Chapter 2

A month ago, I had excitedly gone to find Logan with my pregnancy test results in hand. I found him at IKEA with Chloe, leaning in entirely too close.

Furious, I had rushed up to confront them, completely forgetting about being careful.

Logan shoved my shoulder back, defensive and loud:

"Chloe just got divorced! She doesn't have a man to help her move furniture! What's wrong with me giving her a hand? You're way too paranoid."

If I hadn't shown up, they would have been kissing right in the showroom aisle.

Chloe had hidden behind Logan with teary eyes. But as Logan and I argued, she suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Claire, why can't you just understand Logan?"

When I jerked my arm away, she shoved me hard. I fell backward, crashing onto the cold floor. The sonogram report in my hand was instantly soaked in crimson blood.

Amid the screams of bystanders, Logan panicked and rushed me into his car.

The pain made me drift in and out of consciousness. Instead of checking on me, Logan yelled at me the entire drive:

"If you knew you were pregnant, why were you running around picking fights?! Claire, did you do this on purpose?!"

The blood wouldn't stop pouring out. I already knew the baby was gone.

Less than a mile from the hospital, Logan's phone rang. It was connected to the car's Bluetooth, broadcasting her voice loud and clear.

Chloe was sobbing hysterically:

"I didn't know she was pregnant... I didn't mean it! I don't want to live anymore! The wind by the river is so cold... Logan, if I jump, will you miss me?"

*Screeech!*

Tires shrieked against the asphalt. The violent inertia threw my body forward, sending a wave of ripping pain through my gut. I nearly blacked out.

"Chloe, baby, don't do anything stupid! I saw the whole thing! Claire jerked away and tripped over her own feet! It had nothing to do with you! Stay right there, I'm coming to get you!"

Logan hung up, kicked open the door, and dragged me out onto the sidewalk.

"Claire, I called an Uber for you. It'll be here in two minutes. Wait here. As soon as I calm Chloe down, I'll meet you at the hospital."

Gathering my last ounce of strength, I grabbed his sleeve. He yanked it out of my grip with disgust.

"The baby is already dead, but Chloe is a living human being! Do you want to watch her die?! Isn't killing one life enough for you? Do you have to murder a second?!"

Logan slammed the gas and tore down the road. I had zero strength left. I curled up on the cold concrete.

Two minutes later, thunder cracked, and freezing rain poured down, soaking me to the bone.

A kind stranger eventually found me and drove me to the emergency room. When I woke up, it was the dead of night. I was completely alone.

During my two days in the hospital, Logan only sent a couple of texts saying Chloe's mental health was unstable and he couldn't leave her, telling me to wait for him before discharging myself.

I chuckled bitterly, packed my own bag, and went home.

When Logan finally walked through our front door, he was furious, demanding to know why I hadn't told him I had checked out, complaining that he'd wasted a trip to the hospital.

I said nothing. I reached out, grabbed his phone, unlocked it, and pulled up his blocked contact list.

My name was right there at the top. I shoved the screen in his face.

Logan froze, coughing awkwardly.

"Chloe probably tapped it by accident when she was playing games on my phone. I never meant to block you."

By accident? Any sane person knew it was deliberate. I couldn't tell if Logan was truly stupid or just playing dumb.

Softening his tone, he tried to pull me into his arms.

"We can always have another baby. We're still young."

He hugged me, but my eyes were terrifyingly hollow.

The doctor had already told me the truth: the damage was too severe. I would never be able to conceive again.

I had always been someone who liked proper endings. I had planned to quietly file for divorce after our anniversary. But it seemed this miserable chapter was ending in chaos anyway.

"Your miscarriage was a whole month ago. I barely touched you just now. Are you faking it?"

After helping me into the chair, Logan's expression turned suspicious.

I clenched my fists with everything I had left.

"Get out!"

Logan let go of me, crossing his arms with a mocking smirk.

"Ha. Voice sounds pretty strong to me, Claire. Keep acting. You want my pity? Not a chance in hell."

Cold sweat dripped down my forehead, but he looked right through me, convinced it was a performance.

He grabbed his jacket and slammed the front door shut behind him.

Trembling, I pulled out my phone and called a friend. I was genuinely terrified that if I died alone in this apartment, my body would rot before anyone found me.

Whenever Logan fought with me, he always ran straight to Chloe. He wouldn't be back for at least three or four days.