At eight months pregnant, my younger sister, Reina York, pushed me down the stairs, causing me to go into early labor. 

At the hospital, I called Xavier Morales, but he answered with an impatient scoff. "What do you expect me to do about it? Stop bothering me."

Xavier hated me, and he never wanted our child.

Our baby girl was born, but despite the doctors doing everything they could, she did not make it. I called Xavier repeatedly, but he coldly hung up on me every time.

Then, just moments later, I saw Reina's latest social media post. Xavier was there with her, smiling like he did not have a care in the world. He had completely abandoned me just to be with Reina.

Even when our baby was cremated, they were still posting about their love like nothing had happened. 

I did not scream, nor did I cry—I just packed my bags and left.

Before pushing me down the stairs, my younger sister, Reina York, smiled sweetly and said, "My dearest Eloise, you're just using your baby to keep Xavier by your side, right? That's just too bad—Xavier doesn't want your child. Keeping it around would just be an eyesore."

The world spun as I tumbled down the stairs, a sharp pain stabbing through my stomach. Reina did not stick around to watch. Instead, she just walked away, leaving me bleeding on the floor.

My husband, Xavier Morales, was nowhere to be found when I needed him the most.

The baby was too small, and all that was left after the cremation was a tiny handful of ashes. I placed them in a clear glass vial, holding onto the only thing I had left of her.

When I returned to the house, it was eerily empty, with barely any trace of Xavier ever living there. He was hardly home, and I had spent my time there alone.

The blood from that night had dried on the living room floor. There were still the baby clothes and toys I had lovingly picked out on the sofa, but my precious little girl was gone. Tears streamed down my face as I packed everything away, erasing every trace of myself and my daughter.

Just as I was about to leave, Xavier walked into the house with Reina by his side. I stood by the stairs, but he acted like he did not even see me.

Then, his eyes landed on the dried bloodstain, and for the first time, he seemed to remember a third person in the house. His gaze shifted to my suitcase, his tone ice-cold.

He growled and said, "Eloise York, is this another one of your games? Running away from home now?"

He did not even notice anything different about me, nor did he realize that the baby was gone.

Reina, as if she had not tried to kill me just the night before, clung to Xavier's neck and looked at me innocently. "Eloise, I'm sick. Xavier said he'd take care of me. You don't mind, do you?"

I watched as Xavier gently set her on the couch, opened the medicine kit, pulled out a thermometer, and handed her a glass of warm water. He was so considerate, so careful—so unlike the man I knew.

The same man who had ignored me when I burned with fever, who had sighed in irritation when I begged for help.

"It's just a fever. You're not going to die. Stop being dramatic."

I had always known that Xavier never loved me.

I said, "Xavier, you got what you wanted. Let's go our separate ways."

We were separating, not divorcing. After all, there had never been a wedding, and we had never registered our union. Legally, we were not even partners.

Xavier did not even look up. He assumed I was only throwing a tantrum over Reina again. He said mockingly, "Are you trying to play the long game now? Last time, it was stomach pains. Now that you can't use your baby against me, you're trying to threaten me with leaving?"

The mention of my child sent a sharp pain through my heart. The night before, I had felt no movement inside me, no kicks or flutters. No matter how hard I tried, I could not lift myself off the floor.

With no one by my side, I had to call 911 myself, and had to sign the surgery papers alone. I watched as the doctors took that tiny, lifeless body out of me. I had to watch as she never even took a breath.

She had already lost her heartbeat inside my womb.

From the moment I got pregnant, Xavier had never once been there. He never believed me. He thought I was lying, that I was using the baby to trap him.

After nearly 15 years of knowing each other, he still saw me as nothing but a manipulative woman.

Reina chimed in again, saying, "Xavier said he was supposed to go to the hospital with you, but I got sick, so he stayed to take care of me. Eloise, are you mad about that?"

Xavier patted her hand, his voice full of warmth. "Why would she be? It's just a pregnancy. That's nothing compared to you being sick."

A cold laugh escaped my lips. Not wanting to argue anymore, I held the vial with my daughter's ashes and walked toward the door.

That was when Xavier finally noticed something was wrong. He grabbed my arm and shoved me back.

He snapped and said, "What is your problem?"

His words cut off the moment his eyes fell on my stomach. "You've already given birth?"

He looked around the room, searching for something—or someone. "Where's the baby? Where did you hide her? Eloise, is this your latest stunt?"

Xavier never cared about me or our child, let alone my feelings. Even now, after losing our baby, he did not even realize it had happened.

I took a step back, my voice cold as I said, "Don't touch me, you filth."

Once, I had clung to him, desperate for his attention. However, I could no longer stand him coming near me.

Xavier started to step forward, but Reina spoke up first. "Eloise, Xavier asked you a question. Did you give birth? Why are you hiding the baby? He's busy, and you must be more understanding. You—"

"Reina, shut your mouth!" I raised my hand and slapped her across the face, pouring all the pain of losing my daughter into that single strike.

I growled, saying, "You know what you did to me. Don't push me, or I swear, I'll kill you."

Xavier was about to say something, but at that moment, his expression twisted with fury. He shoved me hard, and I stumbled, nearly dropping the vial holding my daughter's ashes.

He yelled, "Eloise, she's your sister, and you hit her?"

My voice trembled with rage. "Sister? What kind of sister wraps her arms around her brother-in-law like that and throws herself at him?"

