Chapter 3

The door to the next hospital room was half open. I saw Jaxon sitting inside, holding the woman he once promised would never appear in his life again.

A large lunchbox sat in front of them. He was feeding her, one bite for him, one bite for her. The two of them were eating together happily.

"Lauren," Jaxon had said, hurriedly grabbing my hand, "she's in too much pain to eat by herself. It's early-stage stomach cancer. There's no one else to take care of her...

"You've always been so kind. Nothing is going on between us. I'm just helping her, that's all. You're the only one I care about."

My hand moved unconsciously to the incision from my C-section. And once again, I chose to believe him.

…

I didn't arrive at my new lodging until midnight. My stomach was empty, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. The sourness rising in my chest made me nauseous.

Just then, my phone lit up with a message from Jaxon.

"The child went into anaphylactic shock. It was serious. The doctor said he was lucky we brought him in quickly. Mom says you should focus on your own matters for now. You don't have to come to the baby's one-month celebration."

I sat in that bare, silent room, watching the night fade into morning.

Mabye...it was time to leave.

…

Christmas was approaching. My mother-in-law asked me to come home and help.

As soon as I stepped through the door, I saw Sophie in the living room, giving instructions to the housekeeper. Anyone walking in would've assumed she was the mistress of the house.

Jaxon looked surprised to see me—half pleased, half embarrassed.

After dinner, Sophie suddenly came running downstairs, shrieking, her clothes disheveled, tears streaking down her face. In her hand, she clutched a tiny surveillance camera.

"Jaxon! Mom! Look! Lauren installed a camera in my bedroom! She's been secretly filming me!" she shouted, trembling as she pointed at me.

Her phone rang right then. She tapped a link. The screen lit up with private photos of her taken from sharp, invasive angles. The title was vulgar. The images were being sold online for fifty cents apiece.

"She didn't just film me," Sophie sobbed, struggling to breathe. "She sold the photos online for fifty cents per picture!"

My mother-in-law was shaking with rage, her finger pointed straight at me.

"You vile woman! How did our family end up with someone as shameless and malicious as you?!"

"It wasn't me! I never—"

"In this house, only a few people have access to that bedroom. If it wasn't you, then who? Me? My mom?" Jaxon's roar cut me off. "Or do you think she did it to herself? You're disgusting. If you needed money so badly, you could've just asked me."

Without warning, my mother-in-law grabbed a nearby stick and brought it down on me. "I'll beat you to death, you wretched creature! You've disgraced our entire family!"

Sophie clung tightly to my arms, holding me in place so I couldn't dodge. The stick landed again and again. My head was soon wet with blood, but Jaxon stayed beside Sophie, softly coaxing her.

Blood blurred my vision. Tears blurred the rest.

And then, memory rushed in.

I remembered leaving the hospital, thinking maybe life could return to normal. I thought he still loved me…until Sophie appeared, wearing the postpartum gown he once selected for me. She knelt before me, held my hands, and pleaded.

"It's all my fault. Don't blame Jaxon. Just say the word and I'll leave with my babies right now."

Jaxon had knelt beside her, holding my other hand, his voice pleading too.

"Lauren, you've always been the kindest. The babies are so small. How can she take care of them alone? You wouldn't be that cruel, would you?"

I thought of their hands, one on each side, pressing down on me that day. I looked down at my arms now, pinned just the same.

And suddenly, I laughed.