Ten Years of Make-Believe

On the third day of our captivity in the abandoned cannery, Adrian finally found me with his private security team. I clutched five-year-old Leah in my arms and stumbled toward the light. My coat had long since been torn to shreds, the soles of my feet were mangled by broken glass, and Leah curled against my chest, burning up with fever. Vera looked relieved to see me alive, but then suddenly turned and walked toward the kidnappers. "Vera, come back!" My voice was already hoarse from screaming. "They won't keep their word even after they get the money. Leah still has a fever. We need to call the police and get her to a hospital!" Adrian wrapped his arms around me from behind, his voice almost breaking. "They added a last-minute condition. They won't release you and Leah unless another woman stays behind. Vera volunteered to trade herself for your freedom." Several masked men shoved Vera into an SUV. Through the window, she gave me a reassuring smile before the door slammed shut. I ran after them screaming, but my legs gave out and I fell into the mud. Adrian barely glanced back at me before ordering the driver, "Take Elena to the hospital. I'll bring Vera back." I clutched Leah to me, on my knees in the cold wind, haunted by the beatings, threats, and darkness of the past three days. I couldn't bear to imagine what Vera would suffer in my place. Leah suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, "Mommy, I heard Daddy's thoughts again. "He said the show is finally over. Now Vera can be the real Mrs. Cole without feeling like she owes you anything." So the kidnapping was real. The injuries were real. Only the so-called rescue and exchange were fake. I coughed up blood, and over Leah's terrified cries, I heard a mechanical voice I hadn't heard in ten years. [Host, do you wish to abandon your original world and remain permanently in the current world?] Chapter 1 When I opened my eyes again, the sky had gone completely dark. Outside the abandoned factory, there was nothing but the wind howling off the ocean. No doctor, no security team, just a phone buzzing nonstop beside me. Leah was gone. I lunged for the phone and answered it, practically shouting, "Adrian, where is Leah?" There was a pause on the other end before he said, "Security already took her back to Maple Ridge. There wasn't enough room in the car, so they took the child first. I had to go save Vera. I was planning to come back for you once everything was over." The tightness in my chest eased slightly. As long as Leah was safe, I didn't even want to ask why he'd left me here alone, battered and bleeding. "Send a car for me. I need to see Leah right now." A woman's muffled groan came through the phone. Adrian's tone softened immediately. "Vera's hurt. I'm with her at the hospital. Get yourself a ride back." My knuckles whitened around the phone. "For that show you two staged, Leah and I were tortured for three full days. Now you expect me to get back from the middle of nowhere on my own while you stay at the hospital with the woman who helped set me up?" The line went silent for a long time. Then Adrian let out a low laugh, as if he were finally tired of pretending. "So you already know." "That woman?" he said slowly. "Elena, you probably don't know this yet, but the paperwork for the marriage you always believed was legal was never filed." My breath stopped. Ten years ago, we held our wedding at a seaside chapel. The license, the filing, even the witnesses had all been handled by the Cole family's legal team. Adrian personally handed me a copy bearing the official seal. I never doubted that it might have no legal force. "Before the wedding, I had the lawyers withdraw the registration application," he continued. "Before you even got pregnant with Leah, Vera and I had already completed our civil registration. She's the one the law recognizes as Mrs. Cole. "As for you, you were just a woman who lived in my house, had my child, and never knew the truth." A chill ran through my entire body, but I denied it instinctively. "That's impossible. When Leah was born, I hemorrhaged. You stayed outside the operating room all night. You said no matter what happened, we were a family." Adrian sighed, as if he were reasoning with someone who refused to accept reality. "I've let you into my private Instagram account. See for yourself." When the page refreshed, the first photo showed Vera in a white dress, nestled in Adrian's arms. It wasn't the ceremony everyone knew about. It was a small civil wedding, with an officiant, lawyers, and a handful of mutual friends present. In the photos that followed, they kissed outside city