7: A Family With Violet.
(Cassie’s POV)
I watched as Violet talked on as I continued to ignore her. Then she talked something
“It’s just… you and Max have been married for a while now, and, well… why haven’t you had a baby yet?” Violet asked.
At that moment My hands tightened on the fabric of my sweater. For a second, I couldn’t speak. I thought for a moment before replying her. “That‘ s not a question you should be asking,” I said finally, my voice low and clipped.
“But it’s just… everyone wonders, Cassie. You’ve been together for so long. And you love kids, don‘ t you? You‘ d make such a good mom.” She added purposefully trying to piss me off.
“Stop!” I said snapped sharply, turning to face her fully now. She froze suprised as I
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raised my tone.
“You don’t get to pry into other
couples lives like that,” I continued, my voice trembling with the force of holding back so much more than anger. “You
don’t get to sit there and ask questions that have nothing to do with you.”
Violet snorted and walked out with a cold grin on her face.
The moment the door clicked shut. I collapsed onto the couch, pressing my face into my hands. I stayed like that for a long time, my chest heaving with the effort to keep it all in.
I was pregnant. I had been. For a few short weeks, But Max didn’t want it. He couldn’t “handle the distraction” right now. His words, not mine. He had been so calm, so rational about it, as though it was just a simple and not important thing.
I had wanted to fight him. I should have fought him. But instead, I nodded and told
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him I understood. Because that’s what a good wife does, isn’t it? She respects her husband’s wishes. She puts him first.
I leaned back, staring at the ceiling holding back tears.
Later that day my phone beeped and I checked it, realizing they were messages from Violet.
When i opened it, there were ultrasound reports.
I stared at the ultrasound report on my phone, as I read the details over and over again. At first, I felt nothing but a calm, and then there was the storm brewing beneath, making my stomach, churn and
turn.
Then another message from her came.
“Oh my God, Cassie! I sent that to you by mistake! I meant to send it to my boyfriend. Sorry about that!”
I stared at the screen, my breath in my
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throat. A mistake? Was it really? My thumb hovered over the keyboard, but I didn’t feel like typing a single word or saying anything. I just… didn’t have the energy.
Minutes passed. I thought it was over. Maybe she would leave it at that. She had probably seen that I wasn’t replying to her. But Violet didn’t know when to stop. did
she?
“You‘ re not going to say anything, huh? Fine. Let’s talk about the truth then. Cassie, the child is Max‘ s. He’s mine. He
always has been.”
My stomach dropped, and for a moment. I couldn’t breathe. The words on the screen shocked me with every second. I reread them, hoping I’d misunderstood. But no, there they were, my heart shattered to pieces as I clutched my chest.
“You were just his second choice. He only married you because I left for abroad. You remind him of me, you know. I bet you ve noticed how he’s been distant since I
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came back. How he’s been coming home
late.”
I froze, my mind reeling. Memories flashed in my head Max‘ s curt replies, the coldness in his touch, the excuses. How
hadn t I seen it? This was the reason all
along!
But Violet didn’t stop there, shee kept
sending texts.
“We’ve been together for months now, Cassie. And you know all those gifts he gave you? The ones you hated? You didn’t choose them, I did. He asked me for advice every single time. The truth is interested in building a future with me, not you.”
A sob caught in my throat as I scrolled further. There was an attachment a scanned property certificate. I opened it with shaking hands, and her next message followed almost immediately.
“This is the house Max bought for me. For us. He’s planning a life with me and our
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came back. How he’s been coming home late.”
I froze, my mind reeling. Memories flashed in my head Max’s curt replies, the coldness in his touch, the excuses. How hadn’t I seen it? This was the reason all along!
But Violet didn’t stop there, shee kept sending texts.
“We’ve been together for months now, Cassie. And you know all those gifts he gave you? The ones you hated? You didn‘ t choose them, I did. He asked me for advice every single time. The truth is interested in building a future with me, not you.”
A sob caught in my throat as I scrolled further. There was an attachment a scanned property certificate. I opened it with shaking hands, and her next message followed almost immediately.
“This is the house Max bought for me. For us. He’s planning a life with me and our
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child, Cassie. He’s happy about the baby. Happier than I’ve ever seen him.”
Her final words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had been fooled all along!
“Face it, Cassie. I’m younger, prettier, more successful, and now I’m carrying his child. He’s going to choose me.”
I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened, and it felt like I was suffocating. My hands grew sweaty and the phone slipped from my grasp, landing on the couch with a soft thud.
I couldn’t look at it anymore. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t feel.
Reaching out with trembling fingers, I switched the phone off, the screen fading to black. I curled up on the couch, clutching my knees to my chest as the first tear slipped down my cheek.
Everything suddenly made sense now!
I had just realized that my whole life was
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completely a lie in just one day?
I sat on the edge of the couch, my hands clasped tightly together in my lap. The sounds of the clock on the wall were
counting down the seconds until Max came home.
When the door finally creaked open, I straightened up, forcing myself to look calm. He stepped in, loosening his tie, his eyes weary but still sharp as they landed on
- me.
“You‘ re still up?” he asked, setting his briefcase down.
“I wanted to talk to you,” I said calmly, trying not to let my emotions show.
He frowned, walking over to stand a few feet away. “What’s wrong?”
I hesitated, my heart pounding in my
chest. The words felt heavy, like they would
suffocate me if I didn’t let them out.
Finally, I spoke.
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“What do you think about… having a child?”
The question hung in the air like a thundercloud, and Max froze. His expression shifted between confusion, surprise, and something else I couldn’t quite place.
He opened his mouth, then closed it, then his lips parted. “Why this question all of a sudden,” he asked.
I waited for a moment before I shook my head. I looked at him, I realized he was going to act like nothing was happening. I realized there was no point in asking him
“Forget I asked,” I said quickly, standing up and brushing past him. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Cassie, what’s this all about?” He asked curiously.
“No,” I said, my voice firm as I turned to face him. “It’s fine, Max. Really. You don’t have to say anything.”
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But inside, my heart was breaking. He didn’t need to say it. I already knew the answer. For me he wasn‘ t ready to be a father but actually he was simply only interested in building a family with Violet.
“I’m tired,” I said, my voice hollow. “I think I’ll go to bed.”
I didn’t wait for his response. I turned and walked down the hallway. My chest felt tight, my breaths shallow, hurrying until I was behind the safety of my bedroom.
As I got in, I pressed my hand to my mouth, muffling the sobs that finally escaped.
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