Chapter 3%
I woke up to an eerie silence. I hadn’t noticed when exhaustion pulled me under, whether I had cried myself to sleep or simply passed out. My body ached. My head throbbed like I’d been hit by a truck. But none of that mattered. Because the moment I sat up, I realized-
Noah wasn’t in his bed.
all, checking the bathroom, the
My heart dropped. I bolted out of the everywhere. “Noah!”
the room, calling
calling his name. “Noah?” I ran down the hall, checking
living room-
Silence
My hands shook as I grabbed my phone and dialed my mother
She picked up after the third ring, her voice calm, almost bored. “Oh, Emma. Finally awake?“2
I could barely breathe. “Where’s Noah?”
“With us, of course. We’re celebrating his birthday ”
I nearly dropped the phone. “What? Without me?”
“Well, you were asleep, she sighed. “Lily and Jason planned a little party for him. He’s having so much fun.”
I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palm, “You took my son while I was sleeping? Without telling me?!!
She tsked. “You were exhausted. We didn’t want to wake you.“!
My pulse pounded in my ears. “Give him the phone. Now.”
4 pause. Then a dismissive chuckle, “Emma, don’t ruin this for him. Let him be happy for once.”
“Happy?” My voice cracked. “He’s my son!“}]
“Then stop making his life miserable just because your husband chose your sister”
I nearly blacked out from rage. “Excuse me?”
“Emma” she said slowly, like I was a child. “Lily will
I love Noah more than you ever could. You’re always so busy–with work, with your endless hospital visits. Maybe this is for the best.”
1 gripped the phone so tightly I thought it would shatter. “I swear to God, if you don’t bring my son back-“T
“Enough, Emma” My mother’s voice turned cold. “Stop being selfish.”}
Click The line went dead.”
I stared at my phone, my body shaking with rage. hurting. Instead, my fingers moved on their own.
I opened instagram. And then-
age, with help
helplessness. I wanted to scream, to throw something, to hurt the way I was
, hands intertwined, her engagement ring
My breath caught in my throat. The first post on my feed was Lilly’s. A photo of her and Jason, front and center
“Fate brought us together. Love kept us strong. Can’t wait to be Mrs. Romano! “@
Thousands of likes. Hundreds of comments
-Omg! Congratulations
– Didn’t see this coming, but you two look perfect together!!
– always thought Jason mamed the wrong sister, tbh
-Crazy how life works! Weren’t we just at his wedding a few years ago?
People I knew People who had attended my wedding were congratulating them like this was some kind of fairytale
wanted to smash my phone. But then-
Another photo
My vision blurred. It was Noah Sitting on Jason’s lap, laughing, arms wrapped around Lily’s neck. They looked like a happy, perfect andy Liškeinever existed.
arp stabbing pain tore through my skull. My vision spun, the pounding inside my head unbearable. With shaking hands, I reached for nightstand, fumbling for the bottle of pain relievers. My fingers barely managed to twist the cap off before I popped two pills into my
allowing dry!
didn’t stop. A metallic taste filled my throat. My lip trembled as something warm trickled down my upper lip.
Amandedly Red Blood I
My breaths came out shallow, uneven. I grabbed my phone and dialed my mother’s number
Nothing My heart pounded I scrolled down and pressed Jason’s contact ||
straight to voicemai
Of course Tears blurred my vision as i desperately pressed 911
body swayed My fing
ne slipped from my
tried to steady myself against the wall. “I need help. Please
17:34 PM
Bright lights. The steady beeping of a monitor. The sharp scent of antiseptic. I woke up in a hospital bed. Alone.
A nurse walked in, startled to see me awake. “Ms. Romano, you’re conscious! How are you feeling?”
My throat was dry. “How long was I out?”
“You were admitted last night,” she said gently. “The paramedics found you unconscious at home. Do you have any family we should contact?”
Family
The word twisted like a knife inside me.
I let out a weak, hollow laugh. “No. There’s no one.”
The nurse gave me a sad look but said nothing.
The next moming, after I was discharged, I went home. The moment I stepped inside, I felt it. He’s here. And then I saw him ⠀
Jason Sitting on the couch like he still owned the place. Legs crossed, fingers tapping impatiently against the armrest.
My chest tightened, “What… what are you doing here?”
He stood up, pulling a stack of papers from his briefcase. A pen clipped to the top. He held it out to me. “Sign it
I blinked. My fingers twitched. “What?”
His eyes were empty, void of anything remotely resembling guilt. “The divorce papers. Sign them now.
Chapter 4%
