Betrayed by the Man I Loved

shville estate felt heavy. Ethan Scott, my new husband, had a

hands tracing my back wi

against my ear, "let's start our family

r, from a family whose name was etched into the very soul of country musi

, my heart soaring. This was it.

n," I brea

ng him everything I was, convinced he was f

a sent me to the doctor. The

ns, Mrs. Scott

ld burst from my chest. I clutched the ultrasoun

io where he worked, my heart pounding with excitement.

slightly ajar. I heard laughter from inside, lo

r it," a voice slurred. It w

the pop starlet Ethan called his

and dollars that you couldn't get his little

r me. I stood frozen, m

band's voice, cut through t

something in her champagne, and she w

upted in la

ith contempt. "Begging me to 'love her.' She was so desperate to pl

ltrasound photos in my ha

on camera," Ethan said. "Five of you. She'

band was squeezing the air from my lungs. The world tilted, the sound

od there, a smug, triumphant smi

ice sickly sweet. "Come on in.

mind a whirlwind of

to look at me, their faces a

ked, his voice laced with false c

hispered, the words c

ocker room joke, Jocely

grabbed my arm. "Hey, what's that you've got there

yone to see. "Looks like the bet's off, Sabri

and laughter. I tore my arm

ught about the ten years I had loved him, the way I had defended his ambiti

special vintage just for us, was the tool of my violation. He

den in the smoke detector above our bed. I ripped it from the ceiling and smashed it against the floor. I fo

hing over me. I felt dirty, defiled, not by str

ned and slammed sh

idst the wreckage. He knelt

okay? The cameras were for secu

He was trying to man

rasound photo that had fallen f

s lips. "Impressive. I guess we'll need a pat

den, violent death. In its place, a cold, hard clarity settled in my sou

f I were a frightened pet. "We'll sort this o

y nightmare was on

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