Chapter 3 No.3

The days that followed were a slow, grinding torture.

Kirk and Jaida were in their own world, a bubble of shared jokes and intimate glances that Holly was not meant to penetrate. She would hear their laughter from other rooms. She would see texts from Jaida pop up on Kirk's phone, filled with heart emojis. Each one was a small, steady drip of poison into her already exhausted mind.

The house itself felt suffocating. Jaida's presence was everywhere. Her clothes were draped over chairs in the living room. Her perfume lingered in the hallways. She had effectively erased Holly from the shared spaces.

One afternoon, Holly was in the garden when a car pulled up. It was a realtor. Jaida came out to greet him, linking her arm through his.

"This is the Knapp estate," Jaida said, her voice loud enough for Holly to hear clearly. "My uncle and I are the sole residents. We're considering some major renovations."

She gestured vaguely in Holly's direction. "Oh, that's just Holly. She helps around the house."

The realtor gave Holly a polite, dismissive nod. A household helper. That's what she had been reduced to. The lie was so blatant, so public, it stole the air from her lungs.

She tried to speak to Kirk that night. She found him in his study, reviewing some documents.

"Kirk, can we talk?"

He didn't look up. "I'm busy."

"It's about Jaida. What she said to the realtor-"

"Jaida is young," he cut in, his voice sharp. "She's sensitive. You've been moping around for weeks. It's upsetting her. Can't you at least pretend to be happy?"

"Pretend?" Holly's voice was barely a whisper.

Jaida appeared at the door then, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Uncle Kirk," she said, her voice trembling. "I think I upset Holly. I was just trying to explain our living situation, and she got so angry. I think... I think maybe she's jealous of me?"

She looked at Holly, her expression a perfect mask of hurt innocence. "Holly, I know you've been through a lot with your mother, but you can't take it out on me. I'm just trying to make this a home for all of us."

It was a masterful performance.

Kirk's face darkened. He stood up and walked over to Holly, his shadow falling over her.

"Is that what this is about?" he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Jealousy?"

He looked from Jaida's tear-streaked face to Holly's pale, defiant one.

"Holly, you are here because I allow it. You are my fiancée on paper, a role you should be grateful for. Jaida is my family. My blood. Do not ever make me choose. You will lose."

He turned to Jaida, his expression softening instantly. "It's alright, sweetheart. She's just not feeling herself."

He put his arm around Jaida's shoulders, pulling her into a protective embrace. "She can be a bit... unstable. We have to be patient with her."

Fragile. Unstable. The words were a public branding, a verdict delivered in front of her accuser. He was painting her as mentally unwell to justify his cruelty.

He used to do this for her. He used to bring her a glass of warm water before bed, a simple, thoughtless gesture that she had clung to as a sign of something more. Now, as he led Jaida from the room, he paused.

"Jaida, you look cold. I'll bring you some warm water."

The reversal was so complete, so final, it felt like a physical blow.

The next day, a large, celebratory dinner was held at the house. Kirk had closed a major deal. His business partners and their families were all there.

Throughout the evening, Kirk kept Jaida by his side, introducing her as "the light of my life." At one point, he stood to make a toast.

He raised his glass. "To new beginnings," he said, his eyes fixed on Jaida. "And to the family that makes it all worthwhile."

Everyone applauded. Holly stood among them, her hands frozen at her sides. She felt like a ghost at a feast.

She had to excuse herself. She went to the powder room and splashed cold water on her face. Her reflection stared back at her, a stranger with haunted eyes.

She had to leave. Not soon. Now.

When she returned to the party, Kirk and Jaida were dancing. He was smiling down at her, a genuine, unguarded smile that Holly had never received.

She walked over to the host's assistant.

"Could you please call me a cab?" she asked, her voice steady.

It was time to go. For good.