Lila’s POV
I stand before him, my chest tight, listening as he speaks. His words tumble out, a mix of frustration and plea, about me returning with him. My jaw tightens as I hear him—how he feels bad that I left the hospital without letting him know. His voice rises as he rattles off everything, each memory sharp and cutting: every night I went to bed hungry, while he ignored me, every day spent doing more chores than a wife should bear, every night I cried in silence while he laughed in the opposite room with Claudia. And the child he let me loose with—did he even think of that? And now he dares speak of “safety”? What safety is he talking about?
Then his hand wraps around mine, pulling me closer. “I know how hard it is living outside, Lila. I’m sorry I didn’t consider it before lettin
