ssa's

ve the heavy shears straight thro

s on the floor, picked up a bottle of red wine from the table, and poured it over them. Eig

blinking up at me innoc

of whiskey. He glanced at the wreckage on

p scissors," Derek chuckled softly, kissing th

, the last string

s betrayals. Ten years of shelving my dreams to feed his s

able, lunged forward, and slapped Alondra acro

ac

nt. Alondra's head snapped sideways, and

a!" Dere

rushed me, seized my shoulders, a

d on the damp

e corner with a sickening thud. The ceramic bowl of hot soup on the counter overturned an

ng squarely on the sharp, s

urning cramp seized the depths of my belly. A hot, thick rush of b

knees and clutching her belly. "Derek! M

ely-me, lying in a pool of scalding soup, blood,

rek cried, carrying her toward the door.

to glare at me, his eyes b

rek snarled through his teeth, "I swear I will

my mind blank. Why wa

as stretch out one blood-soaked hand, my fingertips scraping weakly ag

y in disgust. "Quit f

slammed w

ead silence, broken only by th

kingly dark and thick against the white marble tile. Darkness crept

.

gain, the air reeked of

l room under a harsh fluorescent light. Ta

male doctor came i

doctor said gent

pened?" I whisper

hemorrhaging," the doctor said, her eyes full of sympathy. "I'm so sorry,

ompletel

by?" I

gnant," the doctor said s

. I turned my head and stared b

Derek came home blind drunk. I fought with e

loathing, tossed out a cruel threat,

that night had

wn father's hands-before it ha

on," a nurse said, coming in with a clipboard. "Your husband is listed as your guarantor, b

ked up the phone by the bed a

s, then it

t Bellevue. I need you to

r good, Clarissa?" Derek's voice o

ld just make out Alondra

me back into old memories, and for a moment I forgo

. "The doctor said your little stunt nearly sent her to the emergency ro

k, I

ic

ne wen

ar for a long moment before slow

my name, stroke by stroke, on the surgi

handwritten note. "Someone left

and Ballroom at the Plaza for our wedding next month. Thanks

ture read

ripped the IV needle out of my arm, a

he nurse rushed to stop me. "Yo

d to stay." My

ans and walked out into the