Love's Ashes, A Bitter Price

to me while his heart belonged to his childhood sweetheart, C

l dinner I'd made; he grabbed the tablecloth and sent our entire anniversar

s kiss brutal, whispering that hu

nniversary of our first baby's death, he left me grieving to comfort Cali because her cat ha

In the hospital, he abandoned me to go p

our twins' ashes to the wind. He saw my

rm is not a crime

died. I took the pills that would erase her

pte

he formidable CEO of Franklin Corp,

s gentle, unassuming wife, Joyce, while his heart truly belonged to his childhood swe

from the harsh realities of his world while publicly pursui

, believ

for everyone, including me. I was the quiet, submissive w

to tend to. And if my pain was the price for his eventu

al, the scent of roast beef filling our sterile, modern mansion. Th

ait

eight, then nine. My hope dwindled with each p

he front d

ask of cold indifference. He didn't even glance at the dinin

riumphant smirk on her face. She leaned against the doorfram

dripping with amusement. "You really kno

s our anniversary dinner h

his eyes finally landing on the meticulously set table. A flicker of som

s deliberate, menacing. He grabbed th

en he

ersary dinner crashed to the floor in a deafening shatt

small gasp esc

ge that seemed to come from nowhere.

crunching on broken glass. He gr

me more than any shout. "Why do you always have to do things like

throat tight with f

word, just enjoyed the show. Then, with a final, dismissive glance at me, she turned

inches from mine. His other hand came up to cup my jaw, but

f expensive wine and the bitter ashes of my h

ath hot and reeking of alcohol. "This is what you get for trying. This is how

sense. Torture h

on. He had bought a ridiculously expensive necklace for her, placing it around her neck hi

ffice, the sterile whit

cription. Small white pill

rned. "It's designed to help manage the dissociative episodes, to integrate

" I had said,

e goal was for "Joyce" to disappear forever.

Inside was a custom-made music box, a replica of the one my lat

t looking at me. "She always liked your mot

r for Cali. He was taking my most preciou

r him. He said the color didn't suit him. I later saw a picture of Cali wearin

ore he was born-I woke up with a familiar, gnawing pain in my ab

ad left early. A text me

Taking her to the coast to

an's perfume. He found me curled up on the floor of the nursery

li had called him, complaining that the t

had placed a tiny pair of hand-knitted booties

place, and without a word,

, a raw, b

all, alone in our cold bed.

t night. Cali was having a har

sy was a ph

ad sent him. I was to bring a document to th

slightly ajar. I heard Cali

ace broke. Can y

ith a reverence he never showed me. He was carefully fixing the clasp of the

g, satisfied smile on her face

e away. "Never mind. I

tration in Kaden's eyes,

ck. The locket my mother had given me, the one with a tiny picture

I ran out of the building. I had to find i

body aching, my head pou

aden was holding a large umbrella over Cali's head

i," he said, his voic

ur first child. It had been raining just like this. Kaden had held me,

trying to block out the

I turned to leave

"What are you doing here, Joy

the wet pavement. She grabbed my arm, her na

she was holding s

p. She held it up, dangli

aunted. "It's so cheap. I

fell, landing in a deep, muddy puddle on the street. A

oise, everything faded away. All I could se

aby. The last piece of

inside m

Cali away from me with all my strength.

rted. The sun broke through the clouds, ca

king. A strange, guttural sound came from her

arms. "Cali! What's wrong? What did you do to her

ring soothing words, c

Kaden was sitting by my bed

has a rare condition. Stress can trigger seizures. I shouldn't h

ved, and for the first time, I felt

d locket. I remembered

my hand, but I

was a small, velvet box. He opened it. Inside wa

d, as if that could fix anyth

ece of jewelry. He still didn

ld replace my hea

just using Cali to get back at her family for what they did to

ld song, and I was fina