After the accident, my hearing came back, but I didn't tell my husband or my mother-in-law right away. They smiled sweetly, talking to each other right in front of me. In that moment, I realized: “What disgusting pieces of trash...” From that moment on, I decided I was going to destroy them.

Logan smiled back, a picture of devotion. He stood up, walked over to his briefcase, and pulled out a thick stack of legal papers.

“The doctor says you’re being discharged tomorrow,” he mouthed slowly, pointing at the door. “I just need you to sign these routine discharge forms so we can finally go home.”

He placed the clipboard on my lap and handed me a pen.

I looked down at the top page. It was beautifully formatted to look like hospital paperwork, but my eyes caught the fine print at the top. It wasn’t a discharge form.

It was a Durable Power of Attorney, granting Logan Vance total, irrevocable control over my medical decisions, my real estate, and my finances.

I looked up at him, my eyes wide and innocent. I picked up the pen, let my hand tremble slightly for effect, and signed the paper with a deliberately messy, sloppy signature.

I handed it back. Logan took it, his eyes flashing with a dark, triumphant gleam.

He thought he had just won the game. He didn’t know I was the one who had just set the board.