No More Coming Back, Ex-HusbandChapter 1

Four weeks ago, I almost died at the party organized by my husband to announce our pregnancy.

I was standing at the top of the grand staircase, two months pregnant, waiting for George to announce our news to the world. Then the chandelier fell.

I didn't even have time to scream. The last thing I felt was the crushing weight of glass and steel, and then—darkness.

When I finally floated back to consciousness, I couldn't move. My body felt heavy, like it was buried under sand. I couldn't open my eyes, but I could hear.

When I woke up, I couldn't move. I was trapped in the dark, my body heavy as lead.

But I could hear.

“Why is she stabilizing?”

George. My heart gave a weak flutter. He was here. He stayed.

“I didn't pay you to save her,” he hissed, his voice dripping with ice. “I paid you to make sure she never woke up.”

I froze. The beeping of the monitor was the only sound in the room.

“Mr. Caldwell,” the doctor stammered. “It’s a miracle she survived. The swelling—”

“It’s a disaster!” George snapped. “Do you know how inconvenient this is? The board is waiting. The insurance payout is pending. And Donna is waiting in the car.”