Flowe

nd eyes, his gentle smile, haunted me. Each ticking second was agony

of dawn colored the sky, my

wrote. "It's hard to tal

e truth began to unfold,

ote. "You were in Singapore, presenting your new project. I was told. I immediately c

The suspense

egnant. With my child. She said she was having complications.

an cold. M

old my assistant to make sure the doctors got to

distraught. Crying. She said she lost th

w my assistant's name, the hospital, the surgeon-everything. She'd been in my office, gone through my emails while I was in the shower. S

lurred. My

surgery failed. He died on the table. You screamed for an enti

t was her. She did it. She cancelled the team. She faked the pregnancy

felt light. I couldn't process it. My father. Dead

father was in the living room, reading the morning p

he said, his voice warm. "Rough night

side him. I buried my face in his shoulder. His familiar scent, a mi

y voice muffled. "I just..

tened to her chatter about the neighbors. I played chess with my father, letting him win, ju

, I messaged fut

. "What about her? W

t this time. Fille

one. She said it was too much for you to handle, after your f

sed. Lost. She didn't recognize anyone. Not even me. She just sat there, s

My mother was humming a tune, washing dishes. Her apron was dusted with flour. She looke

inst the steering wheel. My shoulders shook uncontrollably. How could they? How could Jadon, th

low shell. A phantom limb. I tried to reconcile the man I loved with the man who stood by and watched my

tears tasted salty

ursing homes. Architectural firms. I wasn't just planning my escape. I was planning their d

My annual check-up results. I braced myse

calm, professional. "We have your re

ng hand to my abdomen. Pregnant? Three months? That meant... before the enga

of joy. Not exactly. They were tears of a ho

lt like an eternity. My mind raced. A baby. Jadon

"Did we have a child?"

opped. Then, "typing..." again. It pa

message appeare

sk any more, E

, a new message. A voice note. Future Jad

lly. Don't tell anyone. Not him. Not Kimberly. Get rid of it. Pl