The News

The harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway cast long shadows as I hurried to Jules’s room. My heart pounded with every step, fear tightening around my chest. The news had come suddenly: Jules’s leukemia had worsened, and she had slipped into a coma.

I burst into the room, my eyes immediately finding Jules’s small, frail form lying motionless on the bed. Machines beeped rhythmically, each sound a reminder of how fragile her life was.

Aunt Victoria ’s voice cut through the silence. “You’re finally here. Took you long enough.”

Ignoring her, I rushed to Jules’s side, taking her cold hand in mine. “Jules,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m here.”

Uncle Jacob loomed behind me, his expression as hard as ever. “We need to talk.”

I turned to face him, dread pooling in my stomach. “What now?”

“You can’t get a divorce,” Aunt Victoria said bluntly. “Not unless you want Jules to die.”

I stared at her, horrified. “What are you talking about?”

“Rowan just sent money for her surgery,” she continued, her tone icy. “If you leave him, he’ll stop. And without that money, Jules has no chance.”

Tears welled in my eyes as the reality of my situation crashed over me. “So I’m just supposed to stay in this miserable marriage? Let him treat me like dirt? He is even planning on marrying someone else. I have lost my baby. He has raped me twice. 

One I got pregnant. Another was last month. I can't live like this anymore. 

“Yes,” Uncle Jacob said firmly. “If you care about Jules at all, you’ll do whatever it takes to keep him happy.”

I felt my knees buckle, the weight of their words too much to bear. I clutched at the edge of Jules’s bed, trying to steady myself, but the room spun around me.

“Remi ?” Aunt Victoria ’s voice sounded distant. “Remi!”

Darkness closed in, and I felt myself falling.

---

When I woke, I was in another hospital room, the sterile smell filling my senses. A doctor stood by my bed, checking my vitals.

“Mrs. Sterling,” he said, noticing I was awake. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” I admitted, my voice hoarse. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” he explained gently. “Stress and exhaustion. But there’s something else you should know.”

Fear gripped me. “What?”

“You’re pregnant.”

The words hung in the air, surreal and unexpected. “Pregnant?” I echoed, unable to process the news.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “Approximately eight weeks. You need to take better care of yourself, for your sake and the baby’s.”

Numbly, I nodded, the doctor’s words echoing in my mind. Pregnant. 

---

It was a few weeks ago, and Rowan had come home late, drunk and angry. I had tried to avoid him, slipping into bed early, but he found me.

“You think you can hide from me?” he slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol.

“I’m not hiding,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.

He grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards him. “You’re my wife. You owe me.”

His touch was rough, and his kisses were demanding. I closed my eyes, trying to detach myself from the situation. As he entered me, I bit my lip to keep from crying out. He was relentless, driven by some inner demon.

When he finally finished, he collapsed beside me, panting. “Gigi,” he murmured, the name slipping from his lips like a curse. “Oh, Gigi.”

The name cut through me like a knife. I sighed, turning away from him, tears slipping down my cheeks as I let him do whatever he wanted with my body. 

---

Back in the present, the doctor’s voice brought me back to reality. “You should rest. We’ll keep you here for observation.”

I nodded, feeling the weight of the new life growing inside me. After he left, I lay there, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. Pregnant. With Rowan’s child. The thought was overwhelming, but it also sparked something in me—a need to protect this baby from the toxic world I was trapped in.

Hours later, I checked out of the hospital, determined to return home and figure out my next move. But as I entered the house, I heard voices coming from the living room.

No not voices. Moans. 

Again. Probably with the Gigi. The one he had told I was a maid. 

I scoffed. Fate didn't want me to die, life wasn't fair. But now, j was pregnant again.  

I made a decision in that moment. Divorce was no longer an option. But staying here, under these conditions, was equally impossible. I had to leave, to protect my unborn child and myself from this nightmare.

As I walked to my room to pack a few things, Aunt Victoria ’s warning echoed in my mind. But the image of Jules, lying helpless in that hospital bed, steeled my resolve. I wouldn’t let them control me any longer.

I was done

. 

With my bag packed, I slipped out of the house under the cover of darkness.