The morning sun did nothing to warm our Seattle townhouse. I stood in the kitchen, staring out the window. The rain from last night had stopped, leaving everything gray and damp. I hadn't slept at all. I spent the entire night lying alone in our bed. Cristian had slept in the guest room with Madalyn. He said she was too scared of the storm. My hand drifted to my stomach. I rubbed the soft fabric of my pajama shirt. I was pregnant. A tiny life was growing inside me. I wanted to hold onto that joy, but my chest felt incredibly tight.
I took a deep breath. I was an adult. I was a compassionate person. Madalyn was just a little girl who lost her mother. She was confused and grieving. I needed to be patient. I wanted to make peace for the sake of my own baby. I tied my apron and started cooking. I cracked eggs into a glass bowl. I whisked them with milk and flour. The rhythmic sound of the whisk calmed my nerves. Soon, the kitchen filled with the rich, warm smell of melting butter and vanilla. I flipped the pancakes on the hot griddle. I wanted everything to be perfect.
Cristian walked into the kitchen. He had changed into fresh clothes, buttoning his cuffs. Madalyn trailed closely behind him. She dragged her feet, clutching that stuffed rabbit tightly by its neck. I forced a smile. I set a plate of fresh pancakes on the marble island.
“Good morning,” I said softly. “I made your favorite, Cristian. And I made extra for Madalyn. With lots of syrup.”
Cristian looked relieved. He smiled and patted Madalyn’s back. “See, Maddie? Laila is very sweet. Sit down and eat.”
Madalyn climbed onto the tall barstool. She didn’t touch the fork. She looked at the plate, then looked up at Cristian. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. Her lower lip trembled perfectly.
“No thank you, Daddy,” she whispered. Her voice was high, thin, and pitiful. “My tummy hurts too much. I miss my mommy.”
Cristian’s face softened completely. He kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, sweetie. You don’t have to force it.” He checked his watch. “I need to grab my briefcase from the study. I’ll be right back.”
He turned and walked down the hall.
The second his footsteps faded, the atmosphere in the kitchen snapped. The crying stopped instantly. Madalyn dropped the sad, fragile act. She sat up straight on the stool. She turned her head and looked directly at me. Her eyes were completely dry. They were dark, cold, and calculating. Then, she slowly lowered her gaze. She stared directly at my stomach. It wasn’t the curious look of a child. It was a venomous, heavy glare. It felt like a silent threat. A cold shiver ran down my spine. I gripped the edge of the counter.
I swallowed hard and turned away. I needed to ignore her. I needed to focus on lunch. I was barefoot, enjoying the cool feeling of the hardwood floor against my skin. I moved a heavy cast-iron skillet off the hot burner. It was full of hot, leftover cooking oil from frying bacon earlier. I set it carefully on the edge of the counter to cool down. I turned my back to walk toward the fridge.
I heard a soft, deliberate scrape of metal against granite.
I turned around. Madalyn stood right next to the counter. Her small hand was firmly on the handle of the skillet. She shoved it forward.
A wave of hot, greasy oil splashed over the edge. It cascaded onto the floor, pooling exactly where I was about to step. I didn’t see the puddle in time. My bare foot hit the slick oil.
The world tilted violently. My leg shot out from under me. Panic exploded in my chest. *My baby.* The thought screamed in my mind. I threw my arms out blindly. I twisted my body to protect my stomach. My palms slammed hard against the sharp edge of the granite island. The impact jarred my bones. Pain shot up my arms and wrenched my right shoulder.
But I caught myself. I hung there, suspended over the floor, gasping for air. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. A few drops of hot oil splattered onto my bare toes. I hissed in sharp pain.
Madalyn didn’t flinch. She just watched me struggle. Then, the sound of Cristian’s heavy footsteps echoed in the hall.
Instantly, Madalyn gasped loudly. She covered her mouth with both hands. “Oops!” she cried out. Her voice wobbled with fake terror. “I’m so clumsy! I’m sorry!”
Cristian rushed into the kitchen. He saw the mess on the floor. He saw me clutching the counter, my face pale, my chest heaving. But he didn’t come to me. He didn’t ask if I was okay. He ran straight to Madalyn. He scooped her up into his arms. She buried her face in his neck and wailed loudly.
“What happened?” he demanded, looking at the spilled oil.
I straightened up slowly. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. “She pushed the skillet, Cristian,” I said. My voice was sharp, cutting through the fake crying. “She poured hot oil on the floor.”
Cristian glared at me. “She’s a child, Laila! She bumped the counter by accident.”
“She didn’t bump it,” I snapped. The heat of anger flared in my chest. “She stood right there and pushed it. I saw her. I slipped. I almost fell directly on my stomach!”
“Are you listening to yourself?” he yelled. His face flushed red with anger. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. It was his tell. He always did that when he was lying or hiding his guilt. “She is an eight-year-old orphan! Her mother just died. She’s terrified and clumsy!”
“I am pregnant!” I yelled back. I didn’t care about keeping the peace anymore. “I could have lost our baby!”
Cristian shook his head. He looked at me with pure, unmasked disgust. “Stop using your pregnancy as an excuse to be cruel,” he spat. “Are you really that jealous of a grieving child? You’re supposed to be the adult here.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. The air left my lungs. I stopped breathing for a second. I just stared at him. He held her tightly against his chest, shielding her from me.
Madalyn peeked over his shoulder. She looked right into my eyes. And she smiled.
It was a small, chilling smirk. My husband was holding my attacker, and calling me the monster.
