Chapter 3

Delaney flinched.

"Your mom gave it to me. She said it would keep me safe."

"That belonged to my father."

"I didn't know."

She immediately reached for the clasp.

"I'll give it back."

The more she struggled, the more tangled the chain became.

A red mark appeared across her neck.

Tears filled her eyes.

Adrian grabbed her hands and stopped her.

His expression darkened.

"Your father was your mother's husband.

"She has a right to decide what happens to his things too."

He rubbed his forehead.

"Evelyn, it's a piece of jade. Delaney likes it. Can you not be generous for once?"

My eyes burned.

Adrian's patience snapped.

"Evelyn, don't forget how your father died. Your mom still hasn't forgiven you for it."

The room went silent.

A crack seemed to split straight through me.

Dad had died in a car accident while rushing out to find medical help during one of my trauma episodes.

The guilt had lived inside me ever since.

And now Adrian was dragging that wound open to make me surrender the only thing Dad had left me.

"Do you hear yourself?"

Adrian finally saw how badly I was shaking.

Regret crossed his face.

"I'm sorry.

"That was too far.

"I'll buy you something better."

The perfume on his clothes was Delaney's.

Nausea rolled through me.

I shoved past him.

Delaney stood.

"Maybe I should go. Evelyn clearly doesn't want me here."

She took one step and stumbled.

Adrian caught her and lifted her into his arms.

"Go where? You're hurt."

He carried her toward the guest room.

Without turning, he said, "Eat the soup."

"And sign the digital consent agreement on the tablet."

The tablet lit up.

The first page looked ordinary: image-release authorization, clinical education use, research dissemination.

Then I swiped to the second page.

My fingers went numb.

A video filled the screen. It showed a basement, and me strapped to a chair while fire footage played on a loop.

In another clip, an alarm sounded. I fell out of the chair and crawled across the floor with my hands over my ears. The panic was so severe I lost control of my bladder.

Delaney's voice came from behind the camera. "Evelyn, can you tell what's real and what's a hallucination now?"

My face wasn't blurred.

Nothing was blurred.

Every humiliation was visible.

The absurdity of it almost crushed me.

I carried the tablet into the guest room.

"How long have you been filming me?"

Delaney blinked.

"Three years.

"Ever since your first episode."

She spoke as if discussing weather.

"You have a very textbook trauma response.

"Screaming. Vomiting. Tremors. Loss of bladder control. Aggression."

I looked at Adrian.

"You agreed to this?"

He nodded.

"Delaney wants to help other patients.

"You don't understand how valuable this material can be for families."

Something inside me went cold.

I had thought there was nothing left in me that could still hurt.

I was wrong.

"I won't sign.

"And Adrian?"

He looked at me.

"We're done."

I hurled the tablet to the floor.

Then I went to the front door, took the suitcase I'd already packed, and left.

Behind me, Adrian gave a scornful laugh.

"Ten years together.

"She nearly died saving me.

"Since she got sick, she can't function without me."

He sounded completely certain.

"She's throwing a tantrum. Give her two days. She'll come back on her own."