Chapter 3

Back when it started, we'd asked his parents to handle school pickup and drop-off.

They said they couldn't drive, and their legs weren't up to it.

When my father heard that, he had Duane, our family's driver, take Dotty to and from school.

On the days Duane was busy at the office, he even had to call a cab.

Now Dotty was on her feet too, shoving at me.

"Bad woman, bad woman, picking on my mommy!"

I looked at that small figure in front of me. For a whole year of marriage, I'd given her everything I had.

The house was piled with toys and dresses of every kind for a little girl.

She liked dancing, and drawing.

I'd signed her up for enrichment classes without a second thought.

Every time she opened her heart to me even a little, one trip to Ava's and she'd come back hating me all over again.

I'd told myself it was just a child clinging to her real mother, that one day I'd win her over.

Now I could see there was no point.

I didn't want to stay a second longer. I picked up my bag to leave.

Damian grabbed my wrist.

"Where do you think you're going? Can't you see Ava's still crying? Apologize to her before you go!"

I'd taken all I could. I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.

"Damian, I've put up with you long enough. Let's get divorced."

Audrey came flying at me out of nowhere, throwing herself onto me.

"You dare hit my son? Layla Swanson, today I am going to teach you a lesson!"

I lost my balance and staggered backward.

I crashed into a waiter just opening the door, and slammed into the serving cart.

Scalding soup poured over my arm and my stomach, and I screamed at the burn.

A little of it splashed onto Audrey's arm.

Damian rushed to pull her off to the restroom to run cold water over it.

I lay there on the floor, and not one person came to help me up.

Only the waiter, once he'd cleared the mess, crouched down and asked.

"Ma'am, how are you feeling? Are you all right?"

The room was chaos. Someone had called an ambulance.

Audrey came back from the restroom and kicked me in the lower belly.

"Layla Swanson, if this leaves a scar on my arm, you're finished."

All I could feel were waves of stabbing pain running through me.

Helplessly, I reached my hand out toward Damian.

"Please, take me to the hospital…"

He frowned, and left me with a single line.

"Mom can't even look at you right now without getting angry. Just have someone call you another ambulance."

With that, the whole crowd closed around Audrey and left.

Ava stood holding Dotty, giving me a cold sideways look.

"Damian and I only divorced in the heat of the moment. It's your fault for being so shameless."

"You caught us while we were both still angry and forced him to marry you. You brought this on yourself."

I curled up on the sticky floor, in so much pain I nearly passed out.

The waiter crouched beside me, trying to comfort me.

"Ma'am, hold on, the ambulance is almost here."

My vision went black, and just before I passed out I heard someone shout in panic.

"She's bleeding! She's bleeding down there!"

When I came to, I was already lying in a hospital bed.

The doctor flipped through the report.

"Moderate burns on the left arm, mild burns to the abdomen. And we couldn't save the baby…"

Baby?

I stared blankly at the ceiling, a single tear sliding from the corner of my eye. I hadn't even known I was pregnant.

It wasn't until that evening that Damian finally called.

"Why aren't you home making dinner yet? Don't you know Mom's hand got scalded?"

I gave a bitter little laugh.

"I got burned too. I'm in the hospital. Didn't you know?"

He was silent for two seconds.

"Oh. Well, Dotty can't be left with no one to look after her, so let Ava move in for the next few days."

"Once you're back, I'll have her move out."

I didn't say a word. I just hung up.