Chapter 1: The Truth Beneath the Blanket
Jake's fingers froze around the edge of the blue blanket.
Slowly, he pulled it away.
A sharp gasp escaped his throat.
Dark bruises covered both of Megan's legs. One ankle was wrapped in an old elastic bandage that had clearly been changed several times. Her knees were swollen, and angry purple marks stretched along her calves.
None of them looked like ordinary pregnancy discomfort.
They looked like someone had hurt her.
Jake dropped to his knees beside the bed.
"Oh my God..."
Tears rolled down Megan's cheeks.
"I told you not to look."
Behind him, his mother, Diane, suddenly took a nervous step backward.
Jake noticed.
He slowly turned toward her.
His mother's confident expression had vanished.
"What happened to her?"
Diane folded her arms.
"I don't know."
Jake stood.
"You were just telling me she was hiding something."
"I thought she was."
"No."
His voice became frighteningly calm.
"You already knew."
Megan closed her eyes.
"Jake..."
He knelt beside her again.
"Who did this?"
She remained silent.
His mother answered instead.
"She's probably making it look worse than it is."
Jake stared at Diane.
"You haven't even asked what happened."
Silence.
For the first time in his life, Jake saw fear in his mother's eyes.
Megan finally whispered, "She pushed me."
The room stopped breathing.
Jake blinked.
"...What?"
"Three weeks ago."
Her voice trembled.
"I was carrying laundry into the hallway."
"Your mother became angry because I wouldn't let her repaint the nursery."
Diane immediately interrupted.
"That's a lie!"
Megan continued anyway.
"She grabbed my arm."
"I lost my balance."
"I fell down four stairs."
Jake looked at his mother.
She refused to meet his eyes.
"I begged her not to tell you."
Jake felt his stomach twist.
"Why?"
Megan swallowed.
"She said if I ruined your relationship with your mother..."
"...you'd never forgive me."
May you like
Jake slowly backed away from both women.
His entire childhood suddenly felt unfamiliar.
