Chapter 2

Ava POV:

Chris' s eyes narrowed, a muscle twitching in his jaw. The cold, practiced mask he wore slipped for a fraction of a second, revealing a flash of genuine irritation. It was the only crack in his composure since my father had flatlined. My father. Dead. Because of them.

He grabbed my arm again, his fingers digging into my flesh, pulling me roughly from the floor. My body felt like a puppet. Lifeless. But my mind was alive, sharp, burning with a new, terrifying clarity.

"You think this is a game, Ava?" His voice was low, dangerous. "You think you can defy me?" He shoved the waiver back into my hand, the pen now uselessly dangling from its clip. "Sign it. Now. Or Kimberli will be very displeased, and you know what that means."

My breath hitched. Kimberli. His lover. His true priority. My father, his father-in-law for seven years, was a mere casualty in their twisted love story. "What does that mean, Chris?" My voice was a whisper, filled with a terrifying calm. "What more can you take from me? My father is dead because of you. Because of her. What twisted hold does she have over you that you would sacrifice everything for her?"

He released me, his hands dropping to his sides. He looked away, then back at me, a strange mix of defensiveness and cold resolve in his gaze. "Kimberli... she saved me once. She was there when no one else was." He paused, his eyes hardening. "She is my everything, Ava. You were... a means to an end. A convenient arrangement."

My world shattered again, the fragments of my past crashing down around me. A means to an end. All those years, all my love, my sacrifices, my family's wealth poured into his struggling company. It meant nothing. I was a transaction. A stepping stone. My father, his death, was collateral damage. I had been so utterly, hopelessly in love with a ghost, a mirage. The cold truth was a sharp blade twisting in my gut.

"So that's it?" I asked, my voice devoid of emotion. "My entire life, my love, my family... all of it was just a chessboard for your twisted games with your precious Kimberli?" The irony was a bitter taste in my mouth. I had played the devoted wife, the supportive partner, the loving daughter. They were the master puppeteers, and I, the fool, danced to their tune.

He didn't answer. He just stared at me, his eyes holding a chilling warning. "Enough. Sign it." His patience was wearing thin.

But there was nothing left to fear. My father was gone. My love for Chris was a charred ruin. The only thing left was the bitter taste of betrayal and the burning desire for justice. "No."

His eyes flashed with anger. "Fine." He turned away, pulled out his phone again, and made a call. His words were curt, laced with a terrifying command. "Initiate full withdrawal. Terminate all life support systems. Now."

My blood ran cold. He hadn't just cut off my father's treatment. He was ordering the complete removal of everything. The machines would stop. The hum would cease. The pretense of care would be gone.

"No!" I screamed, a guttural sound of pure terror and agony. I lunged at him, clawing at his arm, trying to snatch the phone. But he easily pushed me away.

He ended the call, his face a mask of chilling indifference. "You made your choice, Ava." He walked back towards the door.

"Chris, please!" I sobbed, stumbling towards him. "Don't do this! He's still... he was my father!"

He paused, then turned, a flicker of something almost like pity in his eyes, quickly replaced by cold calculation. "He's gone, Ava. You ensured that when you refused to cooperate."

My body trembled uncontrollably, a violent tremor that started in my core and shook every limb. I felt weak, dizzy, utterly spent. But a new sound pierced the sterile silence. A flatline. This one, deeper, more final. My father's last breath, exhaled into the cold, uncaring air of this hospital room.

Then, the door opened again. Kimberli. She walked in as if the room belonged to her, her face a picture of concern. "Chris, darling, what happened? I heard a scream. Is Ava... okay?" Her eyes flickered to me, then to the flatlined monitor, a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk playing on her lips.

Chris rushed to her side, his arm going around her waist. "It's nothing, sweetheart. Ava's just being difficult." He shot me a venomous look.

My vision blurred. This was too much. The pure, unadulterated evil of it all. I snarled, a sound I didn't recognize. "You! You demon!" I lunged at Kimberli, a wild, grief-stricken animal. My hand connected with her cheek, a sharp crack echoing in the room.

Her head snapped back. Her eyes widened, not in pain, but in feigned shock. She cried out, a small, theatrical whimper, and clutched her face. "Oh! My cheek! She hit me, Chris! She attacked me!"

Chris immediately roared, his face contorted with rage. He pushed me away, sending me stumbling backward, hitting the wall with a sickening thud. "Ava! What the hell is wrong with you?" He turned to Kimberli, his voice laced with tender concern. "Are you alright, my love? Does it hurt?"

Kimberli leaned into him, her gaze meeting mine over his shoulder, a triumphant sneer replacing her tearful facade. "She's unstable, Chris. Dangerous. We need to do something."

Chris held her tighter, his eyes burning with fury. He looked at me, an expression of pure hatred contorting his features. "Get her out of here. Now. And make sure she gets nothing. Not a single penny. Not a single memory." His voice was low, chillingly calm. "She's lost everything."

Just as he finished speaking, the final, agonizing flatline of my father's heart monitor echoed through the room. My father. Gone. Forever. My legs gave out. I fell to the floor, my hands outstretched towards my father's lifeless form. "No! Father!" My scream tore through the air, desperate and broken.