iveway, the warmth in the house vanished. All

e. This house, which he called our haven, was no

was from our wedding day. We were both smiling, so

surface reflecting my broken face. He said my music w

le. He always kept a small, locked box there. He said it held

dden under the lam

lvet, was a piece of yellowe

, in what I now realized was

ity. She is my only one, my soul, my reason for living. I will

hoarse whisper. The promises, onc

ing my lips. This whole marriage, this who

A message from

ened

together. She was smiling at the camera, her a

e photo was like

rthday. Said he had to rush back to his

essage ca

old today. Kameron gave him the best party.

years

ust after the incident where I'd caught them kissing, right after

m my throat, raw

vase, and hurled it at the wall. It shattere

hrough the house like a hurricane, destroy

e glass splintering Kameron's l

ument groaning under my frenzied attack, its keys splinter

nd took a pair of scissors to them, shredding the expensiv

os, the gifts, the clothes, the shattered rema

in lighter fluid a

ove. The fire licked at the night sky, casti

ad ever given m

ollapsed onto our cold, empty bed. I fe

ped around me, pulling me against a hard chest. The familiar scent

remem

demanding. I shoved him

g back here?" I as

rembling. He sounded genuinely terrified. "I d

body shaking. "Promise me, Hailey

of manipulation, another

ng with an irony he couldn't detect. "We sho

ng through the window, was a mask of shock. But it was gone

thinking... maybe we could find a surrogate. Someone to carry ou

the scorn I felt. He wa

clinic. He held my hand the entire way, whispering sweet

with envy. "Mr. Stephens, you love y

, a perfect, l

ed. It was painful, a deep, invasive ache that was n

de, feeding me soup, showerin

tside my door. "He's so devoted. But she's just

ent laugh. My eyes st

is. It would be my egg, but it would never be my c

turning away when he tri

nature flaring. He leaned over me, his hands

he door to m

there, a picture of

for a split second, her mask slipped. I saw a fla

and sweet. "I was so worried. I ju