Chapter 2

In the pitch darkness, curled in the corner, I began counting.

One, two, three...

When I reached one thousand two hundred and seventy-four, Vivian walked in.

She stood in the center, and the overhead sensor light flickered to life.

The insults covering all four walls flooded my vision.

SLUT. BITCH. GO DIE, LORRAINE.

Red paint crawled over every inch of the drywall like crusted blood.

In the far corner sat endless bundles of tangled yarn.

I lifted my head, meeting her gaze dead-on for the first time.

"Thirty scarves. I finished knitting them."

The fake sweetness on Vivian's face melted into pure malice.

"Ten years, Lorraine, and you're still as pathetic and gullible as ever."

She dug her manicured nails straight into an old scar on my spine and twisted violently.

"If the timing weren't so bad, I'd love to strip you naked and post pictures of you everywhere."

"Too bad you're worn out, covered in ugly scars. Looking at you makes me want to vomit."

"Having the former top-student dog crawl at my feet isn't even amusing anymore."

I stared down at the dense needle marks covering the back of my bruised hands.

"You don't honestly think Julian still loves you, do you? If he loved you, how could he look right past all the wounds on your body? You're so pitiful."

The door clicked shut, plunging the room back into darkness.

Memories from a long time ago flashed through my mind.

Back then, Julian had been so gentle with me.

If I sneezed in winter, he would panic, fussing over me with flushed cheeks.

He would bundle me in his thick jackets, stuffing warm thermal packs into my frozen hands.

Then, he brought Vivian into his home.

I warned him over and over that Vivian was the monster who had made high school a living hell for me.

Back then, he held me close and promised, "I will never let anyone hurt you again. I'll protect you for the rest of my life."

Later, his words turned into:

"Rain, she's not that kind of person. Stop treating her like an enemy."

A few hours later, a guard opened the door to pull me up.

"Miss Blake said not a single word about what happened leaves this room. Otherwise... you know what follows."

I was dragged back to the master bedroom upstairs.

When Julian pushed the door open, I was still sitting in the exact same frozen posture.

Seeing my hollow expression, he did something unusual—he dropped onto one knee before me.

The next second, a cold band of metal was slid onto my ring finger.

"I remember your biggest wish used to be a ring from me."

"I went to pick up Vivian's ring earlier and grabbed this one for you on the way. You're not mad anymore, right?"

He leaned close, his palm resting on my hair.

"Rain, you know marrying Vivian is just a temporary arrangement."

"I'll marry you eventually. Once you get better."

I stared down at the ring.

It was a full size too large, dangling loosely, ready to slide off with the slightest flick of my wrist.

I slowly slid it off my finger and set it on the nightstand.

Julian's face finally darkened, a flash of irritation breaking through his calm facade.

"Lorraine, what is your problem—"

I cut him off, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Julian, do you still remember why I'm terrified of the dark?"

He froze.