All Chapters of Life in the Cellar: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I was in a damp, pitch-black cellar, hunched in a corner with my injured leg behind me. The walls were slimy and wet, and the moisture soaked through my blouse.The door swung open, and a burst of light stung my eyes. I lifted my hand to block it. I heard footsteps and quickly shrank back, hiding deeper in the shadows."Mr. Carver sent me to get you, Mrs. Carver."I looked up to see who it was. It was the bodyguard Henry had hired years ago.I dropped my gaze and said, "Okay."I struggled to get to my feet and stumbled a few shaky steps, limping badly.The bodyguard looked shocked. "What happened to your leg, Mrs. Carver?"I clutched the seam of my pants and looked down. "A cabinet fell on it earlier. It might be broken."He stared at me, eyes wide. "Why didn't you tell Mr. Carver?"I didn't answer him. Instead, I let out a dry laugh.What was I supposed to tell Henry Carver? Would he have let me go for treatment if I asked? Or would he have called a doctor for me?"I'll hel

Chapter 2

"Alright, Henry, stop being mad. We've got to meet with Mr. Caldwell soon. Let's go," Joanna said.When Henry saw I was still crouching on the ground, he gripped his phone so tightly his knuckles went white.Exasperated, he snapped, "Sabrina, if you keep acting out, you might as well stay hidden and save yourself the embarrassment! You've been my wife for three years, but what have you actually done for me?"It was Joan who had my back and took care of me. Without her, I would've fallen apart by now! Do you think you're still worthy of me?"After saying that, he took Joanna's hand and turned to walk away.Joanna shot me a mocking grin and mouthed, "Loser."My body shook as I watched them leave together."Mrs. Carver! What happened to your pinky?" the bodyguard asked.I slowly looked down at my right pinky. After three years apart, Henry barely spared me a glance before he left. He hadn't noticed my limp, let alone my right pinky crooked at an odd angle.I let out a bitter laug

Chapter 3

The bodyguard dropped me off at the villa and took off.I noticed him entering the code while he was unlocking the door. It wasn't the old password anymore—it was Joanna's birthday.I limped inside and glanced around. It looked the same as it did three years ago, but it felt totally different.A pair of men's and women's slippers sat by the entrance. They must have been Henry's and Joanna's.Henry's bedroom had two pillows on the bed. His clothes were neatly arranged on the left side of the closet, while Joanna's occupied the right. In the bathroom, I saw two toothbrushes and two rinsing cups next to a bunch of women's lotions and creams. It was obvious that Henry and Joanna had been sharing a bed for quite some time.I shut the door behind me and stepped out of the room that was no longer mine. Then, I saw two people locked in a deep, breathless kiss under the dim moonlight.I switched on the living room light.Joanna's cheeks were flushed, and she looked shocked. Henry insti

Chapter 4

My silence finally pushed Henry over the edge. He snatched the glass from the table and hurled it at me. It broke on contact, and blood started trickling down my forehead.Henry stared at me in shock. "W-Why didn't you dodge?"Dodge? How could I? He'd made it clear—dodging was never an option. If I did, he'd feed Mom's and Dad's bones to the dogs.Henry always kept his word, didn't he?I remembered him warning me, "Sabrina, if you even think about spreading lies about Joan, I'll make sure you die in a way you can't even picture."He had people torture me over and over in that cellar, all because Joanna lost a few strands of hair over that incident.When Joanna didn't feel like eating, I wasn't allowed to either. They even cut back on my water. And when Joanna almost jumped off a building, Henry had my hand and leg broken.My blood kept pouring out, more and more. I blinked, feeling a little dazed.Henry rushed to me, shouting, "Joan, grab the iodine and some gauze!"Joanna jus

Chapter 5

As soon as Henry saw my pinky bent in a weird way, his face went serious, and he walked over."I had no idea!" he insisted.He had no idea? How could that be? Those voices I heard every time I got beaten up were always his."What the heck is going on?" Henry demanded, grabbing my hand before I could lower it down.I could see the disbelief in his eyes, but I still brushed his hand away. I pursed my lips and shot him a look. "It doesn't matter anymore whether this has anything to do with you. I'm already a cripple, Henry."The truth didn't matter anymore—whether Henry had told them to beat me up. It all felt pointless now. After all, he was the one who tricked me into that cellar.If it hadn't been for him pushing his so-called "husband duties" on me or punishing me just for having an opinion about Joanna, I wouldn't be in this mess."I don't want anything. Take the company. I'll walk away with nothing. Just tell me where my parents are buried. I'll have someone handle the paperw

