CHAPTER 7
1134 Words
NIA’S POV
He was walking again.
Physically, at least.
But the man I had fallen in love with, the boy who held my hand under the bleachers and told me I was his peace, he never came back.
Instead, he came home later and later. Always smelling like cheap liquor and cheaper perfume. His eyes were glassy, his voice slurred. Sometimes he’d smile like nothing was wrong. Other nights, he wouldn’t speak at all. Just slam doors and knock over furniture like the walls were to blame for his failure.
I kept hoping it was just grief. That one day he’d wake up and remember who he was.
Who we were.
But the Caleb I knew was gone.
And the one who replaced him was dangerous.
That night, I had enough.
I was six months pregnant, exhausted from work and stress and pretending everything was okay. When he stumbled through the door at 2 a.m., reeking of gin and smoke, I didn’t hold back.
“I’m done, Caleb,” I said, voice steady but low. “I’m leaving.”
He stared at me, blinking like he didn’t understand English. Then he laughed…a long, slow, empty sound.
“No, you’re not.”
I moved to grab my bag. I had it packed for weeks, just in case. I took one step…
And the next thing I knew, my head slammed against the doorframe.
Pain exploded behind my eyes. I tried to run, but he grabbed my hair, yanking me back so hard I screamed.
“Stupid b***h,” he hissed. “You think you can leave me?”
He slapped me across the face, then again. A kick to my side sent me crashing to the floor.
“You think you can just walk away?” he snarled, standing over me. “You’re stuck with me. You cook, you clean, and you suck my d**k when I say. That’s your job now.”
I curled around my belly, shaking.
I didn’t fight back not because I was weak. But because I was protecting something stronger than both of us.
My baby.
His kicks eventually slowed. He staggered away, mumbling to himself, collapsing onto the couch like he hadn’t just destroyed the only person left who still loved him.
I lay there for a long time. Crying quietly, tasting blood.
And in that moment, I stopped loving Caleb.
I wasn’t staying anymore.
Not for him.
Not for the memory.
Not even for the hope of who he used to be.
I was leaving.
For me.
And for the baby who deserved better than this.
The morning light made everything look softer, like maybe the nightmare from a few hours ago hadn’t really happened.
But my ribs still ached when I breathed.
My lip was still split.
And my stomach was still full of worry.
I had to know if the baby was okay.
I found him in the kitchen, shoveling cereal into his mouth like nothing happened. His knuckles were bruised. My heart pounded.
“Caleb,” I said quietly. “I need money. I want to go to the doctor, just to make sure the baby’s okay.”
He didn’t even look up. Just kept chewing.
I swallowed hard. “Please.”
That’s when he laughed. A dry, bitter laugh that made my stomach turn.
“You really are something,” he muttered. “Still playing the victim, huh? Always needing something.”
I stayed silent.
He stood up, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and leaned against the counter, smirking.
“You think I don’t see it? You ain’t nothing but a gold digger. Got knocked up and now you think I owe you everything.”
My fists clenched, but I said nothing.
“You want doctor money?” He snorted. “Go beg your mom. Or better yet, go find Chris. I’m sure he’ll throw a few bills your way if you promise to open your legs.”
He grabbed his keys and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
I stood there shaking, hands on my belly.
No tears this time.
Just clarity.
He wasn’t going to help.
He didn’t care.
And he never would.
That evening, the pain hit harder than ever.
My stomach was twisting and turning, every breath shallow and sharp. I couldn’t get out of bed to make dinner.
When Caleb came home and saw the empty kitchen, he didn’t say hello.
“Where’s my dinner?” His voice was cold, sharp.
“I’m… unwell,” I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes.
His patience snapped like a twig.
Before I could react, his hand slammed across my face…red burning where it connected.
He grabbed me roughly, dragging me out of bed and into the kitchen.
I collapsed onto the floor, sobbing, the world spinning around me.
He didn’t stop. Punches and kicks rained down, cruel and relentless.
I curled tighter, trying to protect myself, trying to shield the life inside me.
When he finally stormed out, slamming the door behind him, silence flooded the house like a cold wave.
I stayed on the floor until I felt something warm trickle down my leg.
I looked down, horror freezing my breath.
Blood.
I grabbed my phone, trembling, and called a cab.
The ride to the hospital felt endless.
In the sterile, fluorescent-lit room, the doctor’s words crushed me:
“You’ve lost the baby, Nia.”
I wanted to scream. To cry until I couldn’t breathe.
But all I could do was sit there, numb and broken, feeling the weight of everything crashing down.
The pain, the fear, the violence, the dreams shattered in an instant.
I was alone.
And nothing would ever be the same.
The hospital room was cold, the white walls glaring down at me like they knew all my secrets.
I lay there wrapped in a thin blanket, the dull ache in my belly a constant reminder of what I’d lost.
The nurses were kind but busy, their voices soft but distant. I felt like a ghost watching my own life unravel.
Every time the door opened, I jumped, hoping it was someone bringing answers or maybe just a little kindness.
Keisha was the first to show up.
Her eyes were red but fierce when she hugged me tight.
“You don’t have to go back there, Ni,” she whispered, like she was saying something sacred.
I wanted to believe her. Wanted to believe I could walk away from the pain and the fear.
But the thought of leaving Caleb…the bitter, broken man he’d become felt impossible.
Still, with Keisha sitting beside me, holding my hand, something inside me stirred.
Maybe this was the beginning.
Maybe I was stronger than I thought.
Maybe I could fight for a new life.
- Writer
