a

ng to the sterile hum of t

feel like lead, but my mind was a scalpel, cutti

ck the next

ab door behind him and scanned the room for bugs-a ha

pulling a folded piece of

me. It was a t

, his voice barely a whisper. "I found traces of

white paper, but they screamed premeditation. These

d. The name ta

ing in the Bronx," Ben continued, his eyes heavy with pity. "The

oisone

t bring tears; it bro

h a rage so cold it burned. "She smiled and watch

Ben said, gripping my ha

That his girlfriend is a murderer? Or that he was t

dly. "She has his ear. She has his

oreign sound that scr

me, Ben. He promised

out," Ben offered.

N

m pain in my abdomen. "Running is for

Inside, hidden beneath a stack of old medical journal

t for a marriage-we weren't marri

rugs I had created for the family. The clotting agents, the undetectab

ialed the number for the fa

aration protocol," I said. "As

iss Miller, surely you want to discuss t

him off. "Do it. And keep it qu

s my personal ce

ha

een for a long mome

oth, devoid of guilt. "H

said. "Jus

apping up here. I sto

a second, a stupid, pat

. "A bonus. For handling Chloe so well.

bo

n employee o

ief was a

," I said, my voice

s. "Diamond. You'll love it. I'll be

te what,

fe. Chloe is happy.

is

oked at the empty spot in my womb where a heart ha

"I'm going to bed early. Leave

ned. "Alright. Feel better. Chloe wants to go

bye,

before I

on, or the fact that his perfect life was built on my corp

he lab. My face was pale, my eyes dark ci

to my reflection.

d the separation agreement asid

s my in

been keeping records. Every illegal shipment, every br

because I had synthesized t

ring down the Ree

rotected him with silence. I had protected him w

he code o

book. The p

im one. I would light the candles on his c

y stomach o

o the baby I never held. "