Chapter 1

1 I lay in the bathtub, playing dead, blood streaming from my seven orifices.

That's what greeted my husband, Jake, when he came in, expecting a romantic evening with his new girlfriend, Sarah.

He kicked me in the stomach in a fit of rage. My three-month-old baby, gone.

"You killed our daughter, and I hate you," he screamed. "Don't think this charade will get my sympathy, because I don't care if you live or die!"

I'd played dead countless times in the past year.

He didn't know I had bone cancer, that I was dying.

This charade was my way of preparing him, of making my eventual death easier for him to bear.

...

Jake and Sarah walked in, finding me in the tub.

I saw them, their bodies intertwined, the scent of sex heavy in the air.

Jake's face turned dark.

"Amy, what the hell are you doing?!"

I lay still, unmoving.

Until he yanked me from the tub, sending me crashing through the glass shower door.

Pain ripped through me; I felt the glass shredding my skin. I winced, unable to stop a muffled groan.

Jake shielded Sarah, his arm protectively around her.

Then he looked at me coldly. "Amy, you killed our daughter. I hate you. This pathetic act won't work. I don't care if you die."

"Get out!" he roared. His voice was a knife to my heart.

"Jake, I'm sorry, please don't do this," Sarah cried, trying to pull away from him. But he held her tighter.

"Ahh…" she gasped as he kissed her, right there, in front of me.

"See? I'm with Sarah now." Jake's voice was ice. "If you want to watch, be my guest."

He kissed Sarah again, their lips locked.

It was like my eyeballs were being gouged out. The pain was unbearable.

But I didn't blame him. I'd brought this on myself.

I dragged myself to my feet, walked over to Sarah, and spat, "Disgusting."

"Sarah, you're messing with my husband today; tomorrow, your family will pay."

"I'm sorry, Amy! Please, don't hurt my family!" Sarah pleaded, pushing Jake away.

Jake stood, grabbed me by the throat. His eyes were filled with hate and cold fury.

"Amy, if you touch one hair on Sarah's family, I'll kill you."

I laughed. "Fine, kill me." If he hated me, was angry at me, maybe he wouldn't grieve when I died.

"Or else I'll go after Sarah's family…"

"Bang!" I was kicked across the room.

A searing pain ripped through my abdomen, the world swam.

When my vision cleared, I felt a warm rush between my legs.

"Ah!" Sarah screamed.

"There's a baby!"

My mind exploded. A baby? How?

I saw it then, a tiny, lifeless infant lying in a pool of blood.

"My baby… my child…" I crawled toward it.

Jake rushed over, picking me up. His voice was trembling. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?!"

But I didn't know. I had no idea I was pregnant.

I tried to speak, but my vision blurred, and I blacked out.