"We're home now," Liam says monotonously. He throws the car keys on the bedside table before whirling around to face me. "I do hope we can talk, right?" The sound of his voice is rather harsh and disturbing.

I take a deep breath and shut the door. My heart is pounding fast as I march weakly towards the bed. Everything around us seems in utter silence. I put my clutch down and sigh again.

Slowly I sit on the bed, but Liam doesn't.

"Are we going to talk like this? You standing and me sitting?" I ask Liam in a nervous whisper, gazing up at him.

His jaw ticks. He sits unceremoniously next to me.

"Where should I start?" I find myself laughing softly, my lower lip pinched between my teeth.

God, this is tougher than I thought. And my husband's arctic mood makes me even more innervated. I feel very sacred as our eyes meet.

"Anywhere, Kira," Liam replies, and suddenly his cold eyes are replaced with worry, anger thrown aside. "I wanna know what is wrong with you—with us. Why can't you talk to me? What is it that I exude for you to prefer concealing most of your troubles? Am I scary to you? Damn, Kira, you're my wife! Everything affecting you affects me as much, can't you see it?" He sounds mad again.

"I can't get pregnant," I say curtly.

Liam's face turns blank in a fleeting moment as though the mechanic of his brain is in full speed to elucidate my statement. I hold my breath, waiting.

"What did you say?" Liam asks quietly, his eyes raw and confused.

I sit straight, pulling my courage in.

"I took the fertility test a few days ago," I say with a pause, eyes on Liam's unsettling ones.

He is impassive, his posture unmoved. He's just staring at me with sealed lips, eyes blazed. I wish to know what's going on in his head, even though I'm positive I wouldn't like it.

"Dr. Adams said I can't conceive," I proceed, despair in my voice easily fathomable. "I have a . . . Some kind of hormonal imbalance that prevents me from getting pregnant." I shrug, fiddling with my fingers on my lap.

Silence follows. A long moment passes but Liam says nothing, except for his latent scowl that's ever screaming the horror in his heart, his head, or both.

I stand up briskly, frustrated.

"Won't you say anything?" I snap, wiping the unshed tears off my eyes.

Liam glances to his side, his whole body tense.

"I said I can't get you a baby as you desperately want, Liam!" I let the tears flow, but quickly I wipe them off with the back of my hand while staring at him. "There, I said it! I kept it for three days, wondering how I'm going to tell you about it. It was driving me crazy but thinking of your reaction to this was what drove me crazier."

"And when were you going to tell me?" Liam quizzes monotonously as he now looks up at me.

"Maybe today?" I reply with frankness because that was the plan for tonight. "But I was going to tell you no matter how long it took, Liam. I just needed to feel prepared for any of your reactions."

Liam's face hardens even more as he shrugs out of his blazer, eyes focused on me. He takes it off and pitches it aside. He then stands up with menace.

"And what else?" he asks, seemingly hurt and disappointed. "What else is my dear wife hiding from me, huh? Because I frankly wouldn't be surprised if there's more." He laughs briefly.

I feel accused but when I think of what Scarlet has told me earlier, it's easier to conclude that Liam is absolutely right. I have another secret to disclose, even if it's not really mine to share.

"You're right. That's not all," I utter boldly, so tired of bottling things up and feeling sorry for myself.

"How expected," Liam murmurs with a smirk.

I ignore it by heaving a sigh.

"You were about to become a father," I utter bluntly. "It appears that your ex, Scarlet, was expecting your baby."

Liam looks mortified, his eyes wide.

"My baby? What do you mean?" His voice comes out low and puzzled.

I find this unjust. Why am I the one telling him this? Why do I have to be the messenger of this kind of news? Tears find refuge in my eyes once again and I feel so hurt.

"She said she was pregnant with your baby. Or still is? I don't know." A ridiculous laughter leaves my chest as I slowly sit down on the bed. My knees feel weak and I can't seem to think straight. "Now, that's all I had in me, dear husband. That's everything I kept from you."

A single blink and my cheeks are drenched.

"No, that can't be." Liam shakes his head in denial, running a hand through his hair. "She could've told me if that did happen. She wouldn't have hidden something as serious as that," he mutters, more to himself.

I take a deep breath, finding nothing of importance in his speech. Maybe I'm being a heartless bitch, but I don't give the fuck on what he feels about this news, because it's probably bigger to him than the fact that I can't give him what his ex can. I feel even more useless.

"And why did she tell you? What for?" Liam snaps, glaring at me with brimming eyes.

Do I really have to answer this, too? I huff a soft, excruciating laugh.

"She didn't do it on purpose," I answer coolly while bending over to take off my heels. "I overheard her conversation with Monique earlier in the ladies room. She decided to tell me afterwards." I gaze up at Liam via tired eyes as I take off my shoes.

"No," he huffs, a hand on his waist in a confused manner. He takes a soft stride, thoughtfully, his fingers grazing his forehead. "She would never hide something like that from me."

I press my lips in a thin line, watching him attentively, calmly, as though begging for his attention. But he gives none. He's too indulged in his thoughts to remember that I'm another problem of his, apart from Scarlet.

