Chapter 2

I didn't leave my apartment for three days.

I kept the curtains drawn. I couldn't tell day from night.

My stomach was still flat, but I knew something was growing inside.

I finally turned my phone back on.

Missed calls: 47.

Texts and iMessages: 93.

All from Alexander.

The earliest ones were voicemails. I didn't listen to them.

Then came the texts.

[Erin, listen to me. I'll handle things on my end. Just give me some time.]

[It's just a business arrangement. Give me time to fix this.]

[The baby is innocent. Don't do something you'll regret, okay?]

Then, the tone shifted.

[Are you really going to push me this far?]

[I told you I'd handle it. What more do you want from me?]

The last text came this afternoon. Just one line.

[Your appointment is tomorrow. Don't make me regret giving you a choice.]

I stared at that line for a long time.

He was waiting for me to cave.

I didn't reply.

On the day of the procedure, I sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, clutching the appointment papers. My palms were sweating.

Ten minutes before I was supposed to go in, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.

I looked up and saw my mother.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes were severely swollen, and she was practically running toward me.

"Erin!"

She lunged forward and grabbed my hands.

"Mom, what are you doing here—"

She was panting.

"Alexander called me. He said you two had a fight and you were going to terminate the pregnancy. He asked me to come talk to you."

"Erin," she squeezed my hands, pleading. "Couples fight. It's normal. Don't make a permanent decision just because you're angry."

"Mom, let go of me."

She didn't.

That was when I really looked at her face.

Her eyes were puffy, with deep, dark circles underneath. Her lips were cracked and dry.

"Mom, what's wrong? Did something happen at home?"

She averted her eyes.

"Nothing. I was just worried about you. I didn't sleep well..."

"No." I stared her down. "Tell me the truth."

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Then her eyes welled up, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Your father... David's company is in trouble."

"A major project failed. Investors pulled out, and we're facing massive breach of contract penalties. We might have to take out a second mortgage on the house."

"I didn't want to worry you..."

My blood ran ice cold.

"Mom, sit here and wait for me. I need to use the restroom."

I walked to the stairwell at the end of the hall.

The heavy fire door shut behind me, plunging the world into silence.

I dialed Alexander's number.

"Made up your mind?" His voice came through the receiver, steady and calm, like he had been sitting by the phone waiting for this exact moment.

"My dad's company. You did this."

It wasn't a question.

He let out a soft chuckle.

It wasn't a gloat. It was a sound that said: You finally get it.

"I just heard your father's project hit a snag. I was going to step in, but you were so determined to cut ties."

His tone was gentle, like we were discussing dinner plans.

A chill crawled up my spine.

"You're blackmailing me, Alexander."

His voice dropped the pretense.

"You stay. The baby stays. And I keep your father's business afloat."

"But if you insist on this abortion, I have absolutely no reason to intervene."

"What about Victoria?"

A one-second pause on the line.

"I'll handle it. Just give me time."

I closed my eyes.

The stairwell was dim. The green glow of the exit sign cast a sickly light against the concrete wall.

"Fine. I'll keep it."

A long exhale came through the phone.

"Thank you, Erin. I'm making the calls now. Your father's company will be stabilized by tonight."

I didn't say anything.

He spoke again.

"I know you hate me right now. But one day you'll realize I did this for us."

I hung up.

I stood in the stairwell, gripping my phone, completely paralyzed.

For us.

I looked down at my stomach.

It was still flat. You couldn't see a thing. But I knew a life was taking root in there.

A life he forced me to keep.

I let out a laugh.

I laughed until the tears started falling.

He said he would handle Victoria.

He said to give him time.

But from start to finish, he never once said the words—

I will divorce her.

My phone buzzed again.

I didn't look.

I didn't need to.

From this second on, I would never believe another word out of his mouth.

Chapter 2

I didn't leave my apartment for three days.

I kept the curtains drawn. I couldn't tell day from night.

My stomach was still flat, but I knew something was growing inside.

I finally turned my phone back on.

Missed calls: 47.

Texts and iMessages: 93.

All from Alexander.

The earliest ones were voicemails. I didn't listen to them.

Then came the texts.

[Erin, listen to me. I'll handle things on my end. Just give me some time.]

[It's just a business arrangement. Give me time to fix this.]

[The baby is innocent. Don't do something you'll regret, okay?]

Then, the tone shifted.

[Are you really going to push me this far?]

[I told you I'd handle it. What more do you want from me?]

The last text came this afternoon. Just one line.

[Your appointment is tomorrow. Don't make me regret giving you a choice.]

I stared at that line for a long time.

He was waiting for me to cave.

I didn't reply.

On the day of the procedure, I sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, clutching the appointment papers. My palms were sweating.

Ten minutes before I was supposed to go in, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.

I looked up and saw my mother.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes were severely swollen, and she was practically running toward me.

"Erin!"

She lunged forward and grabbed my hands.

"Mom, what are you doing here—"

She was panting.

"Alexander called me. He said you two had a fight and you were going to terminate the pregnancy. He asked me to come talk to you."

"Erin," she squeezed my hands, pleading. "Couples fight. It's normal. Don't make a permanent decision just because you're angry."

"Mom, let go of me."

She didn't.

That was when I really looked at her face.

Her eyes were puffy, with deep, dark circles underneath. Her lips were cracked and dry.

"Mom, what's wrong? Did something happen at home?"

She averted her eyes.

"Nothing. I was just worried about you. I didn't sleep well..."

"No." I stared her down. "Tell me the truth."

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Then her eyes welled up, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Your father... David's company is in trouble."

"A major project failed. Investors pulled out, and we're facing massive breach of contract penalties. We might have to take out a second mortgage on the house."

"I didn't want to worry you..."

My blood ran ice cold.

"Mom, sit here and wait for me. I need to use the restroom."

I walked to the stairwell at the end of the hall.

The heavy fire door shut behind me, plunging the world into silence.

I dialed Alexander's number.

"Made up your mind?" His voice came through the receiver, steady and calm, like he had been sitting by the phone waiting for this exact moment.

"My dad's company. You did this."

It wasn't a question.

He let out a soft chuckle.

It wasn't a gloat. It was a sound that said: You finally get it.

"I just heard your father's project hit a snag. I was going to step in, but you were so determined to cut ties."

His tone was gentle, like we were discussing dinner plans.

A chill crawled up my spine.

"You're blackmailing me, Alexander."

His voice dropped the pretense.

"You stay. The baby stays. And I keep your father's business afloat."

"But if you insist on this abortion, I have absolutely no reason to intervene."

"What about Victoria?"

A one-second pause on the line.

"I'll handle it. Just give me time."

I closed my eyes.

The stairwell was dim. The green glow of the exit sign cast a sickly light against the concrete wall.

"Fine. I'll keep it."

A long exhale came through the phone.

"Thank you, Erin. I'm making the calls now. Your father's company will be stabilized by tonight."

I didn't say anything.

He spoke again.

"I know you hate me right now. But one day you'll realize I did this for us."

I hung up.

I stood in the stairwell, gripping my phone, completely paralyzed.

For us.

I looked down at my stomach.

It was still flat. You couldn't see a thing. But I knew a life was taking root in there.

A life he forced me to keep.

I let out a laugh.

I laughed until the tears started falling.

He said he would handle Victoria.

He said to give him time.

But from start to finish, he never once said the words—

I will divorce her.

My phone buzzed again.

I didn't look.

I didn't need to.

From this second on, I would never believe another word out of his mouth.