The day I found out I was pregnant, Shane was helping his childhood sweetheart, Rose, pick out a cat. The day I lost the baby, Shane was with her again—this time at the vet, taking care of her sick cat. Later, Rose posted on social media, showing off their closeness for the world to see: “Fifteen years and counting. So lucky to have you by my side.” The photo? Shane holding her cat at the vet, smiling softly at her like she was the center of his universe. Meanwhile, I was lying in a cold hospital bed, empty and broken. I couldn’t reach Shane; his phone kept going to voicemail. After my tenth attempt, I gave up. I laughed bitterly, opened Rose’s post, and left a comment below her picture: “I hope you two stay together forever and don’t go around grossing others out.” The moment I lost the baby, I knew my marriage to Shane was over. Three years of marriage, and Rose had always been between us. Shane’s childhood friend, his precious Rose—so precious, in fact, that whenever she called, Shane would drop everything to be by her side. It didn’t matter what the reason was. If Rose needed him, he’d leave me without a second thought. I used to tell myself that having a child would fix things, that it would bring us closer. But even a pregnancy couldn’t keep Shane from running to her. If that was the case, why should I fight for this marriage anymore? As I scrolled through Rose’s post again from my hospital bed, I saw the photo of Shane holding her cat, his smile soft and warm. Her caption read: “Fifteen years and counting. So lucky to have you by my side.” I stared at my phone, bitterness curling in my chest. Then I left my comment: “I hope you two stay together forever and don’t go around grossing others out. A second later, my phone rang. It was Shane. I answered, and before I could say anything, his angry voice cut through the line. “Claire, what the hell is wrong with you?!” “What’s wrong with me?” I repeated, my tone icy. “What were you thinking, leaving a comment like that on Rose’s post? Do you know how bad that makes her look? People are already misunderstanding her because of you!” In the background, I heard Rose sniffle dramatically. “Shane, don’t blame Claire,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “It’s my fault. She probably called you earlier, and you didn’t pick up because you were busy with the cat. She must’ve misunderstood…” Shane’s frustration spiked. “Claire, I’m ordering you to delete that comment and apologize to Rose right now!” I listened to his rant in silence, my hand tightening around the phone. Then, without a word, I hung up. I got out of bed, discharged myself from the hospital, and went home to the apartment Shane and I shared. The first thing I did when I got there was call a lawyer. I had the divorce papers drafted immediately. Afterward, I went to the bedroom, packed a suitcase, and was about to leave when Shane walked in, his hair disheveled and his face flushed from rushing back. He froze when he saw my suitcase, then his lips curled into a mocking smile. “Running away from home? Really, Claire? How childish can you get?” I looked at him, my expression calm. “It’s not running away.” “I’m leaving you.” I pulled my suitcase toward the door, but his voice stopped me. “Claire, how long are you planning to keep up this tantrum? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused Rose? People are calling her a homewrecker because of you!” He took a step closer, his tone dripping with condescension. “You knew I’d come back to talk this out, didn’t you? That’s why you’re pulling this dramatic little stunt—to guilt me into staying.” “Claire, you know I don’t have the patience for this.” His words were so certain, so full of himself, as if he knew I’d eventually back down. And I did. I stopped, turned around, and walked back toward him. For a moment, a smug look crossed his face, like he thought he’d won. But then I raised my hand and slapped him. Hard. The sound echoed through the room. “That,” I said, my voice steady, “was for everything you put me through.” “Shane, you are so disgusting, you make me want to throw up.” Before he could respond, a gasp came from the doorway. There stood Rose, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. “Claire, if you’re angry, blame me!” she cried, rushing over to Shane, her tears falling as if on cue. “I’m the one who asked him to come with me to the vet. It’s not his fault!” She touched his cheek gently, her fingers brushing over the red mark I’d left. “How could you hit him?” she demanded, glaring at me. “Don’t you know how much men value their pride?!” Then she turned back to Shane, her voice soft and full of concern. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?” Shane’s expression softened immediately. He reached out to comfort her, his voice low and reassuring. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.” When he turned back to me, though, his gaze was cold. “Claire, stop this nonsense. You’re ruining Rose’s reputation. Do you even care what kind of damage you’re doing?” “She’s an unmarried woman. Do you know how hard it’ll be for her to move on if people keep thinking she’s a homewrecker?” He took a step closer, his voice sharp. “Delete your comment. Post an apology. Now.” “And if I don’t?” I asked, my tone mocking. Shane’s jaw tightened. “If you walk out that door without fixing this, don’t expect me to come after you.”
