The Blind Wife's Desperate Sacrifice

"You are a blind, useless weight on this family, Adriane."

The heavy, suffocating scent of Chanel No. 5 hit Adriane's nose. Her stomach churned. She gripped the smooth wood of her white cane until her knuckles turned stark white.

The marble edge of the second-floor staircase dropped off just inches from the toes of her cheap flats. In her vision, the world was nothing but a thick, swirling gray fog. She could not see the stairs, but she could feel the empty space pulling at her.

Sharp high heels clicked against the marble floor. Drucilla Barnett stepped closer. The sound was loud, deliberate, and full of threat.

Adriane took a small step back. Her breathing grew shallow.

"Move out of my way, Drucilla," Adriane said. Her voice shook, but she forced her chin up.

"Kassidy is back in Manhattan," Drucilla said. Her voice was cold and flat.

Adriane's shoulders went completely stiff. Her chest tightened as if an invisible band had snapped around her ribs.

"I am still Chase's legal wife," Adriane said. She squeezed the wooden handrail with her free hand, trying to find a way to step around the older woman.

"Not for long."

Drucilla stepped sideways, blocking the narrow gap. She stood directly in front of Adriane, forcing her right to the edge of the dangerous drop.

Suddenly, the heavy oak front doors downstairs slammed shut. Familiar, heavy footsteps echoed in the grand foyer. Chase was home early from his meeting.

Adriane heard the footsteps. A wave of relief washed over her. She opened her mouth to call out his name.

Before she could make a sound, Drucilla's hand shot out. Long, sharp fingernails dug violently into Adriane's wrist.

Adriane gasped. The sudden pain made her jerk her arm back instinctively. Because of her blindness, she had no balance. She pulled hard.

Drucilla did not let go. Instead, she used Adriane's pulling motion. Drucilla yanked Adriane's hand hard against her own shoulder.

A piercing, blood-curdling scream ripped from Drucilla's throat.

Drucilla let go of Adriane's wrist. The older woman threw her upper body backward.

Adriane's white cane slipped from her sweaty palm. It clattered loudly against the marble, echoing sharply in the vast space. The sudden noise was instantly drowned out as Drucilla threw her weight backward.

A heavy, sickening thud echoed through the massive estate. Then another. And another.

Adriane froze. Her empty hands hovered in the air. Her lungs stopped working. The gray fog in her eyes offered no answers. She had no idea what had just happened.

Downstairs, expensive leather shoes scraped violently against the floor.

"Mother!" Chase's voice roared.

Chase sprinted into the foyer. He stopped dead. His mother lay in a twisted heap at the bottom of the stairs, groaning in pain. Blood pooled on the expensive rug beneath her head.

Chase's head snapped up. His eyes locked onto the top of the stairs.

Adriane stood there. Her empty hands hovering in the air where her wrist had just been grabbed, her