BBW ( Just republishing to hopefully finish it, there might be slight changes)

SAL/NAN

Since I woke up on this island, in Sal's house I have not had any peaceful, restful sleep and last night was no different but not because it was uncomfortable being in a bed with your ex wife, who also happens to be the same woman who drugged and kidnapped you  all because she wanted her family back but because you had multiple nightmares that she changed her mind about setting you and your kids free before you could leave the island.

Hence I woke up as soon as the early morning sun rays peeked into the bedroom and started packing all our clothes. Making sure not to make any noise as not to give her a reason to change her mind. The plane tickets were booked by her and I planned on getting her into a psychiatric hospital, with the help of her parents as soon as we got back home. I moved quietly through the room, my heart racing as I folded the clothes, careful not to disturb her.

Every creak of the floorboard seemed amplified in the stillness of the morning. My mind was on high alert, replaying the moments that had led us to this point: how easily her affection had turned to obsession, the way she had ensnared me with her charm before revealing the darker side of her love.As I zipped up the last bag, I paused for a moment, watching her sleep.

The once-familiar lines of her face now seemed foreign, marred by the shadows of her actions. I couldn't recognize the woman I had once loved, the mother of my children, in the person who had carried out such a desperate act to regain control over a life that had long since slipped away.

I glanced at the clock—time was ticking. I had only a few hours before the children wake up. I felt an overwhelming urgency. It was imperative that we leave before she could stop me again. The kids were still asleep in the other room, blissfully unaware of the turmoil brewing just outside their dreams. I needed them to stay that way for a little longer.

I quickly gathered their things, making sure to pack their favorite toys and comforts. If I couldn't have peace, I wanted to ensure they could at least carry a piece of comfort with them. I tiptoed to the door and opened it ever so slightly, peering out into the quiet hallway. Silence enveloped the house, and I took a deep breath.

" No need to sneak around,"

I froze at the sound of her voice, my heart plummeting in my chest. It was as if the ground had dropped away beneath me, leaving only a void filled with tension and uncertainty. I turned slowly, bracing for what I knew would inevitably come. Sal lay in bed, propped up on one elbow, her hair a messy halo around her face, but her expression was one of unnerving calm.

"You didn't think I'd just sleep through this, did you?"

There was a tightness in her smile that unsettled me further, a creeping sense of dread wrapping around my throat.

"Sal, I—"

I began, but my words dissolved into the thick air between us. I searched her face for any hint of the woman I once knew, but all I found was a layer of desperation that made her look both haunted and hungry.

"You can't leave,"

she said, her voice steadier now, as if fortifying her resolve.

"We're a family. There's nothing waiting for you out there."

"This isn't a family. This hasn't been a family for a long time."

My voice was shaking, but I forced myself to sound firm.

"What you did—you can't just undo it with a few cozy mornings and nostalgic memories."

Her eyes darkened, the warmth fading, replaced by a flicker of something sharper and more dangerous.

"You think I'm the only one who's been lost? I've fought for us, for this chance to fix things. You, of all people, should understand what it's like to lose a family."

"Fix things?"

I shook my head, the absurdity of it all striking me like a slap across the face. Her expression wavered, caught between anger and an almost desperate need for understanding.

"I did what I had to! I thought if I could just get you back here, you'd see how good we could be together again!"

"Sal,"

I said, trying to keep the desperation from creeping into my voice.

"The kids—"

"I am not a bad mother!"

she snapped, her voice rising.

"You think I don't love them? You think I'd ever harm them?"

"I don't know what you're capable of anymore,"

I said, my heart racing.

"Each day has felt like walking on eggshells, waiting for the next break. You've already dragged them into this chaotic nightmare."

Her eyes glistened, a sheen of hurt mingling with her fury. She slid out of bed, the sheets pooling around her ankles. Clad only in her pyjamas , the vulnerability didn't reach her expression. Instead, it hardened into something almost defiant.