Chapter 3

The elevator jerked. The power kicked back on, blinding me. 

Before my eyes could adjust, the doors slid open. The three men shoved past someone and vanished into the lobby. 

"Sera!" 

Val threw himself into the elevator. He yanked his jacket off and wrapped it around my torn blouse, pulling me into a hug. 

"I'm so sorry, baby," he growled. "I swear to God, I'll find them. I'll tear them apart piece by piece. Nobody touches my wife."

I rested my chin on his shoulder. My body was completely numb. 

I turned my head slightly. Val was holding his phone behind my back. The screen was lit up. It was an FaceTime call with Lilith. 

A text banner dropped down from the top of his screen. 

Your wife looks so hot when she’s terrified. Thanks for your generous sharing, Don Val. 😘

I opened my mouth, but not a single sound came out. 

An hour later, Val’s driver pulled up to Coney Island. 

The beach was freezing and empty. This was where Val had proposed to me when he was nineteen. It was also the exact spot where, I had caught him pinning Lilith against a beach chair, swallowing her moans. 

I hadn't stepped foot on this sand since. 

Val gripped my hand tightly as we walked toward the pier. He looked out at the water, a nostalgic, boyish smile spreading across his face. 

"Remember this place, Sera?" he asked softly. "Right here. The fireworks were going off. I was holding that ring, and my palms were sweating so bad I thought I’d drop it. I promised I'd protect you forever."

I stared at his perfect profile. The cold wind whipped my hair across my face. 

"Sera... we've been married for ten years," he said, his voice dropping into a vulnerable whisper. "Why don't we have a baby yet? Is it me? Is my body messed up?"

My breath hitched. 

He knew. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

My miscarriages. The permanent damage to my uterus. It was the deepest, most rotting wound in my soul. My doctors had pulled him aside and begged him to never, ever bring it up. 

Yet here he was, pouring pure acid directly onto the scar. 

Tears instantly spilled over my eyelashes. My body reacted to the trauma before my brain could stop it. 

The second he saw the tears, Val’s face crumbled into panic. He pulled me close, frantically kissing the wetness off my cheeks. 

"Oh god, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby," he murmured, kissing my forehead, my nose, my lips. "I shouldn't have asked. Please don't cry. You know it kills me when you cry."

"Val," I said quietly. "Do you love me?"

He pulled back just enough to look me dead in the eyes. 

"I love you, Sera. I only love you. I'd die for you."

I smiled weakly. 

Your acting is so good, I thought. So good that I almost believed you again.

I slept through the entire next day. The sedatives left a thick fog in my brain. 

"Sera! Wake up!"

Val was shaking my shoulders. His face was pale. 

"It's Nonna," he said, his voice cracking. "She had a massive heart attack. We need to get to the hospital. Now."

My blood froze. Nonna was the only family I had left. She raised me. 

Val held my hand the entire car ride. He rubbed my knuckles, whispering that everything was going to be okay. 

When we ran into the ICU waiting room, a nurse stepped forward. 

"Are you Sera?" she asked softly. "Your grandmother was clutching this when the ambulance arrived. She was trying to send a voice message."

She handed me Nonna's battered iPhone. 

My hands shook as I hit play. 

"Lili..." Nonna’s frail, exhausted voice crackled through the speaker. "If it hurts too much out there, just come home. Nonna will take care of you. Just come home, my sweet girl."

A sob ripped out of my chest. 

That recording was from three years ago. The first time I packed my bags to leave Val. But then he got into that horrific car crash, and I stayed. I never went home. 

"I'll go check on her charts," Val said quickly, squeezing my shoulder before walking down the hall. 

I wiped my face and followed him a few minutes later. 

As I approached the corner near the doctor's lounge, I heard a familiar, whiny voice. 

Lilith. 

"Val, I'm sorry!" Lilith was crying. "I just wanted to scare the old bag. I mailed those elevator pictures to her house and pinned copies to the community church board. I didn't know she'd actually have a heart attack!"

Val let out a heavy sigh. What else did you do, Lilith?"

"I... I might have told the neighbors about her," Lilith mumbled. "About how you tossed Sera to the Gallos back then to pay off your debts. The old lady heard them whispering at the grocery store. She just collapsed."

My heart stopped beating. 

"I got it," Val finally said. His tone was casual. "I'll clean this up. I'll keep it from Sera. But don't pull a stunt like this again, understand?"

"I know, Daddy. Sorry. I love you." Lilith kissed his lips, continuously expressing her gratitude.

I pressed my hands against the wall to keep from falling.

My fingernails dug into the drywall, scraping off a layer of white paint.