Chapter 3

The woman standing in front of me

was Millicent Henson, the childhood sweetheart Carl had grown up with.

And there behind her stood Carl himself.

Matching pajamas, matching slippers, the two of them like a devoted married couple,

here, inside the home of my dead parents.

Through the narrow gap in the doorway,

I could see it. Everything my parents had arranged was already gone.

A tidal surge of hatred and grief kept rising in my chest.

"I'm sorry, Martha, it's all my fault. I didn't have anywhere to stay, so I begged Carl to let me live here. If you have to blame someone, blame me, it has nothing to do with Carl."

Slap!

Almost on instinct,

I threw my right arm up high and struck Millicent hard across the face.

A shrill scream stabbed at my ears,

and the next second Carl's hand had clamped down on my arm before I could raise it again.

"Martha Roman!"

His eyes were bloodshot as they bored into me, and a low, hoarse roar tore out of him.

"When did you become so crude, so rude? Can't you talk things through like a decent person?"

"The house is sitting empty anyway. So what if Milly stays here a few days?"

So what?

Three years ago, when I put the key to this house into Carl's hands,

tears had rimmed his eyes.

"Martha, don't worry. Your parents treated me like their own son. They're gone now, but I'll look after their home. I won't touch a single thing."

The day I found out I was pregnant, I said I wanted to come here and see it.

Carl stopped me without a moment's hesitation.

"Martha, don't go. I'm afraid the sight of everything will only break your heart."

"I know what you're feeling. Don't worry, I've kept your parents' house in good shape. I'll go over myself in a while and tell them the news in front of their memorial."

Remembering that, I wrenched my arm out of his grip,

and rushed straight into the room.

I couldn't spare a thought for the stabbing pain low in my belly. I strode to the innermost room and shoved the door open,

and what I saw froze me where I stood, as if I'd been struck by lightning.

My parents' memorial was gone.

In its place was a room full of dolls, more than I could count, stretching on with no end.

My chest heaved with fury.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"Martha, I'm sorry, it was my idea, it's all my fault."

Millicent's voice came from behind me, thick with tears.

And then she actually dropped to her knees behind me with a thud.

Seeing it, Carl lunged forward in a single stride.

"Milly, what are you doing? This is nothing to make a fuss over, get up, quick."

The rage boiled up in my chest like a volcano.

I spun around, seized Millicent by the hair, yanked her head, and drove it hard toward the wall behind her.

"You little bitch."

A piercing scream rang out,

but before Millicent's head could hit the wall,

Carl's foot had already slammed into my belly.

He kicked with everything he had.

My whole body flew backward and crashed into the glass cabinet behind me,

and with a thunderous crash,

a searing pain tore through my lower belly, like flesh being ripped apart.

Bright red blood soaked through my lower body in an instant.

But Carl had eyes only for Millicent.

He swept her up into his arms and walked out, slamming the door without a backward glance.

Before he left, he slanted a cold look at me, crumpled in the corner, and dropped one line.

"Martha Roman, for the sake of the baby in your belly, I'll let it go today. You'd better take a good long look at yourself."

Through the narrow gap in the door,

I saw the winner's smile in Millicent's eyes as she lay in his arms.

I dug my nails into my palm.

It's fine. Who wins in the end is far from decided.