His Only Antidote

Noah Pov

“Mommy…”

I turned, straining to locate where my daughter’s voice was coming from. Then I saw her, clad in the white dress I had bought for her when she turned one.

“Zoey…”

I whispered softly, my face lighting up as I met her gentle amber eyes, the same eyes she inherited from me. But my smile faltered the moment I noticed what she held in her small hands.

Heavy chains were wound tightly around her wrists and ankles, rendering her unable to move. The more I tried to reach her, the farther away she seemed to drift.

My chest grew heavier as she began to vanish before my eyes, the chains around her hands and feet rattling ominously.

“Mommy… Mommy, come and get me!”

The rattling grew louder, sharper, and my heart clenched at the thought of those chains hurting her. I ran with all my might, desperate to reach her, but the sound only intensified…

“Miss Noah Hemsworth!”

A voice cut through the chaos. I stopped, turning toward it, but when I looked back, Zoey was gone. All that remained were the chains lying on the floor, glinting in the dim light. They were so close now. I bent down to pick them up, but just as my fingers brushed the cold metal, a hand touched my shoulder.

I jolted awake, sitting upright in bed, my body drenched in sweat.

“Noah?”

I turned to find Selina’s brown eyes watching me intently.

“What?” I rasped, still disoriented, the remnants of my dream clinging to me.

“Your name was called. I guess it’s finally time to be free,” she said, her voice steady, though I could hear the pain concealed beneath her calm tone.

There had been three of us in this cell once, but Lexie had passed away a month ago. A disease none of us had suspected claimed her, and she had evaded every medical checkup, as if she'd planned her death all along.

But now, after three years, it was finally my turn to leave. To go home.

Home.

It felt strange to think of "home" as my parents’ house. Dad would probably have preferred if I’d stayed here forever, erased from their lives entirely.

I turned toward Selina, my only friend here aside from Lexie.

The policewoman entered through the prison gate, pushing a bag filled with my belongings toward me.

“Get changed into this and come with me,” she instructed curtly.

I managed a small smile at her. She’d never been particularly kind, but at least she wasn’t mean this time. That was enough.

One glance at Selina, and she gestured silently toward the bathroom. I stepped inside, taking my time under the lukewarm spray of the shower. For the first time in three years, I allowed myself to think about the joy of reuniting with Caleb and, of course, my daughter, Zoey.

They were my only family now, and the thought of seeing them again filled me with a mixture of elation and anxiety.

Caleb hadn’t visited much during my imprisonment. Just once, to be exact. He hadn’t brought Zoey along because she was hospitalized at the time of my arrest.

Zoey had a terminal heart condition that required a transplant. Caleb and I had built a life together despite my family’s hatred for me. I had truly believed we could manage the cost of her surgery, no matter how it strained us financially.

That belief shattered the moment the police arrived at our door, handcuffs in hand, accusing me of money laundering and theft.

“Are you planning to live in there forever?” Selina called out, pulling me from the spiral of my thoughts. Her teasing tone carried a hint of warmth, and I smiled faintly.

I turned off the shower, dried my hair with our worn towel, and applied the lotion Selina had generously shared with me over the years.

We were allowed to work and earn a little here, especially those of us who’d been abandoned by our families.

Caleb hadn’t shown up since that one visit, nor had he sent any money. I’d told myself he was too preoccupied with saving Zoey, consumed by the need to ensure her survival.

I chose to believe that, and I still loved him fiercely despite everything. For that, I was grateful.

After a few minutes, I stepped out, fully dressed in the clothes I’d purchased last week in preparation for this day. My brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.

Selina, who always played the tough one, had her usual fake smile plastered across her face.

“Cry at least, Selina,” I teased, pulling her into a tight hug. “That way, I’ll know you don’t want me to go.”

She let out a small laugh, her teeth flashing briefly. “I’d be too selfish to want that. Your family, your daughter needs you.”

I nodded, pulling her into a hug and pressing a kiss to her hair. “Thank you, Selina,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. Her presence had made my time here bearable, even behind these suffocating walls. There was nothing wonderful about being in prison, especially watching your loved ones drift further away. But Selina still had seven more years to serve, and I couldn’t hope for anything less than her eventual freedom.

With one final glance back, I stepped out of the prison gates and into the blinding light of Los Angeles.

