Chapter 3

Lucas had taken control of the apartment automation system through his phone.

The living room lights cut out all at once. The hum of the air conditioner died. The fridge fell silent. Every appliance stopped breathing at the same second.

Darkness swallowed the room.

Through the smart speaker, his voice came cold and hard.

"Veronica, since you don’t want to behave, you can reflect in the dark. "

"When you’re ready to admit you were wrong, I’ll turn the lights back on."

"Don't expect any sympathy from me. You brought this on yourself."

I curled up on the floor, biting down on my lip so I wouldn't cry out.

I could feel the blood draining out of me. Each contraction was sharper than the last.

I had to stay conscious. I had to.

I crawled toward the bathroom, my hands slipping in the wetness.

There were scissors in there. Towels.

If no one came to save me, I would have to deliver the baby myself.

I had just reached the bathroom door when the speaker came back to life.

This time he forced a video call through, casting it onto the TV in the living room.

The screen lit up the room in a pale blue glow that fell across my face.

Vivian was on the screen, propped up in a hospital bed. Her color was good. Her hair was brushed. She was curled against Lucas’s chest, my hospital bag resting on the bed beside her.

"Lucas… is Veronica really upset with me?"

Vivian’s voice was sugary, laced with fake concern.

"I didn't mean to take her bag. The contractions just came so fast."

"Maybe you should go home and check on her. I'll be okay on my own."

Lucas brushed a tear from the corner of her eye, painfully gentle.

"Don't worry about her. She just can't stand seeing me good to you. She smashed the security camera—she’s probably throwing a tantrum somewhere right now.”

Then he turned to face the screen, and his expression hardened.

"Veronica. Look at Vivian. Look at how sweet she's being."

"Now look at yourself. Screaming. Breaking things. Cutting yourself off like some lunatic."

"I'm warning you. If you upset Vivian one more time —"

"Tomorrow morning, I cut off your brother's medical bills."

My heart sank into a bottomless pit.

My younger brother was the only family I had left in this world. He was still in the ICU, kept alive by machines. Lucas knew that. He knew exactly where to strike.

All his tenderness was reserved for Vivian—the woman who called me “sister” to my face.

Watching the two of them on that screen, I felt sick.

"You disgust me, Lucas."

I forced the words out with what little I had left.

On the screen, Vivian flinched and pressed herself against Lucas.

"Lucas, she's so mean. My stomach hurts."

His face went black with fury.

“Veronica, you’re asking for it. Since you love throwing fits so much, you can stay locked in there until you rot.”

The video cut.

Then I heard a hollow sound from the pipes—air sucking through empty lines.

He hadn’t just cut the power. He had remotely shut off the main water valve.

I dragged myself to the sink and twisted the faucet. A few drops fell. Then nothing.

No water. No electricity. No way to call for help.

He had backed me into a corner with no way out.

My back rested against the cold tile wall. I panted, each breath a struggle. The blood had soaked through my dress completely. The metallic smell filled the small bathroom.

The baby’s movements had slowed. From frantic kicks to weak, barely perceptible shifts.

"It's okay, baby."

I whispered, my hand pressed to my belly, tears finally spilling down my cheeks. “Mommy will save you. I promise.”

I gritted my teeth and reached under the sink. My fingers brushed against something rusted. A pair of old scissors.

I closed my hand around them.

This was my last chance to save myself.