Then another.
And another.
Each brutal stomp stole the air from my lungs. Each one sent a fresh wave of agony crashing through me. The floor around me turned slick with blood, but my limbs were going numb. My body was shutting down.
“Aah! Please… stop…”
My voice cracked. I tried to beg. But my throat was raw, and my mouth tasted like iron. Even the pain was fading now—just dull pressure, duller fear. I couldn’t even cry anymore.
I lay there in silence, curled up in a puddle of what was left of me.
Finally, he stopped. Breathing hard, he yanked off his bloodstained jacket and tossed it aside.
Then he turned to Shannah, all tenderness and guilt, like none of it had just happened.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “I shouldn’t have let you deal with this mess. I’ll take care of it. And afterward… how about a honeymoon? The islands, just the two of us. My way of making it up to you—does that sound okay?”
Shannah shook her head gently, tears sparkling in her eyes. Her voice was soft—sweet, even.
“It’s okay… really. She hates me so much. If you leave now, what if she comes up with something else to separate me from the baby?”