Chapter 2

2

The day I had gone to find Caleb with the positive lab results, he was at IKEA with Madelaine. They were acting like a couple.

I had been so upset that I marched up to confront them, completely forgetting to be careful.

Caleb had brushed past me, hitting my shoulder as he spoke.

"Madelaine just got divorced. She doesn't have a man to help her move furniture. What's the big deal? You're being way too sensitive."

If I hadn't shown up, they looked like they were about to kiss right there in the showroom.

Madelaine had been hiding behind him with teary eyes, but as we argued, she suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Avery, why can't you just be understanding of Caleb?"

When I tried to shake her off, I felt a deliberate shove. I fell hard. The lab report in my hand was quickly stained red by the blood pooling beneath me.

Amid the screams of bystanders, Caleb frantically carried me to the car.

I was drifting in and out of consciousness from the pain. He didn't offer a single word of comfort. Instead, he kept blaming me.

"If you knew you were pregnant, why did you come out here to start a fight? Did you do this on purpose, Avery?"

The bleeding wouldn't stop. I knew the baby was gone.

We were two miles from the hospital when Caleb's phone rang through the car's Bluetooth.

Madelaine was sobbing on the other end.

"I didn't know she was pregnant! I didn't mean it! I don't want to live anymore, Caleb. The wind by the river is so cold. Will you miss me when I'm gone?"

The screech of the brakes was deafening. The momentum threw me forward, and the cramping in my stomach became an agonizing roar.

"Maddy, baby, don't do anything stupid. I saw what happened. Avery shook you off and tripped. It wasn't your fault at all. Stay there, I'm coming to get you."

Caleb hung up, opened my door, and pulled me out of the car.

"Avery, I called an Uber for you. It'll be here in a minute. Wait here. I have to go stop Madelaine, then I'll meet you at the hospital."

I used every ounce of strength to grab his sleeve, but he wrenched it away.

"The baby is already gone! But Madelaine is a living, breathing person! Are you just going to watch her die? Isn't one life enough for you?"

He sped away, leaving me curled on the pavement.

Two minutes later, thunder rolled, and heavy rain began to hammer down on my broken body.

A kind stranger eventually got me to the ER. When I woke up late that night, the room was empty.

I spent two days in the hospital. Caleb only sent a few texts saying Madelaine was in a bad state and he couldn't leave her. He told me to wait for him to pick me up.

I laughed at myself, packed my things, and went home alone.

When he finally showed up at the house, he was furious, demanding to know why I hadn't told him I was home. He said he'd gone to the hospital and looked like a fool.

I didn't say a word. I just took his phone, unlocked it, and showed him my name in his blocked contacts list.

He froze, then muttered, "Maddy must have been playing with my phone and hit it by mistake. I didn't mean to block you."

By mistake? Any sane person knew better. I didn't know if he was actually stupid or just pretending.

He finally softened his tone to try and comfort me.

"We can always have another kid. We're still young."

He pulled me into his arms, but my gaze was cold and dark.

The doctor had already told me. I wouldn't be able to have children again.

I'm a person who likes to finish what I start. I had planned to wait until after the anniversary to divorce him, but it seemed the ending was going to be messy.

"The loss happened a month ago, Avery. I didn't even hit you that hard. Are you faking this pain?"

He had helped me into the chair, but now he looked suspicious.

I clenched my fists, using every bit of breath I had.

"Get out!"

He let go of me and crossed his arms.

"Wow, you sound pretty strong to me. Keep faking it, Avery. If you're trying to get sympathy, it's not working."

Sweat was pouring down my face, but he didn't care. He just grabbed his jacket and slammed the door.

I trembling, I called a friend. I was terrified that if I died right then, my body would rot before anyone found me.

I knew Caleb was going straight to Madelaine. He wouldn't be back for days.