Alyssa slowly regained consciousness, feeling fear crawl through her body. Her head throbbed with unbearable pain, and her mouth tasted of metal — a mix of blood and something bitter. She was lying on a cold concrete floor covered with mold and damp residue. Above her flickered a dim lightbulb, casting sinister shadows across the gray walls.
When she tried to move, she realized her hands and feet were tightly bound with a rough rope that dug into her skin. Panic gripped her chest. Where was she? How did she get here? Alyssa looked around: gray walls, rusty pipes, a puddle in the corner. Just an ordinary basement — but for her, it had become a prison.
She tried to remember what had happened. Fragments flashed through her mind — Sergey’s face, a sharp pain in her neck, darkness… Tears streamed down her cheeks as the hopelessness of her situation sank in. Her thoughts tangled, fear paralyzed her movements, and cold sweat ran down her back. Her mind was foggy, filled with a dull ringing; every breath felt heavy, as though the air itself had turned to stone.
Three days earlier, Alyssa had come home ahead of schedule. She wanted to surprise her husband — she’d bought his favorite pastries and a bottle of fine wine. Quietly unlocking the door, she froze at the sound of a woman’s laughter coming from their bedroom. Her heart turned to ice.
In the room, Sergey was with another woman — a beautiful blonde in her thirties. They were so caught up in each other that they didn’t even notice her at first. Sergey jumped up, fumbling for words, but Alyssa silently turned toward the door. The bag with pastries slipped from her hands and hit the floor.
“Wait!” he shouted, throwing on a robe. “It’s not what you think!”
“Oh really?” Alyssa stopped in the doorway. Her voice was calm but cold as steel.
Sergey stammered, clearly trying to come up with a lie.
“I love you!” he said desperately.
“Love — or money?” she asked bitterly, staring at him. “Remember the prenuptial agreement? If you cheat, you get nothing. Tomorrow, I’m filing for divorce.”
She slammed the door and left. Sergey’s face twisted with rage. Alyssa couldn’t believe what was happening. Inside she was boiling, but on the surface she stayed composed.
She got into her car, started the engine — her hands trembling — but her resolve was firm. She was heading to her lawyer. She would not forgive betrayal. But suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed her neck. Alyssa turned — Sergey was standing beside her, holding a syringe.
“Sorry, darling,” he whispered with a smirk. “But I’m not leaving empty-handed.”
The world blurred. Her strength drained, limbs turned heavy, consciousness faded. The last thing she felt was her body collapsing onto the seat — then darkness.
When Alyssa awoke, she was already in that damp basement. Sergey sat on an old chair, smoking, staring at her mockingly. There was no trace of remorse in his eyes.
“Finally awake,” he said, flicking ash onto the floor. “I’ve already arranged your funeral. A friendly coroner will sign a certificate — heart attack. I’ll be the grieving widower with all the inheritance.”
“You’re insane,” Alyssa whispered, struggling against the ropes.
“No, I’m just done pretending. Do you think I enjoyed playing the loving husband? Listening to your lectures, tolerating your moods? I’d rather just take it all now.”
He stood, stubbed out his cigarette, and headed to the door.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said coldly. “Think about how you’d like to die — quickly or painfully.”
Alyssa fought the ropes, but her strength was fading. Panic and despair crushed her chest. She knew she was on the edge of death.
A few hours later, Sergey threw her bound body into the car trunk. The road was long and bumpy — every jolt sent pain shooting through her limbs. She tried to memorize the turns, but it was useless in the dark. Finally, the car stopped.
“We’re here, sweetheart,” Sergey said, dragging her out.
They were surrounded by a dense forest. The tall pines stood close, forming an impenetrable wall. No signs of people. He tied Alyssa tightly to a thick tree, double-checking the knots.
“No one will find you here,” he sneered. “And the wild animals will take care of what’s left. I’ll mourn my dear wife — and collect everything she owned.”
He started the car and drove off. Alyssa screamed for help, but only the echo and rustling leaves answered her. When her voice gave out and her body weakened, she broke down crying. The forest felt endless and merciless. Every sound made her heart race faster.
Then, from behind the trees, a huge dark figure appeared. Alyssa froze — a wolf! She screamed in terror and blacked out.
