pte
XT
IE W
belonging. Two suitcas
and tying the knots. Mom and Dad seated in the front row, beami
ng caught the light one last time before I
the years... before Ivy came back and made me invisible. I'd saved
nd took one last look at th
moved over it slowly, pausing on the part of
it'
at tigh
over
ep breath, and c
hed the front door
n. Masked and dres
ith a dagger, then the
my breath catch
just a few fee
he pistol said
The suitcase sli
ame out smaller than I in
at's a pretty dumb question..." He sta
neath me. They almo
They're
you money... whatev
I finished the senten
s hit the floor hard, pain c
ard until the sta
me, dragging the barrel of the pistol down my c
skipped
a whisper, tears already burning i
ld my gaze for a moment, then
y's voice echoed
d, voice crackin
already..." A soft la
the floor beneath me, heart pounding so har
s? I already gave you Antho
choice. But you see, I'm not doing this out of s
und my voice whe
I'd let you walk awa
ath st
ly to my stomach, eyes na
from me. You should ha
did she find out? I'm sure I kept the test r
scream for help, but I kne
my voice even if
ing wouldn't help. Thre
ntact him, won't say a word about the baby to anyone. I'll disappear. You'll never hear from me agai
le
v-
ve no trace," she said,
art d
hen snapped back to reality as t
r murder. You'll spend the rest of your lives behind bar
sco
n innocent child, right?" My cheeks were alread
o finish my sentence before the second man step
a scream, his hand came around my mouth, muffli
ing into his skin. He pulled the dagger free
st man say, "charged with murder? Jail?" He raised
nt right thro
nds pressed to my stomach, body tre
t was all I co
ifted my hand to find my phone, but only m
word. They left me on the flo
get my hand
ng immediately and come over when I tell him what hap
ird ring, already speaking before I could find my v
racked shakily. "Please...
you talk
urt...
fed, his voice full of frustration and
mach d
embling. "Please... Just t
, then his voice followed.
line we
my hand before my han
ast hope, shattere
t. The pain had gone numb. That frightened me more than the
hard, voice tremb
me first when they abandoned me in an orphanage be
e again like my birth parents. They should never have adopted me in the first pl
his, and I meet them again... I
y. Ivy. Every si
y stomach one last
e one before, the air burning o
sorry I could
, and everythi
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