Unfulfilled Promises

"This is impossible! I watched you take your pills every single time. Impossible!"

Adrian’s voice cracked through the air. The moment the words left his mouth, he froze, his eyes darting as though scrambling for a way out.

Hearing the truth with my own ears was like having my heart carved apart with a blade.

Adrian frowned as though he thought of helping me up, but Chloe caught his arm before he could.

Her face was pale with panic, her voice quivering as she said, "Adrian, look at Liam. He’s having an asthma attack!"

Liam sobbed so hard he couldn’t breathe, his little face turning a frightening shade of purple.

Chloe clutched him like precious glass. "Miss Hayes, what a cruel trick. You knew Liam is asthmatic, yet you filled the house with flowers and let him cry himself sick. If anything happens to him, I won’t want to live either!"

"Chloe, stop. Don’t say that. Liam will be fine. The doctor’s on his way!" Adrian pressed his hand over her mouth, kissing Liam’s damp forehead in anguish.

Then, his gaze swung back to me, burning with contempt. "Lauren, I don’t even recognize you anymore. I’m so disappointed in you! Children don’t lie. And Liam is especially obedient. If this is how you treat him, how could you ever teach him? How could you ever remain my wife?"

Each word landed like a nail, pinning me down as though I were a criminal, as though even my unborn child, who was already slipping away, were evidence against me.

Liam’s cries filled the room. Even over them, Adrian’s fury boiled. His verdict came swiftly and mercilessly. "Mr. Peter Harris, lock Madam in the basement. She can’t come out until she admits her mistakes, until she learns how to treat Liam properly."

My heart shattered completely.

My body, weak and torn, was dragged across the floor like discarded fabric. A long trail of red followed behind me.

On one end, there was me. On the other was Adrian’s picture-perfect family of three.

Days passed before Adrian finally spared a thought for me, nestled as he was in the comfort of his "happy" home. At dinner, he asked absently, "Well, has she admitted her mistake?"

Mr. Harris, the butler, faltered, his voice choking. "Sir… Madam has passed away."

"What the hell did you say?"