother to pretend anymore. Or maybe they just stopped caring about keeping up the act.
I wasn't allowed to step outside.
They took away my phone, my car keys, and all my personal documents.
They cut off the internet, and even yanked the cord out of the landline.
I felt like I was living on a deserted island, cut off from everything.
The only voices I heard belonged to my enemies.
David started looking at me with a sympathetic gaze. "You haven't been yourself lately, always overthinking things.
"You really need some rest."
He even brought in a so-called "family doctor", a middle-aged stranger I'd never seen before.
The guy barely asked me anything, just a couple of quick questions.
Then he prescribed a bunch of sedatives and sleeping pills.
He told David I was a mess, probably depressed, and needed to be kept quiet and rested.
Right in front of them, I dumped all the pills straight into the toilet.
David just watched me in silence. There was no anger in his eyes but just a knowing look, like he knew I'd do this.
It was as if every bit of my resistance was exactly what he'd expected.
And Haley? She was getting more brazen by the day.
She started showing Anna all kinds of affection right in front of me.
She bought Anna new clothes and toys.
None of them was anything I'd ever pick for Anna.
She fed Anna and cradled her to sleep at night.
She even started coaching Anna to call her "Mommy".
"Anna, tell Mommy, what's this?" Haley asked, pointing at an apple in a picture book.
Anna answered in her sweet, childish voice, "Apple."
"Good job. Now, who's this next to Mommy?" Haley asked, pointing at me.
Anna looked at me, and then back at Haley.
Then, with an address I'd never heard before, Anna called me, "It's Ms. Foster."
In that moment, my head started spinning.
I rushed over, desperate to hold my daughter. "Anna, I'm your mom. I'm your real mom!"
Anna was startled and burst into tears.
She didn't run to me. Instead, she turned and clung tightly to Haley's leg. "Mommy, I'm scared."
Haley scooped Anna up and gently patted her back.
She shot me a look, her eyes blazing with gloating victory and pure taunt.
I lost it, rushing at Haley, desperate to grab Anna away from her. "Give me back my daughter!"
David burst out of the study, grabbed my arm, and flung me aside.
My back hit the wall hard, a sharp pain shooting through me.
"Are you losing your mind again?" he shouted at me.
This was the first time he ever got physical with me.
It was only a shove, but in that moment, I finally saw the pure loathing and coldness in his eyes.
He held Haley and Anna close, guarding them like they were his true family.
And me? I was nothing but an unwanted stranger, a madwoman.
"Take Claire back to her room," he snapped at a bodyguard.
Yeah, at some point, a silent, stone-faced man appeared in our home.
He was supposed to be the driver, but in reality, he was a hired muscle to make sure I stayed put.
I was forcefully dragged back to my bedroom, and the door was locked from the outside.