This is it. My worst nightmare is about to begin but I feel too exhausted to entertain my emotions. I can't even utter a word to call him, so I just watch him in silence.

And suddenly he looks at me, daunting. His mouth move slightly but the words seem too adamant to leave. He exhales hard, eyes dark, before grabbing his blazer from the bed, then his car keys, all in a swift move.

"Where are you going, Liam?" I stand up in panic, my heart beating out of rhyme.

He's not leaving me, is he? I pale as he walks towards the door.

"Are you going to see her?" I ask sharply, as it's the first thing that crosses my mind, unleashing my fears and insecurities.

Tears spring into my eyes once again, and relentlessly fall down like a river. I sniff like a crying baby, watching Liam's despondent back as he stops right before the door, a hand on the handle.

He seems thoughtful—undecided, maybe? I can't tell.

"Please, don't go, Liam," I sob, trembling like a leaf at the memory of our first argument back in L.A and his disappearance afterwards.

It's quite unrelated, yes, but I can't help the anxiety in my stomach. I'm so scared to lose him.

"Don't go," I breathe, my feet stuck on the floor despite the need to run over and hug him like a clingy woman I probably am right now.

"Stop exaggerating, will you?" Liam glances at me icily over his shoulder. "I can't stand this, Kira. It's too much to take in. I need a breather!" In a millisecond he clutches the door handle and breezes out.

The door bangs heavily afterwards, making me jump in a start.

He's gone.

My legs wobble, pushing me to find solace on the bed once again. I carefully sit down, putting one hand after the other on the suddenly cold mattress, my eyes horrified.

"He's left," I murmur ridiculously, my eyes more watery. "He's left." I laugh between the tears like a crazy woman, laying myself slowly on the bed.

The bedroom feels cold tonight. A frisson of loneliness blankets me as my disconnected body lying curvy on the bed like a fetus in the womb, except that I don't have the same peace a tiny creature feels inside their bearer.

My life is back to a turbulence that I thought was over. No, it's never going to be over. Problems will always chase me for as long as I live. It's a probably a vicious cycle, I smile to myself while trying to calm down.

The sequin fabric of my dress is a pure discomfort, but my major peril is nothing in comparison to this. Sniffling, I hug the pillow tight, my cheek pressed against the soft surface of its neat grey wool that absorbs my tears.

The sequin fabric of my dress is a pure discomfort, but my major peril is nothing in comparison to this. Sniffling, I hug the pillow tight, my cheek pressed against the soft surface of its neat grey wool that absorbs my tears.

He's going to her.

Unable to rule out this grand possibility, I sit up in bed, throwing my gaze toward the great window. The curtains are swinging softly in response to the soft wind blowing from the outside. I gather it isn't fully shut and the heater is off, which explains the cold.

Sighing heavily, I get up from the bed to fix everything as they should be.

I shut the window properly and activate the heater. The warmth fills the room gradually. With the little energy left, I whip my clothes off, pick my heels from the floor, and saunter toward the walk-in closet. I only need to change and sleep if I can, because I know it'll be a long night.

I grab Liam's T-shirt. The smell of his skin and perfume mingle, adding much to my need for him. I disport the thoughts by putting it on, finding some comfort in it. And the bed becomes my next and final stop. I lay down in the same posture as before, staring at the silver alarm clock.

It's 11:30 p.m.

The tick tock sound is hypnotizing when I focus on it. I watch every second passing without fluttering an eye, my mind empty. But slowly I yield to the sudden heaviness in my eyes, pulling me into a peaceful slumber. I fall asleep and let the time decide my fate.

"Dad, don't go! Mom!" I cry heavily as they slip away, big smiles on their faces.

"We have to, baby," my mom says smoothly, her white satin dress flailing with the wind, the garden evergreen and the sun utter golden.

I love this place but not without them.

"You're my strong girl, Kira. Remember what I used to tell you? Bad things happen in life, but it doesn't mean it's the end of the world," my dad says, dressed in his favorite golf clothes—white shorts and a body-fit polo shirt .

I try to run toward them, to hug them, but the blinding light bathes my eyes until I can't see their smiles. In a second they're gone.

"Nooo!" I scream in pain, running around in search for them. "Don't go, please!"

I jolt awake with a start, a bead of sweat covering my forehead. It was a dream, right? I catch my breath, trying to pull myself together. My eyes are still wet, but I'm not sure if it's from the dream or not. But I need to get my shits together.

A glance at the alarm clock brings me more sorrow as I discern I'm still all alone in bed. I grab my cell phone that's lying next to my clutch on the bedside table. No call from Liam, and definitely none from anyone. Inexplicable pain shoots in my chest.

I gather that I can't even sleep well without him by my side. Realization dawns on me that he's my entire world, even if it's not healthy. But what if that world collapses? Will I be able to handle it? Fear engulfs me at the possibility of losing my husband.

"No, I can't allow that!" I pull myself together and give him a call.

It rings, once, twice, and thrice, but there's no answer. I don't give up. I call again, and again, but I get the same outcome. He doesn't pick my call.