I paused.
Then I let it rip, every word sharp and cold through clenched teeth.
“Of course I got rid of it.”
Quentin froze like he’d taken a bolt straight to the chest.
His face twitched. Fear lit up his eyes.
His voice cracked, rusty. “That was our kid. How could you–how could you do that? We used to dream about this. We were so hyped to be parents. Why didn’t you even tell me?”
Seven years.
Over two thousand nights of being his.
I used to dream up our wedding, our babies. Had a name for the kid tucked away. Saw us in the garden, tiny fingers in mine.
He’d be the tough–love dad doing math problems with the kid at the table.
I’d handle the rest, every scraped knee and bedtime story.
We fought over how to raise them–me, all about ambition; him, just wanting happy and healthy.
Our first real fight was over that. Loud. Messy. Real.
Now? Watching him lose it, eyes bloodshot, fists clenched-
I felt nothing. Just sick.
“You don’t get to talk about him, Quentin. That baby was doomed from day one. Nobody wanted him. Why bring him here just to
suffer?”
I stepped forward, slow and silent, like something already gone.
Blood slid down my legs, thick and warm, leaving smeared footprints behind–little bits of what used to be.
I stopped inches from him. My voice? Empty. “Even his dad wouldn’t claim him. So tell me–who was actually waiting for him?”
1/2
Chapter 5
Quentin’s lips tightened, but his eyes gave him up. Full of fear. Shaky. Shattered.
His mouth opened. Nothing came out.
He had nothing.
Never claimed the baby.
Even his own sister thought it wasn’t his.
Something in him cracked.
He started pounding his head with his fists, over and over, until he hit the floor.
All of it looped back–every choice, every lie.
He slapped himself, hard.
What had he done?
For a kid that wasn’t even his, he pushed me to end ours.
I just stood there, watching. A bitter smile tugged at my mouth.
This was it. Payback.
+15 Bonus
Then I cut what was left of him clean. “Quit faking it. You never wanted that baby. Just like you never actually loved me. No amount of guilt’s gonna hide how little we meant to you.”
His scream tore the air apart. “No! That’s not true!”
He clawed at his hair, eyes flooding, whole body trembling. “I love you. I wanted that baby. I just… I just…”
