Chapter 1

The forgotten paperwork for David sat on the passenger seat. I was pregnant, very pregnant, and driving carefully. Then, screeching tires, a sickening crunch of metal. My car spun, hit something hard, and stopped. Smoke started to curl from under the hood. My door was jammed. I was trapped. Panic clawed at my throat. My first thought was David, my husband, a firefighter. He’d know what to do. I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking. "David," I gasped when he answered. "I've been in an accident, the car's smoking, I'm stuck." His voice was distant, distracted. "Sarah? What? Can it wait? I'm in the middle of something with Chloe." "Chloe?" The name was a bitter taste. "David, it's serious, I'm really stuck." "Look, Chloe's got a situation here, Lily's having a bit of trouble breathing, a minor asthma thing, she's panicking. Just call 911, they'll handle it." Before I could plead, he said, "Gotta go, Sarah," and the line went dead. Tears welled up, hot and angry. He was helping Chloe with a "minor household issue" while I was in a wreck. The smoke got thicker. I coughed, my seatbelt digging into my belly. I prayed. Then, sirens. Flashing lights cut through the smoke. A firefighter’s face appeared at my window, Mark, David's captain. "Sarah! Hang on, we'll get you out!" Relief washed over me, so strong my legs felt weak. They worked fast, prying the door open. As Mark helped me out, his radio crackled. He stepped away, his back to me, but his voice carried, low and furious. "David? Where the hell are you? Sarah's pregnant and in a bad wreck! How could you be helping Chloe with her kid's 'emergency' instead of being here for your wife?" A pause. I strained to hear David's side, but couldn't. Mark’s voice rose again, disbelief etched in every word. "Lily had a minor asthma attack? Chloe was panicking? And you knew we'd handle Sarah? Your pregnant wife, David?" Mark turned, his face grim. He saw I'd heard. The world tilted. David’s excuse, so casual, so dismissive. He chose Chloe. Again.