The Weight Of Cruelty

**Aurora's POV**

I stared at the pregnancy strip sitting on the edge of the sink, my heart pounding so fast I could barely breathe.

*Please,* I whispered to the empty bathroom, closing my eyes tight. *Just let it be two lines this time. Please, just once.*

When I finally forced myself to open my eyes and look down, I felt sick.

One single pink line. Negative. Again.

A sob broke out of my throat before I could stop it. My legs completely gave out, and I just slid down the bathroom door until I was sitting flat on the cold floor, burying my face in my hands. I just sat there crying, everything blurring around me.

Three years. It had been exactly three years since I walked down the aisle, so happy, thinking I was starting the best chapter of my life. I was thirty now, and instead of a house filled with kids, I just felt completely empty.

 Every single negative test felt like a reminder of how alone I really was. After the house fire took my entire family and left me an orphan with nobody left in the world, I had put all my hope into this marriage. I thought Donald was going to be my family. I was so wrong.

*Buzz.*

The loud vibration of my phone on the counter made me jump. I wiped my face with shaking fingers and reached up to grab it. My stomach dropped into a tight knot the second I saw my husband's name on the screen.

> **Donald:** *I hope you aren't wasting your day doing nothing like you always do. The kitchen better be spotless before I get home. And stop stuffing your face. You're getting wider by the minute, Aurora. It’s disgusting.*

> 

A fresh wave of tears hit me, mixed with deep shame. I slowly dragged myself up from the floor and looked at my reflection in the mirror. It was true. The constant stress, the isolation, and the way he always picked at me had completely ruined my body. Over the last three years, I had gained so much weight, almost like my body was storing all the sadness I couldn't let out.

And Donald never let me forget it. He threw it in my face every chance he got, totally ignoring the fact that he was the one who refused to let me get a job, forcing me to stay at home all day where I had nothing to do but think.

Wiping my cheeks hard, I balled up the negative pregnancy test in some tissue, shoved it way down to the bottom of the trash can so he wouldn't find it, and walked out. I couldn't afford to sit here crying all afternoon. I had to get to the market to buy the exact groceries he demanded for dinner.

Downstairs, the quiet clinking of pots came from the kitchen. Lola, our cook, looked up the second I walked into the room. Her eyes softened, she knew that look on my face all too well. But before she could even say anything, the front door swung open, and the loud click of high heels echoed through the hallway.

"Aurora? Babe, are you home?"

It was Lily. My friend walked into the kitchen like she owned the place, wearing a tight designer dress that showed off her perfectly fit, toned body. She gave me a huge smile, but her eyes did that quick, cold sweep down my body that always made me want to shrink.

"Oh, sweetie," Lily sighed, her voice lifting in that fake, pitying way. "Are you still wearing those huge sweaters? You're letting yourself go too much, babe. You really need to get on my diet

plan. Donald is a big-shot CEO; he needs a woman who actually cares about looking good next to him."

In the corner, Lola slammed a pot down on the stove so hard it rattled. She glared at the back of Lily's head and muttered under her breath, "Mind your business."

Lily ignored her, keeping her eyes locked on me. She stepped closer, her expression shifting when she noticed my face.

 "Oh, baby, come here. Come over here, come to mommy."

She reached out, grabbing my hands and leading me out of the kitchen and into the living room. She sat me down on the sofa, leaning in close. "What's wrong? What happened?"

My throat felt tight, and I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. "It was negative again, Lily," I choked out, my voice cracking. "I'm just... I'm so tired. I'm not getting any younger, and I really need a baby. Look at Jasmine, she already has two kids, and I was the one who got married first. I don't understand what's wrong with me."

Lily let out a soft sigh, patting my knee. Her face looked sympathetic, but her voice felt a bit hollow. "Oh, sweetie, don't worry. Children will come when they want to come, you understand? Everyone's time is just different. Don't stress yourself out about it. Just trust God, okay? He's going to make something work out for you eventually."

She stood up, smoothing down her tight dress, and looked at me again with a frown. "But seriously, you have to take better care of yourself, Aurora. I don't like how you're looking so fat lately. Why are you going around wearing this kind of big, baggy sweater anyway?"

Her words stung, hitting me right where I was already hurting from Donald's text. My eyes got watery all over again. I quickly looked away, trying to blink the tears back.

"Have you been crying?" Lily asked, tilting her head.

"I'm... I'm okay," I lied, forcing myself to stand up and grab my purse off the table. "I'm just heading out to the market, Lily. I need to get everything ready before Donald gets back."

"Perfect," Lily purred. She paused for a second, looking down to check her nails, a brief, hidden look flashing through her eyes. "Go ahead, sweetie. Take your time. Seriously, don't rush at all."