Loved in the Shadow

All I got in response was my mother slapping me across the face.

She didn't pull her punches at all. The side of my face swelled instantly, and the burning pain was so sharp that my vision blurred.

"Your sister is raising a child all by herself!” she snapped. "How can you be so heartless? Do you really want Kayden to grow up without a father?”

I stared at her in disbelief.

"What about me?” My voice cracked. "What makes it so that my child is unworthy to be born into this world?”

I had been married to Nolan for five years, and I had gotten pregnant three times. He would sigh dramatically every single time, pull me into his arms, and tell me he still wasn't ready to be a father. He would tell me over and over that he wasn't done enjoying life yet.

So, I had abortion after abortion.

Each time I lay on that cold surgical table with tears running down my face, I wondered if Nolan would eventually change his mind and grant me the family I yearned for.

And now, he wanted me to raise the child he had with my sister, Irene Hart.

Irene covered her mouth and snickered upon hearing my words. Then, she arched an eyebrow at Nolan, teasing him like I wasn't even standing there.

"You're almost 26 and still hate using condoms?” she mocked. "Or was it because I told you it feels better without one?”

My miscarriages, my pain, and the grief that almost broke me had all become part of their sick play.

Something inside me snapped.

Tears burst from my eyes as I lifted my head stubbornly. "I'm not raising Irene's child. I want a divorce!"

My father let out a cold snort. "Divorce? Your mother and I will never agree to that. I'll beat you to death myself if you even think about leaving him!"

He rolled up his sleeves, but Nolan stepped in front of him.

"Dan, calm down,” he said casually. "Let me talk to Mallory alone.”

My parents left with Irene, all three of them wearing the same look of disgust on their faces.

The moment the door closed, Nolan reached out and gently touched my swollen cheek. "Does it hurt?”

I jerked my face away from him, my voice raw. "Why her?”

He didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled. "Babe, you need to understand something. I never would've married you if it weren't for Irene.”

His tone stayed light and careless.

"What happened between us is ancient history now. Don't be jealous over nothing, okay?”

Nolan had always been rather callous when it came to life. Yet, he would always lose it whenever his friends brought up his first love.

He could tolerate his friends making disgusting jokes about me when he swanned around at parties. However, he would beat those same friends up if anyone dared mention his first love in his vicinity.

There were more than 20 scars on his wrist. He had cut himself whenever that woman tried to leave him.

I used to ask him just what kind of girl she was and how she'd made him love her for so many years. I wondered just how deeply he loved her that he refused to even remove the scars.

Every time, he would grin lazily, stare at me with fake affection, and kiss my eyelids. "I barely remember her anymore. Mallory, you're the only woman I love now.”

Back then, I had fallen for those false honeyed words.

Only now did I finally understand.

He wasn't gazing at me whenever he kissed my eyes. No, he was seeing my sister through me because we shared similar eye shapes.

My chest hurt so badly it felt numb.

"But you knew everything!” I screamed. "You knew what she did to me! So, why would you still do this to me?”

I had told him everything about my past.

My parents favored Irene, so she got the bright, spacious bedroom. Meanwhile, I grew up in a freezing attic with holes in the walls.

Every New Year, they traveled as a family while I stayed home alone.

When we started college, Irene received 10,000 a month for spending, while I got nothing.

She even led other girls in bullying me at school. They cornered me in the bathroom, took photos of me in the nude, and sold them to men online.

My parents sided with her even after I cried and showed them the evidence of her misdeeds.

Back then, Nolan held me as he cried himself, vowing to protect me forever. Now, he only responded with an impatient snort.

"So what?” His eyes turned cold. "Should my son spend his entire life being labeled an illegitimate son just because of what happened to you?”