Built From The Ashes

g, the town was b

infant to the clinic, a public spectacle of a Good Samaritan saving a life. I heard the story

the cold for hours. The doctor said he's lucky to be alive, but..

found the baby immediately. He had been perfectly healthy. My quick action had saved him from the

gan. They spread like a virus th

the mother. Why else would she be so cold? Why e

pered. I'd claimed it was a stomach bug from a rich meal I wasn't used to, but

gossip and a few well-placed words from Ethan's family, put my spot on hold. There would be an "ethics review."

oid me. The owner of the diner told me to take some time o

just as the

as there to pick up some antacids, the rich meal I' d ea

, his face a mask

his voice soft and persuasive. "The town is eati

t him, say

way they'll forgive you. And I'll help you. I'll... I'll marry you, Chloe. I

eved he held all the cards, that I was the same naive

ed, as if on cue. She looked frail, h

She "accidentally" opened her purse, and I saw it. My father

had to sell it. The baby's medical bills were piling up, and... w

g inside me boiled over. That l

sica's triumphant face to Ethan's expectan

than," I whispered, my voice ch

victory in his eyes.

as w