Chapter 3

He had no secrets from me. I opened his computer using my own birthdate as the password.

I installed a Trojan program and cracked the hidden files.

Due to my deafness, he always personally removed my hearing aids, but he didn't know that my left ear had regained hearing during my coma.

The folder contained records starting from a year ago, the day Ember reported to his company.

That night when he came home, he unusually complained that this woman was stupid, causing him to work overtime and always messing things up.

I thought this was just behavior meant to deceive me.

I found property deeds in the folder, and the more I looked, the more heartbroken I became.

He had bought the apartment upstairs and next door, putting them in the woman's name.

Throughout this year, I hadn't noticed anything amiss. Occasionally, I'd wake up at night and not see him, but he'd always return within a few minutes.

All the evidence linked together.

Messy hair, strange smells, seductive perfume.

A few days before I got pregnant, I noticed Dashiell was very anxious.

But after I told him about the pregnancy, he let out a sigh of relief.

He usually missed my prenatal check-ups, citing work, only attending the day we checked the number of babies.

He accompanied me the whole time that day, and when he learned it was twins, he jumped for joy.

It turns out he wasn't happy for me, but because he had found someone to take over his responsibilities.

I pushed open the door to the neighboring apartment.

What greeted my eyes were their photos together and intimate pictures, from the first day they met until today.Memorial days, birthdays, New Year's, even my wedding anniversary.

He's busy during the day and goes out at night too.

When he proposed, he swore to love me in every way.

Every night he'd make sure I took off my hearing aids and went to bed early.

I thought it was because he worried they'd be uncomfortable if worn too long, but it was really so he could see her.

The ultrasound picture in the center of the wall is of their child.

Is only her child precious? Isn't mine?

I walked to the couch and nearly vomited looking at the trash can.

Inside were three used condoms, and there were bloodstains and white spots on the couch.

Next to it was a wilted bouquet of tulips, the order date 2/28.

That was the day I was attacked by a beast, and the day Ember was born premature.

He was unusually affectionate that day, wanting to eat my cooking.

I forced myself through the discomfort, excited to bring her food.

But I fell into an inescapable hell.

The grizzly's claws tore into my belly, blood pooling on the ground as I curled up, only wanting to protect my child.

What did my baby ever do wrong?

When my emotions run high, my heart aches so much I can't breathe.

I collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.

At the hospital, I had blood drawn and waited for tests.

The doctor walked into the VIP room with a very serious look, holding my results.

After coming out, I was drenched in cold sweat, mentally shattered.

Barely able to stand, I made my way to the memory recovery center for treatment."Please help me forcibly awaken my memories, doctor. I can endure any amount of pain."

The grueling two-hour treatment finally ended.

The agony penetrated deep into my bones, my head feeling as if it had been shattered.

I returned home and looked around. Not a single thing here belonged to me.

The only possession I had was an ultrasound scan from August's prenatal checkup - the only photo of my two children together in this world.

Feeling utterly hopeless, I realized I had just seven days left before I could leave this place. As payback, I would give them two grand parting gifts.

The more disappointment I accumulated towards Dashiell, the more my heart ached.

Dashiell had been poisoning my heart for seven years with a substance known as the forbidden drug.

It came from a remote tribal region.

The toxin causes irreversible damage to the human body and can control the central nervous system.

If any love for him disappeared, my heart would be wracked with stabbing pain, ultimately making life worse than death.

The poison had already permeated my heart. A research institute abroad held the only potential lifeline.