hall, cut a cake at a restaurant, and raised their glasses as friends congratulated them. The last image was their marriage certificate. The date was six months before my lavish wedding. Everyone had known all along. I was the only joke, standing amid the guests' applause, believing I had finally married the man I'd loved for years. Adrian's tone turned casual. "Do you believe me now? I was drunk when I slept with Vera, and you're the one who assigned her to me as my executive assistant in the first place. She's different from you. You have your family, your career, your reputation. She has nothing. She was afraid you couldn't handle it, so she never let me tell you." I leaned against the icy wall, my laugh raw and hoarse. "How noble of you both. You used my trust as cover and gambled with Leah's life and mine to absolve your guilt." "Don't make it sound so ugly," he said coldly. "You're the Walker family heir and the youngest project lead at the research center. You've been gone three days, and you've already forgotten how to behave with even a shred of dignity?" I slowly sank to my knees and called out silently, word by word. [System, I'm not staying here anymore. I'm taking Leah back to the original world.] A crimson countdown appeared before my eyes. Three days. Adrian, I spent ten years making you fall in love with me, and it took only this moment to understand that you were never worth it. On the phone, he continued as if announcing a decision that had already been made. "There's a family dinner at Maple Ridge tonight. Since you already know the truth, I'll publicly acknowledge Mia as my daughter and have the lawyers add her to the Cole family trust." Chapter 2 "Be back by eight. If you're late, don't expect to see Leah." The line went dead. I didn't dare waste a second. I dragged my injured leg out of the factory. My phone had no signal, and I couldn't get a ride that far out. I walked along the coastal highway for what felt like forever before I managed to flag down a delivery truck. By the time I reached Maple Ridge, it was nearly eight. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the rooms blazed with light. A band played in the corner of the living room while the Cole family's friends, board members, and foundation donors mingled with champagne glasses in hand. Adrian stood at the center of the crowd holding four-year-old Mia, and Vera had changed into a flowing evening gown, with only a single thin bandage around her arm. My mother, Margaret, was there too. She took a small silver tiara from a jewelry box and placed it on Mia's head. It was a Walker family heirloom meant to be passed down to her granddaughter, one she had promised to give Leah on her sixth birthday. "Welcome home, our little princess." Mom smiled warmly. "Starting today, you're part of this family too." Applause filled the room. But my Leah was crouching alone in the shadows of the porch, still wearing the dirty dress from the kidnapping. The moment she saw me, she burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. "Mommy, you're finally back. I was so scared you didn't want me anymore." I knelt down and held her, unable to stop my own tears any longer. The warmth and celebration inside belonged to Mia. The cold wind outside belonged to us. Leah stared at the silver tiara and asked in a small voice, "Didn't Grandma say that was for me? Was I not good enough? Is that why she doesn't want me anymore?" "No." I wiped her tears away. "My Leah didn't do anything wrong. They're the ones who don't deserve your love." Leah shouted toward the house, furious. "You're all bad people! Every one of you who made my mommy cry!" The music stopped. Everyone turned toward the door. Mom strode out, her face stern. "Do you really have to make a scene in front of all these guests? Showing up like this, are you trying to make everyone think we've mistreated you?" I held Leah and asked calmly, "You've known all along that Adrian and Vera were legally married, haven't you?" Mom looked away. "Everyone can see how much Vera has done for you and this family over the years. Today she nearly died trying to save you. Adrian is better off with her than with someone who's never home, buried in research." "But I'm your daughter." I looked at her. "And Leah is your granddaughter." Guilt flickered in Mom's eyes, but she still lowered her voice. "Don't make this any uglier. Vera saved my life and took care of me for years. You already have so much. Why can't you give her a chance at a life of her own?" My shoulders sagged, little by little. "I understand." I managed a smile. "I won't cause any more trouble." Adrian stood inside the