Rise of the Betrayed wife

a's

as I stared at Dr. Morrison's mouth, watching

Hartley...six weeks alon

we

my mind, settling in my chest like somethin

e plastic chair. My palms were sweating. The room

. I was

doctor appointments and Declan's mother calling me barren at ev

which was flat and unchange

thing about prenatal vitamins and foll

needed a moment to process this. To understand that a

y he used to, before the wedding, before the disappointment set in. Maybe hi

nd signed a quick "thank you." He gave me a warm smile and han

endless and sterile. My vision blurred at th

self. These were suppo

results against my chest like a shield. How was I supposed to go home an

ities, with hope I hadn't

e the edge of a floor mat, maybe

by the waist before I

d snap

arved from stone. The man holding me was tall, dressed in an expensive blac

we just looked

rough. It was steady and secure, like

expression, but it was go

ked so out o

or? A model?

was deep and controlled. His

re, of the warmth of his hands through my thin swea

ice broke

is she

side him clutching a stuffed rabbit, with bottle of water.

making sure I could stand on my

s tone was polite but distant. "I wasn't

he probably didn't understand. Most people didn't. Most p

beat longer than necessa

underst

he could say anything else, my h

from almost falling or fro

ings to think about now. I had a

baby to

-

t when I got home,

iving room or the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Declan loved making it well known that he

, there w

sitting room was littered. N

ign. Maybe today r

or, but I kept the pregnancy results clutched in my hand. My hands were

just be Declan and me, and I could te

d floor hallway was dim, the curtains drawn. I walked past the guest room, past

cracked open,

They were low and hushed.

st tig

sound like t

ying myself, the papers cri

n slowly, my hand sha

shattered