Blood on the Snow, A Lost Life

sent her a termination notice the next day, citing "irreconcilable differences in professional conduct." He proudly s

he counter, or a load of my laundry fresh from the dryer. Small, domestic gestures, attempts to mend the fabric of our life, but they felt like patches sewn onto a ghost. I was drifting further a

I' d wake up drained, food turned my stomach, and I spent mornings hunched over the

ched concern. "Flu going around. I picked up some meds for you." He placed a s

ing the pills with a gulp of water, desperate

Something felt terribly wrong. I drove myself to the nearest clinic, my

eyes, looked at me gravely after a serie

conflicting emotions-joy, fear, utter disbelief-washed o

taking some medic

frown deepened. "That specific combination... it's not safe during pregnancy. Esp

t my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. The agonizing wait for the ultrasound results was the longest period of my life. Every second st

Ms. Delaney. For now, it seems fine. But you need to be extremely careful. No more

. The joy was intoxicating, overwhelming. The nausea of before was now a beautiful confirmation, a pro

liquor and something else-a cloying, sweet perfume that wasn' t min

oice laced with a concern that

He avoided my eyes, heading straight for the bathroom, the door sla

cation flashed, a new message. My heart pounded, a terrible premonition

window. Carmen Wells. My eyes scanned th

ow to make everything better. Mr. Jiang was so upse

men. You know I'll always prot

r that. I just wish... I wish we could be

patient. We've talked about thi

abusive ex. Carter was still playing the hero, still entangled, still making promises. My baby. Our baby. What would they call him?

ing in my throat. Another message,

en you need me. And besides, I hate the idea of a '

cket. The argument. The money. It wasn't about Carmen needing him to "calm down."

the keyboard, a desperate, irrational fury possessing me. I

bitch! Stay away from m

t as the message delivered, the bathroom door creaked open. Carter stood ther

ven?" His voice was low, dangerous. T