doorway, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Come inside. The lawyers and guests are all here. Don't make us look bad." The estate was warm, but I was shaking so hard my teeth chattered. Adrian didn't ask me what I'd been through over the past three days. He didn't even glance at Leah. He held Mia through the introduction ceremony, announcing that she would carry the Cole name and receive shares of the education fund and family trust. Only after the lawyers put away their documents and the guests raised their glasses again did he come to me, without a trace of guilt on his face. "Since everything's out in the open, I don't need to keep pretending," he said. "I've been exhausted keeping up this sham marriage all these years. If Vera hadn't kept stopping me, I would have kicked you out a long time ago." Vera was my college roommate. She came from a dying mining town up north and made it through college on scholarships. Her parents died when she was young. After graduation, she hastily married a short-tempered contractor who turned to heavy drinking when his business failed and started beating her. When she came to me for help, I connected her with legal aid, helped her file a restraining order, and covered the initial costs of her divorce. Worried she'd lose her income, I asked Adrian to give her an administrative position, and later even agreed to let her become his personal assistant. Back then, she held my hand, trembling as she cried. "Elena, you and Adrian are the only people in this world who still treat me like family." But the woman who kept calling me family had already become his legal wife behind my back. Vera walked over and opened her arms as if nothing had changed. "Elena, I know you can't accept this right away. We can talk things through." I stepped aside to avoid her. The smile on her lips didn't waver. She bent down and scooped up Leah instead. "Sweetie, did you miss Vera?" Leah immediately struggled. "Let go of me! I want my mommy!" Vera leaned close to her ear, her voice low but loud enough for me to hear. "Be good. If you keep making a fuss, those men from the cannery will come back for you." Leah froze instantly, her face going white. Vera looked up at me, as if waiting for me to break. I lunged forward, snatched Leah back, and slapped Vera across the face with my battered hand. Adrian rushed at me almost the same moment and shoved me away. I fell with Leah at the edge of the carpet, the back of my head cracking against the corner of a table. My vision went black. Leah pulled free from my grip and rushed at Vera in tears, but Mom grabbed her. "Leah, how dare you push her!" Mom snapped. "She's going to take care of you from now on. You need to learn to respect her!" Chapter 3 When the slap landed on the child's face, the entire room went silent. Leah held her cheek, staring in disbelief at the grandmother who had always doted on her. Mom clearly regretted it. Her fingers trembled, but she turned all her guilt against me. "Look what you've taught this child to become!" Adrian had already helped Vera up, his eyes cold. "You grew up spoiled by the Walker family, used to everyone revolving around you. You have the family trust, your research career, your reputation. Why can't you make room for a woman who has nothing and a child?" He gripped my arm and dragged me toward the door. "You can leave. There's no place for you here anymore." I looked at this man who once waited for me outside the lab building on snowy nights, who once promised to protect me forever, and felt the very last trace of attachment drain away. "Vera, you win." I took Leah's hand. "You can have Adrian. You can have my mother, too. I don't want either of them anymore." I turned to leave, but Adrian seized my wrist. "Who said you could take Leah? You're her mother, and I'm her father. The lawyers have already filed an emergency petition with the family court, claiming you're emotionally unstable after the kidnapping and pose a risk to the child. Until the hearing, she stays at the estate in the care of my legal wife and me." I went numb. So the lawyers at the dinner weren't just there to amend the trust. They had already prepared the paperwork to take Leah away from me. Mom grew anxious too. "Elena, stop being stubborn. You can barely take care of yourself right now. Get treatment first, and we can talk about Leah once you're stable." Just then, Mia suddenly shrieked, "Don't touch my crown! Daddy gave it to me!" When I turned around, all I saw was Mia yanking Leah's hair with all her strength. Leah lost her balance, and the back of her head slammed against the marble steps. Mia tumbled on top of her and began