A Wife's Fight for Justice

charged, I knew what I had to do. Dallas was at a "bus

an a minute to guess the password to his phon

for in a group chat with hi

ow, one message read. You really

e asked. She just lost a baby.

s reply. Cold

o touch her. There's no feeling th

in black and white made my whole body tremble with a

ook as I held my finger over the delete button. Then I pressed it. And I k

one back, it buzzed.

ther's tonight.

ew across the

same men from the group chat. Alanna was there, of course, d

nursing a glass of water, maki

r Dare. The bottle spun and la

room for three minu

bottle of tequila. "I'll take the punishment," she said, winking.

lurred. "And who's t

. "He's the kind of man who would write

outh, the lights in the room we

seat next to me.

sitting in the same spot, but her lips were swollen and red, a smug, satisfi

pened. No one said a word. They were a

a word. I didn't go home. I took

e marker for our son. "Baby Fisc

's shed and "borrowed" a sh

ge fueled me. I dug until the shovel h

rembling as I brushed the soil

e appeared at the edge

ng here?" he asked, his v

baby," I whispered, my voice cracking. "He told

they said. I fell into a black hole of depression. And Dal

id, his face a mask of concern. But I could

the box. Inside, nestled on a black velvet cloth, was not ash, but a small

nded, my voice rising. "What d

in the clear. "It's a protective charm, Autumn," he said, his voice smo

, unhinged sound that echo

laughter and pain streaming do

"This isn't a bless

ce wen

aid, my voice dropping to a low, c

e eye. "It says, 'May t