He read them, his face changing.
“What? You’d rather walk away with nothing than stay married to me?”
“That’s right. I don’t want anything.”
“Just a trick to lure me in, huh?” Sophie said.
“Think what you like. Just sign.”
“No,” Ethan said. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
Then he walked out carrying Sophie. Lily followed.
I watched Lily’s back as she left. My daughter—you’ve lost me completely.
At midnight, Daniel Smith, Jessica’s brother and my former admirer, came to see me. He was shocked when he saw me.
“How did you end up like this? Ethan, that bastard! I could kill him.”
“Daniel, don’t. This is my fight. Just take me away.”
“Alright.”
“Help me remove my social security record,” I said quietly.
“Got it.”
Daniel staged my fake death. He threw down my clothes, spilled pig’s blood, scattered some hair, and staged a fall from the window. He even set up ropes and gear to smuggle me out unseen.
No guards noticed, and no cameras caught us.
As he carried me away, I leaned against him. “Daniel, when did you learn to move like this?”
He laughed. “Since I met you.”
When we reached the research institute, Jessica and my professor were waiting.