Chapter 1 - The Flight Into The Dark
The engines roared,
shaking the very frame of the giant aircraft.
I closed my eyes,
feeling the sudden surge of gravity pulling me back.
Boston was fading beneath the clouds,
and with it,
three years of absolute misery.
My hands were trembling,
but my heart felt lighter than it had in a thousand days.
The cabin lights dimmed,
casting long,
eerie shadows across the empty seat beside me.
That seat was supposed to be his,
bought with the money he used to buy his freedom.
I looked down at my cream wool dress,
the fabric smooth,
expensive,
and completely wasted.
It was tailored for a woman who no longer existed,
a woman who begged for crumbs of affection.
The flight attendant walked past,
her smile polite,
her eyes lingering on my pale face.
"Would you like anything to drink,
ma'am?"
she asked softly,
her voice a gentle contrast to the storm in my head.
"Just water,
please,"
I whispered,
realizing my throat was completely dry.
She nodded,
slipping away into the quiet gallery,
leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I pulled the blanket over my lap,
wishing it could shield me from the memories.
Every second that passed took me further from his reach,
further from the shadow of Gideon Knightley.
He would be furious,
his pride wounded before the entire world.
The six photos were already circulating,
spreading like wildfire across every social media platform.
By tomorrow morning,
the name Knightley would be synonymous with betrayal.
The thought didn't bring me joy,
only a cold,
hollow sense of relief.
I had survived the worst of his neglect,
the silent nights,
and the unspoken rejections.
Now,
the truth was out,
and there was no turning back.
The plane climbed higher,
piercing through the heavy layer of storm clouds.
I watched the digital map on the screen,
the tiny airplane icon moving steadily across the Atlantic.
London was waiting,
a city of old stones and new beginnings.
I had an old apartment there,
inherited from my grandmother,
a place he never bothered to visit.
It was small,
dusty,
and entirely mine.
As the hours stretched on,
the silence of the cabin wrapped around me like a shroud.
I thought of the scallops rotting in the trash,
the white roses wilting in the dark kitchen.
I thought of his face when he looked at that baby,
a look of pure,
undeniable ownership.
He wanted an heir,
someone to carry on his ruthless legacy.
And he had chosen Felicity to give it to him,
leaving me to play the dutiful,
invisible wife.
But the game was over,
and the board was broken.
I rested my head against the cold windowpane,
watching the darkness consume the sky.
I did not cry,
for my tears had dried up months ago.
I only watched,
waited,
May you like
and breathed in the sweet,
unfamiliar air of freedom.
