Chapter 5

Vanessa

The two faint lines on the test stare back at me, confirming my worst fears—the reason why my period is so late.

I'm pregnant.

The uncertainty of whether this baby belongs to my husband or to my rapist tightens in my gut like a venomous snake. I sink to the floor, cradling my knees to my chest, allowing the tears to flow freely down my cheeks. My sobs echo off the tile walls, the anguish and loneliness too heavy to bear.

Two months. It's been two months since Alicia was murdered, and her death is a constant weight on my chest. No matter how many times I try to blame Diego, I know that it's my fault she's gone. Celeste retaliated after I killed her son.

And nothing will ever change that.

Since the day she died, I've been a prisoner in my own mind. Most of the time, I feel hollow, but there are days when I just randomly break down. It feels like no progress has been made. There's still no justice for my sister, I have no fucking idea where my mom is, and Diego and I seem to