The words poured out of

rs froze on

ce went on. "Mother forced me. But I found out later that Eve lie

speaker. "I knew she was up to no good. But it's oka

edge of the bed. Her b

s I lied about

gasps as the memory she had buri

ASH

along and bursting with hope. She had been carrying a tray o

ing. The next, the world tilted, and she was fallin

arp, tearing,

or said a word. She had felt

Lu

he doctor said the words I'm so sorry, something in h

as r

adn't called. He had let her bury her child alone, in an empty room, in an empty

he was hurting. That

d been

F FLAS

to the prese

p. He thinks I never

pered. "I can't lis

e voices vanished. Silence

de her. "Please, calm down. There must be a

forced her voice steady

Ma'

eas

eyes full of pity, and t

r click

ree years of marriage, Eve H

hat tore up from the deepest part of her chest. Her heart

s carrying now. She cried for every night she had waited at that t

how long it last

nally ran dry, sh

d different. C

calm and quiet and certain. Not when he sees me a

eement. She hadn't opened it once since Lucas had thrown it a

read eve

hange for signing, the Wife will recei

augh escap

urmured. "He thinks

had a price tag. He believed sh

there, sharp and tidy and emotionless. He had signed a

. Ten million can't replace the

o her stomach, and

told the tiny life beneath her palm. He do

ked up

t stroke came out crooked. She took a

as d

ure for a long time. It

eved, with all her naive heart, that love would grow in time.

long before he ever

she slid the wedding ring off her finger, the ring sh

ht the light for

e turne

-

e entire mansi

ed every counter and polished every table, as if she could scrub

oria begged, watching her scrub the

led faintly. "I need

e had framed. Every flower arrangement she had arranged with h

elle was out. No sneers.

packed only what she had brought with her three years ago. A few plain dr

clothes, the jewelry, the gi

never b

ightened up. The room was bare now, strip

around one

ried her bag

door, her f

ered in her mind. You could wait. You could t

call it an

sed around t

e cold air slapped her face like a rem

ly. But inside her chest

ach step heavier than the one before. The mansion sto

e, she stopped

rst arrived. A palace. Now it jus

me, she thought. I

er cheeks, but sh

nothing. But I'm

h one more time, and her voice came

, somewhere he can never hurt us. And I will raise you with so

her back on

he was going, only knowing that anywhere was better than