Chapter 3

However, the bracelet on my wrist only trapped me all alone.

Jason had quickly risen to become a star lawyer, always swamped with cases and hardly ever seen around.

The first time I met Elodie, she was covered in bruises. Her clothes couldn't hide them, and her face still bore the bruises.

But her smile was unexpectedly like my mom's, and even her bruises were similar.

My heart ached for her. That was the first time I ever asked Jason to personally take on someone's case.

Jason threw himself into the case, just like I expected.

It wasn't until I heard that openly playful, teasing voice on the other end of Jason's phone that I realized something was off.

I never heard his explanation.

Everything went black, and I tumbled down the stairs.

It wasn't until I saw the blood endlessly pouring out beneath me that I realized I was already a month pregnant. That was our very first child.

When Jason finally got to the hospital, he bowed and started slapping himself one after another, not saying a word.

I turned my head away, trying not to watch him, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

Jason kept repeating himself, crying as he spoke. "She crawled into my bed after I was already asleep. I never thought she'd make those sounds on purpose while I was talking to you. Nothing ever happened between us."

He swore he'd leave Elodie.

I'd heard those lines before.

It was just like when I was a kid, every time my dad got drunk and hit my mom, he'd bow and plead with her to forgive him.

I never understood why.

My dad would be terrifying the night before, but as long as he apologized the next day, my mom would always forgive him.

She always believed him when he said it was the last time, even though Dad would come home drunk again the very next day.

Now I finally understand.

Even though I knew those apologies didn't change anything, I still found myself forgiving him.

After that, Jason really stopped getting involved with Elodie's case and went back to his old self.

He acted as if he loved me even more. Every time he came back from a business trip, he always brought back bags and jewelry for me.

Even though I told him I didn't want them, he kept buying more.

The glass cabinet at home kept getting more and more crowded with stuff, like he was trying to make up for something he'd done.

I barely had time to think before it happened all over again.

I was pregnant once more.

This time, I was extra careful and hardly ever stepped outside. I was scared out of my mind that something would go wrong with this baby.

When I was five months pregnant, Jason was away on a business trip again and couldn't come with me to my prenatal checkup.

But the moment I walked out of the hospital, a pair of rough hands grabbed me and slammed me against the wall.

The guy whipped out a knife, pressed it to my throat, and in front of everyone, demanded Jason show himself.

"You like fooling around with my wife, huh? If you don't hand over Elodie today, your wife and that little bastard in her belly won't make it out alive," the man snarled.

His rank, fishy breath washed over my ear, making my skin crawl.

A sudden, unnatural pain shot through my stomach, forcing me to double over.

"M-My husband's away on business, there's no way..." I stammered.

Before I could finish, Jason, who'd just apologized to me over the phone that morning, walked out of the hospital, his arm wrapped around another woman.

The man, who had been keeping it together, completely lost it when he spotted Jason. He slashed my neck with the blade, blood instantly spilling out.

"Hand over Elodie, or I'll kill your wife," he shouted.

The blade pressed harder against my neck, cutting deeper, and warm blood ran down my thigh, pooling on the floor. My vision was growing hazier and hazier.

Jason was probably panicking.

After all, when we found out I was pregnant, he was so thrilled he would've given me the world.

But why did the pain in my neck keep getting worse? Why was Jason showing up at the hospital with Elodie when he told me he was supposed to be away on a business trip? Didn't he swear he'd cut things off with her?

When I regained consciousness, I could feel something being pulled from deep inside me.

Suddenly, a baby's cry rang out. But it was silenced almost immediately.

I struggled to open my eyes, wanting so badly to see my child.

There, lying before me, was a tiny baby, so small, yet already with the features of a newborn. The doctor took my baby out of me with a pair of forceps.

That was my baby.