Chapter 2
I stood still before the tiny plot of earth that now held what was once my future. A single white rose trembled between my fingers as I stared down at the freshly turned soil. My child–never named, never born–lay buried beneath it.
At my side, Elias maintained the illusion of being the grieving husband. His palm was pressed gently against the small of my back, warm and steady, like a comfort. His expression was somber, the very image of loss and pain. To the onlookers, he seemed broken, devastated by tragedy.
But only I knew the unbearable truth.
He had caused this.
Murmured condolences drifted around us as friends and family trickled past, their sympathies blurring into the soft hum of wind threading through the cemetery. I barely heard them.
Then she appeared.
Sabrina.
Gliding through the mourners like she belonged, dressed in sleek black that hugged her frame and made her look more like she was attending a gala than a funeral. Her dark curls fell in glossy waves, and every step she took radiated confidence–and something colder. Cruelty wrapped in elegance.
She walked straight up to Elias, not a hint of hesitation.
And then she kissed him.
Just a whisper of contact–her lips brushing his–but enough to send a sick churn through my stomach.
She pulled back with a soft, almost playful laugh and let her hand trail across his chest.
“Oh, Veronica,” she said, turning to me with a small smile. “I do apologize. Muscle memory, I suppose. We were together for so long, I guess my body remembered before my mind did.”
Elias didn’t recoil. He didn’t even blink. A small smile played at the corner of his lips, as if the kiss meant something sweet. Familiar.
Sabrina addressed me next, her voice feigning softness. “I only just heard. I came by to offer my condolences… since I was in the area anyway.”
My jaw tightened, but I forced a polite response. “That’s… thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
The words burned like acid in my throat.
I turned to Elias, needing to escape. “Can we go now? I want to be home.”
He sighed, the sound barely concealed his annoyance.
“I actually thought today would be a good time to stop by the orphanage.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “What?”
“The process for adopting can take months,” he explained, with a lightness that made my skin crawl. “We should start early. Sabrina offered to come along–she’s familiar with the place.” Sabrina’s arm slid through his, her smile stretching wider. “I’d be more than happy to guide you.”
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I wanted to scream. To yell that I didn’t want her there. That I couldn’t stand the sight of either of
them.
But instead, I nodded and said, “Of course.”
The ride to the orphanage was unbearable. I sat alone in the back, eyes fixed on my lap, while Elias and Sabrina took the front seats–whispering, chuckling softly, sharing glances they didn’t even try to hide.
They behaved as though I didn’t exist.
I clenched my fists, fingernails biting into my palms. Still, I stayed silent.
My thoughts wandered to a time long ago, when Elias was someone else.
The bar had been loud and humid, reeking of spilled drinks and cigarette smoke. I nursed a cocktail at the counter, trying to zone out the meaningless chatter around me.
Then came an unwelcome grip on my arm. I turned, startled, as two strangers loomed beside me, grinning in a way that sent a cold shiver down my spine.
“You really shouldn’t drink alone, sweetheart,” one of them slurred, tightening his hold when tried to pull back.
Fear rooted me in place.
Then–his voice.
“Let her go.”
It was low, commanding, laced with quiet danger.
Elias.
He stepped in front of me, body taut, eyes sharp. The men took one look at him and backed off.
I could still remember how my heart fluttered when he turned to me, his voice gentle now. “You alright?”
That was the moment I fell. I thought he’d saved me.
I thought he’d always protect me.
But now he sat next to another woman–the woman who’d stolen him–and I realized I’d beer
wrong.
The car came to a stop in front of a bright building painted with cheerful colors. As we stepped out, children ran toward us, giggling, reaching out.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to steady myself.
Then–one girl broke away from the rest.
She sprinted straight into Elias’s arms, shouting with glee, “Daddy!”
My breath caught. The world seemed to tilt sideways.
Elias coughed awkwardly and looked at me. “Oh–uh–she must’ve mistaken me. Veronica, don’t
you think she’s just… perfect? She might be the one we’re meant to bring home.”
Before I could respond, he crouched and scooped the little girl into his arms. It was natural, flui -like something he’d done a hundred times before.
Like he knew exactly how to hold her.
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And just like that, I knew.
This wasn’t a random child.
This was their child.
Sabrina placed a hand on his shoulder, her smile calm, content. She didn’t need to say anything.
I could see it all in her eyes.
The life they had built together.
The family they created–at the cost of mine.
And everything inside me broke.
