All Chapters of The Twisted Wedding Night: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I didn't go to the reception. Instead, I returned to Zane's apartment. I stood in his kitchen, clad in nothing but red lingerie, making him his favorite dish of casserole. A smile splayed on my face as I set the table, adding candles to the mix. It was going to be just us tonight, and after having Sophie stay with us for the past month, I was excited to finally get some quiet time with my husband. When the doorbell rang hours later, I sat cross-legged on the high-backed chair, revealing supple skin all the way to my thighs.I had a glass of wine in one hand when he strolled in, wearing the same outfit from earlier. I heaved a sigh of relief when I didn't see my cousin walking in after him, and at once, I felt guilty. He stopped by the door and angled his head, drinking every bit of me. "Hey, wife," he greeted with a smile on his face."Hey, husband," I whispered, motioning him over with my fingers. "Care to join me for dinner?"Zane tugged at his crooked tie as he covered the space

I woke up to unfamiliar sheets and a ceiling I didn’t recognize.For one disoriented second, I didn’t breathe. My body felt heavy, drained, but my mind jumped awake all at once, pulling memories back in a rush.The knocking, the bathroom, Zane’s voice, the stranger, his hands steadying me, the kiss, the sex. I bolted upright so fast the room spun. A faint ache pulsed behind my eyes, but the drug’s fog had nearly lifted.The bed beside me was empty.The apartment was quiet.I stood on shaky legs, gathering the stranger’s discarded shirt from the floor and slipping into it. It hung low on my thighs, swallowing me whole, but I didn’t have time to care.I had to go.I had to get home before Zane twisted everything, before he convinced himself he had reason to hurt me further.I didn’t know what waited for me, but I knew something had broken between us the moment he’d drugged me. No amount of pretending would glue that back together.I found the stranger’s door unlocked. The hallway outsi

Two months had passed since that terrible day. Two months of being completely untethered from everything I had known. My life had become a series of small, fragile steps forward, each one balancing precariously on the edge of disaster. Somehow, I managed to survive. Somehow, I had managed to exist in a world that had already decided I didn’t deserve anything.That afternoon, I was sitting on the cracked sidewalk outside a small corner café, my knees drawn to my chest, my hands wrapped around them as if they could keep me from breaking apart entirely. The autumn wind bit at my skin, chilling me through the thin layers of clothing I could afford. Tears streamed freely down my cheeks, the kind that came without restraint, without shame. My chest heaved with quiet sobs, the kind you didn’t realize were so loud until someone was close enough to hear them.I had nowhere to go. No one to turn to. Every street, every alleyway, every empty bench felt like a reminder that I was utterly alone.