"Blood and Betrayal"

The silence between them seemed to stretch on forever, the air thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Marco's face was still twisted in anger, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity that made Lexi's skin crawl. She took a step back, her heart racing with fear, as if she was waiting for him to say something, to apologize or explain himself. But instead, Marco's eyes dropped to his side, and he reached down to pick up something from the floor. Lexi's eyes followed his movement, confused, as Marco pulled out a long, curved blade from behind the couch cushion. It glinted in the sunlight, and Lexi's mind went blank as Marco raised his arm, his eyes locked on hers. For a moment, time seemed to slow down, and Lexi felt like she was frozen in place. Then, in a swift and sudden motion, Marco hurled the machete at her. Lexi's eyes widened in horror as she watched the blade spin through the air, its path unerringly heading straight for her. She tried to move, to dodge, but her body seemed rooted to the spot. The machete hit her with a sickening thud, and Lexi felt a searing pain in her side. She looked down in shock, her eyes fixed on the blade protruding from her abdomen. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and her vision began to blur. Marco's face was still twisted in anger, but as he looked at Lexi, he seemed to snap back to reality. His eyes widened in horror, and he took a step back, his mouth opening in a soundless scream. "Lexi... oh God, Lexi," he whispered, his voice trembling. Lexi's eyes locked on his, filled with a mixture of shock, pain, and betrayal. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Marco, the man she loved, had just thrown a machete at her. She tried to speak, to ask him why, but all that came out was a faint whisper. "Why...?" Marco's face crumpled, and he took another step back, his eyes fixed on the blade sticking out of Lexi's side. He looked like he was about to be sick, and Lexi felt a wave of revulsion wash over her. She stumbled backwards, her hand grasping for the blade, trying to make sense of what had just happened. But as her fingers touched the cold metal, a wave of pain washed over her, and everything went black.