As I lay there on the cold, unforgiving floor, my vision blurred by tears of pain and disbelief, I could hear Chloe’s laughter echoing in my ears. It was a cruel soundtrack to the nightmare unfolding around me. The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound ever could. I had always known that Tom’s family viewed me as an outsider, but I had never imagined they would go this far.
Desperation clawed at me as I tried to reach for my phone, hoping to call for help, but it was knocked out of my hand in the scuffle. My breaths were shallow and ragged, each one a struggle against the suffocating reality of my situation. Tom stood there, his eyes wide, a mixture of shock and fear etched on his features. Yet, he did nothing. He was paralyzed, caught between his mother’s iron grip and the life we had promised to build together.
“Tom, please,” I begged, my voice a hoarse whisper. I could barely recognize it as my own. “Think about our baby.” But my words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Margaret’s presence loomed over him like a shadow, her grip on his conscience unwavering.
