Chapter 5

When I woke up the next morning, Harvey was already gone. Only the marks scattered across my skin proved he'd been there at all. Thunderous pounding on the door had pulled me out of sleep. Through the peephole, I saw Jane's bright, arrogant face. I knew my days of provoking her had finally paid off. The fish was about to take the bait. The moment I opened the door, a slap sent stars exploding across my vision. I stumbled back several steps. Several men stood behind her. She barked orders at them. "Hold her down." They grabbed my arms in a vice grip and forced me to my knees. Jane grabbed my chin with interest and tilted my face up toward hers. "You actually think Harvey likes you? You're nothing but a replacement for that bitch." I wrenched my face away from her grip and laughed with contempt. "You think I care?" "No wonder you have a face that looks just like hers. You're just as cheap as she was." Another slap landed across my face. Everything went black for a moment, and all I could hear was ringing in my ears. She still wasn't done with me. "Teach her a lesson." The men she'd brought surrounded me at her command. Fists rained down like a storm, and the pain made it nearly impossible to breathe. Every bone in my body felt like it was being crushed. But I wasn't afraid. Instead, I felt the thrill of a predator watching its prey finally step into the trap after lying in wait for so long. Her rage and my suffering were both going exactly as I'd planned. I just kept smiling coldly. A kick to my stomach made me cough up blood, and a heavy, dragging pain spread through my lower abdomen. The light in front of my eyes dimmed bit by bit until I fell into darkness. I passed out. Jane saw the blood spreading across my white nightgown, shockingly red. She finally panicked, and her fingers trembled. "Is she… is she dead?" The next second, the door flew open with a violent kick. Harvey burst in, his expression murderous, like the Grim Reaper coming to collect a debt. He shoved Jane aside roughly, and she fell to the floor. But when he gathered me into his arms, his touch turned gentle, like he was cradling a treasure. When I heard him call my name, I forced my eyes open. I clutched my burning stomach as tears rolled slowly down my cheeks. "Harvey, the baby. Our baby."