Reina leaned pitifully against Xavier's shoulder, her eyes welling with tears. "Xavier, it's my fault. Don't blame Eloise… She's just given birth, after all."

I looked at Xavier. "Why don't you ask her what she did before running off to sleep with you last night?"

Xavier's expression darkened. "Reina? What could she have done? Eloise, not everyone is as manipulative as you."

His words cut into me like a knife. He had not been home in so long and never cared about me. Of course, he would not care what Reina had done to me, either.

In his eyes, I was just a villain.

I thought about my baby kicking inside me as if she were protesting—protesting the fact that her father never paid attention to her.

The physical and emotional toll of my pregnancy had been unbearable. The pain, the exhaustion, the loneliness—it had only gotten worse over time.

I had begged Xavier to stay, had even dropped to my knees, pleading for just a little of his time—just once.

I had even promised him that after the baby was born, I would leave, and he would be free. For a moment, he hesitated. He looked at me with an expression I could not quite read—something between satisfaction and conflict.

"Are you serious?" he had asked.

The pain had been unbearable, but I had nodded, tears streaming down my face. I had known him since we were kids. I had found him under a bridge, homeless and alone, and begged my parents to take him in.

From that day on, he had become my brother in name, though we were not related by blood. When my dad passed away, my uncle took Reina in, leaving me and my mom to fend for ourselves.

I did not want Xavier to end up back on the streets, so I begged my mom to keep him with us. Due to that, he had hated me for years.

He had wanted to leave with Reina, but before my mom passed away, she had entrusted me to Xavier. She told him that only with him by my side could she rest in peace.

Xavier had agreed, but he had never once mentioned marriage. So, I had lived in this nameless, meaningless relationship with him.

My mom had died without ever seeing the wedding she had dreamed of. After we buried her, Xavier finally showed his true colors.

"Your mother was just as selfish as you," he had said coldly. "Did she think she could tie me to you forever?

"I've done more than enough for you. Don't expect anything else from me. My bride will only ever be Reina."

He even said, "There's no one for me except her. I don't love you. I don't want you. This is what you deserve."

He had wanted to marry Reina, but because of me and the baby, she had refused. I had already decided to let go—so why was he still so cruel?

"Xavier, our baby is gone," I choked out, my voice breaking. "She's dead. It was Reina. Reina pushed me down the stairs, and that was why I gave birth too soon. It was all because of her!"

Xavier hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering to my stomach before a cold smirk tugged at his lips.

He said mockingly, "Eloise, you're getting really creative. Now that you know you can't fool me, you're trying to pin this on Reina? You think I'd believe you?"

Tears blurred my vision, and my heart ached so painfully that I could hardly breathe.

"It was her!"

I lunged forward, rage burning through me, desperate to make Reina pay for my daughter's life.

Reina let out a terrified shriek and clung to Xavier, trembling. "Xavier, help me! Eloise is trying to kill me! What did I ever do to deserve this? Why does she hate me so much?"

Xavier pulled her protectively into his arms, and before I could react, his hand struck my face with a vicious slap.

"Enough, Eloise! She's your sister, and you're accusing her of this? Just because your baby is gone doesn't mean Reina had anything to do with it!"

Reina whimpered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks, and Xavier's expression instantly softened. He gently wiped them away with his fingertips, his touch unbearably tender.

The sight of it was like a knife twisting in my heart.

When we were kids, Xavier was like that with me, too. If I cried, he would always be the one to wipe my tears away.

Nonetheless, that was a lifetime ago. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped caring, and I had no idea when or why it had happened.

Xavier spoke to Reina in a soft, comforting voice before turning to me, his eyes ice-cold. "Eloise, I won't let you slander Reina like this. Apologize to her."

I shouted, "I won't!"

Xavier had not expected me to defy him.

I did not remember when he started hating me, but I remembered how I used to feel about him. For years, he had been my entire world. I loved him, so I always tried to please him, walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting him.

Yet, he never noticed, and he never cared. To him, my feelings were nothing but a nuisance, something to be trampled on without a second thought.

No matter what I did, I was always in the wrong. No matter how hard I tried, I could never compare to Reina.

Xavier arched a brow, briefly startled. He warned me, saying, "Eloise, don't test my patience."

I had nothing left to say to him. I turned to go, but my defiance only seemed to enrage him more.

He stormed toward me, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me down, forcing me onto my knees in front of Reina. He snapped, saying, "I told you to apologize!"

Reina smirked at me before turning back to Xavier with a sweet, innocent expression. "Xavier, it's okay. Eloise didn't mean it."

Xavier's heart melted at her supposed kindness. "Reina, you're always too forgiving. She hit you, and she falsely accused you. She needs to apologize."

Then, he looked at me, his gaze sharp with warning. "Anyone who hurts Reina will pay for it twice over."

My mind flashed back to high school when a group of guys had cornered me. Xavier had come charging in, shielding me, fighting them off. Now, he was the one hurting me.

Maybe it was because I refused to beg. Perhaps it was because I did not break the way he wanted me to.

Xavier suddenly released me, only to drive his foot into my shoulder, sending me sprawling onto the floor. He snarled and said, "Eloise, don't push me. Apologize. Now."

"I won't!"

His expression darkened. "What did you say?"

I shouted, "I said I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?"

The words had barely left my mouth before his hand came down on my face again. The force of the slap sent me reeling, my body turning to the side.

The vial in my hand slipped from my grasp, and the glass shattered as it hit the floor with a sharp crack.