I Fell Where His Love Favored Another

“Half a month into our cold war, I, Claire Parker, found an abortion procedure slip tucked inside Daniel Carter's suit pocket. The patient's name belonged to the fragile little childhood sweetheart he had always protected so fiercely-Sophie Bennett. I folded the paper calmly and slipped it back where I had found it. Daniel noticed the movement immediately. His eyes flicked toward me through the rearview mirror, resignation coloring his voice. "What are you overthinking now? Sophie was just keeping a friend company at the hospital. She accidentally left it there." I turned toward the window and said nothing. This was Sophie declaring war on me, yet the man who could crush competitors without mercy in the business world believed her completely. The silence inside the car grew suffocating until Daniel finally stopped outside an upscale jewelry boutique. He reached over and ruffled my hair with easy familiarity, his tone indulgent and affectionate. "Come on. Pick out a ring. Your birthday's next month anyway, so we might as well register our marriage too." I bit down hard on my lip as tears fell soundlessly onto the back of my hand. What he still didn't know was that I wouldn't live long enough to see next month.”