Linda’s POVFor the past day or two, Kirby had been treating me way better than she ever did in the beginning. And I knew why, of course, I knew. It was because of the baby that was inside of me. She kept bringing me good food and juices. At some point, she even brought some vitamins. I think she believed in some way, deep down, that this was her way of taking care of the baby that she had lost. I felt for her, I did. Imagine losing the love of your life and then losing the baby that you were supposed to have for him. So in a way, it did make sense why she was so hardhearted and cold. I was full, I had just eaten and there was some pain between my legs but it was much better than when the morphine had finally worn off. I was sitting on the mattress, lying my back against the wall. Then the door suddenly opened, Kirby rushed in and closed it. I knew that Mr. and Mrs. Kingston were out there, it was already explained to me that I was about to be transferred somewhere else; I think i

Linda’s POVThe gunshot was loud, it echoed through the shed, the sound reverberating off the walls as if time itself had frozen in that moment. I crumpled to the ground, my heart pounding in my chest as terror seized every fiber of my being. But as the seconds stretched on, I realized with a sense of bewildered relief that the bullet had not found its mark. I was still alive, still breathing, though the fear lingered like a heavy weight upon my chest. Through blurry eyes, I saw Chris burst through the door, his expression a mix of panic and determination. He rushed to my side, pulling me into his arms with a tenderness that brought tears to my eyes. “Police! Drop the weapon!!” One of the policemen shouted at Mr. Kingston, his voice strong and commanding as his colleagues flooded the small shed. “Linda, are you okay?” His voice was a desperate plea, his hands gentle as they cradled my trembling form. I nodded weakly, my voice catching in my throat as I struggled to find the words

Linda’s POVWhen the doctor left, the thought of a bullet inside of me still scared me, it was something that made me feel weird. She had told me that I could do other things but I should not do aggressive movements or very abrupt ones, especially because the bullet was not very far from where the baby was. I was left in the room with Chris, he had a look on his face as if he was thinking deeply. I watched him stare at the TV that was not even on. His eyes had swirls of worry and anxiety. “Chris?” I called him out of his trance and he turned to me, flashing me a smile that looked forced. “Are you okay?” He nodded passionately. “Mm-hmm, I am. Why would I not be?” He chuckled nervously. “Okay,” I dragged the word a bit. “So, you said that you had something to talk about, right?”He forced another smile, his face getting pale. “Yeah, yeah, sure.” He reached for my hand and held it gently. “But let’s talk about the fact that you’re literally pregnant.” He smiled, revealing his teeth.

Linda’s POVBut deep down, I knew that wasn’t the case. The pain was too raw, too real to be anything other than the devastating truth. As I lay there in the hospital bed, surrounded by the sterile scent of antiseptic and the incessant beeping of medical equipment, I could not help but feel utterly lost and alone. The tears continued to flow unchecked, a relentless stream of anguish and heartache that seemed to have no end. Each sob wracked my body and as badly as I wanted to know more about the scandal that surrounded my husband, I did not think that I was strong enough. I was still alone in the room, that is until the doctor walked in with a hopeful look. “Hi again.” She smiled at me with comfort. It kind of helped, I believed. Or maybe not and I was just trying to grasp onto anything that might make me forget the emotional pain that I had. I forced a smile and sniffled as I wiped away the tears from my face. “Did you get to my mom? Or my Dad?” She nodded. “Yes, I did. I explai

Linda’s POVChris nodded, relief evident in his eyes as he stepped aside to let me pass. We moved to the living room, a space that once held so much laughter and love but now felt heavy with the weight of our broken relationship. Sitting down on opposite ends of the couch, there was clear tension between us and not the fun kind. He fidgeted nervously, his hands clasped tightly together as he searched for the right words. “I don’t even know where to start,” He began, his voice raspy and breathy. “But I do know that I’m sorry for what I did to you. Um, that was messed up, and keeping it from you was even more messed up.” I remained silent, waiting for him to continue, my heart pounding in my chest as I braced myself for whatever he had to say. I was already feeling my throat constricting and a knot forming there but I tried to play it off as best as I could. “I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I was weak and stupid, and I made a terrible mistake; one that you have every right not t