" Come on , sweetheart ," Ruby said between sobs . " Let's go . Mommy can't breathe here . I don't want you to see this ugliness . " % Jude looked confused , but not upset . He just got up and followed . Torren pulled Ruby close , held her like she was made of something valuable . " Don't cry , baby , " he said to her , kissing the side of her head . " You are the only one who matters . Let's go upstairs . Just ignore her I was still on the floor , trying g to sweep the ashes into one pile with my bare hands . Jude suddenly turned and ran toward me . " His foot came down hard . Right on top of the ashes . " Witch ! " he yelled . " You made my mommy cry ! " He stomped again . The ashes scattered farther . No ! Then he kicked what was left of the urn across the room . It hit the wall with a dull sound and fell apart completely . I froze . My body stopped working . But my chest was shaking . My throat was making sounds I could not stop . Torren came down in front of me and grabbed my face with one hand . Fingers digging into my cheeks like he was trying to crack me open . Enough , " he said . " Enough of this show . I blinked at him . His face looked like stone . Cold and unmoved . " I almost believed you , " he said slowly . " I really did . For a second . I almost cried . For your pathetic little boy ." He leaned closer . His breath hit my cheek . " But then the hospital sent proof . Videos . Cleo laughing . The doctor said you used him . Said he was pretending to be worse than he was . Said you knew . And you let it happen . Just to get attention . " Behind him , I saw her.E Ruby . She was watching from the stairs . Her hand on the rail , her head tilted just enough . That look on her face . It was small . But it was there.3 A smile Not full . Not wide . Just the corner of her lips pulling up like a secret slipping out . She did it . She paid someone off . Lied about Cleo's condition . Sent the photos . Faked the story . And Torren ? He fell for it . Again . Again . and Again . They started going upstairs . Ruby held Jude's hand and leaned her head against Torren's shoulder . He wrapped his arm . around her like she was his whole world . & " Let's just go to bed , baby " she said softly . "I can't deal with her anymore tonight . " Jude turned back once but only for a second . Then he looked up at Ruby again and followed . The house went quiet and I stayed on the floor . With what was left of my son . With my shredded hands and a mouth too dry to cry anymore . " I do not know how long I stayed like that . Hours maybe . Until even my heart stopped trying to beat . That night I could not sleep . My body ached . My knees were scraped raw . There was dried blood behind them I had not even noticed . I was still in the same clothes , still smelling like dust and pain and bone . I stayed curled on the floor , back against the wall outside my room , hugging my knees . !! Sometime past midnight , I heard coughing . !! At first I ignored it . I thought it was one of the maids . But then I heard Torren's voice . Panicked . Loud . " Ruby . Ruby . What is it . Where does it hurt ? " I stayed quiet . !! Ruby was sobbing . I could hear her … Her voice was hoarse and dramatic . " I can't breathe . Oh God . My stomach hurts ! My chest - Torren - I feel cursed . That um . Ever since she brought it into the house , I feel like something's been choking me . " I heard the bed creak . Footsteps . Torren pacing . He was cursing under his breath . I heard the bed creak . Footsteps . Torren pacing . He was cursing under his breath . 0 " That bitch ! " Ruby sniffled and made this sound like she was about to faint . " I heard the maids talking … they said she bought something . Some kind of poison . Maybe she put it in the urn . Maybe she wanted to kill me . She hates me so much , Torren . I'm scared . I don't want to die . Not me . Not the baby . " I did not move . I did not even blink . And still , somehow , I knew he would come for me . The door slammed open so hard I thought it cracked . Torren barged in . His face looked like a demon in the dark . His eyes wild . His breathing heavy . He grabbed my wrist . Yanked me up like I weighed nothing . " You did this . " I stumbled . My ankle twisted . My arm throbbed . " You put poison in this house , " he spat . " You cursed Ruby . You sick freak . You knew she was pregnant and you still brought death into this place . " I didn't I tried to speak but he cut me off . " She could've died tonight . You want that ? You really want her dead ? " \ He pulled me out into her room , dragging me like a child being punished …. " KNEEL ! " he said.E I stood still . I stared at him . " Kneel and say sorry to Ruby . " " No . " [ He slapped me . I saw stars . " On your knees . " [ I still refused . That was all I had left . My spine . " He kicked the back of my knees and I dropped . Hard . My skin tore open again from the same spot . Blood soaked through my pants . I felt it warm against my calves . Ruby sat on the couch like she was royalty . Hair perfect . Belly on display . A little blanket over her lap like she was cold . She was crying into her hands , but there was no real sadness in her face . She looked like someone watching her favorite movie . !! " I don't believe her ," Ruby said . " She doesn't even mean it . I can't hear her . Make her louder , Torren , I want to hear her cry . " He stood behind me like a wall . His shadow covered the floor in front of me . " Apologize ," he hissed . " Say it until she forgives you . " I looked down . My lips trembled . "I'm sorry . " My voice was hoarse . It did not even sound like mine . " I'm sorry . " Again . And again . And again . Until it felt like my throat was bleeding . Until my voice cracked . Then Ruby stood slowly , and her hands pressed against her belly like it was about to fall . She was wobbling , swaying , making little gasping sounds like her breath was running out . " T - torren ! Something's wrong … my stomach … I think I'm bleeding . "