Chapter 2

But I didn’t die. When I opened my eyes again, Ronnie was beside my bed, his eyes bloodshot.

He clutched me tightly, swearing to me.

“Honey, you scared me to death.”

“I won’t get anyone pregnant again, I promise you.”

But people, once they break a promise the first time, will break countless promises for the rest of their lives.

The second time Briar got pregnant, Ronnie smoked all night.

I knew he was torn.

He felt for Briar, but he was also bound by his promise to me.

Briar came knocking on our door. Before I could say anything, she collapsed.

The baby was gone.

That was the first time I saw Ronnie in a fit of uncontrolled rage.

He grabbed my throat, demanding I pay with my life.

“I already promised you! I was going to make her get rid of it! Why couldn’t you just leave her alone?!”

That was the second time I faced death.

My lungs burned as if they would explode, air slowly stripped away.

Just as I thought I was going to die, I was flung aside like a broken doll.

Seeing the undisguised disgust in his eyes, all my explanations caught in my throat, stuck there, making me sick and wretched.

Ronnie moved out of the home we’d lovingly decorated together.

After that, whenever I needed to reach him, I had to get Briar’s permission before he would answer my calls.

Two months later, I found out I was pregnant.

The doctor called it a miracle, likely my only chance to ever have a child.

I texted Ronnie, but Briar showed up instead.

Briar came to our house to corner me.

“Do you really think this baby will make Ronnie come back to you?”

“Don’t be naive. Do you know what Ronnie said on my bed last night? He said just seeing your old hag face made him sick. If you hadn’t saved him back then, he would have kicked you to the curb ages ago.”

Before she left, when I wasn’t looking, she poured hand soap onto the bathroom floor.

I slipped when I went to the bathroom, and the gush of blood on the floor stained my vision red.

I called Ronnie, but his line was constantly busy.

On the tenth call, he only replied with four words: *Briar won’t let me.*

The ambulance was slow to arrive. The blood was already cold.

The baby was gone. I lay in the hospital bed, staring numbly at the ceiling, unable to understand how Ronnie and I had come to this.

I thought, *this is it*. Maybe the baby knew it shouldn't come into this world.

It would only face constantly fighting parents.

This is better.

Let it be.

From that day on, I think I stopped loving Ronnie.

Even now, seeing their backs together, there wasn't a ripple in my heart.

The ringtone of *his* special song broke my reverie. I answered the call.

“Yes, the divorce papers are ready. I’ll give them to him tomorrow.”

“You can pick me up the day after tomorrow.”