The Monster I Once Married And Loved

nk my life wa

y life orbited around. I watched him, supported him, and helped him build his tech company from a small startup

ark hair and my blue eyes. They

ching race car and princess lamps. They were excited, chattering about the party we had planned, the cake, the presents. They

alf an

kitchen when Liam came in

hildren?" he ask

ey were just a little excited

e bedroom door open. A moment later, I heard the children start to

bodies lost in his strong grip. Leo was wailing, an

you doing? You' r

Outside, a blizzard was raging. The wind howled, and thick snow was plaste

his voice flat. "They disobeyed the

f icy air swept into the house. The chi

his arm. "They' re just babies! It' s th

empty. There was nothing in them. No lov

an hour," he said, prying my fin

small fists banging against the wood, their screams swallowed by the storm. I lunged for the do

r God' s sake, they'

threw it open and shoved me inside. I tumbled down the hard, wooden steps, my body hitting the cold co

Complete a

scrambled back up the stairs and pounded on the

ootsteps appr

. Whatever I did, I' m sorry. Ju

thick wood, low and clear

, Ava. Not really. It'

still raised to

you talki

remember how he died? A car accident. Fleeing the city after your father threatened to ruin him. Y

My parents had always b

I whispered, my

milies and save the Thorne name. I was forced into it, Ava. F

. "It was an accident. My

ther is dead because of your family. Tonight, I' m making a sacrifice to him. You

n and again, screaming his name, screaming for my babies, until my voice was gone and my

imagined my children, their small bodies shivering in the snow, their lips turning blue, their cries grow

sound broke the silenc

the stairs. It was Liam' s mother, Mrs. Thorne

she w

her and ran, my bare feet slapping against the

orld was blanketed in a pri

her under the thin dusting of

and

ips a dark purple. A delicate frost covered their ey

stone. I gathered them both into my arms, their frozen limbs stiff and unyielding.

were

ies we

ent white,