wailing. Blood began seeping from the back of Leah's head. "Leah!" I threw myself forward and scooped her up. "Call an ambulance! Get a doctor, now!" Leah struggled to open her eyes and reached out toward Adrian. "Daddy, it hurts..." Adrian was just one step away from reaching her, but Mia's crying pulled him away. He turned around, picked up Mia, and anxiously checked her arms and forehead. I held Leah's limp body and screamed myself hoarse for the housekeeper to call 911. By the time the family doctor arrived, the accumulated injuries and terror of the past few days finally overwhelmed me completely. When I woke again, Leah and I were lying in a room in the guest wing of the estate. Adrian stood by the window. The moment I opened my eyes, he said coldly, "Mia was only trying to take back what belonged to her, but Leah deliberately fought her for it and nearly knocked her down the stairs. She's five and already fighting for attention. What exactly have you been teaching her?" Leah burrowed into my arms and whispered, "I didn't start it. She pulled my hair first." Adrian slammed the glass down on the table. "You're still lying! You've completely corrupted her." He produced the documents the lawyers had prepared. "The court will review the temporary custody petition tomorrow. Until then, Leah stays with Vera. You have no right to take her." I held my child tight. "No. She's terrified of Vera. Vera just threatened her with those kidnappers!" "Enough." He pried my hands open impatiently. "Stop turning everything into some conspiracy." I ripped the IV needle from my hand and lunged to grab Leah. Security stood outside the door but didn't intervene at Adrian's signal. He shoved me back onto the bed. When I lunged again, he slapped me across the face. The room went dead silent. He stared at the red mark on my face, and a brief flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. I blocked the doorway and slowly sank to my knees, gripping his hand. "Adrian, I'm begging you. It's all my fault. I'll sign whatever you want, I'll move out right now. I don't want anything. Just let me keep Leah." "I'll take her away from Grayport. You and Vera will never see me again. Please don't hand her over to that woman." That hint of hesitation was quickly replaced by anger. "Leave?" He peeled my fingers away one by one. "Where do you think you'll run to with my daughter? Elena, you've turned everyone's life upside down and now you want to just walk away?" He picked Leah up as she cried and screamed, then walked out. The door locked in my face. The countdown before my eyes had only one day left. Chapter 4 Late at night, the estate finally fell quiet. I twisted the bedsheets into a rope and climbed out through the second-floor bathroom window. When I landed, my injured knee slammed against the stone steps, and I had to bite down on my sleeve to keep from crying out. After Adrian took Leah away, Vera had security lock down the guest wing. But I had grown up at Maple Ridge and knew about the service passage behind the old greenhouse. I dragged my leg, barely able to bend it, from room to room. The nursery was empty. So was the living room, even the nanny's room. I finally found Leah in the attic storage room. She was wrapped in a thin blanket, her cheeks burning red. She didn't respond no matter how many times I called her name. "Leah, Mommy's here." I picked her up. When my hand touched her scorching forehead, my heart nearly shattered. "Don't be scared. I'm taking you to the hospital right now." I didn't care anymore whether I'd alert security. I carried her downstairs and rushed toward the side door, only to find Vera standing there. She wore a dark coat, and behind her stood the same men from the cannery. The one in front held an estate access card. Vera smiled. "What a coincidence. I was about to have them go upstairs and take you quietly, but you came out on your own." I clutched Leah tighter. "What are you trying to do? She's seriously ill. If you keep blocking me, I'll see every one of you behind bars." "Still talking down to me." Vera stepped closer and brushed a fingertip over Leah's face. "And our genius scientist still hasn't grasped reality? Your man, your mother, your family lawyers. They're all on my side now." I kicked her hand away. "Get away from us!" The smile vanished from Vera's face. She lifted her chin, and the men rushed forward. To keep Leah from falling, I could only curl my body around her and let them bind my hands and shove us into the car. They drove for nearly two hours before stopping at Black Pine Mountain, north of Grayport. There was an abandoned lookout point with a sheer cliff below. Vera had