Chapter 3

Edward pulled out his phone and made a call. "Lock all the doors at Willow Manor. No one gets in or out without my say-so."

He hung up and fixed his deep gaze on me. "Tonight, you stay in your room and reflect on what you did wrong."

He turned to leave, but noticed I was simply staring at him, not crying or begging as I usually would.

He stopped, his eyes narrowing at me. "Why didn't you say anything?"

I smiled, meeting his gaze. "What do you want me to say? Beg you not to lock me up?"

He frowned, looking surprised and annoyed.

He stepped closer, looking down at me and studying my face.

"Looks like you're not scared of me anymore, huh?" he said.

For the first time, I didn't flinch.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid anymore," I said, even managing a small laugh. "A person about to die has nothing left to fear."

My calmness seemed to get under his skin even more than any hysterical outburst.

Edward's face went dark, his eyes swirling with an intensity I couldn't comprehend.

"Are you being stubborn with me?" he said.

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "I'm informing you."

He snorted, like I'd cracked the biggest joke ever. "Informing me? What, you think you're all grown up now and ready to break free from me?"

He advanced step by step, an overwhelming sense of menace closing in on me.

"Don't forget who saved you from your family's disaster," he said coldly. "Without me, you'd be homeless. Everything you have is because of me."

"You're right," I admitted, my voice steady. "So I'm not planning to take anything you gave me."

My attitude threw him for a loop.

He probably expected me to fall apart and beg him for forgiveness, like I always did.

"Good," he said, the fury in his eyes fading to a cold calculation. His usual arrogant composure returned. "Looks like you really need to cool off. Let's see how long you'll last without me."

He turned and walked out without looking back, the door clicking shut with a sharp sound.

I listened to his footsteps heading downstairs, the manor's front door shutting, and finally the sound of his car engine starting up and fading away down the road.

Then the whole world went quiet.

I didn't cry or smash anything.

I just walked over to the window, looked out at the pitch-black night, and let out a slow breath.

Edward, you wanna see how long I'll last without you?

Too bad, our time together was down to these last few hours.

I waited half an hour, making sure Edward was gone and wouldn't return anytime soon.

Then I reached under the mattress and pulled out a tiny brass key.

I'd had it made last month, when I told Edward the bedroom lock was old and had him call someone to change the lock for me.

He always thought he had everything under control. But he never realized that a butterfly pushed to the edge would do whatever it took to find a way out of its cage.

I slid the key into the lock and gave it a twist. The door clicked open.

The massive villa was empty, silent as a lavish tomb.

With no hesitation, I went straight to the closet.

There was a suitcase I'd packed long ago, holding only a few clothes, my documents, and my old phone.

Before leaving, I found myself drawn into Edward's study, as if something was pulling me there.

Unfinished documents were scattered across his desk.

I opened the drawer, and right on top was a velvet box.

I opened the drawer. Inside were all my "vitamins".

I picked up the bottle, walked over to his luxurious leather chair, and let the pills spill out, scattering them across the expensive seat.

Then I slipped off my wedding ring and set it right in the center of the white pills.

The diamond caught the light, flashing with an icy, almost sarcastic gleam.

After that, I walked straight out of Willow Manor, a cage that had trapped me for three long years.

Outside, a plain-looking cab was already waiting at the corner.

Olivia was in the driver's seat. Spotting me, she leaned out the window and shouted, "Hop in, quick!"

I climbed in, and Olivia floored it, speeding off into the traffic.

In the rearview mirror, the brightly lit villa shrank, eventually becoming a blurry speck of light.

I leaned back in my seat, watching the streetscape blur past. For the first time, I felt truly free.