Chapter 1 - The Awakening
The sterile smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol pulled me from the dark void.
I tried to swallow, but my throat felt like it was lined with shattered glass.
My heavy eyelids fluttered open, revealing the blinding fluorescent lights of the intensive care unit.
The first thing I felt was the rhythmic, steady beating of the fetal monitor strapped to my swollen belly.
My baby was still alive.
Tears of profound relief streamed down my bruised cheeks, stinging the scratches on my face.
A kind-faced nurse rushed into the room, her eyes wide with shock and immediate compassion.
She pressed a button on the wall and gently held my trembling hand.
I tried to speak, to scream the truth about what Julian had done to me.
But my vocal cords were so severely crushed that only a pathetic, raspy hiss escaped my lips.
The nurse shushed me softly, telling me that I was safe and under police protection.
She said my husband was sitting in the waiting room, crying and playing the role of the devastated partner.
A cold, terrifying realization washed over my paralyzed body.
Julian had spun a web of lies, probably claiming a home invasion or a tragic accident.
He was out there right now, waiting to finish the job he started in our living room.
I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my panic down into the deepest pit of my stomach.
I could not let him know that my memory of the attack was perfectly intact.
To survive this hospital stay, I had to play the ultimate game of deception.
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I had to become the helpless, amnesiac wife he expected me to be.
The war had officially begun, and I was armed with a secret that would destroy him.
