---- Chapter 7 Thomas looked down, his face the picture of regret. I stepped closer to him. "That first time, when I was pregnant, you brought that actress home and shoved me down the stairs. I lost our first baby because of that. "The second time, you made me go to your office, and there, right in front of everyone, your secretary accused me of stealing. You forced me to apologize to her over drinks, and that's when I lost our second baby. "And the third time, you lied about being too busy to go with me to the doctor's, but you were actually out shopping with some other woman. I got hit by a car on my way there and lost our third baby. "You never cared about what I wanted. After ---- getting me pregnant, you just ignored me. The women you paraded in front of me, the cold things you did-they hurt me, Thomas. By the third year, I couldn't even work anymore. I just sat at home, waiting for you, thinking that being by your side was enough. But I'm a person too, Thomas. I can't keep taking this pain... I'm falling apart." Tears rolled down my cheeks as I spoke. "Why... why did you even come back?" "I'm sorry, Rebecca. But now, I can finally love you." "Thomas," I said, locking eyes with him, "I don't love you anymore. I left you behind the day I walked out." Thomas's eyes brimmed with disbelief and hurt. He could not believe it. "T know I've been a mess, Rebecca, but I did it all to make things better for us." ---- "Thomas, that's not love. I wish you'd never loved me at all if it meant avoiding all this pain." I turned to leave. However, Thomas grabbed my arm, his voice filled with a commanding tone. "No! I won't let you go! Rebecca, come back with me." I wrestled with his grip, and we ended up in a tug- of-war. "Back off! Leave her alone." A teenager lobbed a rock at Thomas. A trickle of blood ran down Thomas's temple as he shot a menacing look at the kids. I spun around. "Rebecca, come over here, we've got your back!" It was the kids who always came by for my cakes. ---- To win back my favor, Thomas shamelessly made himself a regular at my shop. He would hover around me, saying sweet nothings, trying to charm me. He even pitched in with the shop work. However, I had had enough and called the cops, telling them he was harassing me. Thomas's face was a picture of shock when the police led him away, and he stormed off, fuming.