I trembled as I dialed 911, my finger hovering over the call button. My whole body shook, but I was determined to report what happened.
Cindy’s face went pale the moment she realized I was serious. Her panic was palpable as she waved her hands frantically.
“Are you seriously calling the police? Come on, Elaine! Is this really worth it? It’s just a small thing!”
Her words didn’t faze me. My resolve was unshaken, and my hand was steady as I prepared to hit the final button—until David snatched the phone out of nowhere.
“Just forget it, Elaine,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “We’re all family. Besides, it’s partly your fault for not standing steady. He’s just a kid—how much harm could he possibly do?”
I froze, stunned as if I’d been struck by lightning. 'Did he really just say that we’re all family”?'
Was this the same man who had stood beside me at our wedding, promising to love and protect me? The same man who now brushed off the fact that his family’s negligence had almost cost us our child?
“Do you even hear yourself?” I demanded, my voice trembling with anger and disbelief. “Our child—our child almost didn’t make it! And now you’re telling me to just let it go? Do you even have a heart?”
David’s response was calm, almost rehearsed, as he reached out to steady me. “I know, honey, I know this has been hard on you. But it’s the New Year. Can’t we just move on? Give me some face, okay? Ryan’s just a kid—playful and a little careless. I’ll make sure to teach him better next time. Nothing actually happened. You’re fine now. Let’s not blow this out of proportion.”
It hit me then—he didn’t care about my feelings at all.
I closed my eyes as tears slipped down my cheeks. In that moment, the reality of who David truly was became painfully clear. He wasn’t my partner or my protector. He was just another person who expected me to endure, to compromise, to suffer in silence for his convenience.
One thought burned in my mind: 'I want a divorce.'
The events that had brought me to this breaking point replayed in my mind like a cruel highlight reel.
...
I remembered falling onto the stairs, the sharp sting as my hand scraped against the wood.
My mind had raced with panic, but somehow, I’d managed to shield my stomach. Behind me, the sound of triumphant, gleeful laughter echoed.
Clutching my belly, I struggled to stand. David rushed over—but not to help me. His attention was on Ryan.
“What the hell are you doing?” David barked. “Don’t you know your aunt is pregnant?”
Ryan’s chubby face twisted into a smug grin, his squinty eyes narrowing.
“I know,” he said with a casual shrug. “I did it on purpose.”
David froze, his anger replaced by disbelief.
When he finally spoke, his words were hesitant. “What you did is dangerous, Ryan. What if you hurt her? You can’t do that again, okay?”
Ryan smirked, the audacity of a spoiled child radiating off him. “I read in a book that if a pregnant woman falls, she’ll have a miscarriage. I wanted to see if Elaine would have one.”
Rage boiled over in me, hot and uncontrollable. Without thinking, I slapped him, the sharp sound cutting through the room.
Then, fueled by fury, I kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over, clutching his belly, and started crying.
When I’d fallen, no one had moved to help me. Not one of them.
But now? Now they swarmed me like vultures, their outrage palpable.
“How could you do that? He’s just a child!”
“Exactly! Did you really have to hit the kid that hard? You’re heartless!”
“You didn’t give birth to him, so you don’t care, huh? Look at what you’ve done to poor Ryan. Let me tell you—siblings or not, debts need to be settled. You’re going to pay for his medical expenses!”
Cindy was the loudest, her face twisted with outrage as she stepped closer, her voice rising. It was as if she wanted to rip me apart with her bare hands.
That was it. That was my breaking point.
“Medical expenses?” I said, my voice cold and trembling with fury. “Fine. Let’s call the police right now and see how they handle your son’s deliberate assault on me!”
Enraged, I pulled out my phone, my hands trembling.
...
As I thought back to that moment, I prepared to press the call. Right then, Cindy’s panic hit a new level.
“Are you seriously calling the police? Come on, Elaine, don’t overreact! This isn’t worth it!”
Before I could respond, David grabbed the phone out of my hand, his patience clearly worn thin.
“Let it go, Elaine,” he said, his tone low and dismissive. “We’re all family. Besides, it’s partly your fault for not standing firm. He’s just a kid—how much harm could he really have done?”
