I was bleeding through my pad, rocking my tiny baby in a no-cost shelter room

I once earned $130,000 every single year. But then Ethan and Helen talked me into quitting my job and becoming a stay-at-home mom as soon as I found out I was expecting.

“We will look after you,” Ethan swore to me.

I trusted his words. That might be because my mom and dad passed away when I was little, and I spent years wanting a real family so much that I confused empty words with actual security.

Everything shifted the moment we found out the kid was going to be a girl.

Ethan forced a grin at our reveal party. Helen questioned if the doctor’s results could be incorrect.

Later that evening, Ethan muttered softly, “Perhaps the next one will be a boy.”