Chapter 2

2

That night, my body broke out in angry, red hives. The itching was unbearable. I looked at Landon, who was snoring loudly beside me, and kicked him awake.

"What's wrong? Can't a man get some sleep?" Landon groaned, rubbing his eyes with annoyance.

Before we were married, Landon always put my needs first. I couldn't believe how quickly he had changed.

"I'm having an allergic reaction! Get up and take me to the ER right now!" I hissed.

I knew my body. If I waited any longer, my throat would swell shut. When I was a kid, I nearly died from a shellfish allergy.

My parents had banned all seafood from our house after that. My dad loved lobster, but he never touched it again because he was terrified his breath alone might trigger a reaction.

I had told Landon all of this before.

Landon just rolled over and pulled the duvet over his head.

"You're so dramatic. Go find some Benadryl. It was just one bite of cabbage, it's not that serious."

I was scratching my arms and neck raw. The panic started to set in as my breathing grew heavy.

"I told your mother! I told her not to cross-contaminate! Does she not understand English?" I screamed.

My voice must have been loud enough to wake the dead, because Martha and Sienna burst into the room. They had clearly heard me.

Martha stood in the doorway, looking like a wounded martyr.

"Is it a crime to do chores for you now? My son married you, and now he's not even allowed the freedom to eat seafood? You look fine to me. You're just acting like a spoiled princess. An allergy can't be that bad. It's not like it'll kill you."

Sienna chimed in from behind her.

"You're a part of the Miller family now. You should follow our rules. Why are you making such a scene in the middle of the night? Other people are trying to sleep."

Looking at their cold, indifferent faces, my heart turned to ice. I didn't even have the energy to argue. My tongue felt thick in my mouth.

"Please... hospital," I gasped.

I was stuck with a toxic sister-in-law, a useless husband, and a mother-in-law who wanted to make things worse.

Martha looked at me with pure disdain.

"I don't know what's wrong with young people today. I've lived half a century and never seen anyone die from a shrimp. I wear myself out for this family, and this is the thanks I get? Maybe I should just move back to the country."

I slumped to the floor, my vision blurring. Martha didn't even flinch. She just turned around and walked out.

"She's probably just possessed by some bad energy. A little bit of dirt from the garden will fix her right up," I heard her mutter.

In my desperation, I grabbed my phone and sent a text to my mom.

【Come to my house. Help. Emergency.】

My consciousness was fading. I felt Martha kneeling over me, shoving something foul-smelling into my mouth. It tasted like damp earth and rot.

I wanted to vomit, but I didn't have the strength. I felt the grit clogging my throat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" a sharp voice screamed.