chapter 2

The moment Colton saw who had entered, his expression softened.

“Camille, what are you doing up? You should be resting. I was just about to check on you.

“Don’t worry, I punished Sadie Mercer hard. She won’t dare mess with you again.”

He pulled her into his arms, his fingers running gently through her hair.

“You’re the sweetest, Colton,” Camille whispered, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. Resting her head on his chest, she murmured, “Sadie probably knows she messed up. I never thought she’d do something like that... but I didn’t expect you to punish her either. Do you think she’ll blame me?”

Watching them cling to each other so tenderly, I realized they looked more like husband and wife than we ever did.

I smiled faintly.

I didn’t interrupt them.

I was already dead.

I had died inside that freezing, blood-soaked freezer bin.

Later, my spirit drifted out of that dark, narrow space.

I saw the freezer bin sealed shut with four massive padlocks, like it was meant to trap whatever was inside forever.

Even as a spirit, I recoiled from the suffocating scene in fear.

Meanwhile, Colton kept comforting Camille.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m here. I won’t leave you again.”

He gently patted her back, his voice low and soothing.

“Sadie was disgusting. She wet herself just to survive.

“She begged for her life while trying to hurt you. I’ll make her regret ever laying a hand on you.”

I hovered there in silence, unable to cry.

He wasn’t wrong. Who wouldn’t do whatever they could to survive?

—

I was a grown woman, but to shove me into that tiny freezer bin, he snapped my neck, broke my arms, and shattered my legs.

He was ruthless. He really knew how to inflict pain without killing me.

The agony drenched me in sweat, but I didn’t even have the strength to crawl.

I stopped struggling and tried to save what little energy I had, hoping he might let me go.

But he didn’t seem to remember I was pregnant when he shoved me into that freezer bin.

There was no space to move. My limbs were broken, and my belly was twisted into an unbearable position. I couldn’t shift at all.

The pressure on my stomach became agonizing. I begged him to stop, but I was powerless.

In the end, all I wanted was to live.

I arched my back and pushed hard against the lid, praying I might somehow get out.

But what did Colton do?

He dumped in more ice and nailed the lid shut.

“Scared now? Imagine how terrified Camille must’ve been, locked in there because of you.

“You deserve every second of this. Maybe next time you’ll remember where my limits are.”

I swallowed every accusation he threw at me, hoping he might feel a trace of guilt and let me go.

But the pain in my abdomen only got worse. A warm flow spread beneath me, and my body started shutting down.

Half-conscious, I heard his disgusted voice.

“She’s too damn loud. Chain her down for real. Let her reflect properly.”

All I could do was beg.

I listened as four locks clicked shut, one by one.

And then, everything went dark.

“Bring Sadie out. Clean her up. Don’t let her stink up the place and offend Camille.”

Colton spoke in an especially flat tone, almost emotionless.

Jared let out an awkward grunt.

Camille clung to Colton’s arm, her wide eyes filled with innocence.

“Colton, promise me you won’t yell at her when she comes out, okay? You two are married. Don’t punish her just because of me. That’ll only make her feel worse.”

Colton’s face stayed cold, but his hand gently brushed her hair.

“She has no right to feel anything. You were locked in that freezer bin for over an hour because of her. I can’t even imagine how scared you must’ve been.

“You’re just too kind. That’s why Sadie thought she could get away with it.”

His voice was full of indulgence, his eyes soft as he looked at Camille. He clearly adored her.

But those words, when they reached me...

All I could do was laugh bitterly.

It was just too cruel, too ironic.