Chapter 4

A passing police officer saw what was happening and rushed over, shouting for everyone to move back.

Seizing the moment, I hurried through the main gate.

I spotted Audrey, cornered in a tight spot.

Luckily, she was unharmed.

With the police watching, the security guard apologized and offered compensation for what he'd done.

Audrey came over, tears streaming down her face as she grabbed my hand, feeling all the pain I'd been through.

"Grace, I heard everything. I know you'd never do something like that. That's just not you," she said.

"Richard has been so awful to you. Come home with me," she added.

I used to believe that leaving Lilyvale meant I'd never have a place to call home again.

And I thought I'd lost every last person who cared about me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I nodded. "Yeah."

I went to the hospital and had the abortion procedure.

The doctor looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"We could have saved the baby, but you missed the window," he said.

"Where's your husband?" he asked.

I replied calmly, "He's busy."

"Busy taking care of another woman," I added.

Everyone got it right away, and a few people shot me sympathetic looks.

Just then, Richard texted me.

[I've got a work dinner tonight, so I won't be coming home.

[Didn't you say you weren't feeling well and had no appetite? I've already hired a maternity nurse for you. Just ask her to make you something you can actually eat tomorrow.]

I didn't bother replying. Instead, I opened up Emily's social media.

Her latest post was a photo of sheets, speckled with bloodstains.

There wasn't a single word, but anyone could see exactly what it meant.

I felt a sudden rush of nausea.

I set my phone down, my face blank, and walked into the operating room.

The procedure hurt a lot.

But honestly, after everything I'd been through these years, this pain was nothing.

The next afternoon, Audrey came with me to get discharged from the hospital.

The pain was still there, but I could deal with it.

We headed back to Richard's place to pack up my stuff.

Eight years of memories, gone in less than thirty minutes.

I looked at the ring on my finger. It was just a simple, ordinary ring.

Maybe it was a mistake from the very beginning.

I walked up to the trash can and didn't even hesitate, just throwing it away.

Then I set the divorce papers down on the table.

Now, it was really over.