Asher barely spared me a glance before shoving a bank card into my hand. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to travel? Here, take this. Go enjoy yourself for a while.”
He pushed me out the door without a second thought. As I stood outside, the sounds of laughter and celebration echoed from within, each cheer like a knife twisting in my heart.
Later, I did as he asked. I aborted the child and left his life for good. Lying on the cold, sterile operating table, staring at the harsh, blinding lights above me, life felt unbearably cruel. I remembered the excitement I had felt when I first found out I was pregnant. Now, that same hope felt like a distant, mocking memory.
——
The nurse's eyes, full of pity and sympathy, had burned through me just moments before. I still felt the sting of shame on my face. The procedure required a family member's signature, and, for a fleeting moment, I thought of Asher. I called him several times, but he rejected every call without hesitation.
I let out a bitter laugh. At least this way, I don't have to worry about him finding out.
The operation itself was quick, but it felt like an eternity.