When she came to, someone was gently untying the ropes on her wrists. Before her stood a man in his forties with kind, tired eyes. Beside him, wagging its tail, sat a large German shepherd — the “beast” she’d seen.
“What’s your name?” the man asked softly. “I’m Yegor, the forest ranger. And this is Jack — he found you.”
“Alyssa,” she whispered, still unable to believe she was alive. “My husband… tried to kill me.”
Yegor frowned but didn’t ask questions yet. He carefully helped her up — her legs trembled, barely holding her. Supporting her, he guided her down a narrow path toward a small wooden cabin that looked like salvation itself.
Inside was warmth and comfort. The air smelled of pine and herbs. Yegor sat her by the fireplace, cleaned her wounds, and handed her a cup of hot tea with honey.
“Drink,” he said gently. “You’re safe now.”
Alyssa took a sip and felt peace for the first time in hours. Yegor didn’t pry or press — he was simply there. His calm voice and presence steadied her. For the first time, she felt she could trust someone again.
The next day, Alyssa told him everything — how she met Sergey at a business dinner, fell in love, inherited her father’s company, and signed a prenuptial agreement she thought would protect her.
“My father used to say money attracts dangerous people,” she sighed, staring at the fire. “I was too naive to understand.”
Yegor listened quietly, adding wood to the flames. In his eyes, she saw understanding — and pain. He too knew what betrayal felt like.
“I’m sorry for what you went through,” he finally said. “But you’re alive. And that means you have a second chance.”
That night, Alyssa slept without nightmares. Jack lay by her feet, and Yegor dozed in the chair nearby. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely safe.
In the morning, Yegor spoke firmly but kindly.
“It’s not safe to stay here. Sergey might come back. We need to act fast.”
They drove to the city in Yegor’s old jeep. At the hospital, doctors documented signs of abuse. At the police station, Alyssa filed a report. The investigator listened carefully and promised to help. An official investigation began.
Meanwhile, at the restaurant Golden Fish, a memorial service for “the late” Alyssa was underway. Sergey, dressed in an expensive black suit, played the role of the grieving widower flawlessly. His mistress, Svetlana, sat beside him.
“Alyssa was a wonderful woman,” he told the guests, dramatically wiping away a fake tear. “I can’t imagine life without her…”
The guests sighed with sympathy.
But suddenly — the doors burst open. There stood Alyssa, alive, flanked by police officers. The hall fell silent.
“Did you miss me?” she asked coolly, stepping inside. “Especially you, my dear husband.”
Sergey’s face went white. The glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
“Tell everyone,” Alyssa said, walking closer. “How exactly did I die?”
Sergey stuttered, his voice trembling, but the officers had already cuffed him. They also arrested the corrupt coroner, who was among the guests.
“I didn’t mean to kill her!” Sergey screamed as they led him away. “It was Svetlana’s idea!”
No one listened. The guests stared at him with disgust. Alyssa stood in the middle of the hall, feeling the weight of fear finally lift from her shoulders. The nightmare was over.
Later, she learned from the local officer about Yegor’s past. He had once been a successful businessman, owner of a construction firm, betrayed by his best friend and framed for fraud. He lost everything — his company, freedom, and reputation. After three years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he withdrew from the world and became a forest ranger, living alone with his loyal dog, Jack.
When Alyssa came to his cabin, he was chopping wood.
“Thank you for everything,” she said, handing him a check. “Please, take it.”
Yegor shook his head. “I don’t need money. I helped you because it was the right thing to do.”
“Then take me with you,” she said suddenly. “I don’t want the city anymore. I don’t want to be anyone’s trophy.”
He looked at her in surprise — and for the first time in years, smiled.
“Can you really live out here, far from everything?”
“I’ll learn,” Alyssa replied softly. “With you, I finally feel alive.”
Two years passed. Alyssa sold most of her inheritance, keeping only enough for a simple life. She lived with Yegor in the forest, learning to cook on the wood stove, read animal tracks, and predict weather by the clouds.
They loved each other deeply and honestly — two people who had lost faith in the world but found it again in each other’s arms.
One day, Alyssa returned from a doctor’s visit, smiling brightly, holding an ultrasound photo.
“Look,” she said. “Our family is about to grow.”
Yegor gently embraced her. They stood in silence, holding each other, while Jack wagged his tail happily — as if he too understood that a new life was about to begin.
