His sister Melissa leaned against the doorframe, her smirk dancing in the corners of her mouth. “Women give birth every day.”
I stared at them—all polished coats and meticulously applied lipstick. My eyes slid down to Daniel’s hand drumming impatiently on the car keys I had paid for. My baby whimpered, and instinctively, I pulled him closer, cradling him as if he were the only thing tethering me to reality.
“Daniel,” I said quietly, the words barely escaping my lips, “you’re really leaving me here alone?”
He leaned in, his breath brushing against my ear, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “Don’t look at me like that. You should be grateful my family even accepted you.”
Accepted me. The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I thought of all the ways I had molded myself to fit into the contours of his family’s expectations. For being quiet. For not showing what I had. For letting him believe I was just an ordinary woman with nothing behind me.
Elaine rifled through the diaper bag, glancing inside before scoffing. “Cheap. We’ll replace everything later—if the baby looks like Daniel.”
Something inside me shifted with her words. Not anger. Not even pain. Just… clarity. Daniel pressed a quick kiss to the baby’s forehead, a gesture that felt more for show than affection, then turned away, the air thickening in his absence.
At the door, he paused. “Don’t keep calling. We’re celebrating.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and silence wrapped around me like a heavy blanket. I sat there—stitches aching, body weak, exhaustion settling deep—my son asleep against my chest. And then I cried. For three minutes, tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and salty, soaking into the fabric of my hospital gown. Then, just like that, I stopped.
I reached for my phone, my hands shaking slightly. My mind raced through all the things I could do, all the plans I could make. There were two contacts Daniel had never bothered to learn about: my lawyer, Martin, and my father’s private office. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I called my lawyer first.
“Claire?” Martin answered immediately, his voice soothing. “Is the baby here?”
“Yes,” I whispered, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. “And Daniel just walked out on us.”
