Chapter 3

Anthony Reed tilted my chin up, his voice hoarse and bitter:

"Quinn Taylor, you've finally admitted it, haven't you? Tell me—how can you be so heartless? How could you do something so cruel?"

Tears streamed down my face as I gasped for air, barely able to breathe. Scenes from my previous life flashed through my mind like a nightmare I couldn't escape.

In that past life, Anthony had locked me away, forcing me to share a cage with the dogs I was terrified of.

He had replayed the footage of his mother jumping to her death over and over, making sure I saw it every waking moment.

He knew I loved him, so he brought women into the house, flaunting them in front of me, using them to humiliate me.

My body trembled uncontrollably as the memories suffocated me. The world around me seemed to darken.

Anthony stood up, towering over me with cold indifference.

"Quinn," he said, his voice sharp and cutting, "you didn't just ruin my mother's life. You destroyed my sister's as well. Lila came home from school just to meet you, her new sister-in-law. But what did she see the moment she walked through the door? She saw you kill our mom with her own eyes."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"When you pushed her," Anthony continued, "did you even notice Lila standing there? No, of course not. You scared her so badly she fainted on the spot. Do you know how long she lay there, unconscious? Do you know she's still in the hospital, in a coma?"

He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper.

"You need to atone, Quinn. You need to beg forgiveness—from my mom, from my sister."

Lila Reed.

In my past life, she had been a graduate student studying abroad. By the time she returned home, her mother was already gone.

I had only met her once—at the funeral.

She had seemed so sweet and gentle, but when she attacked me, her strength was terrifying. If Anthony hadn't stopped her, I had no doubt she would have beaten me to death.

She hated Anthony for not handing me over to the police. She thought he spared me because he still loved me. She didn't know the truth—that he kept me around only to exact his own revenge.

Anthony never explained himself to her. Furious and heartbroken, Lila cut ties with him and left the country. She never came back.

This time, though, Lila hadn't left.

Maybe that was the reason Anthony didn't lock me up like before. Instead, he dragged me to the hospital and made me serve as Lila's caretaker—his way of punishing me until she recovered.

After I calmed down, I asked Anthony to take me to a psychiatrist.

I needed answers.

I needed to know if I was sick—if there was something wrong with me that could explain everything.

Anthony's lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"Oh, I see. You want to fake a mental illness now? Is that your plan, Quinn?"

He leaned in closer, his voice dripping with venom.

"Don't think for a second that claiming insanity will get you out of this. Even if you were diagnosed, I wouldn't let you off the hook."

His words cut deep, but I forced myself to push past the pain.

"Anthony," I said, my voice trembling, "I know you hate me right now. But we've been together for years. You know the kind of person I am.

"When your mom hated me, I still donated my bone marrow to save her. She finally accepted me, and we were happy. Why would I hurt her after everything?

"I love you, Anthony. And I love your family. I just want to know the truth. Please, let me do this."

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—hesitation, maybe even guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

He sighed, his jaw tight, and finally relented.

The test results came back a few days later.

I wasn't mentally ill.

My heart sank as I stared at the report.

If I wasn't sick, then why… why had I done something so monstrous?

Before I could process what that meant, Anthony snatched the papers from my hands.

His expression darkened, and the air around us seemed to grow heavier.

"Well?" he snarled. "What's your excuse now?"

He threw the report onto the table, his voice rising.

"Quinn Taylor, stop lying to me. You killed my mom. Just admit it!"

"No!" I shouted back, tears streaming down my face. "It wasn't me, Anthony! I swear!"

My voice cracked as I pleaded with him.

"Please, just wait. Lila saw everything. She might wake up and prove my innocence. Please, Anthony, I'm begging you—just give me one last chance. I don't want our relationship to end in nothing but hatred."

Anthony's jaw tightened, his eyes bloodshot.

Finally, he growled through gritted teeth, "Fine. One last chance, Quinn. Just one."