Chapter 6

Ever since her first round of IVF, Silas had insisted on these daily shots. He claimed it was the best imported medicine to keep her and the baby safe. By now, Eve's midsection was a mosaic of bruises and swelling. She'd kept taking them even when the first round failed, hoping it would help the second time. Now, it all felt like a sick joke.

"At least tell me," Eve said, her voice dropping to a dangerous low, "how much is Silas paying you to do this?"

Annalise Keaton, a young woman with a forgettable face, froze. Her eyes went wide with panic. "I... what?"

The look on the doctor's face told Eve everything she needed to know. Yesterday, Eve had asked her OB-GYN, Dr. Evans, about the shots. He had been livid.

"This is absolute nonsense!" he had shouted. "Mrs. Covington, your bloodwork is perfect. There's no sign of a threatened miscarriage. Why on Earth are you taking these? It's just causing unnecessary trauma to you and the babies!"

Eve had been shaking with rage. "But I'm so sick every day, I can't keep anything down!"

"Even a healthy person is going to have side effects if they're being poked with needles for no reason," Evans had replied. "Stop them immediately! I can't guarantee your safety if you keep this up."

He'd run more tests, confirming the babies were fine, but he couldn't tell what was in the syringes without a sample. Eve knew it was Silas. Even if she was carrying his children, he wanted her to suffer. He wanted her weak, sick, and dependent.

She turned her icy gaze back to Annalise. "I trusted you. I thought you actually had a moral compass. But now? All I have to do is take this syringe to the police and have a lab run it. I'll sue you for medical malpractice and intentional harm. Do you think Silas is going to protect you when the cops show up? How many years do you think you'll get?"

Annalise crumbled instantly, adjusting her glasses with a trembling hand. "Mrs. Covington, please! I only took this position with your husband to gain access to the estate! I never meant to cause you physical harm. If you turn me over to the police, it will ruin everything!"

Eve fought back the urge to scream. And what about my own life?

"You have a choice, Annalise," Eve said. "Decide right now who you're actually working for."

Annalise wasn't stupid. Silas was powerful, sure, but Eve had her cornered. She nodded frantically.

After the doctor slunk away, Eve looked up at the massive wedding portrait hanging in the living room. Silas looked so gentle there, like the perfect, considerate husband. Even after her family scandal broke, he'd stood by her, defying his parents' demands for a divorce. She had thought he was her rock. She'd been so blind.

A new thought struck her: if the shots were a lie, was the medical report saying she was infertile a lie, too?

She couldn't stay in this house a second longer. She went online and hired a crew of movers. While she sat in the kitchen and forced herself to eat a real meal, the crew hauled down the wedding photo. They cleared out every trace of her from the house: every cup, every dish, every framed memory. She even grabbed the souvenirs from the few dates they'd actually gone on and tossed them into the fire pit in the garden. She watched the flames eat through the past until there was nothing left but ash.

Silas Covington and this pathetic marriage—she was the one throwing him away.

As she rolled her suitcase toward the door, she called Annalise. "Doctor, I want you to file a report. Say I'm under extreme stress, the pregnancy is unstable, and I'm at high risk for a miscarriage. Send it directly to Silas."

If Melody wanted to come out of the shadows, Eve was happy to help her by making her the villain in a very public tragedy.

After hanging up, Eve placed a hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry, little ones," she whispered. "Mommy didn't mean to jinx you. I just have to take out the trash. I love you both so much. Just stay strong in there for me, okay?"

Surprisingly, now that the injections had stopped, the morning sickness was already fading. She needed to get her strength back. She had to protect these babies and cut ties with the Covingtons for good.

Eve had just finished moving into a small, rented apartment when Silas called. He'd clearly seen the report.

"Eve?" His voice sounded actually anxious. "Dr. Keaton said you're stressed and the baby is at risk! What happened? Who... you were just at home—who upset you? Tell me, and I'll take care of it."

He wasn't worried about her, of course. He was worried about his heirs. Eve kept her voice weak and trembling.

"Silas... I heard Melody is back. I know you never forgot her. I know you think I'm the reason she left..."

There was dead silence on the other end. Finally, Silas spoke in a low, careful tone. "Eve... did someone tell you something? Don't overthink things. You're my wife. She's in the past. If you lose this baby because you're worrying about nonsense, I'll be devastated."

Eve listened to his performance, fighting the urge to gag. "I just care about you so much," she lied. "But hearing you say that... it helps. I'm actually at the hospital right now trying to stabilize things. I won't be home for a few days, so why don't you stay at your parents' place for a bit?"

She'd already listed their house for sale—the further away he was, the better. Silas asked which hospital so he could visit, but Eve shut it down fast. "The company is at such a critical stage right now, Silas. Don't worry about me. I'll call you when I'm discharged."

She hung up and let out a long, shaky breath. The Covington daughter-in-law? She couldn't care less about that title.

The next day, Eve went to see Dr. Evans. She handed him one of the syringes Annalise had been using. When the results came back, she finally felt the last of the tension leave her shoulders.

It was just saline. Annalise hadn't lied. Silas and Melody didn't even want to poison her—they just wanted her to suffer the pain of the needles every single day for the fun of it.

Dr. Evans shook his head, looking baffled. "It's just salt water. Why would anyone go through all this trouble?"