Chapter 2

[Am I... not happy in the future?]

Silence followed my text.

Then, my phone rang. An incoming call.

I answered it.

The voice on the other end was unmistakably mine—yet raspy, broken, and hollow with absolute despair.

"Seven years from now, you and Julian are married. It’s a lavish, fairy-tale wedding."

"You give birth to a son. His name is Leo."

Before a flicker of joy could spark in my chest, she continued:

"But you are miserable. You live in pure hell."

"Sabrina never leaves your home. She and Julian cross every boundary, and every time, he shields her with the 'sister' excuse. Until you're eight months pregnant, and you walk in on Julian and Sabrina in your own master bedroom."

"You hemorrhage during labor. You almost die bringing Leo into this world."

The voice paused, choked by bitter sobs.

Listening to her, my chest ached as if sliced open.

"Julian was full of guilt. He got on his knees, weeping, swearing he would change. You believed him. For the baby, you stayed."

"But three months later, he crawled right back into her bed. Over time, he stopped feeling guilty altogether. He despised your stretched-out belly, your stretch marks, and your postpartum depression. He called you a crazy, paranoid bitch."

"And the child you nearly died to birth? Julian taught him to call Sabrina 'Mommy.'"

A chime sounded. A photo came through.

A family portrait.

Julian had his arm around Sabrina. A little boy around four or five sat on their laps, beaming brightly.

I wasn't in the picture.

I was nowhere to be found.

Tears streamed down my face. The pain felt so raw, so real.

Then I remembered the empty pill bottle.

My voice trembled. "The sleeping pills... Did you take them?! What do I do? How do I save you? How do I save myself?!"

"Chloe, are you going to die?"

A long, faint sigh came through the receiver. Her voice was fading.

"Probably. The pills are kicking in. Julian took Sabrina and Leo on a resort trip. The maid won't find me until tomorrow morning."

"Dump him, Chloe."

"Never look back."

A crash echoed through the line as the phone hit the floor.

Then, dead silence.

I broke down, sobbing hysterically in the dark, as if I were trapped in that cold, empty bedroom seven years ahead, watching my life slip away.

I cried until I had no tears left.

The door crept open. Julian stepped in quietly, wrapping his arms around me and looking at my swollen eyes.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry about earlier. I..."

I looked at him with hollow eyes.

"Julian, let's break up."