Chapter 1

On April Fools' Day, I had just found out I was pregnant.

My husband, Carter, brought me a cup of hot prenatal tonic, smiling warmly as he watched me drink every last drop.

Five minutes later, excruciating cramps ripped through my stomach.

A dark pool of blood gushed out from between my legs.

Carter pulled out his phone, aiming the camera right at my face.

"Happy April Fools', babe! That was an abortion pill!"

His mother, Brenda, burst out laughing from the couch.

"Surprise! My son said you were way too fragile, so we thought we'd test your nerves with a little joke."

I curled into a ball on the floor, rolling in agonizing pain, reaching desperately toward my phone on the coffee table to call for help.

Carter kicked the phone across the room. "Can't take a joke? Every other wife can take a prank, but you're too precious?"

Brenda came over with a bucket of ice water and dumped it straight over my head. "Get up and mop this blood clean! Don't you dare be lazy in my house!"

I watched the pool of blood spread across the floorboards.

My body convulsed in pure agony.

Staring at the mother and son, my trembling, bloody lips slowly curled into a cold smile.

With a bloodstained finger, I pressed the emergency SOS button on my smartwatch and whispered,

"Carter, I'm going to show you who the real joke is."

"Tara, your acting is insane! You're literally posing in your own blood!"

Carter's sister, Chloe, kicked the door open, shoving her phone in my face. The red recording light was flashing. She was live on TikTok.

I lay curled in the pool of blood, cold sweat pasting my hair to my cheeks. Violent waves of abdominal pain battered me mercilessly.

The chat on Chloe's stream scrolled at lightning speed.

"Carter, the chat says this April Fools' prank is easily worth a hundred thousand views!"

"Send me the clip you just took, hurry! I'm editing a full cut!"

Carter handed his phone over, casually wiping the blood off the sole of his shoe against the rug.

"Chloe, you're just in time. Look at Tara. She just drank an effervescent Vitamin C tablet, and look at this dramatic performance."

Vitamin C.

Just moments ago, he clearly admitted it was an abortion pill. Now he was rewriting the story.

Brenda cracked open another roasted peanut, flicking the shell right onto my arm.

"Exactly. Tara always loves playing the victim. When I was pregnant with Carter, I was still pulling weeds in the yard at eight months. She's just useless."

"Mom, move a little. The lighting's too dim over here." Chloe dragged a floor lamp right above my face.

The harsh glare blinded me, but the blood kept flowing out of me.

Heavy, rushing footsteps echoed from the hallway.

The front door was kicked wide open.

Two paramedics in dark uniforms barged in, shoving Chloe out of their way.

"Where is the patient?"

Chloe nearly stumbled, shrieking, "Who called you guys? We didn't call 911!"

The first paramedic took one look at me on the floor, his face dropping instantly. He dropped to his knees, checking my pulse, and yelled to his partner.

"Severe hemorrhage! Tachycardia! Get the gurney, now!"

Carter shoved his hands into his pockets, frowning.

"Man, you got the wrong house. My wife's just having a heavy period. You can leave."

"Sir, this volume of blood is not a menstrual cycle." The paramedic lifted the edge of the blanket. Blood had already soaked through the entire carpet. "She is having an active miscarriage. If we don't get her to the ER right now, she will die."

Miscarriage.

The word cut through the room like a blade, severing their laughter.

Chloe was still streaming. The comments flipped in an instant.

Panicking, she ended the live broadcast with one tap.

"Carter... is she actually pregnant?"

Carter's face went pale for a split second before smoothing over. He crouched down and patted my cheek.

"Babe, why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

As they lifted me onto the gurney, the ceiling spun wildly above me.

This morning, when the pregnancy test showed two solid lines, I told him first thing.

He had smiled, offering to brew me a nourishing prenatal drink.

He knew. He knew all along.

Before the ambulance doors slammed shut, I heard Brenda muttering outside.

"Should we... just say she fell down the stairs?"

Chloe's voice followed.

"Carter, don't delete that video yet. If it turns out not to be a big deal, this clip could easily trend on Twitter."

The gurney jolted as the paramedic leaned close to my ear.

"Ma'am, the distress signal from your watch routed to an exclusive private medical network. They dispatched us and notified your emergency contact."

"Do you want me to patch the call through?"

My throat was thick with the taste of copper. I could barely speak, but I weakly shook my head.

Not yet. The time wasn't right.

At the hospital, the nurses cut through my clothes. Blood dripped steadily off the edge of the operating table.

Carter stood just outside the ER doors, talking on the phone. His voice leaked through the gap.

"Dad, it's fine, totally fine. She was just careless. Yeah, I didn't lay a hand on her. Don't worry."

"Right, about that contract with Vance Pharmaceuticals, push their procurement team again."

The surgical light flashed on. The doctor stepped in, his expression grim.

"We couldn't save the baby. Your blood work shows massive concentrations of Mifepristone. That's a strictly controlled prescription abortion drug. Who gave this to you?"

The door creaked open, and Carter poked his head in, wearing a mask of polite concern.

"Doctor, how is my wife?"

The doctor looked at me, then at him, waiting for me to speak.

"Doctor, please just perform the procedure."

I didn't mention the poisoned drink. Not because I wanted to protect him, but because accusations meant nothing right now. Brenda would claim it was a vitamin, Chloe would wipe the video, and Carter would brand me hysterical.

In that house, truth had never existed.