# Chapter 3: The Search

"It's exactly as I remember it." A voice like poisoned honey drifted through my penthouse. My heart stuttered, then began to race - this was the voice that had haunted my marriage for three years. Every muscle in my body tensed, preparing for battle. "Harrison has kept our home perfectly preserved, hasn't he, Mrs. Ward?"

I turned toward the voice, forcing my trembling fingers to still at my sides, keeping my expression neutral despite the churning in my stomach. After three years of being Harrison's living blood bank, I was finally meeting the woman who had consumed so much of my blood. Anna Sullivan – his first love, his true love, the sleeping beauty who had finally awakened. The irony of it made bile rise in my throat.

"Indeed." Mrs. Ward's voice dripped with satisfaction. My jaw clenched so hard I could hear my teeth grinding. "Though I'm shocked Harrison let that blind girl stay here so long. If it were up to me—"

"But it wasn't up to you, was it?" I cut in quietly, surprising myself with the steel in my voice even as my nails dug crescents into my palms. "Just like it wasn't up to you when Harrison chose to marry me."

Anna's heels clicked across the marble floor as she approached. Each step sent a shiver down my spine, like a predator circling its prey. "How dare you speak to Mrs. Ward that way? You forget your place."

"My place?" I smiled thinly, tasting the bitter victory on my tongue. "You mean as Harrison's soon-to-be ex-wife? Don't worry – the divorce papers are already signed. I will pack my things and leave immediately."

I saw a flicker of light in Anna's eyes and heard Anna's whisper to Mrs. Ward, too soft for me to make out the words, but Mrs. Ward's sharp intake of breath sent ice through my veins. Years of living in darkness had taught me to read the smallest sounds, and this one spelled trouble.

"The family jewelry," Mrs. Ward's voice turned accusatory. My stomach twisted - of course they would try this angle. "Harrison has always been too generous with gifts. We need to make sure she hasn't taken any of the Ward heirlooms."

"I don't want your jewelry," I said flatly, disgust crawling up my throat. The very thought of keeping anything from this family made me feel unclean.

"Nevertheless," Anna's voice turned sickeningly sweet, making my skin crawl. "We should check, shouldn't we? After all, we're talking about priceless family pieces."

I set down my suitcase, my hand tightening on the handle until my knuckles ached. The memory of packing it just hours ago - my entire life reduced to so little - burned in my chest. "Everything here is mine from before the marriage."

The zipper rasped open, the sound like a knife through my dignity. I flinched at the brutal handling of my clothes, each thud of discarded items making my heart clench. Three years of marriage, reduced to a handful of pre-wedding designer pieces that still carried the ghost of my former life. Each piece they tossed aside was another reminder of who I used to be - before Harrison, before the darkness, before everything changed.

"Nothing here," Anna announced after rifling through my belongings, her frustration evident in every sharp movement. I could practically feel her disappointment at finding nothing to accuse me of. "But she could be hiding things... elsewhere."

I heard her speaking quietly to Mrs. Ward again, and my stomach dropped at Mrs. Ward's response. The air in the room suddenly felt thick, oppressive.

"Take off your coat," Mrs. Ward commanded. My blood ran cold at her tone. "You could be concealing anything under there."

"This is ridiculous," I protested, but my voice wavered slightly, betraying the fear that began to claw at my throat. "I don't want anything from your family."

I tried to resist, but hands were already pulling at my coat. Panic surged through me as I struggled, but they were two against one, and I was still unsteady from my earlier encounter with Harrison. My muscles screamed in protest, the fresh bruises making every movement agony.

The coat slipped from my shoulders, and my skin prickled with vulnerability. The sudden silence felt like a physical weight pressing against my chest. Every breath seemed to echo in the stillness, and I could feel their eyes crawling over the marks Harrison had left. Shame and defiance warred within me, making my throat tight.

"You whore." Anna's voice trembled with rage. I didn't need sight to know what they were seeing – the fresh bruises on my wrists, the marks on my neck, the evidence of Harrison's last claim on me. Each mark throbbed with renewed intensity under their scrutiny. "You filthy, lying whore!"

The slap caught me across the face with explosive force, sending me stumbling backward. Pain bloomed across my cheek as my hip hit the edge of a table, and I heard something crash to the floor. The sharp sting brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them back fiercely. Instead of cowering, I straightened immediately, drawing on a well of strength I didn't know I possessed.

"What's wrong, Anna?" I touched my stinging cheek, forcing steel into my voice despite the pain that radiated through my face. "Upset that he wanted me even when he knew you were waking up?"

"How dare you?" Her control had shattered completely, and I savored the crack in her perfect façade. "You're nothing but a replacement, a stand-in, a warm body to keep his bed occupied until I woke up!"

"Anna, dear." Mrs. Ward's voice held warning. "Remember your blood pressure—"

"A replacement?" I laughed softly, the sound bitter but triumphant. Something dark and satisfying unfurled in my chest. " Why was he here an hour ago, begging me not to leave?"

"Anna." Mrs. Ward's sharp voice cut through the tension. "That's enough. We don't want to leave marks where Harrison might see them."

I gathered my scattered belongings with as much dignity as I could muster, each movement deliberate and proud despite the trembling in my hands. The divorce papers with Harrison's angry signature went on top - my declaration of independence.

"Get out before I forget Mrs. Ward's warning ." Anna hissed, "Get out of my sight, you damn bitch." Anna hoarsely shouted continuously.

"Gladly." I paused at the elevator, savoring this moment of final defiance. My voice carried all the confidence I'd found in my darkness. "The apartment's deed is in my name – Harrison's wedding gift. But don't worry, I won't be staying. Enjoy your happily ever after, Anna."