Reluctantly, I allowed them into my apartment. Scott’s apologies and promises of a future built on honesty clashed with my doubt. “Scott, would you have forgiven me if I had done what you did?” I questioned. He didn’t know how to answer, but his vow of transparency and plea for us to become a real family resonated with a part of me still yearning for the dream we once shared.
“A family built on truth, not lies,” Scott promised. “Please come home, Everly.” I couldn’t deny that it was what I wanted too. I grabbed Ella and hugged her tightly, nodding at Scott, who wrapped us in his embrace.
Months after returning home to Scott and baby Ella, Scott suddenly excused himself from our family time for an alleged emergency with a friend. His hasty departure on his day off was concerning. What was so urgent that it couldn’t wait?
It only got worse when an enigmatic envelope appeared on our doorstep the next day. Inside was a photograph of the mysterious woman from the beach, holding a child, accompanied by a chilling message: “Maya’s not the only secret Scott’s buried.”
The implication was clear: more secrets were lurking beneath the surface of Scott’s past. Frantically, I called the number on the note, reaching the woman from the beach, who finally introduced herself as Amanda. “Meet me at Brown Beans Café,” she instructed urgently, adding, “Don’t tell Scott.”
At the café, Amanda, with her baby in tow, dropped a bombshell: “I’m Scott’s ex-wife… and this is our baby, Renee.” The truth hit me like a ton of bricks, and I didn’t expect the vivid pain I felt as my world shattered once more.
Amanda’s revelations grew darker as she delved into Scott’s past involvement with a cult practicing bizarre rituals, seeking to increase their male members. “Everly, you need to understand the danger you’re in. Scott’s not who he seems. He’s just using you,” she insisted. I was paralyzed with shock. “But why? How did you find out about all this?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Maya figured it out somehow. She tried to expose him, and that’s when she had her accident,” she whispered, grabbing my hand. “You need to be careful. Don’t let him know what you’ve discovered. Just play along until we figure out an escape plan.”
This was too much. I stood, but my body betrayed me. I swayed and blacked out. As I lay in the hospital bed hours later, the doctor delivered another shocking piece of news—I was pregnant.
Amanda’s grave warning rang in my ears as I returned home, reeling from the revelation that I was pregnant and trapped in a sinister web woven by Scott. “He wants you to have a male child for his cult,” she had said. Her words echoed in my mind, increasing my dread as I entered my home. Fortunately, the house was silent, giving me time to think and prepare.
When Scott finally arrived, I was ready, my heart pounding. “We need to talk,” I said, meeting his gaze with a feigned sadness. “I’m pregnant.” Scott’s brief joy turned to anger as I showed him an empty vial. “But I decided to terminate the pregnancy and took this just now—”
“You did what? Everly, that’s unforgivable!” Scott screamed, his face reddening, and his hand lifted as if to strike me. But he turned, grabbed a vase, and lunged at me. Just then, police officers burst in, arresting him for assault and the murder of his ex-partner.
As Scott was handcuffed and taken away, Amanda emerged, her presence a comforting reassurance. A little while later, as the cops finished their business, I was tending to baby Ella with Amanda sitting close by. Her words brought a sense of peace and validation to the confusing moment. “You’ll make a wonderful mother,” she said.
I smiled and looked beyond my home, the police car… into the camera.
“Cut! That was a perfect shot!” the director yelled, and everything changed. I laughed as Scott, my real-life husband, now out of character, stood up from his seat in the police car and took off his fake handcuffs. He walked over to me and kissed my cheek. Amanda grinned, walking over to join us. I held baby Ella close, feeling the warmth of her small body.
“That was a tough scene, but you nailed it,” Scott said, hugging me as the crew around us started packing up. We had just finished filming our latest movie together, a psychological thriller full of twists, secrets, and a cult.
As we prepared to go home, leaving behind the fictional world we had created, Scott and I looked forward to our future—one based on love, trust, and no hidden secrets.