Of course. To Shane, no one could ever be more important than Rose. Not me. Not even our child. Even when I lost the baby, even after the procedure, when I was still bleeding and weak, Shane chose to stand by her. To protect her. Me and our baby together couldn’t compete with one Rose. So why did he marry me? Why drag me into this mess, pull me into the mud, only to leave me there alone? The overwhelming sense of injustice hit me like a wave. My throat tightened, my vision blurred with tears. When Shane saw me crying, he hesitated for a moment, his hand twitching as if he wanted to reach for me. But Rose stopped him, slipping her arm through his. She smiled faintly, her voice soft but cutting. “Claire, you can’t just cry and expect your mistakes to disappear like magic.” “You’re not a child anymore. You need to grow up.” She turned to Shane, her expression filled with mock indignation. “It’s fine if she takes out her anger on me, but how could she let people spread such awful things about you? Shane has been nothing but devoted to you. He’s never even looked at another woman since you got married, and he tells everyone how much he loves you. What more do you want?” Her tone turned pitying, almost condescending. “Shane’s been like a brother to me ever since my parents died in that car accident. He’s just looking out for me, that’s all. If we really had something going on, do you think you’d even be in the picture?” Word by word, she painted me as some petty, jealous wife who couldn’t tell the difference between friendship and an affair. I looked at her, my chest tightening as my mind flashed back to the baby I’d lost before it even had the chance to live. The anger hit me like a spark in dry wood, burning away all reason. I raised my hand and slapped her with everything I had. The sound echoed through the room as Rose’s head snapped to the side, the mark of my hand blooming red across her cheek. Before I could take another breath, Shane shoved me hard, nearly knocking me off balance. “Have you lost your mind?” he yelled, his eyes filled with fury. I met his gaze, my voice cold and trembling with emotion. “Shane, you will never understand what we lost today.” He froze, blinking in confusion, as if he wanted to ask what I meant—but Rose cut him off. She clutched her face, glaring at me with tears in her eyes. “Claire, I’ve held back again and again because you’re Shane’s wife. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just let you humiliate me. First, you hit me. Then you spread disgusting rumors about me. What’s next? Are you going to try to kill us?” She sniffled, her voice dripping with venom. “No wonder you can’t have a baby. A woman as cruel and spiteful as you? Karma’s just paying you back.” Her words hit me like a knife to the chest. I thought of the ultrasound, the tiny flickering heartbeat on the screen. The doctor had said the baby was healthy. I thought of the evening I had planned, how I’d been so excited to tell Shane he was going to be a father. We were supposed to have dinner together that night. I’d chosen a quiet little restaurant, imagining his reaction when I told him the news. But then Rose called. She was crying, her voice trembling as she told Shane her cat was sick. She begged him to come. “It’s raining,” she’d said. “And I’ve already lost my parents. I can’t lose my cat too.” Shane didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his keys and told me, “Claire, you’re not like Rose. She lost her parents when she was just a kid. Her cat is like family to her. Dinner can wait, but Rose needs me right now.” And then he left. I stood there in the rain, stunned, heartbroken—and completely alone. Moments later, as I tried to cross the street, a delivery bike came out of nowhere. I didn’t even see it until it was too late. I was knocked to the ground, clutching my stomach in pain. The driver called for an ambulance. Shane didn’t. He was already gone. I was taken to the hospital, where they told me I’d lost the baby. And while I lay in the cold, sterile hospital bed, bleeding and broken, Rose posted a picture of Shane holding her cat, smiling at her like she was the only thing that mattered in his world. The memories hit me all at once, like a dam breaking. I snapped. Rose ducked behind Shane, clutching his arm like a scared little girl. “Shane, help me!”
Rose was always like this. She’d act weak and helpless in front of Shane, letting him fight her battles, while flashing me her smug, triumphant smile when his back was turned. It wasn’t even subtle. If Shane had cared enough to look, he would’ve seen right through her. But he never wanted to see. Rose’s boldness came from the security Shane gave her. She knew he’d always take her side. I didn’t have that. I never did. Looking at Shane now, I wasn’t angry anymore. Just… disappointed. My silence seemed to anger him even more. “What the hell is that look?” he snapped. I didn’t bother responding. I turned and grabbed my suitcase, heading for the door. As I reached the threshold, Rose’s voice rang out behind me. “Claire, you keep this up, and even the most patient man will get tired of you eventually.” She said it like a casual observation, but it was clear she was baiting Shane. And it worked. His tone grew colder. “You know what, Claire? If you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back. I’ll file for divorce myself. I’m done wasting my time with someone as impossible as you.” He thought I’d beg. He thought I’d cry and plead for him to forgive me. But he was wrong. I didn’t even look back as I walked out the door. That night, I checked into a hotel and got a call from my lawyer. The divorce papers were ready. I signed them without a second thought, handed them off to the lawyer, and booked a one-way ticket to Riverton. My family lived in Riverton. This city didn’t belong to me. It belonged to Shane and Rose. The moment my plane landed, my brother’s car was waiting to pick me up. When I arrived home, my parents were standing outside, waiting for me. The moment my mother saw me, she burst into tears and pulled me into her arms. “You’ve lost weight. It’s okay now. You’re home.” My father, usually so stoic, stood awkwardly behind her, his eyes red as he fumbled with something in his pocket. Finally, he pulled out a black card and shoved it into my hand. “Take this. Buy whatever you need. I’ll take care of you.” My brother laughed and ruffled my hair. “What were you thinking, acting like you didn’t have a home to come back to?” He wasn’t laughing for long—our parents smacked him upside the head in unison. And just like that, I felt the weight on my chest lift. This was family. No matter what mistakes I made, no matter how far I fell, they would always be there to catch me. Three days after leaving Shane, I sent him a little farewell gift. That afternoon, I was helping Mom water the flowers in the garden. Earbuds in, I listened to my best friend laughing wickedly through the phone. “You should’ve seen Shane’s face,” she cackled. “He went pale. Like, really pale. Claire, how the hell did you even come up with such a savage move? Genius!”
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