Chapter 1
My husband’s mistress shoved me down a hospital staircase when I was eight months pregnant—and as blood ran down my legs, she leaned over the railing and whispered, “Now he can finally choose me.”
I had gone to a hospital in Nashville for a routine prenatal appointment.
My husband, Daniel, was supposed to meet me there after work.
He never showed.
I called him three times before a woman answered his phone.
“Stop calling my boyfriend.”
My hands went cold.
“Who is this?”
She laughed softly.
“Ask Daniel.”
The call ended.
A few minutes later, I saw her standing at the end of the hallway.
I recognized her immediately.
Her name was Vanessa, one of Daniel’s coworkers.
She walked toward me like she had been waiting.
“You really had to get pregnant, didn’t you?” she said.
I stared at her.
“How long?”
“Long enough to know he doesn’t love you anymore.”
I reached for my phone.
“I’m calling Daniel.”
Vanessa grabbed my wrist.
“He already chose.”
“Let go of me.”
I pulled away and headed toward the stairwell because the elevators were crowded.
She followed me.
“Sarah, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
I turned around.
“What exactly are you asking me to do?”
Her eyes dropped to my stomach.
Then she smiled.
That smile scared me more than anything she had said.
I took one step backward.
Vanessa suddenly shoved both hands against my shoulders.
I lost my balance.
The railing disappeared from my grip.
I fell down several steps and landed hard on the landing below.
Pain exploded through my stomach.
Then I felt something warm running down my legs.
Blood.
I screamed for help.
Vanessa looked down at me from the top of the stairs.
“Now maybe Daniel can have the life he actually wanted.”
A nurse rushed through the stairwell door and dropped beside me.
“Call labor and delivery! Now!”
Vanessa tried to walk away.
Then another voice thundered from behind her.
“Don’t move.”
Daniel was standing there.
His face was completely white.
Vanessa immediately pointed at me.
“She slipped! I tried to catch her!”
I grabbed the nurse’s arm.
“She pushed me.”
Daniel looked between us.
Then he did something I will never forget.
May you like
He walked past Vanessa, knelt beside me, and whispered, “Sarah… there’s something about the baby I should have told you months ago.”
Before I could ask what he meant, the doctor looked at the monitor and shouted, “We’re losing the heartbeat.”