Chapter 6

As soon as that gate shut behind me, I felt like I was starting over. I dialed up an old friend. She pulled up to the neighborhood in less than ten minutes and whisked me out of there."Henry's got no heart. For three years, I kept asking him where you'd gone. All he ever told me was you were overseas with no plan to return yet."I even saw how tight he was with Joanna and figured you were just taking a break from him abroad. I never thought he'd pull something illegal!" Eva Dunning exclaimed.I looked at her. "Eva, can you help me out with something?""Say the word!""First, help me get a divorce agreement drafted. Then, see if you can find out where my parents are buried."Eva agreed right away. Then, she glanced at me, looking unsure. "You're just going to let Henry and Joanna walk away from this?"I went quiet. Those three years in the dark had messed me up pretty badly. There was no way I could just let them off the hook."Eva, I still don't have proof yet," I said. "But i

Chapter 7

I got in touch with a friend from IT to help me get around the security. Since there was already one video, I figured there were probably more.I wasn't shocked that Henry found me. I'd always kept my circle small and had introduced him to all my closest friends.I was staying in one of the houses registered under Eva's name. As I headed downstairs to go to the hospital for my follow-up, I ran into Henry. His eyes flashed with a mix of excitement and irritation."Sabrina, you never respond to my messages. I thought you were gone for good!" Henry said.I ignored him and tried to walk past, but he grabbed my arm."How much longer are you going to keep this up? I told you I'm not divorcing you. What else do you want from me? Is Joan being around that much of a problem for you?"Fine, fine. I'll find her a new place and have her move out. Will that make you happy? Can you stop causing a scene?" Henry questioned.I didn't see this coming. I'd been so set on divorcing him, but in his

Chapter 8

Joanna raised an eyebrow, looking smug.I didn't want to give anything away, so I asked, "Yeah, where'd he go?""Tough luck," she said. "I told him I'm craving for the cakes from The Flour Fairy, so he took off to get it."Her smile spread, and her eyes turned into little crescent moons. She tucked her hair behind her ear, showing off a neck full of love bites."Oh really? Guess I'll have to come back some other time." I turned to walk away but paused and shot her one last glance. "If he's so crazy about you, maybe you should talk some sense into him. Get him to sign the divorce agreement and stop bothering me. It's getting old."Joanna's eyes shot daggers at me."Sabrina, you damn cripple, what are you so smug about?" she hissed.Watching her lose it gave me a quiet sense of satisfaction. This was just the start. I still had a trick up my sleeve for her.It didn't take long for Joanna to pop up in the news, just like I figured. Someone had messed with her family's ancestral gr

Chapter 9

I couldn't remember the last time I actually slept. My nights were full of insomnia and vivid dreams, and getting any rest seemed impossible.I leaned back in the recliner with my eyes closed, and before I knew it, I was back in that dark cellar. Those filthy, degrading insults flooded my ears."Ms. Johnson? Ms. Johnson?"My eyes flew open, and there was Julian's face. He looked calm and collected, though there was a crease forming between his brows."It's worse than I imagined. But that's okay. We'll make it through as long as you trust me!" he said.I took the glass of water he offered me. "Thanks.""No problem. We've met before, actually."I looked up at him, startled.He blinked and seemed to think for a moment. "We've met when we were kids. I knew your parents. I'm really sorry for what happened to them."I racked my brain but couldn't remember him at all.Julian seemed to notice and offered a gentle smile. "You used to always drag me into playing with your fashion dolls

Chapter 10

Joanna was so angry that she could barely breathe."You!" she snapped.Henry interrupted before she could say more, "Let's go! Why bother with her? Sabrina, I'll be here when you come crawling back and begging me!"Once they left, Julian turned to me with a puzzled look."Beg him for what?" he asked.I sneered. "He probably thinks I'll beg on my knees for his forgiveness and beg him not to take my 'joke' seriously and actually go through with the divorce."Julian clicked his tongue, took a sip of his coffee, and made a quiet noise of disapproval."I almost feel like handing him my business card," he said flatly.I couldn't help but laugh.Julian watched me closely as my laughter slowly faded into a small, softer smile."You should smile more, Sabrina. You look amazing when you do," he said.…It wasn't long after that day that the divorce agreement showed up just like I expected. Henry had already signed it.I quickly signed it, too, worried he might change his mind if I w

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