I was shaking all over. I ripped the ring off my finger and hurled it across the room. It struck the framed photo of us, the one already yellowed with age, and the glass exploded.
So that was it. My only value was to carry on the Simmons family line. No wonder my parents had never been so thrilled about anything as they were when they heard I was pregnant.
The rage at Frederick's betrayal, at my parents' favoritism, at every swallowed grievance, all of it came pouring out at once.
By midnight, I sat hollow and spent, one hand resting on my swollen belly, dried tear tracks streaking my face.
Once I'd made the decision to raise this child alone, I sent an email to my former business partner, Joseph.
Dawn broke, and Frederick finally came home. The moment he saw me curled up on the couch, he pulled me into his arms.
"Baby, why do you look so worn out? Is the little one giving you trouble?"
He rubbed my frozen hands between his, his eyes brimming with concern.
My voice came out flat and cold. "It's nothing. I stepped on some broken glass."
Only then did he notice the shards scattered across the floor and the blood still trickling down my shin.
Before I could say another word, he scooped me up and carried me to the car, calling ahead to put every doctor in the city on standby.
"I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have left you alone like that. That's on me. I'm taking you to the hospital right now."
I told him clearly it wasn't serious, but Frederick insisted on running every test imaginable.
"If anything happened to you, I wouldn't know how to go on. I promised I'd take care of you for the rest of your life."
He didn't leave my side for a single second, and only exhaled when every last result came back.
All the other markers were normal, but one line was flagged in bold: acute emotional distress and depression.
Frederick panicked. His only worry was that it might affect the baby's health.
He assumed it was pregnancy hormones. To keep me calm and protect the baby, he suggested taking me to a gala at Greystone Winery.
The next morning, a custom-tailored apricot gown was draped over the headboard. Frederick had stayed up all night teaching himself a fashionable updo. He did my hair and makeup himself, then drove me to the winery.