s with Mark, when he was a charming professor who seemed to adore me. He' d praised m

support his tenure track. He said it was a temporary sacrifice

like acid in my stomach. The pai

to act like the caring husband again. He put his ha

ncere. "I' ve been under a lot of stress. It' s hard, you know, t

apology designed to pacify me, to keep m

ark," I said,

his arms. He was trying to buy my silence with f

know about the preg

is eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, hard shock. He stare

about?" he stammered,

nk lines," I said, my voice gaining strength.

ace. He was cornered, and he knew it. For a moment, he looked genuinely

He was an expert at this. "What is wrong with you? That is a

e, his face twisted in

snooping around, making these insane accusations? You should be ashamed of your

w, his voice echoi

way, I swear to God, Ava, you will regret it. She is my family

y' s hand. Lily, a small child caught in the middle of a war s

h manufactured concern. She glanced from my face to Mark

addy angry?" Lily asked, her small

They were already a famil