Chapter 4

Eugene’s POV

Every morning, Nicole would leave the small white pills on the kitchen counter, accompanied by a cold, expectant glare. He didn’t even bother to hide his disdain anymore. The pills sat there like tiny reminders of how much he hated what I carried inside me.

“Take them,” he’d say, his tone sharp and cutting, as if the command alone would erase the life growing within me.

I would nod, murmuring something inaudible, and he’d watch me like a hawk as I picked them up. It was a routine now—his gaze burning into me as I swallowed water from a glass, my hand shaking just enough to look convincing. He never stayed long enough to see what happened next.

The moment he left the room, I would rush to the sink, spit out the pill, and pour the glass of water down the drain to make it look as though I’d finished. The pills themselves, I tucked into the back of the trash or flushed down the toilet when he wasn’t around.

Nicole thought he had won—that I’d surrendered to his demands. But he didn’t understand the depths of my resolve.

I wasn’t taking those pills. I wouldn’t let him destroy the only piece of happiness I had left, the only light in the darkness of this nightmare. This baby was mine. It was a part of me, and I would fight for it, even if it meant going against him every single day.

Some nights, I lay awake, my hand resting over my stomach. I whispered to the tiny life inside me, promises I wasn’t sure I could keep but meant with every fiber of my being.

“I’ll protect you,” I murmured softly, my voice barely audible over the sound of Nicole’s heavy breathing as he slept. “No matter what it takes, I’ll keep you safe.”

The bruises on my ribs ached as I turned on my side, but I ignored the pain. I had grown used to it by now. The physical hurt was easier to manage than the emotional wounds Nicole inflicted with every cold word, every venomous look.

I avoided him as much as I could, but it wasn’t easy. He was relentless in his disdain, his anger simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

– The day began like every other. Nicole barely looked at me as he adjusted his tie. “I’ll be back late,” he said flatly.

I nodded, giving a weak smile that he didn’t bother to acknowledge. When the door closed behind him, I let out a heavy sigh. Something about his behavior lately had been eating at me, but I kept pushing it aside.

That afternoon, my phone rang. The number wasn’t saved, but I answered anyway.

“Hello?”

“Am I speaking with Mr Nicole’s Wife’’?a polite voice asked.

“Yes, this is Eugene.”

“This is Sandra from Nicole’s office,” the woman said. “I hope everything is okay. I just wanted to check since Nicole hasn’t been to work for a few days now.”

I froze. “He hasn’t been to work?”

“No, not since last week. I was worried since he didn’t call in sick or anything.”

My heart sank. “Thank you for letting me know,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm.

After I hung up, I sat in silence, my mind racing. Nicole had been leaving every morning like usual, acting like everything was normal. What was he doing if he wasn’t at work?

The next morning, when he left the house, I decided to follow him.

I stayed a safe distance behind as he drove, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. He took a turn into a part of town I recognized instantly—his old neighborhood. My stomach churned. Nicole had always told me he’d never go back there, that the memories of his childhood were too painful.

He parked in front of a small house, and I stopped a few doors down. My heart pounded as I watched him knock. The door opened, and my breath caught in my throat.

It was Helen.

Helen—my best friend.

I stared in disbelief as she smiled warmly and let him inside. My legs felt like they might give out, but I forced myself to move closer. I crept toward the window, careful to stay out of sight.

Inside, they were standing close, too close. Helen’s hands brushed against his chest, and then he pulled her into his arms. Their lips met in a kiss so passionate it made my stomach turn.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t look away.

Helen laughed softly, and it felt like a knife twisting in my chest. Nicole whispered something to her, and she laughed again, resting her head on his shoulder.

I stumbled back, my vision blurred by tears. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. My best friend and my husband... together. How long has this been going on?

I turned and walked away, my legs shaking beneath me. Everything felt like a nightmare. My chest was tight, my head spinning. When I reached my car, my hands fumbled for the keys, tears streaming down my face.

I didn’t see the car speeding toward me until I heard the screech of tires and a blaring horn.

I turned my head just as the impact threw me into the air. Pain shot through me, sharp and unbearable, as my body hit the pavement. I lay there, unable to move, the world fading around me. Darkness c

losed in, and then there was nothing.