ded, shaking him gently.

didn'

s, cradling him against my chest. "Call an amb

He just stood there,

elled, the desperation in

fumbled with his pho

-

ispers of nurses and doctors, it all faded into the background as I sat in

ating. The weight of the years, of the abuse, of the l

all, I'm about

run. To take my child

re woul

No job. No sa

me to resign as my symbol of obedience and submission to hi

. I had invested my all into this marri

thing but a shell

r standing in the doorway,

"We've cleaned the wound, but we'll need to monitor him for a whi

lized I was holding, the relief

I whispered,

l's voice, making me realize he h

*

he was still unconscious, his head bandaged in ways

n't. How could I? How could I go back to a life

ry bruise, every broken

und because I wanted to save my marriage, and

g that he would wake up, that he would be okay. The gui

stays in a relationship that harms her children? The th

this happen. It was all because of me. I should've protected

I kept holding on as if my presence wo

in the hospital, stretching ever

ying with Lorien because I had no place else to go, no safe space to crawl into. I couldn't even br

us. But I wasn't thinking about him anymore. I was thinki

k up at the ceiling, his eyes searching the room as if trying to make sense

sturb him too much, afraid he might

arely a rasp. "

ith emotion. I gently stroked his cheek. "I'm here

as still there, still holding him captive. And as much as I tried to reassure

sorry," I whispered, barely

fluttered closed again, but this time, I thought I

sleep much. I was too afraid to close my eyes, too afraid that something

steps in the hallway, I would stiffen, my co

hing ha

t fragile but real. I knew we weren't out of the woods yet. Kael could still come for us

ect my children, and I would do whatev

happened, no matter how difficult it

volve fear and pain. Ready to break free

g Lorien anymore. I was

, that was the only t

would I

of leaving t

own? How could I survive without a

have th

mething deep within, told m

to l

uldn't stay in this

he hospital, Kael was his usual self, distant

ough a newspaper, as if the world hadn't just sh

atching him. I needed to talk to him. My

e steady, but my heart

t look u

ed to

, his eyes narrowin

rting Lorien and Azra. We can't keep living like this. Yes, I want a ho

curling into a sneer. "So now you'

ld live happily without your anger, ego, and insecurity getting in the way. I chose you Kael, I choose you over every

ded on my cheek, cutti