Yolanda trembled with rage. "You think you're so perfect? You were assaulted back in high school. You even got pregnant from it! Lewis was the one who scraped together the money to pay for your abortion. He stayed with you in the hospital for over a month. And you dare—"

"You have no right to talk about that!" My vision blurred red. I lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair.

Yolanda's face twisted in pain. "Am I wrong, though?"

I raised my hand to slap her again, but Lewis caught my wrist and flung it aside.

"Enough! Letitia, there's a limit to how far you can push this!"

"I'm pushing it?" My eyes burned. "Lewis, get your facts straight! She started it—"

"Was she wrong?" Lewis cut me off, his voice like ice.

Every drop of warmth left my body. "What did you just say?"

Lewis repeated himself, his tone flat and merciless. "I said, was she wrong? Were you not assaulted? Did you not have an abortion? So tell me—where exactly did she lie?"

Each word carved into me like a blade. My legs nearly gave out beneath me.

Yolanda nestled against his chest, satisfaction written all over her face.

I started to laugh. A broken, hollow laugh, my eyes burning crimson as I fixed them on him. "Lewis, you truly disgust me."

I turned to leave.

Something flickered in Yolanda's eyes. The moment my back was turned, she shoved me.

I lost my balance. My stomach slammed into the edge of the table.

"Ahh!"

"Letty!"

Althea's face changed. She rushed toward me.

I pressed both hands against my abdomen, feeling a warm stream sliding down between my legs. The blood drained from my face in an instant.

Lewis came to his senses and moved toward me, but before he could take a step, Yolanda suddenly cried out too.

"Lewis! I feel so dizzy... I think I'm losing too much blood."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed into Lewis's arms.

Lewis glanced at me, then down at the woman draped against his chest.

He chose her. Scooped Yolanda up and strode out without a backward glance.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Lewis?!" Althea screamed after him.

Her hands were shaking as she dialed 911.

By the time the paramedics loaded me onto the stretcher, my vision was swimming. Then everything went black.

...

I woke to the sharp sting of antiseptic.

My hand flew to my stomach before I even opened my eyes.

A nurse's voice came from beside the bed. "Don't worry. The babies are fine. Tough little ones."