I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood. The pain in my abdomen intensified and when I glanced down, I saw my stomach, swollen and bruised, looking like an overfilled balloon ready to burst. The tears I had been holding back fell freely now.
An hour later, Harry crept back into our bedroom. I closed my eyes, feigning sleep as he slipped into bed beside me. He wrapped his arms around me carefully, as though I were something fragile. His hand found my stomach and he began to rub it gently, murmuring, “Clarissa, I love you.”
I froze at his words, the irony of them crushing me under their weight. How could someone who claimed to love me so deeply hurt me so profoundly?
As his breathing evened out and he fell asleep, I lay there, my mind spinning. The countdown in my head began anew.
Five more days, I told myself. Five more days and I’ll finally be free.
***
The next morning, I woke to an empty bed. Harry had already risen and the faint sound of laughter floated up from the kitchen. I recognized Evelyn’s petulant giggles and his indulgent chuckles.