The Cage Wife’s Revenge

Chapter 8

Malissa's face drained of color, her lips trembling as she tried to maintain her composure. "Milo… say something, please. You're really just going to stand there and let them do this to us?"

This time, Milford wasn't falling for her act. His mind was spinning, replaying the horrifying image of me falling off the cliff, the chilling final shot from the video.

Without a word, he turned and walked away.

Malissa rushed forward, grabbing his arm. "Milo, wait—the wedding isn't over! Where are you going?!"

"Lori's in danger. I have to go now," he said, his voice tight with urgency.

"No!" she cried, holding on even harder. "I won't let you! Those people are dangerous, Milo. They could kill you."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, Milo… you saw what happened the last two times. Lori came back alive, didn't she? She'll be fine this time too. She always is."

Fine?

Milford's jaw tightened, his mind flashing to the sight of me, limp and broken, the twisted way I'd held my hand—three fingers gone.

Was that what Malissa called "fine"?

Misreading his silence as doubt, she pressed on.

"And besides," she scoffed, "that video might not even be real."

Milford blinked, confusion flickering in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

She shrugged dismissively. "Come on, Milo. Lorraine's always been jealous. She's hated how close we are. Of course, she'd pull something like this on our wedding day—just to ruin it. This is probably just another one of her games."

She folded her arms, growing bolder. "Remember how Enid lied about me locking her in the dog cage? That girl's been twisting the truth since day one. Like mother, like daughter. Lorraine's just trying to steal you back from me…"

"Enough!" Milford snapped, cutting her off. He stared at Malissa like he was seeing her for the first time.

"What are you even talking about? Lori is my wife. This wedding was just to give Eddy a proper name. I've never planned on leaving her. Does she really need to fight you for my attention?"

Tears welled up in Malissa's eyes, making her look like the innocent victim, but this time, Milford wasn't buying it.

"You're just my sister-in-law. That's all you'll ever be," he said sharply, his words bitter.

"Lori is nothing like you make her out to be. She's never badmouthed you. Even when I put her life in danger for you—when she almost lost it—she never complained once. And now you're saying she couldn't stand you?"

His anger flared, and he took a breath to steady himself. "A few days ago, it should've been you they took, but Lori took the fall for you. Not only did she risk her life for you, but you can't even show any gratitude. Instead, you're saying this? What kind of conscience do you have?"

It was the first time Milford had spoken to Malissa like this, but he couldn't hold it in any longer.

He couldn't understand how his once gentle and loving sister-in-law had turned into this horrible version of herself. Or maybe… had she always been this way?

Malissa, tears streaming down her face, began to sob.

"Milo, you're misunderstanding me. That's not what I meant! But today's supposed to be our wedding, and I just…"

Milford yanked his arm away from her, his expression cold. "I'm not misunderstanding anything. I promised your brother I'd take care of you, but that doesn't mean you can slander Lori. I'll adopt Eddy as my own, but this wedding is over."

He paused, taking a deep breath, his resolve hardening. "I've already abandoned Lori twice. I won't do it again. From now on, you and I will only have a sister-in-law relationship. I expect you to respect that."

Without another word, he turned and walked out, ignoring Malissa's desperate cries behind him.

He drove like a man possessed to the cliff, but by the time he arrived, both I and Enid—and the men who had taken us—were long gone.

Milford threw every resource he had into the search. He mobilized anyone he could find, and they scoured the base of the cliff for days and nights without rest. But there was no sign of my body.