Chapter 5
Ethan froze, confused. He couldn’t recall expecting a delivery, let alone a package of such size. He took the box, and as soon as it touched his hands, a sharp, metallic scent of rust filled the air, an ominous chill creeping over him. His fingers trembled involuntarily as he began to peel open the box.
The moment the box opened, a collective gasp filled the room. “Ah!” Hailey screamed, her voice sharp with panic. “This can’t be real.”
Ethan stood still, his mind racing. The box slipped from his hands, tumbling to the ground. As it fell, the contents spilled out, dark red blood splattering across his shoes. His gaze fixed on a chilling message scrawled in thick, crimson letters on the
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back of the box: “I hope you and Hailey like this gift.”
A cold sweat broke out on Ethan’s brow. His chest tightened as panic set in. He grabbed his phone, dialing my number frantically, but the screen flickered with a “connection failed” message. It was clear–I had blocked him.
“She knows everything… she knows everything,” Ethan muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. His eyes burned with fury, and he lunged at Caleb, grabbing him by the collar. “What did you do to her last night?”
Caleb met Ethan’s searing gaze, his resolve faltering. He hesitated before speaking, his words laced with uncertainty.
“You agreed to this, too! Maybe you should
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be asking Hailey,” Caleb shot back, pointing a shaky finger at her. “Didn’t she say the drug was an anesthetic? It would paralyze her, make her forget everything when she woke up.”
Hailey froze, panic flashing across her face as she quickly grabbed Ethan’s hand, her voice pleading. “Ethan, I’m just as devastated as you. That was my child, too! Yes, I drugged her, but I didn’t… I wasn’t the one who… violated her.” She trailed off, her eyes darting nervously to the bloodstains on the floor. “Those bloodstains–those came from last night!”
Hailey’s words came out like a desperate attempt to shift the blame.
Caleb, scowling and clearly growing frustrated, shot a glance at Ethan. “Look, Ethan, you’ve never cared about her. Now
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that the child’s gone, you can be with Hailey, right? Yesterday, my brothers made sure she wouldn’t be a problem. Honestly, her body… it’s nothing special. She’ll take forever to recover after giving birth.”
The sound of a fist hitting flesh rang out sharply. “Bang!”
Ethan’s punch landed with brutal force, his knuckles connecting with Caleb’s face. Caleb crumpled to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, two teeth flying from his lips as he groaned in pain.
“Shut up,” Ethan hissed, his voice filled with venom. “Chloe is my wife. It’s not your place to talk about her like that.”
Ethan’s rage burned through him like wildfire, and Caleb lay motionless on the floor, unable to respond.
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