Chapter 1 :Cracks In the Vows
1466 Words
CHAPTER 1: Cracks In The Vows
Amelia reached across the bed and touched an empty pillow.
Cold.
She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Another morning.
Another day waking up alone.
She grabbed her phone from the nightstand.
7:13 AM.
A message from Adrian.
Early meeting. Don’t wait for me tonight.
That was it.
No good morning.
No heart emoji.
No “How are you feeling?”
Just another notification that her husband would be unavailable.
Amelia sighed and dropped the phone.
Four years ago, she would’ve smiled at even the shortest message from Adrian Knight.
Now she stared at them and wondered when they had become strangers.
The sound of heels clicking outside the bedroom door made her sit up.
A housekeeper poked her head inside.
“Good morning, Mrs. Knight.”
“Morning, Sarah.”
“Mr. Knight asked me to remind you about your appointment.”
Amelia’s smile faltered.
The appointment.
Right.
Today.
“Thank you.”
Sarah hesitated.
“Everything will be okay, ma’am.”
Amelia nodded, though she wasn’t sure she believed it herself.
At eleven o’clock, Amelia sat in the waiting room of Manhattan Reproductive Specialists.
Her fingers tapped nervously against her purse.
She checked her phone.
No new messages.
She checked the time.
Five minutes until her appointment.
Still no Adrian.
The receptionist called her name.
“Mrs. Knight?”
Amelia stood.
“My husband is coming.”
“Dr. Miller is ready.”
Amelia looked toward the entrance one last time.
Nothing.
She followed the receptionist inside.
Ten minutes later, the office door opened.
Adrian walked in.
Expensive suit.
Perfect tie.
Phone pressed against his ear.
“Move the meeting to Thursday,” he said before ending the call.
Amelia looked away.
He hadn’t even apologized for being late.
Adrian sat beside her.
“Sorry.”
The word sounded automatic.
“Traffic?”
“Meeting.”
Of course.
A moment later, Dr. Miller entered.
“Good afternoon.”
Neither Amelia nor Adrian spoke.
The doctor sat down and opened a file.
His expression immediately made Amelia nervous.
Doctors only looked like that when something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Dr. Miller folded his hands.
“I’ve reviewed all the test results.”
Amelia’s heart began pounding.
“Okay.”
“There are significant fertility complications.”
Silence.
The doctor continued carefully.
“Based on what we’re seeing, natural conception would be extremely difficult.”
Amelia blinked.
“Difficult?”
The doctor looked down.
Then back up.
“The chances are very low.”
The room seemed to tilt.
She stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means pregnancy is unlikely without medical intervention.”
Unlikely.
The word echoed in her head.
Unlikely.
Not impossible.
But close enough.
She swallowed hard.
Beside her, Adrian remained silent.
The doctor continued discussing treatment options.
Procedures.
Alternatives.
Statistics.
Amelia barely heard any of it.
The only thing she could hear was the roaring in her ears.
When the appointment finally ended, she stood on shaky legs.
Adrian placed a hand on her back.
For a moment, she almost leaned into him.
Almost.
The ride home was painfully quiet.
Adrian focused on driving.
Amelia stared out the window.
Finally she spoke.
“Say something.”
“What?”
She laughed softly.
“What do you mean, what?”
Adrian sighed.
“What do you want me to say, Amelia?”
“I don’t know.”
She turned toward him.
“Anything.”
He was quiet.
“We’ll figure it out.”
Amelia stared.
“That’s it?”
“What else is there to say?”
Her chest tightened.
She looked away.
The rest of the drive passed in silence.
That evening, Amelia stood in front of her closet.
Dinner at the Knight Estate.
Normally she would’ve found an excuse to avoid it.
Tonight wasn’t an option.
Victoria Knight had specifically requested their presence.
That alone made Amelia uneasy.
When she came downstairs, Adrian was waiting near the door.
He glanced up.
“You ready?”
Amelia nodded.
“You look nice.”
The compliment surprised her.
Unfortunately, it shouldn’t have.
There had been a time when Adrian complimented her every day.
