Chapter 3
"Ever since you got pregnant, it's always something! Pain, discomfort—I can't take it anymore!"
"Isn't that normal during pregnancy? You're just being dramatic!"
As Benjamin moved toward the car, I clutched his sleeve, desperation clawing at me.
"Please... just take me to the hospital. The pain—it’s unbearable..."
Tears streamed down my face, my features twisted in agony.
Ari pouted, her tone light and teasing. "Come on, Ben, let’s hurry to the movies. We’ll miss the opening scene!"
"Sasha’s so desperate to tag along, she’s even faking a miscarriage!"
She tilted her head, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Fine, let’s bring her then!"
"But, Ben, the backseat’s packed with my stuffed animals. Where’s she supposed to sit?"
Benjamin’s car was always a mess of Ari’s belongings, especially Mr. Fluff, the stuffed bear she insisted had to stay in the car. She claimed it made her feel like she was always with him, just like the mountain of plush toys that had taken over his bedroom—and, it seemed, his life. They’d replaced me entirely.
"If Sasha’s so determined to come, she can squeeze into the trunk!"
I shook my head frantically, pleading for them to take me to the hospital, but Benjamin shoved me into the trunk without a second thought. I fought to climb out, but he slammed it shut, cutting off my cries.
"Stop squirming. We’ll be there soon."
Curled up in the cramped, dark space, I felt my strength drain away. My screams for help were swallowed by the suffocating silence. Their voices, however, carried clear as day.
"Ari, I never knew you could be so understanding. If only Sasha were half as reasonable as you."
"Ben, since I’m being so good, what’s my reward?"
The tension in the car grew thick, and soon, all I heard were the sounds of their heated breaths. Benjamin was lost in kissing her, completely oblivious to me—his pregnant wife—stuffed in the trunk while he cuddled his childhood sweetheart, their intimacy on full display.
A cold, crushing despair washed over me. I felt the blood flow more freely now. Reaching for my phone, I tried to call 911, but my breath was too shallow to form words. As the car finally started moving, my consciousness began to slip away.
By the time Benjamin pulled up to the cinema, I was completely unconscious. He popped open the trunk, irritation in his voice. "Sasha, quit pretending to sleep. We’re here. Are you getting out or not?"
"Is Sasha mad at us?" Ari teased.
Benjamin’s impatience flared. "What does she have to be upset about? She’s the one who insisted on coming!"
Ari nudged me with her foot. "Sasha, if you don’t wake up, Ben and I are leaving without you~"
Still, I didn’t move.
Seeing me lifeless in the trunk, Benjamin’s expression shifted from annoyance to confusion. The evening was dim, the streetlights casting faint glows. If he’d leaned in closer, he might have noticed the pool of blood beneath me.
Benjamin frowned, calling my name again. "Sasha?"
No response.
Only then did he catch the metallic scent wafting from the trunk. He recoiled, covering his nose. When he pulled his hand back, it was smeared with blood.
"Blood? Why is there blood?!"