All Chapters of The Twisted Wedding Night: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

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.

Emma didn’t let go of my hand the entire walk back from the clinic.The sky had already dipped into a dull gray, the kind that made everything feel heavier, like the world was holding its breath with me. The cold evening air pressed against my skin, but I barely felt it. My mind was too loud. Too cluttered. Every step I took felt like I was sinking further into a reality I wasn’t prepared for.Pregnant.The word pulsed rhythmically in my head, in time with my heartbeat, echoing in places I had kept locked for months.I kept my eyes fixed on the pavement as we walked, watching my boots make one uncertain step after another. Emma stayed close, her arm brushing mine every few seconds, grounding me. She didn’t push, didn’t ask anything yet. But I could feel the questions hanging between us, waiting for the right moment to surface.By the time we reached her apartment building, my body felt drained, like every drop of energy had been wrung out of me. Emma opened the front door and guided

The world was a whirl of movement and voices I couldn’t separate—shouts, footsteps, the rushing sound of blood in my ears. My body felt like it was splitting open from the inside, a deep, raw pressure pushing downward again and again with no mercy, no pause, no space to breathe.Emma’s arm was wrapped firmly around my shoulders as two store employees helped lift me to my feet. My legs wobbled beneath me like loose hinges, and another contraction slammed into me with such brutal force that my knees buckled instantly.“I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” Emma gasped, tightening her grip as I bent forward, a strangled cry ripping out of me. “Just hold on, Lily. We’re almost outside.”Almost.Almost felt like a lie.Pain didn’t give me seconds anymore. It gave me none. One contraction ended and another surged back-to-back, each one stronger, heavier, more consuming than the last.I tried to breathe, but the air seared my lungs. My throat tasted of salt and panic.The sliding doors whooshed open,