His Perfect Lie, My Shattered World

e Comb

gathering every photograph of us, every gift he' d ever given me, every sentimental tr

Emerson caught me, his h

yes falling on the bulging bag. His b

ering," I lied,

Gisele's things." He took the bag from me and set it aside, as

love. For the baby." His embrace was warm, familiar, and for a treacherous moment, my e

he was holding. I

scream from upstairs

is face etched with panic. "Gisele!

to my palms until they bled. I heard him find her, her fake sobs, h

m going out," I called up

anding, a frown creasing his br

I lied. It was the only

l come with you. Let me

ing with false magnanimity. "In fact, I have a follow-up with

"I don't know if I

With Gisele there to distract him, I could slip away. I had to get to

of the car, Emerson's phone rang. A crisis at the label-a re

art starting to rac

Gisele. "I... Adeline, take Gisele home after her

ling smile spread across Gisele' s face. She pushed herself u

e. "All glowing and pregnant. He only knocked you up because he thought I was

om her long convalescence, but

or her games. I

n a chalkboard. "He's going to give me that baby, you know. He prom

ound behind me, then a sharp, blindin

ld went

was overwhelming. My head throbbed, and a thick, metallic taste filled my mouth

e with a look of detached amusement. She nodded

rimal terror gripped me. I saw a long, me

t was a brutal, tearing agony that ripped a scream from my throat. I t

t and tears mingling on my face. I bit through my lip, the coppery

it stopped. The room fell silent,

s-steel kidney dish in her han

voice a triumphant hiss. "

e dish was a small, horrify

f so profound washed over

from mine. "If you tell Emerson, if you tell anyone, I will find your father's ash

reeling. The hate in my heart was a living

low, delib

short, ugly sou

My baby. I had planned to let it go, but

the empty air, to the tiny,

twelve days, my visa would be ready. I

would