Although I was suffering from labor pains, my mother-in-law and my husband’s entire family closed the door and went on a trip… when they returned the next day and didn’t find me, they were distraught to see a sign that said: “house sold”.

Despite the agonizing labor pains ripping through my body, my husband’s family locked the front door and left for their vacation. When they returned seven days later, they weren’t shocked to see me; they were horrified to discover the house had been sold.

The pain hit me like a jagged blade plunging into my abdomen, tightening and twisting until my entire body felt as rigid as a stone pillar. I collapsed to my knees and gripped the edge of the sofa, my breath coming in shallow, desperate gasps that barely filled my lungs.

The glass of orange juice I had been holding slipped from my trembling fingers, shattering on the tile and splashing liquid everywhere. Cold sweat matted my hair to my forehead as I gritted my teeth, trying to convince myself these were just Braxton Hicks contractions.

However, the second wave arrived almost instantly, far more brutal than the first, feeling as though a thousand needles were piercing my skin simultaneously. I am Valerie, and I was carrying Dominic’s child, currently thirty eight weeks into a pregnancy that everyone said still had a few weeks to go.

Perhaps my son felt the coldness of this house and decided he needed to escape into the world sooner than expected. I lifted my clouded eyes to the people in the living room, but none of them looked at me with a shred of genuine concern.

My husband Dominic, my mother in law Gertrude, and my sister in law Felicity stood there with expressions of pure annoyance and contempt. Today was the day they were scheduled to begin their week long luxury getaway to the beaches of Maui, a trip funded entirely by my hard earned money.

Dominic stood tall in a tailored suit with his hair perfectly gelled, while Gertrude donned a heavy fur coat and a shimmering string of pearls. Felicity was preening in a brand new designer dress, clutching a limited edition handbag as three large suitcases waited by the door.

“Well, look at this performance, sister in law,” Felicity sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “The doctor said you had a week left, so why did you choose the exact moment we are leaving to pull this stunt?”

I tried to speak, but my voice was nothing more than a ragged, intermittent whisper. “It is not an act, Felicity, it really hurts and I truly believe the baby is coming now.”