SHATTERED VOWS

les, while I hugged my knees to my chest. The test remained on the

he truth. My breath wavered unsteadily as I exhaled. I felt the

d this

that made me startled, I quickly placed

ll, waiting for the footsteps to fade before my thoughts returned to the imp

g through the stream of my thoughts. The phone screen pops

upside down. When the man who caused my family's downfall unexpectedly shattered my plan an

d and distant, just as it had been for many years. He would never un

room, the noise of it hitting the couch shatter

s, but I stopped them from falling. I had rema

, and my heart to sank even more. Tomo

oing to the clinic and facing the nightmare, I couldn't avoid it; I

d, sterile waiting room, I felt the unbearable sile

ancing at the door every few seconds, praying in hopes that no famil

ut my name calmly yet firmly, cut

he chair, following the nurse into the examination room. The scent in the room was antiseptic, sharp, and cl

mfort me with a smile, "Dr. Jacobs would be wit

weighed down by uncertainty like a thick blanket pressing on me. All I could d

d, and Dr. Jacobs, a woman in her middle age with a kind-l

aid while taking a look at my chart.

uld I be feeling? But I could only mana

. "Oh, I understand completely well. How a

and every motion felt amplified. The chilly gel on my stomach made me flinch, while

my abdomen, I felt my heart racing in my

bs whispered. "Th

ittle, flickering heartbeat was steadily pu

lieva

part of Alexander Wolfe that was now integrated into my being. The man

nked them away quickly. I whispered,

's too much to handle. Whatever you choose, Emily, we will be there f

e thumping heartbeat. I had come here seekin

ossible means could I use to get rid of this child's existence? How can I introduce it

delicate bond that connected me to this child

kept wanderin

f revenge in black-and-white has evolved into something mu

ing around me. I walked unsteadily into the strong sunlight, trying to clear the spots dancing i

. No matter how hard I tried, my mind c

exa

me is A

shaped. I had not received any communication from him since that evening; neither did he call or mess

ed into my pocket to retrieve my bu

y other source. It came

ge from

meet wi

n my throat. We had not spoken for weeks. There must b

and tossing the phone into the nearby storm drain. However, just as I was about to ma

you. Kindly compl

sense of urgency. There must be som

blurred vision, my mind had drif

der. Did he already discover the truth about the child? Was this a

e buzzed again, Lucas's name l

t, Emily. You o