After setting off the firecrackers, the New Year’s Eve dinner was served. A spread of meat and vegetarian dishes that looked so good it could have been straight out of a food magazine.

Since I was pregnant, I got hungry quickly. After a long day of traveling, I was starving. I kept my head down, focused on eating, and didn’t bother engaging much with the chatter around me.

But Cindy, of course, couldn’t let me enjoy even one moment of peace.

“David, don’t you think your wife’s being a little rude?” Cindy sneered, her voice loud enough to cut through the chatter. “Look at her—just sitting there, stuffing her face without saying a word to anyone. People who know us might think we’re chill, but strangers? They’ll probably assume you married someone who doesn’t even know how to speak!”

Her words cut through the festive atmosphere like a knife. I froze mid-bite, slowly put my fork down, and glanced at David, silently pleading for him to say something—anything—in my defense.

To my utter shock, he sided with her.

“Well, she’s not wrong, Elaine,” David said, barely glancing in my direction. “My grandparents are here. You should greet them before you start eating. People are watching, you know.”

I froze, stunned, but when I looked around, I caught the sharp, judgmental stares of his relatives. Their eyes bore into me like I was some kind of zoo exhibit. The suffocating discomfort settled heavily in my chest.

Reluctantly, I stood up and did as David suggested, offering a few polite greetings to the elders. Then, desperate for an escape, I made a quick excuse about feeling full and wanting to rest.

As I turned to leave, the whispers began.

“She calls herself a city girl? She doesn’t even know basic manners. Even my dog barks to greet people when they come over, but she acts like we’re invisible!”

I paused mid-step, my fists clenching at my sides. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. It wasn’t worth it. All I had to do was wait for David to finish eating, and then we could leave.

But then another voice chimed in, sharper and more cutting than the last.

“You don’t get it, do you? She’s doing it on purpose—giving us the cold shoulder because she looks down on us country folk. Bet you didn’t know that!”

That was it. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud—not because I found it funny, but because I was so done.

Where did these people even come from?

They were masters at turning nothing into the most dramatic soap opera imaginable.

I turned and started heading upstairs, determined to ignore them. But then, out of nowhere, I felt a hard shove from behind. Before I knew it, I was falling.

The force sent me stumbling forward, my feet slipping out from under me as I tumbled onto the stairs.

Pain shot through my hands as they scraped against the rough edges, and my heart raced with panic. Instinctively, I curled in, shielding my belly. Thankfully, I managed to protect it just in time.

Behind me, the triumphant, gleeful laughter of a little boy echoed through the room.

Clutching my stomach, I struggled to steady myself and get back on my feet.

Right away, David rushed over in concern. He turned to his nephew, Ryan, and snapped, “What the hell are you doing? Don’t you know your aunt is pregnant?”

Ryan’s chubby face twisted into a smug grin, his squinty eyes narrowing until they nearly disappeared.

“I know. I did it on purpose,” he said, his tone so casual it made my blood boil.

David froze, clearly caught off guard by the boy’s brazen confession.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hesitant and weak, like he didn’t know how to handle the situation. “What you did is dangerous, Ryan. What if you hurt her? You can’t do that again, okay?”

But Ryan wasn’t done. He shrugged and added, “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.”

My head spun with rage. Without thinking, I slapped him across the face, the sharp sound slicing through the air and silencing the room. Then, fueled by anger, I kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over, clutching his belly, and started crying.

When I’d been shoved down the stairs, not one relative had moved to help me—not a single one.

But now?

Now they swarmed me like vultures, their outrage deafening.

“How could you do that? He’s just a child!” David's aunt said.

“Exactly! Did you have to hit the kid that hard? You’re heartless!” Linda, David's mom, added.

Cindy interjected, “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!”

The loudest voice, unsurprisingly, belonged to Cindy. Her face was twisted with anger, and she looked ready to rip me apart with her bare hands.

That was it. That was my breaking point.

They could insult me all they wanted. Judge me. Whisper behind my back. Throw their petty little remarks my way.

But harming my child? That was a line no one crossed.

