Guilt is a leash.
I stepped closer to the woman I had spent my life trying to please.
“You made sure I had no one. Every friendship, every relationship, every opportunity—you created an emergency until I abandoned it for you.”
Teresa’s voice became soft.
“You are emotional. When the baby comes, you’ll understand how much a mother sacrifices.”
I thought of Emily on the kitchen floor, one hand protecting her stomach while my family laughed in the next room.
“I already understand.”
I opened the apartment door.
“A mother protects her child. She does not feed on him.”
One detective approached Brittany regarding the assault and stolen property. The other informed Teresa that investigators wanted to question her about fraud, forgery, and identity theft.
Kayla immediately offered to provide messages in exchange for leniency.
Lily claimed she had known nothing.
Within minutes, the loyalty they had demanded from me collapsed among them.
