Chapter 5: The Trap

 [ SAMANTHA'S POV]

 The afternoon faded into a cold, dark evening. I was still trapped inside the massive bedroom, shivering. The sharp rumbles in my stomach had grown into a dizzying, painful ache, making my head throb with every single heartbeat. My throat felt dry and tight. I realized with a growing dread that David was not making an empty threat. He really intended to let me starve in the dark. Wrapped in his oversized black t-shirt, my survival instinct finally took over. I could not just sit on the edge of the bed and wait to disappear.

 Suddenly, a heavy metallic click echoed through the quiet room. The deadbolt was unlocked from the outside. I waited with a racing heart, my ears straining for the sound of the door opening, but the grand double doors never moved. No one was coming inside. Driven by pure hunger, I crept to the door, my palm sweating against the wood, and slowly pushed it open. I stepped out into the cold, silent corridors of the mansion, my bare feet sinking into the plush carpets as I searched frantically for the kitchen.

 The house felt like a museum, grand and completely dead. After turning down two long hallways, I finally found the grand kitchen. The marble countertops glistened under the dim lights.

 My eyes instantly landed on the massive, stainless-steel refrigerator at the far end of the room. I held my breath, lifting my heels off the cold tile as I tiptoed across the kitchen. Every tiny sound felt magnified in the silence. I reached the fridge and pulled the heavy door open. A soft, yellow light spilled out, illuminating shelves packed with food.

 The sight made my mouth water instantly. I didn't care about a plate, a fork, or manners. I was completely starving. I reached in with shaking hands and grabbed a cold piece of roast chicken and a bowl of grapes. Standing right there in the light of the open fridge, I began rushing the food into my mouth. I tore off a piece of the chicken, chewing frantically, barely swallowing before shoving two grapes after it. I ate like a wild animal, my chest heaving, juice running down my chin. For a brief second, the painful ache in my stomach started to dull.

 But my relief didn't last.

 Before I could even take another bite, the heavy, unmistakable thud of designer shoes echoed across the marble floor just outside the kitchen doors. My heart leaped into my throat. The food turned to ash in my mouth. David was back.

 I froze in pure terror, a half-eaten grape still pressed against my lips. I tried to run back toward the side hallway, but David stepped right through the grand doorway, completely blocking the exit with his massive frame.

 His eyes darkened with an immediate, explosive fury when he saw me standing there. He didn't just stand across the room and yell. He moved closer, his steps fast, loud, and heavy against the tile. Before I could even scream or apologize, he lunged forward. His large hand grabbed both of my wrists in a vice-like grip and pinned them hard against the cold kitchen wall, forcing them above my head. He held my hands down with just one hand, trapping my body completely beneath his. His chest was heaving with rage, and his broad shoulders blocked out the rest of the room.

 With his free hand, he yanked his phone from his suit pocket and shoved the bright screen right up to my face. The screen was lit up with a video call, the volume turned up to the maximum.

 "Please!" I panicked, my voice cracking into a high whisper as I tried to press my spine deeper into the solid wall. I felt so small, my legs completely exposed beneath his oversized t-shirt, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "I was just hungry! I found the door unlocked, so I stepped out to grab"

 "Shut up, you bitch!" David roared. The sheer volume of his voice vibrated right against my skin, making my ears ring. He shook the phone violently in front of my eyes. "I just got a call from your family!"

 "What?" I gasped, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

 "You dare lock my bride in a basement and take her place?!" David sneered, his grip tightening on my wrists until the skin burned. His eyes were bloodshot, staring down at me with pure venom.

 My eyes went wide, my jaw dropping in pure shock. My mind spun in complete circles. "What? No... no! They forced me! My father hit me! They locked me up in the dark!"

 "Shut up, you lying whore!" David barked.

 He tapped the speaker button on the phone with his thumb. Instantly, the loud, hysterical sounds of crying filled the high-ceilinged kitchen. It was my sister, Linda, her voice trembling, high-pitched, and pathetic.

 "David, please, she's a monster!" Linda sobbed through the speaker, her voice dripping with fake terror. "Samantha drugged my water yesterday morning! She dragged me down to the basement and locked the heavy iron door from the outside! She told me she was going to take my place and become a billionaire's wife! She stole my wedding dress while I was screaming for help in the dark!"

 Then, my mother's voice broke through the line, sounding sharp, cold, and completely disappointed. "David, we are so deeply ashamed of her.  Samantha has always been a manipulative liar. She envied her sister's beauty and her life so much. Please, do not let that gold-digger ruin your family."

 The call cut off with a sharp beep, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in the kitchen.

 The inner turmoil was ripping me apart from the inside out. A sickening wave of heat rushed through my chest, followed by a freezing coldness that made my knees weak. My own mother. My own sister. They had completely flipped the story to frame me as the monster. They didn't just sacrifice me to save their business, they made sure the entire world would brand me a gold-digger and a liar so Linda could walk away clean and happy. Tears of absolute betrayal and helplessness washed hot down my pale face, melting the last remnants of dirt on my cheeks. No one would ever believe me now. The trap was completely shut.

 David looked down at my flowing tears with utter disgust. He let go of my wrists, pushing me away from the wall so hard I stumbled against the counter. He looked at me as if I were a piece of absolute trash.

 "My parents already know about this," David said, his voice dropping into a deadly, freezing register that made my blood run cold. "They treat your very name with cold disgust now. My mother, my father, everyone brands you a manipulative snake."

 I slumped against the kitchen counter, grabbing the edge of the marble just to stay upright. My body was shaking so hard my legs felt like jelly. "It's a lie... please, David, it's all a lie..."

 "I don't care about your lies anymore," David sneered, stepping closer again until he was looming over me, his presence completely filling my vision. "For the sake of my family's reputation, I cannot annul this marriage immediately. The media would go wild with a story like this, and I will not let a gold-digger drag my family name through the mud."

 He leaned down, his face only an inch away from mine. His eyes turned into two sharp pieces of black ice as he stared right into my pupils, looking for any sign of guilt.

 "Instead, we are going to have a temporary arrangement," David commanded, his jaw clenching so hard a small muscle ticked under his skin. "We will remain married for a set period to keep the public quiet, and then we will have a quiet divorce."

 He reached out and grabbed the fabric of his own black shirt on my body, pulling me slightly forward until my chest brushed his suit jacket.

 "But hear me clearly, Samantha," he whispered, his voice a low, lethal vibration that sent a violent chill straight down my spine. "My only condition is this: you must live in this household like an invisible person. You will be completely isolated in that room. No one will speak to you. No one will help you. You will be ignored and excluded by everyone in this house. You wanted a crown, but you are going to live like a ghost."

 He pushed me back against the counter, turned on his heel, and marched out of the kitchen, his heavy footsteps fading down the hall. A moment later, the distant sound of a door slamming shut echoed through the house, leaving me completely broken, starving, and alone in the dark.