Chapter 2

I took a deep breath as I looked around the home that held five years of memories with Mike.

I ran my hand over my stomach.

I never expected to come back to this moment.

This fire happened before, same as now.

I called Mike directly, but last time, he showed up with the whole crew to put out the fire. He ignored a dozen calls from Bethany.

She’d been dealing with depression and that day, she jumped from the eighteenth floor.

Afterwards, I cried to Mike, telling him I'm glad he saved me and the baby.

He told me he didn't regret it.

We got married like planned.

I put on my dream wedding dress, married the man I'd been with for five years, and I was sure I was finally going to have a good life when Mike showed his true colors.

Mike broke my leg, blood soaking my white dress, but he didn't care. He drove me to the place where Bethany killed herself and made me get on my knees and apologize.

I had no clue what I was even apologizing for.

Mike was my fiancé. He was the father of my unborn child.

Why was it my fault that he chose to save me?

Mike was long past logic.

His eyes bloodshot, like a madman who had lost his love, he said: "The fire at our place wasn't even that bad, Ashley! You set it up! You knew and you kept me from seeing her one last time!"

"I didn't see Bethany's diary back then. If I did, I would've known what a toxic person you are!"

"You're the reason for her depression. Bethany was an angel. Why couldn't it have been you who died instead?"

I didn't know what he was talking about.

But Mike was completely insane.

"Have a taste of what it's like to lose someone you care about!"

My desperate cries didn't get him to soften.

He dragged me around like a dead dog and locked me in a dark room.

I begged him to let me go and asked him what our five years meant to him.

Mike didn't react. He even poured gasoline into the room.

My last memory was him looking down at me, like we were mortal enemies and not a newly married couple.

He took out a lighter, lit the gasoline, and that was that.

"Just thinking about being with a toxic witch like you for five years makes me sick!"