His Betrayal, Her Unborn Child

erpiece, but underne

, with my formidable mother, resp

the sensitive artist they cu

ong-buried secret, making m

who built solid things, and fo

ld house, and when I became pregn

red to him, and his face l

lanning our child' s future, a

the prenatal genetic s

t his computer, the warmt

y voice trembling as he turned

it," he said, his voice

mmered, unable to

pped back, demanding I termi

d I rushed to them, crying, "Liam... he wants

ured nails dug into my skin,

she said, her grim re

father added, his tone lea

t be stupid, Chloe. You c

ling my child "unna

ce, dragging me towards a car

clawed, a wild animal

of city alleys, their foo

hard, and felt a s

s my dress; my baby, my inno

r faces impassive, utterly de

e mental institutio

n, drugged, tormented, chipped away unti

opened

ed, whole, my

it was the day the genet

y world h

ll about to

I had a memor

h a cold, clear purpose: to get the report