[I heard the little crybaby didn’t cry today? Getting more sensible, good girl.]
[So choose one for me, which of these two is more useful?]
[You pick one for me, and I’ll keep the other as your thirtieth birthday present.]
Looking at those lines of text, I kept a blank face and sent nothing back.
Once the screen went dark, I didn’t feel even the smallest shift inside.
Zion had always been like this, liking to watch me get jealous, lose control, break down because of him, then be pushed to lower my head and give in because I loved him.
But I was truly worn out.
So drained that I didn’t even have the energy to argue with him anymore.
Grandma Ravenna said to give her a week, and she would settle everything.
I didn’t have to do anything, just quietly wait for the week to end, and I would finally be free.
The next morning, when I woke up, there was a familiar presence beside me.
I didn’t know when Zion had come back. He leaned against the headboard, his fingertips lightly playing with my loose strands of hair in a distracted way.
His other hand rested on my swollen belly, his head lowered, as if he were truly listening to something.
“The baby is moving.”
He smiled at me. “Wife, he’s scratching me.”