a
ina's artfully tear-streaked one. He was trapped, and
e cracking with the last shred of hope I had left.
pushed her, her ankle twisting unnaturally. She collapsed against the edge
Are you
lunged toward her, his body moving with a protective ins
confession could. It was his choice,
ally looked up at me, but his expression wasn't one of guilt.
e from my throat. "Push her? Eva
tted, his voice low and strained. "I helped her hide it.
mean for it
e in my frozen heart. I pointed a tre
oss the pristine garden. "What about my child? Wa
saw a few of the household staff peering from the wi
r. "Ara, stop making a scene," he hisse
ike poison. "In your eyes, my entire worl
part to perfection. "Evan, it's all my fault
self-sacrifice that only made Evan hold her tigh
e, and the warmth that I had known my whole l
s voice cold and s
b. The vibrant colors of the garden faded to gray. The
al. Years of love, of shared dreams, of a future I though
n front of the other, my body feeling impossibly heavy, and walk
faint, conflicted sound, but I d
d. The world outside was bright and indifferent-a perfect C
ayed on a lo
re
d her h
mean for it
eyes when he chose her. The years of love, the nursery, the names we'd picked-all o
audition, let the only dream I'd ever had wither while I played the perfect wife. I
is face, his name, whether he was cruel or just careless. My child was growing inside me, and
I knew nothin
e right. I couldn't think. My feet kept moving but I didn't know where I was going. My mind was a blank
Didn't hear the engine. Didn't see the blind
red, loud
asphalt was the last
d saw only the blinding glare
me to scream, n
lt my body lift off the ground, weightless and br
nbearable pain shot from my abdomen, spread
tness spreading between
raphina, or the betrayal. It was a single, despe
bab
d of a car door slamming. The wor
e was only
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