Chapter 2

2 For two whole months, he was gone. No calls, no texts, nothing. And I was about to give birth any day.

Sarah was Liam's "white girl ghost," his first big love. She left for Europe to study abroad three years ago and vanished. Liam thought he was dumped and went into a tailspin.

That's when I met him. I helped him through his heartbreak and he started to care about me. Eventually we fell in love and got married, and I got pregnant.

Liam was gentle and responsible as a husband. I thought we'd be together forever. But Sarah came back, and everything went to hell.

Sarah managed to escape from Myanmar with a baby, and Liam found out. She didn't just dump Liam after all, she got caught in some trafficking scam...

The ghost was back. Where did that leave me?

I was a complete joke.

I woke up and saw doctors hovering around. They said the baby was gone, they told me to take care of myself. I already knew it. I had a bad feeling when they wheeled me in.

Why would a baby, not loved by its dad, want to see the world?

I touched my stomach with shaking hands. "Baby, I'm so sorry. Your mom wanted you so badly. I just couldn't get your dad to show up and sign, I couldn't give you a real family."

I looked at my fingers, I still had some blood on them. That was the last of my kid, proof it was ever here. I couldn't wash it off. I just stared as my tears fell.

Then I saw Liam through the window. He was with Sarah.

I'd seen her in Liam's photos before. Sarah looked up at him and asked, "Isn't Olivia due soon? Shouldn't you be with her?"

She was showing, and Liam was doting on her like she was his wife.

I froze. Then I walked out of the room slowly, standing right behind them, waiting for Liam to speak.

He finally did after what felt like forever, "It's fine. She's not that fragile. I'll take care of her after you feel better."

That line cut deep. I took a step back, staring at Liam. I'd come up with every excuse for him in my head, but this? There was no explaining this.

He turned around and looked me right in the eye. I stepped back. His eyes were just dead, like a dark, scary pool.

We just stared at each other, not saying anything.

Finally, after about three minutes, I wiped my eyes and took a step forward, my voice shaking, "Liam, why are you here?"

He didn't say a thing.

I slapped him across the face. Hard.

I stumbled back from the force, and he reached out to steady me. I shook his hand off and stared at him. "Do you have no explanation?"