"Lorelei, I don't understand! You're the one who never has time for our relationship because you're always working. We've been married for years, but nothing's happening. You still haven't given me a child!" Mathew said bluntly.
His words pierced me, and tears welled up in my eyes. He stormed out, leaving me confused. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was the one at fault, the reason we were so miserable, and the reason he was turning his attention to my sister.
Months passed, things seemed to return to normal. Matthew’s sweetness towards me came back, he showered me with gifts, even without an occasion. But his actions felt strange, off-kilter.
One day, I decided to take a pregnancy test. For years, I’d been trying to conceive, but each attempt ended in a miscarriage. This time, I hoped for a different outcome, a way to bring joy to my husband who longed for a child.
Tears of happiness streamed down my face as I saw the positive result. I couldn’t wait to tell Mathew so I planned to surprise him on our anniversary, coming up this Wednesday.
***
On the night of our anniversary, I waited for Matthew on the rooftop, where I’d arranged a romantic dinner. Minutes turned to hours, and he still hadn’t arrived. Panic gripped me, had he forgotten our special night?
Dejected, I turned to leave, but then a video arrived on my phone. I didn’t know who sent it, but as I watched, a wave of icy terror washed over me.
The video showed my husband and my sister having sex.
My legs gave way, the heavy rain mirroring the crushing weight of my emotions. Until, I found myself walking down a dark, rain-soaked street as my heart was shattered into pieces.
I stopped, startled by the sight of figures in the distance. They held knives, and fear gripped me.
"Looks like we have our new victim!" The men's laughter echoed, their eyes gleaming with a thirst for violence.
I tried to escape, but they caught me. They robbed me, stabbed me in the stomach, and my world crumbled. My child, my hopes for a future, slipping away.
I thought it was the end, but then a figure emerged from the shadows. I couldn’t see his face, but I felt a sense of salvation.
The air crackled with the sound of gunshots, a rapid succession of pops that sent me reeling. Blood splattered across my face, a gruesome testament to the violence unfolding before me.