Chapter 1
A fire broke out in the mall, and a beam pinned my leg.
When Liam Donovan arrived with the rescue team, I waved frantically.
"Liam! Help me! I'm pregnant!"
He saw me but rushed to Chloe Whitmore, who was coughing in the corner.
Chloe cried, "Liam, I burned my finger, it hurts!"
Liam immediately lifted her, eyes full of worry and tenderness.
I shouted in despair, "She's only got a scratch! I'm trapped, and the fire's coming!"
Liam paused, then turned back and roared,
"Chloe has asthma! You're tough, can't you wait for the next rescue team?"
He carried her out of the fire without even glancing back.
Flames touched my dress, and smoke choked my lungs.
I saw his cold, determined back and stopped calling for help.
Gently stroking my pregnant belly, I whispered,
"Baby, don't be scared. Daddy left, but Mommy will keep you safe and pain-free."
*****
Thick smoke quickly engulfed the third floor of the mall.
The alarm blared, sharp and piercing.
My right leg was trapped under broken concrete. The pain was so intense I almost fainted but stayed awake.
I held my pregnant belly, coughing in the thick smoke.
"Don't be scared. Daddy's the fire chief—he'll save us soon," I whispered.
I was Liam's wife. He'd come for us, at least for the baby.
Soon, that familiar figure appeared in his fluorescent yellow gear.
Even with the mask on, I instantly recognized him.
Two firefighters followed closely, heading toward me.
A wave of hope washed over me.
"Liam! I'm here! Help me!" I shouted.
I waved my hands desperately, my voice hoarse from breathing in the smoke.
"Liam! My leg's trapped! I'm pregnant!"
Liam spotted me through the haze.
He stopped in his tracks.
As he rushed toward me, a shout came from the corner.
Between coughs, Chloe called out, "Liam, is that you?"
It was Chloe.
She hid behind a safe counter, nearly unscathed with just a few smudges on her face and clothes.
At her voice, Liam quickly turned, almost stumbling.
"Chloe, don't be scared, I'm here!" he called out.
He quickly removed his mask and gently put it on Chloe.
My heart turned cold.
"Liam! The fire's coming! I can't move!" I shouted.
My tears dried up in an instant.
She sobbed, holding up her finger. "Liam, a spark hit it. It hurts! Will it scar forever?"
I saw a tiny red mark, the size of a fingernail.
There wasn't even a blister.
But he looked genuinely worried, his eyes full of anxious care for her.
Liam gently assured her, "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe."
He scooped up Chloe and hurried toward the exit.
He walked in the opposite direction—away from me.
A surge of despair and fury ripped a scream from me.
I shrieked, "Liam! She's just scratched, no band-aid needed! I'm trapped under this beam! I'm your wife!
"Look at me! Just look at me!"
He finally stopped and turned back.
But his eyes showed only disgust and impatience.
Then he yelled at me through the flames, "Evelyn! When did you become so selfish?
"Chloe has asthma and will suffocate in this smoke.
You're so tough, you barely get sick. Can't you wait for the next rescue team? You won't die.
"Stop whining and stay put."
His words struck me like a slap in the face.
Thick-skinned?
Did he really think I was unreasonable?
I stared at my torn, bleeding leg and the burning hem of my dress.
"I'm carrying your child," I whispered.
I murmured, clutching the last hope.
Chloe, in his arms, suddenly coughed and buried herself deeper into his embrace.
"Liam, don't worry about me. Evelyn seems upset. Maybe let me go," she said.
That's her clever trick.
Liam hugged her tighter, glaring at me.
"Shut up! Stop being so dramatic right now!"
Those words were meant for me.
"Take a good look at yourself!"
Then he carried her out of the fire without looking back.
The two firefighters looked at me, then Liam's fading figure, ready to help, but his bark over the walkie-talkie stopped them.
"Why are you standing there? Wounded are on the west—go help! This structure is stable for now!"
Stable for now?
As he finished speaking, a beam above cracked sharply.
The flames had already consumed the hem of my dress.
The burning skin pain was nothing next to the numb emptiness inside.
I watched Liam disappear, then finally cried.
This morning, I was excited, holding the ultrasound scan, hoping to surprise him.
The doctor said it was twins.
I asked him to come home early, but he said he was swamped at the station.
His "busy" meant shopping at the mall with Chloe.
I saw Chloe's update on her feed.
She posted a photo of two coffee cups captioned, "No matter how busy Liam is, he's always there. That's true comfort from a childhood friend."
It hit me hard, but I kept lying, saying it was just a coincidence.
But now, the truth forced my eyes open.
The pain in my leg blurred my vision and flashed past memories before my eyes.
Liam and I had been married for three years.
For three years, he always dropped everything to answer Chloe's calls.
On our anniversary, Chloe said her power was out and she was scared, so he rushed to her.
The night I had a fever, Chloe said her cat was missing and she was crying, so he rushed to her again.
Whenever I complained, he gave the same excuse.
"She's sick and an orphan. If not me, then who?
"Evelyn, can't you just let it go? Stop being so petty."
I eventually stopped saying anything altogether.
I learned to change light bulbs, go to the hospital, and face my pain alone.
I thought that was what being sensible meant.
But in the end, what did it truly gain me?
Being sensible just made me seem tough and heartless to him.
My silence allowed him to hurt me without hesitation.
The smoke choked me, my lungs scraping as if full of sand.
The baby inside me stirred, sensing danger.
I struggled to pull my phone from my bag.
The screen was cracked but still worked.
The signal barely held with one bar.
I tapped open Liam's chat window.
I asked this morning if he'd be home for dinner—I have an important gift for him.
He never responded.