The Wife He Sacrificed

ragile promise, only to have it stolen away. Five times, I had bled and cried and screa

understand that it

as E

"accidentally" bump into me on the stairs, just hard enough to make me lose my footing. She was the one who would swap my p

ident." Each time, David

it, Olivia. She

ake. You know how for

on her. She feels

car, as if a diamond bracelet could replace a heartbeat. He measured

my chest, a flickering candle I was terrified Emily would find a wa

ive, and her only hope was a bone marrow transplant. The

lood test for my pregnan

perfec

me. He didn't kiss me hello. He just stood

alled," he said

tively over my stomach

nt. Soon. The doctor said you're

ver me. I knew what w

rembling. "They can't do the procedure while I

clenching at his sides. He knelt in front of me,

moment, I saw the man I married. "We

y eyes. "What about our baby? This is our s

eak. The repeated trauma had taken its toll. Another loss, especial

t's a... it's a collection of cells. Emily is a person. She's m

from my lungs. A collection of cells. He had held me while I sobbed over the loss of

rs in his eyes, and promised to protect me, to cherish me, to build a

ruel joke, a memory from a lif

ice barely a whispe

s gone, replaced by the cold, calculating

ving no room for argument. "I've

appoin

ing a dental cleaning. "It's tomorrow morning. After that, you'll n

d discarded for his family's needs. He had it all planned o

's face. The love I thought we shared was a lie. My

aff. My own family lived states away, and he had subtly isol

entle but firm, their eyes full of a pity I didn't want. David stood by the

and then, a cold, spreading numbness. The last thing I saw before

physical. It was a hollowness in my soul, a vast, s

bed, holding a bowl of

feeling?" he

w from screams he hadn't heard.

ued, avoiding my eyes. "You just need to rest up. Th

cal update. The transaction was complete. One prob

he quiet that comes after a devastating storm, when every

I whispered,

thought he had won. H

ion, something new was born. Not a chil

I needed help. I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking. There was one person, a man I

cryptic text: "I

antly. "Name the time and p

h a newfound purpose. "Ava Miller. I wa

simple. "Con

ed down my face, silent and hot. They weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of r

ad taken every

s taking my bone

e was going to