Broken Canvas, Unbroken Spirit Rises

Castil

nst my abdomen, were screaming. The bones felt shattered, the nerves raw. I tried to maintain my shi

ble. "Axel, listen to me. This baby... this is yo

on't know my own body? You think I don't know what the doctors told me years ago?" He paused,

Brenda, had been a constant presence, pushing, prodding, subtly blaming me for our inability to start a family. "You need to try harder, Keyla," she'd say, her eyes narrowed. "Axel wants a son. A legacy." I remembered the herbal remedies she' d insisted I take, concoctions that had made me terribly ill, leaving me weak and nause

ough years of painful treatments, let his mother poison me, let me believe I was the one

d allowed me to carry this burden alone, to feel defective, to be judged by his manipulative mother, while he h

scape. The last flicker of hope, the last shred of affection I held for him

gave way. They fell from my belly, useless, broken. I didn't care anymore. Let h

d up, taking aim. His foot connected with my abdomen, then again, and again, a sickening rhythm of pure malice. Each blow

cky river between my legs. It was too much. This wasn't just blood fr

of the studio. He paused, his foot still raised, and pulled it from his pocket. He glanced at the s

rom the fertility clinic. We have the results of your paternity te

tudio, cutting through the haze of my pain and des

eyes, wide and disbelieving, darted from the phone to my blood-soaked bo

running through him. "That's impossible! You must

m. "We ran the tests multiple times. The results are con

as completely stunned. My blood continued to flow, a warm, steady stream against m

results were here, the truth revealed, but it had come too late. My child, our child, was dying. My soul shrieked in agony

ted, Dr. Evans' congratulatory words echoing faintly. Axel stared at me, then at th

eyla? You paid them to say it was mine!" He dropped to his knees, grabbing my chin, forcing me to

e ultimate despair. "Bribed them?" I croaked, my voice raw and broken. "Why would I do that, Axel? Why would I want t

Go get another test. Go get a dozen. They'll all tell you the same thing. You a

father, Garrison, stood there, his face a thundercloud. Behind

emple. His eyes widened, pain and fury warring on his face. Then he saw me, lying in a po

his throat, a sound of pure,

low landed on Axel's face, his chest, his head. Axel cried out, a pathetic whimper, trying t

h word punctuated by a brutal punch. "How dare y

ned by my father's outburst, sprung

ne of them pleaded, struggling to

wollen. He looked up at them, tears streaming down his fac

her expression softening with concern. "Ma'am, we need to get you t

ng to calm him. "Mr. Boyd, you're under arrest. For domestic ass

For what? This is a family matter! My wife c

l's phone from the floor. "And we have witnesses who heard you confess to infertility, then hea

t Axel. "You want to know who she 'cheated' with, Axel? Fine. Let's find out. Let

blurred again, the faces of my father and the officers swimming befor

ice faint, clutching at the ki

nprick of light. I heard my father's desperate c