Fractured Vows

“Chloe’s hosting a party tonight to celebrate her pregnancy.”

Before I could refuse, Liam cut off any possibility of dissent.

“She’s been thinking about you. She wants you to come and share in her happiness. Don’t be ungrateful.”

I just sneered and agreed.

It didn’t matter anymore. My heart was a dead thing in my chest. I had already contacted a divorce lawyer. Nothing Chloe could do or say would hurt me now.

When we arrived, Chloe was fashionably late, a vision in white silk.

I looked like a ghost, drained from days in a hospital bed, with no time to fix myself. In contrast, Chloe glowed, a portrait of perfect, curated radiance.

Everyone circled her, a chorus of fawning admiration.

“Our brilliant artist Chloe is always so forward-thinking, turning down all those powerful men just to become a single mother on her own terms.”

“Well, Chloe is successful and independent. She can raise a child by herself! She’s not like those housewives who just live off their husbands.”

The eyes in the room drifted to me, some veiled with mockery. Chloe laughed and ordered a round of champagne, announcing it was her treat.

Someone then suggested a game of Truth or Dare to liven things up. The bottle spun. It landed on Chloe first.

She pouted playfully. “I’ll pick truth.”

Her best friend asked with a knowing smirk, “Chloe, since you’re having a baby through IVF, are you ever going to let the kid call Liam ‘Dad’?”

Chloe placed a hand on her stomach. She shot me a sly, pitying smile.

“Elara, I know this bothers you, and that you’ve been upset with Liam lately, but don’t worry. I would never come between you two. After all, you know, if I wanted to marry Liam, you wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

“But, if you can’t have kids, I’ll make sure my son takes care of Liam and you when you’re older. I wouldn’t want you to end up all alone.”

Everyone around the table praised Chloe for her kindness, her consideration. I felt nothing.

For the past two years, since Liam’s company had taken off, Chloe had been a constant, invasive presence in my life.

At first, I was consumed by shock, anger, and jealousy. I would argue with Liam, my voice shaking with hurt. But time and again, he chose her. He told me I was being unreasonable.

Petty. He accused me of slandering their pure connection. I had long since grown numb to the performance.

“I don’t mind. In fact, if you want to go down to the courthouse right now and file for divorce, I have no objections.”

Liam’s face immediately darkened. He snapped, warning me to stop saying things to provoke him.

I gave a calm smile. “You shouldn’t flatter yourself so much. Do you really think you’re that important to me?”

A flash of panic crossed Liam’s eyes, but he quickly masked it with annoyance.

“Alright, enough with the attitude. Look at Chloe. She’s considerate, understanding, and always thinking about you. I know I haven’t been around much lately, but I’ll be home for the next few days. Does that make you happy?”

Sensing the rising tension, someone suggested another round of the game. This time, the bottle pointed directly at me.

Just as I was about to choose ‘truth,’ Chloe chimed in.

“I chose ‘truth’ last time, so let’s mix things up,” she suggested, her voice sweet. “Let’s go with a dare this time!”

I gave her a cold stare, watching her stir the pot. I didn’t care anymore. The dare was to kiss the first man I saw when I walked out the door.

Without hesitation, Liam shoved three glasses of whiskey in front of me.

“She’s not doing that dare. She’ll just take a penalty and drink these instead.”

Everyone laughed, agreeing with him. Kissing another man while your husband sat right there was, after all, not appropriate.

Still, I stood up. “Why should I back down? Chloe’s the one who suggested I do it, and I’m not one to chicken out.”

Liam jumped to his feet, his expression hardening.

“Elara, are you trying to fight me on purpose tonight?”

I couldn’t comprehend it. He didn’t mind giving Chloe his sperm for her IVF, telling me it was no big deal. Yet now he was furious over a stupid party game.

Chloe quickly moved between us, feigning an attempt to de-escalate. But her gaze kept drifting to my stomach. “The whiskey isn’t that strong. A little won’t hurt.”

As soon as she said that, Liam’s temper ignited. He grabbed one of the glasses and tried to force it into my hand, shoving it toward my mouth.

“Everyone’s trying to make this easy for you, but you just have to ruin the mood, don’t you?”

Caught off guard, I choked as the amber liquid spilled into my mouth. His rough movement caused it to splash all over my face, stinging my eyes.

Then, a jolt of pure terror. The baby. I panicked. I tried to pull away, waving my hands to make him stop. But in my haste, my heel caught on something. I lost my balance and fell backward, hard, against the cold metal railing of the rooftop terrace.

A sharp, brutal pain shot through my abdomen. I cradled my stomach, a scream tearing from my throat.

Liam’s face showed a flicker of concern as he reached for me, but his words were dismissive. “It’s just a fall. You’ll be fine.”

That was when one of the girls screamed, “Blood! There’s so much blood on her dress!”