10|A nightmare of sharks

Celeste pov.

When I was a child, I had a nightmare—one so terrifying it made me scream and gasp for air, one that left my body trembling and my heart pounding.

I’ve never forgotten that nightmare or the way it continued to haunt me, even to this day.

In it, I was alone in the middle of the sea at night. There was no one in sight, no land, just endless, stretching water all around me.

And despite the fact that I was in the cold, freezing water, I wasn’t drowning. I wasn’t dying. But most of all, I couldn’t move. It felt as though an invisible rope was holding me in place, trapping me.

Instead, I stayed afloat, my whole body submerged in water with only my head above the surface, while all I could do was stare as a number of sharks swarmed beneath me.

They circled around me silently, like predators waiting for the moment I lost all strength and sank fully into the depths, before they struck, before they attacked.

But what truly terrified me wasn’t the sharks, or even the fact that I was slowly sinking into the water. It was the helplessness, knowing I couldn’t do anything to save myself from the inevitable.

It was the fact that no matter how hard I screamed for help, no words escaped. My voice was lost, and there was no way to run or hide from the sharks beneath me.

And then… after an agonizingly long moment, I finally sank beneath the surface and as I watched the sharks waste no time to attack, I woke up from the nightmare, screaming in my mother’s arms with Liora, my younger sister, by my side.

They had comforted me that day. My mother had hugged me close, gently patting my head as she smiled.

“Why are you scared, Celeste? Father, Mother, and Liora will protect you from the sharks. You don’t need to be afraid, we’re here.”

And I had believed her.

But my mother was a liar.

She hadn’t just handed me over to a shark—no. She, and everyone else, had been the sharks all along.

“You’re my wife. Ethan Maddox’s wife. You should be perfect… all the time.”

My eyes snapped open as a scream tore from my throat. I curled up in bed, hands covering my head, my breathing ragged as my eyes darted around the room, tears spilling down my cheeks as I searched, terrified that he was there, that he was still hitting me.

My body felt like it was on fire. It ached everywhere. I reached for my swollen face and let out a broken sob the moment my fingers brushed it, pain shooting through me.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

I cried harder as I remembered every strike to my cheeks, how he held me by the chin as he kept hitting me, the curses he spat with fury blazing in his eyes, and the way he yanked my hair, demanding I repeat what I had said, hitting me again when I couldn’t speak.

I remembered everything.

“It hurts,” I murmured under my breath as my tears soaked the bed. Why was this happening to me? What had I ever done wrong? Why was I being treated this way?

I had never asked for much. All my life— even though I had a father who ignored me simply because he didn’t care, and a mother who gave all her love to Liora because she had been a miracle child, a baby said not to live past five days, I had never asked for much.

I had been obedient. Studied medicine and graduated top of my class just because my father told me to, while Liora was allowed to chase her dream of becoming an actress.

But even all that was just so I could have a degree I would never use because I had been given away in marriage to a man I knew nothing about. I was told to be a housewife, to be submissive, to stand quietly by my husband’s side and help him get what he wanted.

Yet after doing that for three years… this was what I got in return.

My hands clenched the sheets as tears blurred my vision.

Now that all I wanted was a divorce, I couldn’t get one because it would ruin that bastard’s career if news of his affairs and the divorce surfaced before the presidential election.

I had even been asked to accept the child of my husband and my sister as my own.

This—this wasn’t fair.

I bit down on my lower lip so hard it drew blood as I cried harder.

This wasn’t fair.

“Oh my God, what’s with all the screaming so early in the morning?” An irritated voice sounded as the door creaked open, followed by the sharp click of heels entering the room.

“Right? I nearly had a heart attack when I heard it,” another voice added. “But it looks like she’s awake. Finally, she can cook breakfast. I’m starving, Mother.”

“Sister… you’re awake.”

My hands curled into fists as I heard those voices, instantly recognizing them as my mother-in-law, Madison, and Liora.

Ragged breaths escaped me as I slowly lifted my head to find the three women standing in front of me, their gazes locked on me with different expressions.

My mother-in-law stood in the center, fully dressed, one hand on her hip as she stared at me with irritation, a smug glint in her eyes as she took in my disheveled state. The corner of her lips curled into a smirk.

Madison stood on the left in her pajamas, her expression indifferent, though there was a trace of impatience in her eyes as she lazily brought a hand to her mouth and yawned.

Liora stood to the right, dressed in white, her teary eyes fixed on me with a worried expression.

I wasn’t sure why but rage shot through every fiber of my body. It overshadowed the hurt and pain I was feeling as I stared at them, especially Liora.

“Celeste... are you okay?” Liora asked softly, her voice hesitant.

As soon as she spoke, my mother-in-law scoffed and folded her arms, narrowing her eyes into a sharp glare.

“Why wouldn’t she be okay? She dared to slap my son, and he merely taught her a lesson. I don’t understand all the exaggeration over what happened yesterday. She should be lucky I didn’t lay hands on her myself, or it would’ve been worse.”

She lifted her chin with pride, and Liora’s eyes widened as she turned toward her, reaching out to gently hold her hand.

“Please don’t say that, Mother. Don’t be angry at Celeste anymore,” she said quietly.

My mother-in-law huffed and gave Liora’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Such a good child. I honestly don’t know why it wasn’t you who married Ethan instead of this ungrateful, foolish girl.”

I watched as Liora blushed, and for the briefest moment, her eyes flickered toward me and her lips curved into a smug smirk, quickly replaced by a sorrowful expression.

“P-please, don’t say that, Mother,” she stammered.

Madison snorted, rolling her eyes before running a hand through her hair.

“Can we save this conversation for later? I’m starving, and there are no maids around. Since Liora can’t cook because she’s pregnant, sister-in-law, get up and head to the kitchen. Make something for everyone. Just don’t forget I want something light, I have to watch my diet.”

She spoke, but I didn’t respond. I didn’t utter a word. I just stared blankly, my eyes cast downward. In front of me, instead of their faces, I saw sharks circling me, waiting to strike, just like in my nightmare.

I was powerless. Helpless against them.

But this time… they had pushed me too far. Every one of them had gone too far.

Madison raised a brow and spoke again.

“Are you deaf?” she asked with a frown. “I said you should—”

“Get out,” I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper, my gaze narrowing on them.

My mother-in-law’s eyes flickered with anger as she stepped forward, stopping just inches away from the bed.

“What did you just say? Seems like you haven’t learned your lesson yet! Who are you telling to get out—”

“I said get the fuck out of my room. Right now!” I roared, pointing at the door, my whole body trembling as I stared at the stunned expressions before me.

“If you don’t want me to drag you out myself, every one of you should leave. Now.”

My voice cracked, my jaw tightening even as the cut at the corner of my lip stung from the effort.

“Oh God… she’s scary!” Madison gasped, taking a step back.

My mother-in-law, however, seemed to snap out of her daze. Her face twisted in rage as she stepped forward and raised her hand in the air.

“You wench!” she screamed, reaching for my face but I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed her wrist, shoved it aside, and raised my own hand.

And I hit her.

Hard.