Chapter 2

The rain kept falling, cold and hard against the windows. The chill in the house was deep, a cold that had nothing to do with the weather.

I scrolled through my phone. Savannah had posted a new picture. She was in a cozy-looking room, a fire burning in the fireplace, a cup of tea in her hands. The caption read: "Feeling so much better thanks to the best company in the world. ❤️" Asher' s arm was visible in the corner of the photo.

The doctor came and went. He was a new one. He looked at my leg, then at me with pity.

"The wound is deep, Mrs. Thorne. But the bigger issue is your overall health. You' re severely anemic, and your lungs… they' re not getting better. Has Mr. Thorne arranged for the specialist I recommended last month?"

I didn' t answer.

I remembered telling Asher a month ago, my voice weak after a coughing fit. "Asher, the doctor says I need to see a specialist. He thinks it' s serious."

Asher had been looking at his phone, barely glancing up. "You' re always sick, Elara. It' s for attention. Savannah has a sore throat and you think you have a terminal illness. Just take the medicine the doctor gives you."

He had dismissed it. Just like he dismissed everything about me now.

Maria stood by the door, her hands clenched into fists. "He doesn' t care! He leaves you here to get sicker and sicker while that woman pretends to have a cold and gets the world. She' s living your life, Mrs. Thorne. And he' s letting her."

Her voice was loud, filled with rage.

Suddenly, the library door opened again.

Asher stood there, his face dark. He had heard every word.

"What did you say?" he asked Maria, his voice dangerously low.

Maria froze, her face pale.

He walked straight to her. "Get out of my house."

"Mr. Thorne, please…" Maria started.

"I said, get out." He grabbed her arm, his grip like steel.

I tried to push myself up. "Asher, stop! She didn' t do anything!"

He ignored me. He started dragging Maria toward the front door.

"No! You can' t do this!" Maria cried, trying to pull away. "She needs me! You' re never here!"

He shoved her hard. "You are fired. If I see your face here again, I' ll call the police."

Maria stumbled but caught her balance. She looked at me, her eyes full of fear for me. "Mrs. Thorne…"

Asher moved to block her view. He opened the front door and pushed her out into the cold, rainy night.

He slammed the door shut.

The sound echoed in the silent house.

He turned back to me, his eyes cold. "Now there are no more distractions."

I stared at the door where my only friend had just been thrown out.

A wave of dizziness hit me. I coughed again, a deep, wracking cough that brought up more blood. It splattered on the white rug, next to the stain from my leg.

I looked at the blood, then at him. "Asher… please… call a doctor."

He looked down at me, his face unreadable.

Then he looked at the blood on the floor. His expression hardened into disgust.

"You' re a good actress, Elara. I' ll give you that."

He turned and walked away, leaving me on the floor.

"No more doctors," he said over his shoulder. "You' ll stay here. And you' ll learn your place."

He left me alone in the cold, dark library, with the blood on the rug and the sound of the rain outside.