As Maya’s voice grew more frenzied, Carlos quickly covered her mouth and carried her away. I couldn’t see his expression; I only heard his soft voice, drowning like water. “Don’t be afraid, Maya, I’m here. I will love you forever.”
Five years ago, when I lost my first child in revenge and was left in torment, he had made the same promise. “Hannah, whether we have children or not, I will always love you.”
But who could have known his “forever” would last only ten years. My nails dug into my palms, yet all I felt was the same ache as the blood flowing out of me.
Men’s promises were cheap and laughable.
The next morning, as I was about to go downstairs for my child’s funeral, Maya stopped me. She wore a nightgown and pulled open her collar to reveal a fresh kiss mark, her eyes filled with disdain.
“Hannah, don’t think you’ve won. You may never know that Carlos never loved you.”
“He just couldn’t bear to see me suffer with him, so he needed someone to take the burden and that’s why he chose you.”
“Now that you’ve lost your child, why are you still holding on here?”
I stopped, my eyes growing colder. “What did you just say?”
“I said, you’re only my replacement.”