I opened my eyes to the fluorescent glare of a field hospital. The smell of antiseptic stung my nose.

"You're a tough one, honey," a nurse said, her voice kind. "Most people wouldn't have survived that collapse. You must have a guardian angel." She patted my arm gently.

She held out a clipboard. "Can you fill out your information for us? Just basic details."

"My husband?" My voice was raspy. It felt alien. "Cedric Hopkins?"

The nurse frowned. "Oh, he was here. But he left a few hours ago. Said he had an urgent mission with his teammate, Cassidy. They seemed very dedicated."

A cold laugh bubbled up in my throat. Dedicated. Yes. Dedicated to leaving me for dead.

I would finalize it now. The divorce. No more delays. No more second chances.

My phone, miraculously, had survived. A message from Cassidy. A picture. Her and Cedric. Smiling. His arm around her. The caption: "Some people just know how to appreciate what they have."

My entire body screamed in protest. Every bruised muscle, every torn ligament, every raw nerve ending. It felt like my skin was being flayed.

I raised my trembling hand. I wiped the drying blood from my forehead.

I picked up the pen. "Marital Status," the form read. I checked "Single."

The nurse, who had been busy with another patient, glanced over. "Oh, dear. Are you sure? You just mentioned your husband." Her eyebrows were raised.

I met her gaze. My lips curled into a cold smile. "I'm sure. I'm getting a divorce."

The door burst open. Cedric stood there. His face was pale. His eyes, wide with disbelief, stared at me.

The nurse, startled, quickly excused herself. She left us alone in the small, curtained off space.

His eyes fell on my face. The deep crimson bruise on my temple. The angry red scratches across my cheek. His breath hitched.

"Eleanor… your face. What happened?" His voice was a strained whisper.

I didn't answer. I just watched him.

He took a step closer. "When I left… you were okay. They said you were fine." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"It was an emergency, Eleanor. Cassidy was... she was right there. I had to protect her. It was instinct." He reached for my hand.

I flinched. He pulled his hand back as if burned.

"Please, Eleanor. Try to understand. It was chaos. We didn't know what was happening." His voice was pleading. Desperate.

My body screamed. The raw, searing pain lanced through me. I raised my hand. I slapped him. Hard.

Cedric stared at me, his cheek red. He was stunned.

His eyes flickered to my bruised face. The anger in his eyes faded, replaced by something I couldn't quite read. He took a deep breath.

"If that makes you feel better, Eleanor." His voice was quiet. "If that's what you need to move past this."

He reached out. His fingers brushed against my temples, tracing the dark bruise. "Are you still angry, Ella?"

"No," I said. My voice was calm. Flat. "I'm not angry."

A sigh of relief escaped him. "Good. That's good." He even smiled a little. "I knew you'd understand."

For the next few days, Cedric was a model husband. He brought me flowers. He sat by my bedside. He fetched me water. He read me stories.

"You have such a wonderful husband," the doctor remarked, smiling warmly at Cedric. "Always here. So attentive."

Cedric puffed out his chest, a proud flush on his cheeks. "I learned from the best. My Eleanor taught me how to be a good partner." He squeezed my hand.

I watched him. My lips curved into a tiny, humorless smile. I didn't correct him. What was the point?

He leaned over. He gently massaged my temples, his fingers soft against my skin. "Still a bit of a headache, my love?"

He stood up. He carefully draped a blanket over my legs. He was still performing.

Then the door burst open. A frantic nurse stood there. "Mr. Hopkins! It's Cassidy Caldwell! She's bleeding! She needs a transfusion! Now!"

Cedric was on his feet in an instant. He was already halfway out the door. He didn't even look back.

He stopped. His eyes met mine. I was watching him. My smile was still there. Cold. Unmoving.

He hesitated. He took a step back into the room. "Her injuries are severe, Eleanor. She needs me." His voice was defensive. Almost angry.

Then he was gone. The door swung shut behind him.

That night, my bandages felt too tight. My skin burned. The pain in my side flared. I drifted in and out of consciousness. The nurse said it was a fever. From infection.

The door creaked open again. It was late. Cedric stood there. His shadow stretched long and distorted across the floor.

"Eleanor," he whispered. "They need your blood. Cassidy's blood type is rare. Yours matches."

My hand, resting on the bed, clenched into a fist. The sheet crumpled in my grip.

He came closer. He sat on the edge of my bed. "Please, Ella. Just a little. For Cassidy. She saved my life once, you know." His voice was soft. Begging.

Cedric's voice was a soft plea. "Please, Ella. Just a little. For Cassidy. She saved my life once, you know."

I laughed. A hollow, bitter sound. "No."

His eyes hardened. The gentle plea vanished. "You will give blood, Eleanor. She needs it." His tone was now a command.

Two orderlies came in. They held my arms. My body felt weak. My side throbbed. I couldn't fight them.

They wheeled me to the blood draw room. The needle slid into my arm. The rhythmic throb of the pump filled the silence. My blood, my life, drained away.

My vision blurred. Black spots danced before my eyes. My body felt heavy. Cold.

Cedric rushed past the door. A bag of my blood clutched in his hand. He didn't see me. He didn't look.

I stared at his retreating back. My teeth gritted. My nails bit into my palms.

I stumbled out of the room. My legs buckled. I leaned against the cold wall. I needed air. I needed to escape.

A door was ajar. A muffled conversation drifted out. Cassidy's voice. Strong. Clear.

"Did it work? Did she give blood?" Cassidy giggled. "I knew she would. She's such a pushover."

My breath caught in my throat.

Cedric's voice. Gentle. Loving. "Of course, it worked, honey. She doesn't have a choice."

"And the injuries?" Cassidy asked, her voice laced with triumph. "The ones I didn't really have?"

Cedric chuckled. "Just a little lesson for her. So she knows her place. So she stops questioning my choices."

"Good." Cassidy purred. "She needed to be taught a lesson. For trying to steal my spotlight."

My body felt cold. Colder than the marble at my parents' grave. A searing pain ripped through my side. Blood bloomed across my hospital gown.

A doctor rushed towards me. Someone screamed. The world tilted.

Then there was nothing.

I was a child again. C small. Alone. The world was a blur of chaos. A man in a dark uniform stood over me. He had kind eyes.

He knelt. He looked at me. "Don't cry," he said, his voice clumsy. "Don't be afraid."