the men tie me to the railing, then loosely wrapped rope around herself and smeared mud and blood on her own face. "When Adrian finds us, he'll still rescue me first." She crouched in front of me, her voice almost giddy. "He'll believe that you planned the kidnapping out of jealousy. "As for Leah, I've already made arrangements with a couple who live on a farm near the border. They need a child who can work. Once her identity records are changed, she'll never make it back to Grayport." I looked at her and finally understood. Poverty and misfortune had never made her this way. In college, she was insecure about her background, so I brought her to class get-togethers and covered the gaps in her tuition and housing so she wouldn't have to juggle three jobs. She once gave me a hand-knitted scarf that I treasured for years. But the moment she learned how much the necklace Adrian gave me was worth, she began pulling away. Later, when her husband started hitting her, she came back for help. I thought she finally saw me as family. I didn't know what she truly wanted was to take my entire life for herself. The sound of a car came from the distance. Vera immediately began screaming at the top of her lungs. "Adrian! I'm here! Save me!" Adrian rushed onto the lookout with two security guards. His brow furrowed deeply when he saw how disheveled we both were. Before I could get a word out, Vera was already sobbing. "Elena brought me here. She said the one you love most is still her, and that if she forced you to choose, you'd come back to her." Adrian turned to me. There was no question in his eyes, only disgust. "You'd stoop to kidnapping just to fight over a man?" I shook my head desperately, my voice raw. "It wasn't me. Look at Leah first. She's had a high fever this whole time and she's unconscious. Please call for a medevac. Save our child first!" He bent down and untied the ropes Vera could have easily freed herself from, his voice ice-cold. "Again with the sick child, again with your injuries. Elena, do you think as long as you drag Leah into it, I can never say no to you?" "She's not faking!" I was on the verge of breaking down. "She's your daughter!" Adrian didn't look at Leah again. He picked up Vera and headed for the car. "You two are on your own. I'm done being led around by your lies." The taillights wound down the mountain road and disappeared. Thunder rolled across the valley and rain poured down in sheets. The kidnappers emerged from the tree line. One of them gripped my chin and let his eyes crawl over my rain-soaked clothes. "Mr. Cole doesn't want you anymore." His grin was nauseating. "Why don't you let us keep you company?" Behind me was the cliff. In front of me were the thugs. And Leah was still burning with fever. I forced myself to stay calm and played along, telling them the ropes were too tight, that they should at least loosen them so I wouldn't spoil their fun. They laughed and untied the ropes around my wrists. I whipped my coat into the nearest man's face, grabbed Leah in the split second they stumbled back, and rolled through a gap in the railing down the slope. Loose rocks sliced my arms and face as I locked Leah against my chest. Each turn slammed us into stone and brush. By the time my body stopped, I had rolled all the way down to the mountain road below. A car was speeding toward us from the distance. I struggled to my feet and waved frantically. The car screeched to a halt just meters away, but the person who stepped out was Adrian. He must have realized Vera wasn't actually hurt and turned back. When he saw my face covered in blood, a flash of pain crossed his eyes, but a second later anger swallowed it. "Elena, you actually threw yourself down a mountain with our child just to make me come back?" "Take her to the hospital." I had no strength left to argue. "Save Leah, and I'll agree to anything." Adrian glanced at the child, her eyes tightly shut, and finally held out his hand to me. "Get in. Once we're back, apologize to Vera, and I'll have the driver take you to the emergency room." As if I had to submit to his legal wife before he would save his own daughter. I stepped back, away from his hand. The cold mechanical voice cut through the rain. [Countdown complete. Do you wish to leave the current world?] [Yes.] I held Leah tight and leaped off the road into the valley. The anger on Adrian's face turned to sheer horror. He threw himself forward. His fingers grazed the hem of my coat but caught nothing. A burst of colored light enveloped me and Leah. Before I fell into the darkness, I left behind only one sentence. "Adrian, from this day on, we will never see each other again."