The applause rang in my ears. I forced a smile, pretending to be the devoted wife. Pretending so Bryant wouldn’t hurt my family.
And then, just when I thought I had survived the worst, my world shattered again.
"Congrats, Mrs. Harlow."
The voice was light, happy—familiar.
I turned, and there she was.
Mae.
My sister.
Smiling. Glowing. As if nothing had happened.
I felt my chest tighten. My pulse pounded in my ears.
Mae wasn’t a hostage. She wasn’t broken, terrified, or suffering.
She was celebrating.
She threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. Her touch burned my skin like acid.
"You did it," she whispered excitedly. "I’m so happy for you."
I froze.
Happy?
Mae was happy?
I pulled back, searching her face for answers. Was she brainwashed? Threatened?
But no. There was no fear in her eyes. Only joy.
And then it hit me.
She was part of this.
The kidnapping. The manipulation. The betrayal.
Mae had been working with Bryant all along.
My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat. My own sister. The one person I thought I could trust.
I wanted to scream. To shake her. To ask her why.
But I couldn’t.
Not here. Not in front of everyone.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced out a whisper.