Chapter 3
I still had nightmares about drowning.
Two weeks after the pool incident, I would wake gasping for air, my lungs burning as if still filled with chlorinated water. If not for Daniel, the groundskeeper who had seen everything from the garden shed and pulled me from the depths while Marcus stood watching, I might not be here at all.
Tonight, the Sterling dining room glittered with crystal and silver, a celebration dinner for Sarah's temporary remission. The bone marrow transplant—my forced sacrifice—had bought her time, though the doctors were careful to call it just that: temporary. Not that anyone acknowledged the source of her second chance.
I sat rigid in my high-backed chair, picking at the roasted duck on my plate while conversation flowed around me. The dining table was filled with Marcus's business associates and family friends, all raising glasses to Sarah's health.
"You look beautiful tonight," whispered Evelyn Reed, the attorney seated beside me. She was new to Marcus's circle, brought by a mutual friend. "Are you feeling alright?"
I managed a tight smile. "Just tired."
Her eyes held mine a moment too long, as if she could see the bruises beneath my carefully applied makeup—not physical ones, but the kind that marked a soul. I looked away first.
At the head of the table, Marcus rose, commanding attention as he always did. "I'd like to propose a toast," he announced, lifting his crystal flute. "To Sarah, whose strength continues to inspire us all."
The guests murmured their agreement, raising their glasses. I reached for my water instead.
"Wait," Sarah's voice cut through the moment, her eyes finding mine across the table. "Isabella should join with champagne. This is, after all, partly thanks to her... donation." Her lips curved into what guests might mistake for gratitude, but I recognized the malice behind it.
Marcus's gaze shifted to me, expectant. Challenging.
"I don't drink champagne," I said quietly. "I have a sulfite allergy."
Sarah's eyes widened with feigned concern. "Oh, I completely forgot! How terrible of me." The performance was flawless—the caring sister-in-law, momentarily forgetful of a potentially dangerous allergy.
"One sip won't hurt," Marcus said, his tone light but his eyes hard as he moved behind my chair. He placed a full flute before me, his hand heavy on my shoulder. "For Sarah."
The table had gone uncomfortably quiet. I could feel the weight of curious stares.
"Marcus," I began, my voice barely audible, "you know what happens when—"
His fingers dug into my shoulder, silencing me. "A toast," he insisted, lifting the glass to my lips. "To new beginnings."
I tried to turn my face away, but his other hand caught my jaw, holding me firmly as he tipped the flute against my mouth. The champagne burned as it touched my lips, a few drops sliding past them despite my resistance.
"There," he said, satisfaction evident in his voice as he released me and returned to his seat. "Was that so difficult?"
The first symptoms began almost immediately. A tingling sensation spread across my lips, followed by an uncomfortable tightness in my throat. I reached for my water, taking desperate gulps as the familiar panic set in.
"Isabella?" Evelyn's concerned voice seemed distant now. "Are you alright?"
I couldn't answer. My airway was constricting rapidly, each breath becoming a labored wheeze. I clutched at my throat, my eyes wide with terror as I looked to Marcus—a reflexive plea for help that my rational mind knew was futile.
He watched impassively from across the table, making no move to assist as I rose unsteadily to my feet. Sarah's expression was a mixture of fascination and satisfaction, poorly disguised behind a hand pressed to her mouth in mock horror.
The room tilted sideways as my knees gave out. I collapsed onto the parquet floor, gasping like a fish out of water, my vision tunneling to pinpoints of light.
"Someone call an ambulance!" Evelyn's voice cut through the chaos, sharp with authority.
"She's just being dramatic," I heard Sarah say, her voice floating somewhere above me.
"If you don't call 911 right now," Evelyn snapped, "I will, and I'll make sure every medical professional knows exactly how this happened."
Only then did I hear Marcus move, barking orders for someone to fetch my EpiPen from the bathroom cabinet upstairs. As consciousness began to slip away, one thought crystallized with perfect clarity: my husband had been willing to watch me die before a stranger forced his hand.
Some choices, once made, can never be undone.
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