Chapter 2

2

Three days ago was our fifth wedding anniversary.

That was the day I found out I was pregnant.

I remember standing outside the clinic, holding the test results, feeling completely lost.

It had been so long since Silas and I had actually celebrated anything together.

Every time a holiday came around, he said he was too busy with work.

Yet, I would see him out with Janessa for Christmas, New Year's, and even Thanksgiving.

Last Thanksgiving, he told me his mother didn't want to see me, so he'd just have a quick dinner there and come back to me.

But Janessa was the one who went with him.

He didn't come home that night. He stayed at the Sterling estate with her.

So, I wanted to use our anniversary as a chance to finally talk things over.

Since Silas had mentioned wanting to go hiking, I suggested a picnic on the mountain.

To my surprise, he didn't use work as an excuse this time.

I got dressed up, tucked the pregnancy results into my bag, and met him.

As we hiked, the atmosphere was actually quite pleasant.

When we reached the halfway point and set up our picnic, it felt like we were back in our college days.

The only difference was that we had nothing left to talk about.

Just as we finished eating and prepared to keep going, the sky turned dark. Thunder rolled in an instant.

Before we could react, a torrential downpour began.

We ran to a nearby gazebo for cover, but the rain showed no signs of stopping.

The area was remote and deserted. There wasn't a soul in sight.

Silas said he saw a small convenience store further up the trail and wanted to check for umbrellas or ponchos.

He told me to wait there while he ran into the rain.

The store wasn't far, but I waited for nearly an hour, and he never came back.

Panic started to set in, so I called him.

He didn't pick up.

I called several more times, but it kept going to voicemail.

Desperate, I braved the storm and ran to the store myself.

But the shutters were down. It was locked up tight. No one was there.

Right then, Silas finally called back.

His voice sounded frantic. "Vianna, Janessa's depression is acting up. I'm heading to her place now. Just wait for the rain to stop and head home on your own. Be a good girl."

Before I could even get a word out, he hung up.

I stared at my phone in shock.

My husband had abandoned his wife on a mountain in a storm for another woman.

I realized I was stranded in the middle of nowhere and tried to call a friend.

But before the call could connect, my screen went black.

My battery was dead.

The rain kept pouring, and the mountain paths were becoming treacherous.

I had no choice but to head back to the gazebo, soaked to the bone.

I don't know how long I waited. By the time the rain stopped, the sun had set, and the woods were pitch black.

There was only one path down. I figured I wouldn't get lost if I stayed on it, so I gathered my courage and left the shelter.

But I had underestimated the toll the day had taken on me.

I had been soaked by the rain and chilled by the mountain wind for hours. My head felt heavy and dizzy.

I touched my forehead. It was burning hot.

I knew that if I didn't get off that mountain soon, I'd lose the strength to move at all.

I forced myself to move faster.

Despite my caution, I lost my footing near the base of the trail. I slipped and tumbled down.

My stomach hit a jagged rock with a sickening force. A scream tore from my throat.

The pain was paralyzing. I couldn't even stand up.

I could only watch in horror as blood began to stain my leggings.

I used the last of my energy to cry out for help.

Fortunately, I was close enough to the road. A passerby heard me and called an ambulance.

The moment I was lifted into the back, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, the baby was gone.