Frozen Cargo, A Betrayed Wife

freezing cargo hold because his

e "vitamins" she gave me, while

ound that Atlas realized he had just

from a car crash that left

ed me

mistress, Kacie, feed me high-dose abort

vered the truth, Atl

e had never been p

executed Kacie with his own hands and

ath would be

find me on the other

o mine, begging for forgiveness, I didn't

t not

whispered, watchin

inally

pte

Every bump in the road sent a fresh wave of agony through my belly, making my head throb. I squeezed my e

cold metal poles pressing against me. My voice was small, choked,

hear me. H

as dark and cold, even colder than the mountain air outside. I hated the dark.

and impatient. It cut through me, colder than the air in here

brated the car. It was his way of telling me to disappear.

warm, sticky liquid was spreading between my legs. It smelled coppery, like

obbing chest. Momma had given it to me. "Be a good girl, Elsie," she had said, just be

as never loved me. He never even looked at

wful screams. I remembered pulling Atlas out, his face pale and still. Then, everything went black. When I woke up, the world was

she made them pay. She made Atlas marry me. It was supposed to keep m

there was only darkness. I tried to curl into a ball, to make myself smaller, to make the

, to stroke my hair and tell me it would be okay.

ain shot through my head. The world tilted, then spun. My breath caught in my throat.

ed to my stomach, a dark stain spreading on my jeans. My eyes were open,

partition, into the main cabin. Atlas was laughing, his head thrown back. Kac

her voice dripping with satisfaction.

long ago, before the crash. Now, it just sounded... empty. "Right," he s

rd

ed space, bouncing off the ski

. "Soon, Kacie," he murmured, squeezing her hand. "Soon, she'll be out of o

's baby. It was my baby, too. Or, it would have been. If Kacie hadn't forced those little white pills down my throat, telling me th

was silen

he pain was gone. The cold was gone. Only a faint sens

ght lights from a towering lodge glittered against the snow-covered mou

xcitement of arrival. Kacie shivered delicately, pulling her designer fu

SUV. "Did anyone see Elsie? She's probably sulki

hard. He had a tight, unpleasant smile. He looked like trouble, the kind Momma always warned me about

the... arrangements. The facility is expecting her. Th

in her eyes. "Perfect. I can't wait to fina

n down. I want her taken care of, not just tossed aside." Even in this, his concern was les

, boss. It's discreet. Very private. She'll be... comfort

fuss. Thorne knows what he's doing. Elsie will be fine. She alway

. I don't want to hear another peep about her." He looked toward the rear of the vehicle, his gaze passing r

living, were already planning my erasure. Atlas, Kacie, Thorne. They were all in on it, in their own ways. My silent plea, my last b

feless body, still tucked amongst the forgotten ski equipment