Chapter 4 - ISOLATED AND MARKEDBy afternoon, a high-end stylist had arrived and transformed my violently hacked hair into a chic, elegant silver bob. It was the shortest my hair had been in nearly forty years, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn't feel diminished. I looked sharp. I looked dangerous.
Daniel stayed by my side the entire time, refusing to answer Vanessa's relentless stream of text messages and calls. His silence was driving her mad. I knew this because my secondary phone, linked to the baby monitor I had hidden in the guest house where Vanessa was staying, was buzzing with her frantic pacing and whispered arguments with Chloe.
"He's not answering, Chloe!" Vanessa’s voice came through the speaker, sharp and hysterical. "That old hag did this on purpose. She’s whispering in his ear right now, turning him against me!"
"Just play the pregnant card, Sis," Chloe’s lazy voice replied. "He’s obsessed with having a heir. He won't dump you. Just cry, apologize, and say you had a panic attack because of the wedding stress."
"I'll do more than apologize," Vanessa hissed. "I'm going to make sure she’s put in an assisted living facility before the wedding. I cannot have her in the main house anymore. She’s a virus."
I smiled grimly, turning off the monitor. A virus? No, my dear. I am the cure.
That evening, Daniel finally agreed to meet Vanessa in the study. I sat in the adjoining dining room, the door slightly ajar. I had a cup of chamomile tea in my hands, listening to the symphony of deceit unfold.
"Daniel, please," Vanessa sobbed, throwing herself into his arms the moment she walked in. "I am so, so sorry. I don't know what came over me. The stress of the wedding, the hormones from the pregnancy... I felt like I was losing control. When your mother started criticizing the wedding plans, I just snapped. I wanted her to look beautiful for you, but I went about it all wrong!"
"You cut her hair, Vanessa," Daniel said, his voice flat, devoid of the usual affection. He didn't hug her back. "You humiliated her. In my father's garden."
"I know! It was horrible, it was monstrous!" she cried, her voice muffled against his chest. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to her. I'll pay for the best treatments, I'll buy her whatever she wants. But please, don't look at me like that. You're hurting the baby. The doctor said high stress could cause a miscarriage."
The baby. The magic word.
I heard Daniel sigh, a sound of pure defeat. "We need space, Vanessa. I want you and Chloe to stay in the guest house. You are not to come near my mother without my supervision. If I see you treat her with anything less than absolute respect, the wedding is off. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, of course, whatever you want," she whispered. "But Daniel... what about the house deed? The mortgage rates are rising, and if we don't transfer the title to our names before the wedding, we'll lose the tax benefits. Your mother is just being stubborn because she doesn't understand modern finances."
"We'll talk about the deed later," Daniel said coldly. "Right now, my only priority is making sure my mother is safe and happy."
Vanessa left the study a few minutes later. As she passed the dining room, she saw me sitting at the table, sipping my tea. Daniel was still inside the study, out of sight.
Vanessa stopped. The tear-streaked, apologetic face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, arrogant smirk. She leaned over the table, her eyes glittering with malice.
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"Enjoy your new haircut, Eleanor," she whispered. "Because it's the last thing you'll ever get to choose in this house. Once the ring is on my finger, you're going straight to a home. And Daniel will be the one driving you there."
I took a slow sip of my tea, looked her dead in the eye, and smiled. "We shall see, Vanessa. We shall see."
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