His Sister-in-Law, My Hell

pened, and my wedd

t the altar, his eyes fixed on hi

if she were the bride, leav

mising his love, claiming

nly to find Camryn' s suitca

pte

ch doors

he dust motes dancing in the air

doorway, silhouetted against the light. It was a w

sister-in-law. Her widowe

olding her bouquet, trembled. She looked at the man sta

one pale. His

ere fixed

le. He didn't run, but every step was filled with a purpose that r

e were the bride. The guests stared, their whispers growing louder. Alexandria stood

e settled her in, his hand lingering on her shoulder. He

owd, a Sheppard family

y! Taking care of yo

o, a man honoring his dead brother. Alexandria saw only the man who had

h. She couldn't breathe in here. She needed to leave. T

ps behind her, fast a

x, wa

pinning her around. His

go. Pl

Colby." Her voi

knees, right there on the polished floor. He clung to her hand, his head bowed. "It' s my fault.

hated that she still loved the man he was supposed to be. Her resolve waver

hick with tears. "I swear, it' s only you. Just... j

t Camryn was fragile, lost, with nowhere else to go. He said it

n his eyes over the betrayal she had just witnessed. She let him lead her

e ceremony. The

ed to their new home. Camryn' s suit

Colby announced, not as

got married. Th

throw her out on the street. It' s just until the baby is born." He looked

e end

w perfectly. She' d need a glass of water in the middle of the night, and only Colby could get it. She'

lby massaged Camryn' s swollen feet. They would talk in low voices, sharing

er for Colby' s firm. She was seated at the

, her voice just loud enough for the table to hear. "Colby,

tic, pitying looks of his colleagues. He left her to make excuses for

wave of nausea hit Alexandria, and a frag

as pr

. This was the answer. This would fix them. Their own child. A re

e a special dinner. She came home early, h

She heard voices from the ma

mryn moaned, a sound of pure p

d ran cold. She pu

nt belly exposed. Colby was kneeling beside her, rubbing oil o

doing?" Alexandria' s

"It' s not what it looks like. She had str

d, so insulting, it bro

bed, Colby. Get her

he started, his voice takin

ose, shaking with a rage she hadn' t known she

ck a bag, to get away from

k her path. "We ca

lk about!" she screamed

he yelled, grabb

a small, theatrical gasp. "C

instantly from Alexandria to Camryn. He saw Alex

snarled at her. He shoved her,

g. She fell, her side hitting the edge of a wooden dresse

d on her belly. "Colby, I think I' m okay. I' m so

or. He rushed to the bed, his face etched with p

r as if she were made of glass. He carried h

the floor. Their eyes met for a fraction

ok of concern was gone. In its place was a flicker of pure,

hey we

s a vicious, twisting-knife feeling. She looked down. A da

oo

erate plea. The sound was swallowed by the empty

spread between her l

louder this time, a sob catching

d of his car starting in the

eek and the faint, sweet smell of the oil he had been rubbing on Camryn' s skin. The memory of thei

world was fuzzy and quiet. A doctor with kind, sad

by was

settled over her. It was a

" she asked, h

a small, clinical photo. A sonogram. A tiny, flicke

long, long time. This

w. There would be no more c

e to grieve a child he had helped kill. He

he received a gift. Some

all, elegant gift box she' d bought for his birthda

one. She scrolled through her contacts to a name she had blocked months ago, a n

t She

ed the ca