Chapter 2 2

Six years later

The first thing Jane noticed was the sharp smell of antiseptic and the cool, sterile air. She tried to move, but a dull ache spread through her body-as if she had been beaten for days. Her limbs felt heavy, and her throat was dry.

Weakly, she raised her hand. That's when she saw it: a cannula. A shiver ran through her. This was not a nightmare.

"Where... am I?" she croaked in a hoarse whisper.

She tried to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate. Panic bubbled beneath the surface as her mind raced with questions. Was this the afterlife? No-it could not be. If this were heaven, why did everything hurt? Or was this already hell?

"I'm finished," she murmured.

Before she could think more, the door creaked open. A nurse entered, carrying a tray. Her steps faltered, and the moment their eyes met, the tray clattered to the floor. The nurse bolted out of the room and returned seconds later with a doctor in tow.

The doctor stepped closer and shone a light into Jane's eyes. Squinting, she met his steady gaze. On his badge, she read: Dr. White. He was not an angel but a real doctor. Relief mixed with confusion. She was alive-but how?

"Can you hear me?" Dr. White asked in a calm, professional tone, though his eyes held a hint of amazement.

"Tell me your name," he prompted.

Jane swallowed hard. "Jane... Jane Stadlar."

The moment her name left her lips, panic set in. Her heart pounded as she scanned the room. "Where are they?" she whispered.

"Where is my husband?" she managed to ask, her voice weak. "Where is my sister? Where-"

Dr. White interrupted with a gentle but unreadable expression. "Relax. Take it slow." After a deep breath, he dropped a heavy truth. "You have been asleep for six years."

Six years. Jane blinked in shock, waiting for him to take back his words. But he did not. Six years had passed, yet everything felt like it had happened only yesterday-the rooftop, the fall, the betrayal. And Lucy... Lucy must have been the one who brought her here.

"How did I get here?" Jane's voice trembled. "Where is the woman who brought me here? Lucy Stadler?"

Dr. White frowned. "Lucy?" he repeated, confused. "An old man brought you here six years ago, and since then, no one by that name has come."

Her breath caught. "The only person who has visited me regularly these past two years is the son of the man who brought me here."

Jane could barely understand his words. No Lucy? Her mind rebelled at the thought. She would not be abandoned so easily. Frantically, she searched her memory for any sign of contact-no calls, no texts.

Betrayal surged inside her. Her only choice was to wait for this mysterious visitor. The room was silent except for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. As she stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything, she heard footsteps approach. Someone came near her bed and gently adjusted the covers. Her heart leaped. Could it be Daniel?

Forcing her heavy eyelids open, she saw not her husband, but a stranger. Her stomach twisted with dread and sorrow.

The man noticed she was awake and offered a small smile. "Hello, Miss Stadler. How do you feel?" His voice was deep, smooth, and confident, filling the room with a strong presence.

"Who are you?" Jane asked sharply, despite her weakness. "And what is happening?"

He smirked as if he understood her pain. "My name is Dante," he said casually. "I am an assistant to Mr. Orlov. I was sent by the organization to check on you."

Jane frowned. Organization? What organization?

Before she could ask more, a sudden cough rattled in her chest. Dante quickly turned to call the doctor. Within seconds, Dr. White returned and pressed a glass of water into her trembling hands. With more questions forming in her mind, she watched as Dante stepped out to take a call.

Left alone, Jane grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, desperate for a distraction. She needed an escape-a world where her life was not falling apart. On the screen, an interview began. At the bottom, a caption read:

  DANIEL CRESTWELL FOR ASSEMBLYMAN

A cold wave of dread crashed over her. Her stomach churned, and she fumbled with the remote to raise the volume. The interview continued, and there he was-Daniel, sitting next to a woman named Lucy.

Jane's hands trembled as she watched. In the interview, Daniel smiled and said, "This is my wife, Lucy. She has been by my side ever since I lost my wife five years ago. She took care of me, supported me, and helped me love again." He continued, "She even gave me a son. Our boy just turned five."

Jane's heart stopped. What was he saying? Had his wife died? Who was she now? Or did he think Jane was dead?

Her mind raced back to that fateful night-the woman on top of Daniel had worn a waist chain, and the mark on her body... it was the same as Lucy's. The betrayal was clear. It had been Lucy all along.

A strangled sob tore from Jane's throat as she realized the truth. She lurched forward, and the room spun. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the cold floor. As she hit the floor, the cannula tore from her arm, and hot blood stained her skin. The physical pain was nothing compared to the crushing betrayal in her chest.

Ignoring the pain, she screamed, "DANTE! Dante, please!"

The door burst open. "Jane! What happened?" Dante rushed in and lifted her effortlessly back into bed. Jane clutched his arm, her nails digging in as she pleaded, "Please, tell me this isn't real. Tell me my husband did not just throw me away. Tell me they were looking for me-that I still matter." Her voice broke into anguished sobs.

Dante's face grew dark with sorrow. "Miss Jane," he said softly but firmly, "I'm sorry, but this is the truth."

Her chest tightened as if an invisible weight pressed down on her. Dante continued, his words crushing her hope. "Your husband married her just a month after your accident," he began. "The day you were brought here, we called him. He said you were already dead. We called your sister-she denied even knowing you."

Jane clutched her chest, gasping as if the air had been knocked from her lungs. "Why would they do this to me?" she whispered in disbelief.

Dante's next words shattered what little remained of her hope. "Two weeks later, they held your funeral on live TV. People came to pay their respects at an empty grave. Every donation, every asset you had, was transferred to Lucy-because legally, she is considered your sister, even though she was adopted."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "In the eyes of the world... you no longer exist."

At that moment, Jane understood the cruel truth. Her husband had not only cheated on her-he had erased her entirely. The realization burned through her like fire, and she could only lie there, broken, with the beeping monitor as the only witness to her shattered life.