“Get up, you lazy cow! Do you think being pregnant makes you a queen? Get downstairs and cook for my parents NOW!” At 5 a.m., my husband dragged me out of bed while his parents laughed. As I collapsed in pain, they had no idea I had already sent a message that would save my life….

But the darkness was already creeping in at the edges of my vision. The pain in my ribs was overwhelmed by the terror for my child.

Hold on, Miles, I thought, saying the name I had secretly chosen. Just hold on.

Then, the world turned black.

---

The first thing I heard was beeping. Rhythmic, steady beeping.

The second thing I heard was shouting. Not Daniel’s voice. A deeper, more dangerous voice.

“If you let him in this room, I will burn this hospital to the ground!”

Ethan.

I opened my eyes. The light was harsh. I was in a hospital bed. IVs were stuck in both arms. My chest was wrapped in bandages.

“Sarah?”

Ethan’s face appeared above me. He looked terrified. He looked like he had been crying, which was something I hadn’t seen since we were children.

“The baby?” I croaked. My throat felt like sandpaper.

“He’s okay,” Ethan said, gripping my hand so hard it hurt. “The heartbeat is strong. You have two broken ribs, a severe concussion, and massive bruising on your thigh. But the placenta is intact. He’s safe.”

I let out a sob that racked my broken body.

“Daniel?” I asked.

“Arrested,” Ethan said, a dark satisfaction in his voice. “I got there, Sarah. I got there five minutes after you texted. I kicked the door in.”

He paused, looking away.

“I found you unconscious on the floor. Daniel was… he was trying to drag you up. He was shouting at you to stop faking it. His mother was pouring water on your face.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t kill him. I wanted to. God, I wanted to. But I knew you needed him in prison, not a morgue. So I broke his nose and held him down until the cops came.”

“And his parents?”

“They tried to tell the police you fell,” Ethan said. “They tried to say you were hysterical. But the cops saw the stick, Sarah. They saw the house.”

Just then, a police officer walked in. Officer Miller. He looked kind, but weary.

“Mrs. Mercer,” he said gently. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I need to take your statement. And I need to tell you something.”

“What?” Continue reading…