Now one compliment felt like an event.
“Thank you.”
They drove to the estate.
The massive property looked as intimidating as ever.
Amelia had never felt welcome there.
Not even after four years.
Inside, Victoria greeted them.
Her eyes immediately landed on Amelia.
Then her stomach.
Then back to her face.
Amelia’s jaw tightened.
She knew exactly what that look meant.
Dinner began shortly afterward.
Around the table sat Adrian’s parents, grandparents, and a few extended relatives.
Halfway through the meal, Victoria set down her fork.
“So.”
Amelia froze.
Here we go.
Victoria smiled.
“How was the appointment?”
The table went silent.
Amelia slowly turned toward Adrian.
He avoided her eyes.
Her stomach dropped.
He told them.
He told them.
“Adrian.”
Victoria frowned.
“What? They’re family.”
Amelia felt heat rush to her face.
His grandmother spoke.
“What did the doctor say?”
Nobody looked embarrassed.
Nobody seemed to realize how invasive this was.
Amelia forced herself to answer.
“The results weren’t good.”
A heavy silence followed.
Then Adrian’s grandfather sighed.
“That’s unfortunate.”
Another relative nodded.
“The Knight family needs an heir.”
Amelia looked down at her plate.
Victoria spoke next.
“There are treatments, of course.”
“Mother—”
Victoria ignored Adrian.
“But at some point, practical decisions have to be made.”
Amelia slowly looked up.
“What does that mean?”
Victoria smiled.
The smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“It means family comes first.”
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too hot.
Too suffocating.
Amelia pushed back her chair.
“Excuse me.”
She walked out before anyone could stop her.
She stood on the balcony trying to breathe.
A minute later, the door opened.
Adrian stepped outside.
“There you are.”
Amelia laughed.
“There I am?”
“Can we not do this?”
She turned toward him.
“Do what?”
“This.”
His answer made her angrier.
“This?”
She pointed toward the dining room.
“Your family practically discussed my fertility like it was a business report.”
“They were concerned.”
“Concerned?”
“Amelia—”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“No. Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like I’m being unreasonable.”
Adrian ran a hand through his hair.
“They didn’t mean anything by it.”
Amelia stared at him.
“You really believe that?”
“They want what’s best for the family.”
The words hit harder than he intended.
Because suddenly she understood.
This wasn’t just Victoria.
This wasn’t just his grandparents.
Adrian agreed with them.
Maybe not openly.
Maybe not completely.
But enough.
Enough that he wasn’t willing to defend her.
Enough that he had told them about her diagnosis without asking.
Enough that he was standing here explaining their behavior instead of condemning it.
“What’s best for the family.”
She repeated the words quietly.
Adrian sighed.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
He didn’t answer.
She laughed bitterly.
“Right.”
“Amelia.”
“Tell me something.”
She stepped closer.
“If I never have children…”
Adrian looked at her.
She held his gaze.
“If I can’t give you an heir, what happens to us?”
His expression changed.
Just slightly.
But she noticed.
The hesitation.
The uncertainty.
The pause.
And somehow that hurt more than any answer could have.
“Why are you asking that?”
Her eyes burned.
“Because you didn’t immediately say nothing would happen.”
Silence.
A long, painful silence.
Amelia nodded slowly.
That was answer enough.
She walked past him.
“Amelia.”
She didn’t stop.
For the first time since their marriage began, fear settled into her heart.
Not fear of infertility.
Not fear of disappointing his family.
Fear of losing Adrian.
Because tonight she realized something terrifying.
She was fighting for this marriage alone.
Back inside the dining room, Victoria watched Amelia leave.
Then she looked toward her husband.
“He sees it now.”
Her husband frowned.
“Sees what?”
“Reality.”
Across the room, Adrian stood alone on the balcony.
Victoria’s expression hardened.
“The Knight family needs a future.”
“And Amelia?”
Victoria picked up her wine glass.
“Amelia was never meant to be permanent.”
Then she smiled.
A cold, calculating smile.
“I think it’s finally time Adrian met Vanessa Sinclair.”
- Writer
