VEIL OF LIES

CHAPTER 3: EDGE OF SURVIVAL

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When I woke up, my head was pounding, and my arms were tied behind me. I wriggled and struggled against the restraints, panic rising in my chest.

"Jack! Jack!" I screamed, my voice hoarse with fear. "Where is my son? Please, don't hurt him!"

I heard faint cries in the distance, unmistakably Jack’s. The sound fueled my desperation. I thrashed harder, but the ropes dug into my skin, burning my wrists. Tears streamed down my face as I yelled, "Jack, Mommy's here! Please don’t hurt him!"

Before I could scream again, the door creaked open. Heavy footsteps approached, and a pair of hands ripped the blindfold from my eyes. Blinking against the sudden light, I froze when I saw Margaret standing before me, her cold eyes piercing through me.

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Margaret smirked, holding a g*n in her hand, her expression cold and unyielding. She tapped the weapon against her palm as she took a slow step closer to me. My heart thudded in my chest as I strained against the ropes binding my wrists and ankles.

"You really thought you could steal my husband and get away with it, didn’t you?" Her voice dripped with venom, every word slicing into me like a blade.

"Margaret, please!" I begged, my voice shaking. "Don’t hurt my son. He’s just a child—he’s innocent. Please!"

"Innocent?" she sneered, her lips curling in disdain. She crouched slightly, bringing her face level with mine. "Was I not innocent when you wormed your way into my home? When you spread your legs for my husband under my own roof? You disgust me, Victoria."

Her words burned like fire, but my focus remained on Jack's cries echoing from somewhere in the house. "Margaret, I’ll do anything you want," I sobbed. "Please, just let Jack go. He has nothing to do with this!"

Her eyes narrowed as she stood back up, tilting her head. "Anything?" she mused, her tone mocking. Then she raised the g*n and pointed it directly at my forehead. I froze, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps as the cold barrel pressed against my skin.

"Please, Margaret," I choked out, tears streaming down my face. "Don’t do this. For the sake of my son—don’t take his mother away from him. I promise you, I’ll leave. I’ll disappear, and you’ll never see or hear from me again. Just don’t hurt him."

Margaret’s grip on the g*n tightened, and for a terrifying moment, I thought she’d pull the trigger. Then, slowly, she lowered the weapon, her lips curling into a sinister smile. "You want to disappear? Fine. Disappear. But know this, If I ever see you again Victoria –If you so much as breathe in Tony's direction– I won't hesitate to kill you. And next time, I won't spare your son."

She step back, her eyes locked onto mine with a deadly glare.

"You have been warned".

Margaret untied the ropes around my wrists and ankles with a sharp tug, leaving my skin raw and sore. Without another glance, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The echoes of Jack's cries grew faint as I stumbled to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me. I staggered out of the house, gasping for fresh air, the weight of her threats pressing heavily on my chest.

When I reached our apartment, I immediately began packing. My hands shook as I shoved clothes into a suitcase. Every sound outside made me flinch. I couldn’t stay here—not after what Margaret had said, not after what she’d almost done. I had to protect Jack, no matter the cost.

My mind was spinning with fear and anger when the door suddenly burst open. I spun around, my heart lurching, only to see Tony standing there, his face pale and his eyes filled with desperation.

"Victoria," he said, his voice low and pleading, "what are you doing?"

I turned away from him, grabbing Jack’s small bag and tossing in his favorite toys. "What does it look like I’m doing? I’m leaving. You need to go."

"Leaving? You can’t just leave!" Tony took a step closer, his hand reaching out to touch my shoulder, but I shrugged him off. "Victoria, please, listen to me."

I whirled around, my eyes blazing. "Listen to you? Tony, I was tied up and threatened at gunpoint today! Your wife—held a g*n to my head. She threatened to kill me, Tony! And you’re telling me I can’t leave?"

He flinched, his jaw tightening. "I know what she did, and I’m so sorry, Victoria. I had no idea she’d go this far."

"Sorry?" I scoffed, throwing a shirt into the suitcase with force. "Your sorry isn’t going to protect Jack or me. I need to get as far away from this madness as possible."

Tony stepped in front of me, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were bloodshot, his face drawn. "Please, Victoria, don’t go. I’ll fix this. I’ll protect you both, I swear. Margaret and I are finalizing our divorce. She’s acting out because she knows she’s lost everything. She has no power anymore."

"She has no power?" I snapped, my voice shaking. "She had enough power to tie me up, threaten my life, and terrify my child. And where were you, Tony? Where were you when I needed you?"

He looked away, guilt washing over his face. "I made a mistake. I was trying to handle things discreetly, but I failed. Please, Victoria, give me one more chance. I’ve already started the process to ensure Margaret faces consequences for her actions."

I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "I can’t do this anymore, Tony. I can’t keep putting Jack and myself in danger because of your unfinished business."

Tony dropped to his knees in front of me, his hands gripping mine. "Victoria, you’re my peace. My life has been chaos without you. I’m begging you—don’t leave. I’ve already arranged for us to move to a house downtown. A safe place where Margaret won’t find us. Just give me time to set things right."

I stared at him, torn between the love I still felt and the fear Margaret had instilled in me. Finally, I sighed, pulling my hands away. "This is the last chance, Tony. The last one. If anything else happens, I’m gone for good."

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As the evening wore on, we packed the essentials and loaded the car. Jack, oblivious to the tension between us, happily clutched his favorite stuffed animal as Tony helped him into his car seat. I glanced back at the apartment, a sinking feeling in my chest as we pulled away.

The drive was quiet, the tension thick between us. Tony occasionally glanced over at me, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. I focused on the road ahead, my heart pounding with every mile we put between us and the nightmare we’d just escaped.

Just as we were nearing the city outskirts, the car swerved violently. My head jerked back, and I turned to Tony, panic rising in my chest. "What’s happening?"

"I don’t know," he said, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. The car spun out of control, the tires screeching against the asphalt. I clutched Jack’s car seat, shielding him as best as I could.

And then, everything went dark.