LOGINPreschools are hard to plan for. There’s so many different considerations. But the best ones seem to have the strangest requirements and enrollment requests.“Trinity West or Lala Madox?” I ask aloud.Tom is on the floor of my living room playing with our laughing children.He’s so invested that I almost don’t expect him to answer. But he says, “Lala Madox has a really good reputation.”“It’s insanely expensive and the admission requirements are unrealistic.” I tell him.He glances over his shoulder at me, “well… the money’s not an issue.”“They want a step by step prep guide we are expected to follow—”“what does that mean?”“I think it means we have to show how we plan on teaching our kids at home or their tutoring… and if we fall behind we forfeit our deposits.”Tom scoffs and looks back at the kids, “they’re 3. What do they need to be tutored in?”“Math…. They need to count to 5 by the time they’re admitted, and they need to be able to read at—”“Isn’t that their jobs?” He asked a
Tom takes me back to the new house. He’d insisted on going alone, but I wanted to see what he’d done with April and Hendrix.In the unfinished greenhouse is a stairway to a cellar. He tells me it’s meant to be a vintage wine cellar. But since divorcing, he doesn’t care about finishing the house anymore. He’s hesitant to bring me down, but I insist.In the cellar is April. Chained by the ankle to a supporting beam. The only light is turned on when we walk down the steps.She covers her eyes a first. Her face is dirty and bruised. Her hair – what remains of it – is in a disgruntled mess. Her eyes widen when she sees us.First hopeful, then afraid.“Please!” She cried, shuffling herself back against the pillar, “please don’t! I’m sorry! I already know I was wrong!”“What’s your brother’s name?” Tom asks.She hesitates and then a pathetic smile pulls across her face. She scoffs out a laugh and says, “Jason.”“I thought he died when you were seven.” He says.She looks down and shakes her h
I quickly call the number back. No answer.My heart is racing. I can’t describe the sickening feeling in my stomach. My body reacts in an unfamiliar way. I call again.No answer but a message comes in. It’s just an address. Followed by a message that warns me to come alone.Reason has left my mind.How could this be? How could my baby be alive? How do I get there alone?I call the number but there’s no answer. What do I do with my daughter? But I can’t leave my son.My mind can’t work fast enough but suddenly like it reached a cliff at the end of a long, deserted road, my mind stops. Somehow, I manage to calm myself. I take a breath and pull out my phone.Tom answered on the second ring. His voice is urgent. Not like he knows our baby is alive, but rather like he’s surprised to hear my voice.“I need someone to watch the baby.”He’s quiet. “why?”“I need….” I can’t tell him. What if it’s him doing this? Or what if it’s not and he decides to come with me? Will they kill our son? Will t
I shake my head.It’s been 20 minutes since the doctor left but they won’t let me leave my bed and they won’t bring me my baby.“He can’t be dead!” I scream at Tom who sits beside me, holding my arm with his eyes closed.“He had trouble breathing.” Tom whispers.“He was breathing in my arms!” I scream. “He was okay when he was in my arms!”This was it. This would be the straw that broke the camels back. This will be the thing that truly destroyed me. I can feel it.“I had him—” I cry.Tom doesn’t know what to say and so he sits in silence and says nothing. Time seems to stand still until his lawyer walks in holding a folder. He takes it, signs it, and then gives it to me.By this time my eyes had run out of tears but they were still crusted and burning.I take the forms and blink at the key word I’ve been waiting to see “divorce.”My hand shakes. Did he think this would make me feel better about our child? The void just feels empty. Endless.I take the form and sign it. I don’t read t
The ride to the hospital is chaotic. Tom refuses to release my hand in the ambulance.“I’m sorry—” He says over and over again.I ignore him as the pain in my core worsens.I let out a scream as a paramedic says, “you are doing great. We’re three minutes away.”“You caused this!” I scream, clenching his hand tighter. During our fight I’d curled over in pain. The paramedics say I’m in labour. “You did this you bastard!”“I’m sorry.” The fear in his eyes and helpless look on his face remind me more of the man I’d married. It’s suddenly hard to remind myself why I hate him.The time passed in a blur I could remember in clear detail. It took about 12 hours but finally I heard my baby’s cry.I tried to fight Tom to leave but he refused. I scream as they hand the baby to him. He hugs it and looks at me confused.Then the doctor says, “there’s another one.”“What?” He looks at the doctor, then me wide eyed. “Twins?”I close my eyes and try to forget where I am. I fail.“Congratulations. A bea
Tom sits with his head in his hands and his elbows propped up on the long table. Despite this, he keeps his eyes on the screen as Victor goes through more and more evidence of his and April’s affair, their plot to steal my child, and my unjust imprisonment at the mental institution.“Chloe—” Tom says when Victor ends another section. I look at him with as much indifference as I can manage, “None… I didn’t do any of this. I d-didn’t know.”“I told you.” I say in a cool voice.“You didn’t—”“If the roles had been reversed, I would’ve noticed something was wrong.” I decide because it feels harder to argue with.Tears start to slowly fall from his eyes as his voice breaks, “Chlo—I was trying to protect you.”Victor interrupts, “let’s move to division of property. My clients is only asking for the apartment—”After the meeting I walk out and break fresh air for what feels like the first time in years. Anna offers to bring me to my car but I ask to walk alone. I want to enjoy the sun filled
I fail to dodge her as she rushes to pull me into a superficial hug.“Chloe, you have to join us on our housewarming party.” Her smile has a wicked tint to it.“House warming?” She pulls my arm into the group.She proudly explains, “Tommy was concerned about my safety. So he moved me a floor below
I asked Anna to stop and get me a baseball bat before taking me home. I’m cautious approaching the door.For all I know, there’s a group of doctors and police inside waiting to arrest me. I need to be ready to escape.Armed with a ready bat, I enter the house.There’s a strange scent, almost like b
“You don’t have to go back unless you want to.” Anna says.Some morbid part of me wants to. I want him to love me. I want him to choose me. I want him to want me. I just know that these wants will never be my reality. They’re April’s reality.She had two years to monopolize him and she’d taken it.
We all stare at Carson in shock.He shuffles awkwardly and says, “I’m a doctor. I easily could’ve visited you while you were in there. I can forge a DNA test too. So long as Tom’s not the father, he can’t do anything.”I open my mouth but no words come out.Anna speaks first, “that’s a great idea!”







