Meanwhile the baby in my belly, already six months along, was nothing to him—just an inconvenience he'd rather not carry.

I ignored the pounding on the door and walked into the closet.

Pulled out my black suitcase.

Threw in a few things I wore often, no order, no care.

I'd barely zipped it shut when the housekeeper came rushing in with a spare key and got the bathroom door open.

Joel stormed out in a bathrobe, hair still dripping.

He crossed the room in a few strides, stopped in front of me, and raised his hand.

I didn't flinch. Didn't move. Just looked at him, cold.

His hand hung in the air, then slammed into the closet door beside me.

"Are you insane? You sneak back without a word just to lock us in the bathroom?"

Lillian followed him out.

She was wrapped in my silk robe.

The one Joel had brought back from his Paris trip last month, swearing he'd had it custom-made for me and only me.

She padded barefoot to my vanity.

Picked up my most expensive prenatal medication.

"Pauline, please don't be mad at Joel. It's all my fault."

She was still shaping the apology when her fingers opened.

A sharp crack.

The glass bottle hit the floor and white pills scattered everywhere.

"Oops. Slippery fingers." She covered her mouth, eyes bright with open contempt.

Then she took a deliberate step forward.

Her bare foot came down on the pills.

And she twisted her sole into them, slow and hard.

"This medicine doesn't even look that good. Joel, take me to get something better tomorrow, okay?"

He didn't scold her. He crossed the room in two long strides, took her hand, his face soft with concern.

"Careful, you'll cut your feet. Trash like this—who cares if it's ruined."

Then he turned to me, and everything in his eyes was disgust and impatience.

"Pauline, do you have any idea how unhinged you look right now?"

"Lily was just borrowing the bathroom. Was that really worth trying to kill her over?"

I looked down at the pills crushed across the floor.

I'd gone to three different hospitals for those. Begged for them. They were the pregnancy medicine I'd spent weeks trying to get.

Now they were ground into powder under their feet.

I didn't make a scene. Didn't scream or interrogate him the way I used to.

I just zipped my suitcase shut and picked it up.

"Finish up and get some sleep."

I stepped around them and headed for the door.

Lillian stuck her foot out and tripped me hard.