ly, urgency creepi

"ten minutes" on the tablet,

us voice rang

his people are at each other's throats. I'm the only one who c

ven respond, he turn

d he wouldn't make i

ablet. Her computer skills were exceptional. Hacking into Eth

bothered to do someth

minutes, Ethan appeared at the old house in the slu

or the funeral, and she feared greedy relatives would swoop in and take

ies with her mother, and the

r, Ethan bought the house back immediate

eturned there in

ely forced it to connect. At once, Ethan's ingratiating vo

cate voice. "At least you made the right choice. I t

asure at all. Instead,

oment I get free. Look, this is the Heart of True Lo

tly, bitterness f

r being old. Ethan had walked up and slapped

ove ring was first released, he promised

other woman without the

ting, Clara felt as if

ar and grief. Whenever she came close, tears would spill

e pain and go back, Ethan would s

was afraid she'd d

d the man's hoarse growls fille

exactly where they were. On the

sat her mother's p

m beyond the grave, how much wou

undlessly. Yet she forced herself t

her tears, resolve slowl

r used from beneath her pillow and

you as my father? Come pick me up in thr

e. Now that love was gone, th

Ethan came every evening to eat with her, talk with

yone knew she was the wom

even a man like him

front of Clara and lifting his spoon to feed her. The

ed Clara into his arms,

g you again? When the baby's born,

her mouth numbly, swallowing mechanical

up her throat, and she

, Ethan reached out and

nliness at all, his eyes fill

erate, his world seemingly rev

ra would have be

egnancy diet wasn't made for her at all. It had been

g more than an

lara had clearly heard Ivy retching, spit

s too strong. I

xed her t

t drink it,

dn't help it earlier

"Alright. I'll dump i

at was meant for the trash was being

ntless thoughts flo

the meals he had brought h

lara could no longer hold it back and leaned

the trash can, a deep s

was she nothing mo

ompanied by a sharp, hidden pain, as i

pain, tears spill

band and wife, how could Eth