“Medical expenses?” I said, my voice cold, trembling with fury. “Fine. Let’s call the police right now and see how they handle your son’s deliberate assault on me!”

I was shaking with rage as I yanked my phone out of my pocket. My hands trembled so badly that I nearly dropped it. But I didn’t care anymore.

They wanted to play games? Fine. Let’s see who came out on top.

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?”

I stood there, frozen, like I’d been struck by lightning. Did David really just say, “We’re all family”? The words echoed in my head, each one more absurd than the last.

How could he be so dismissive? He had nearly caused harm to our child!

“Do you even hear yourself?” I snapped, 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?”

He reached out and steadied me as I wavered, my emotions threatening to knock me off balance. His tone was calm and patronizing, and it made my blood boil.

“I know, honey, I know. This has been hard on you,” he said like he was reasoning with a child. “But it’s the New Year. Please, give me some face and let it go, okay? Ryan’s just a kid—playful, that’s all. I’ll talk to him, I promise. You’re always so healthy—nothing really happened. Let’s just move on. Be good, alright?”

His words confirmed what I’d been trying to ignore. He didn’t care about how I felt—not even a little.

I closed my eyes, letting the tears spill over. At that moment, I saw him clearly for what he was. He wasn’t my protector, my partner, or my safe place. He was someone who expected me to endure, no matter how much it hurt.

That same thought rang clear in my mind: 'I have to get a divorce.'

But I couldn’t fight them head-on. Not here, not in this remote, isolated place. I’d read too many stories about people disappearing in small villages to risk it. If I made the wrong move, I’d be the one paying the price.

So, I softened. I pretended to let it go.

“Just make sure it doesn’t happen again,” I murmured, keeping my voice even. “I was really scared this time.”

David’s face brightened like I’d just handed him a trophy. He wiped the tears off my cheeks with a smile. “That’s my girl. I knew you’d understand. Alright, everyone, let’s go back to eating.”

But Cindy wasn’t finished.

“What about Ryan’s medical expenses?” she piped up, her voice sharp.

David shot her a warning glare. “That’s enough.”

...

Later that night, upstairs, I sat on the bed, my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

But I didn’t feel the pain. All I felt was fear—deep, bone-chilling fear. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling, and tears streamed down my face in an endless, silent flow.

This family was terrifying. I had to leave. I had to get out of here and end this marriage.

David came upstairs a little later, holding a bowl of chicken soup.

“Here, babe,” he said with a smile that sent shivers down my spine. “You didn’t eat much earlier. Drink this, it’ll warm your stomach.”

I took the bowl, forcing a small, shaky smile.

“Thanks, David,” I said, the word catching in my throat.

“David, my stomach doesn’t feel right,” I added after a pause, keeping my voice soft and hesitant. “Can we go back tomorrow? I’m worried—I want to get checked at the hospital.”

He didn’t seem suspicious, but he wasn’t budging either.

“It’s rare for us to come back for the New Year,” he replied, setting a hand lightly on my belly. “Let’s stay a few more days. The baby’s healthy—it’ll be fine. Don’t stress.”

After he left, I grabbed my phone and sent a message to my family group chat:

[Mom, you're right. I’ll listen to you. I’m not keeping this child.]

My mom had never liked David. She used to say he was too cunning, too manipulative, and that I’d regret marrying him.

But I’d been stubborn—a fool blinded by the idea of love. I thought I was fighting for something meaningful.

Her reply came quickly: [As long as you’ve made up your mind, that’s all that matters. Mom will always support you.]

Tears blurred my vision as I stared out the window. The forest outside was pitch black, the trees like looming shadows ready to swallow everything whole.

If I hadn’t forgotten my glasses, I would’ve driven myself out of there that very moment. But for now, I was trapped. I couldn’t leave, and I couldn’t provoke him.

I needed a plan.

...

The next morning, David tried to wake me up, but I didn’t respond.

He came into the bedroom and pulled back the covers. His face paled as his eyes landed on the large red stain on the sheets beneath me.

“Elaine! Baby, wake up!” he yelled as he shook me frantically. “Are you okay? Come on, don’t do this to me!”