I got up from the cold floor, feeling no warmth or pain. I was momentarily disoriented. It wasn't until I saw my own body curled up there that I knew I was dead.
Scenes from the previous day still played vividly in my mind. I'd gotten home late from the hospital, to find Sierra Rice, who was temporarily staying at my place, shivering downstairs for two hours. I hurried to get medicine and made her some hot apple cider, but she coldly knocked it over.
"I don't want your fake kindness. You probably can't wait for me to leave."
I tried explaining that I hadn't heard her call while I was at the hospital, but she just sneered and pushed me.
"How do I know you didn't do it on purpose?"
By the time Alan Jenkins got back, she was sprawled on the couch, burning up with a fever, looking miserable.
"Alan... I feel so awful..."
She whimpered, her body limp as she leaned into his arms. She looked at me with fear and avoidance in her eyes. "Maybe you should just drop me off at a nearby inn and let me fend for myself."
"Sweetheart..." I rushed forward to explain, eager and hopeful to share the news with him.
But Alan suddenly stood up, kicking me hard in the chest. I fell to the ground, shocked and trembling, as he vented his anger on me, ripping at my clothes.
"Sweetheart, listen..."
"What's there to say? How can you be so cruel?"
"Do you have any idea how cold it was today? Sierra is delicate, and this is how you treat her?"
My clothes were torn to shreds, leaving me in just thin underwear. He grabbed my hair and dragged me out forcefully. "You can't stand to see her well, so now you’ll know what it feels like to freeze."
He ignored the blood from my scraped body as he dragged me across the floor. My screams were only met with his furious slaps. "You dare to scream?"
He dragged me all the way to the basement, where I clung desperately to the door frame, pleading with him. "Sweetheart, I'm pregnant. We have a baby..."
I was overwhelmed, my grievances stuck in my throat like a stone. Sierra followed closely behind, coughing violently once more.
"Alan, let's just forget it. This will only make Elowyn hate me more," she said weakly.
Alan's brief moment of softness vanished instantly as his face darkened. He pried my fingers loose and kicked me down the steps. Sierra still held onto my handbag, probably thinking Alan was about to kick me out. She threw the bag inside, "Elowyn, I don't blame you. Even if you deliberately spilled hot cider on me, I wouldn't resent you."
Alan slammed the door shut, locked it, and even wrapped it with chains.
"Sweetheart! Alan, you can't do this to me! I'm pregnant, let me out!" I screamed desperately, but only his cold laughter responded.
"Still lying? Elowyn, I never knew you could be like this."
"Think about it in there. When you realize your mistake, then call me your husband."