I closed my eyes, savoring the sound of the bustling city—a noise I hadn’t heard in so long, it felt almost foreign.

Tears welled up, unbidden, but I held them back. I promised myself I’d save them for the moment I could hold Zoey in my arms and press my lips against Caleb’s.

Smiling to myself, I hailed a cab and climbed in, ready to reclaim the life I had put on hold. Ready to catch up on the days I’d missed.

The cab pulled up in front of our mansion, and my heart swelled with hope. I handed the driver cash, even telling him to keep the change.

As I approached the gate, I pressed the intercom button with trembling fingers.

A voice crackled through the speaker—Rebecca’s voice, our head cook. It sent a wave of anticipation rippling through me.

“Who’s there?”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat tightened, and I struggled to find my voice. I swallowed hard and forced her name out, knowing she’d recognize it immediately.

“Rebecca...”

There was a pause, followed by a shaky response. “Mrs. Hemsworth?”

I couldn’t reply, but the soft chime of the door unlocking told me everything I needed to know.

I stepped inside and froze, taking in the transformation around me. The mansion was barely recognizable. Caleb had done extensive renovations, and it was obvious he hadn’t struggled financially after Zoey’s surgery. In fact, it seemed like he had become twice as successful.

Warmth spread through my chest at the thought of his hard work. He had kept everything together. I didn’t regret any of it. Walking away from the world, shouldering the blame for his mistakes, his crimes. I didn’t regret saying yes to them, all to ensure Zoey received the care she needed. Not for a single second.

Rebecca walked briskly toward me, and for a moment, I half-expected the older woman to sweep me into her arms and spin me around in joy. But instead, I was met with a face that was not only smug but also riddled with anxiety.

I furrowed my brows, my hands still outstretched, only for her next words to send a jolt of paranoia and shock through me.

“You need to leave, ma'am.”

What the actual fuck did she just say? Leave? Leave my home?

“Rebecca?” I asked, my voice laced with confusion and anger. “What do you mean, leave?”

She opened her mouth, fumbling for words I couldn’t make sense of. It almost sounded like a bad prank.

“You must leave,” she said again, her tone more insistent this time. “You’ll thank me profusely later if you do.”

She wasn’t joking.

I stared at her for a moment longer, disbelief surging through me. Without waiting to hear more of her nonsense, I brushed past her, unable to tolerate her suddenly revolting presence any longer.

This was my home.

Rebecca didn’t follow immediately, though I could hear her hesitant footsteps trailing behind me.

“Caleb?” I called out, stepping into the living room. Something about the atmosphere was wrong. Off. It was cold, unfamiliar, like I wasn’t truly home.

“Zoey! Mummy’s home!”

The thought of Zoey, my daughter, made my chest tighten. She should be five years old now. I could already feel the tears threatening to fall at the idea of seeing her, realizing how much of her growth I had missed.

I hurried up the stairs, my feet carrying me almost on instinct. If Caleb wasn’t downstairs, maybe he was in our room. My heart raced as I reached the end of the hallway and shoved the door open.

“Cale…eebb.”

My voice trailed off, the words dying on my lips as the scene before me came into full view.

Caleb, my loving husband, was kneeling on the bed, his hands gripping the neck of the woman beneath him. A pregnant woman. My stepsister.

He rammed into her with a fervor that made my stomach churn, her moans of ecstasy echoing like a cruel melody in my ears.

“Ms. Noah...”

Rebecca stopped halfway up the steps, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

I tore my gaze away from the horrifying scene and looked at her, hoping for some kind of explanation, but she kept her head down, avoiding my eyes. Defeated, I turned back toward the room, my gaze locking onto my husband, still oblivious to my presence.

“Caleb…” I called, my voice steady, calm. Too calm. But it was loud enough to reach him.

He froze, his movements coming to a halt, and turned his head toward the doorway where I stood, tears streaming freely down my face.

“Noah,” he breathed, his voice laced with shock. But instead of pulling away, instead of doing what I badly hoped he would do, he thrust into Shirley one final time, his body shuddering as he let out a groan of ecstasy.

My stepsister’s loud moans echoed in unison as they climaxed together, right in front of me. Like they both enjoyed the idea of having me watch them reach bliss and pleasure.

“What… what are you doing here?” Caleb asked, his voice unsteady as he finally faced me fully.