Rollin

t. Dereck was finally asleep, his breathing deep and even. It was now or never. I pushed myself up, a low groan escapi

e hospital gown felt like a shroud. I made my way to Dereck' s private study, a room usual

ing. My eyes landed on a hidden panel behind a bookshelf, a secret compartment I' d only known b

ing the sequence of numbers, "is for

e he loved me. The day he had, apparently, also begun building a se

ts of our shared past. Not a singl

am. Another was a detailed prenatal check-up schedule. My breath caught in my throat.

ary device. With trembling fingers, I pressed the power button. The screen lit up, disp

back: "Our little fighter." "My son." Photos of Kacey, glowing and pregnant, posing with Dereck, his arm possessively around her.

y, precise handwriting. Below it, a set of architectural drawings-a nursery. The details were exquisite, every corner designed

name. The date coincided perfectly with a supposed "business trip" Dereck had taken,

a," he had told me just months before.

sn' t ready for my children. He didn' t want

ring. Not my engagement ring. This one was a custom design, a delicate band interwov

oming official union of Dereck Potter and Kacey Acevedo. Their names, carved onto a sacred scroll,

addressed to the officiant: "Please ensure al

e. I was the inconvenient trut

My body shook, the suppressed sobs wracking my

fingers fumbling. Anika.

word barely audible. "I ne

you okay?" Her voice was

canceling the registration.

the other end. "Cayla... are

ds solidifying a cold resolve I hadn't k

rrangements. Tell

the desk, exhaustion pulling at me. I was leaving him. Leavi

t night. I dreamt of open ski

. Dereck. He was sitting up on the cot, clutching a medical report. H

agony. "The doctors... they confirmed it. The accident... it caused irreparab

eyes, though red, still held that unsettling emptiness

t through this. Together. We can... we can adopt. There' s a boy. A beautiful b

very perfectly timed tremor in his voic

ear tracing its way down my cheek.

asn't love I heard; it was a frantic, triumphant beat. "I' ll transfer ev

he back of his hand. "The ceremony, t

but firm. "I' ll send someone in my place to sign the

oment, I saw genuine surprise. He hadn

nd, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He reached for

glanced at his device. His face, which had just mom

The marriage registration... it