Chapter 35

• AMANDA
• I sit on the couch, my phone clutched in my hand as I stare blankly at the wall. My father's voice is on the other end of the line, his tone concerned. "Amanda, what's going on? You told me you were pregnant, but now you're crying. What happened?" I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself. But the words tumble out of my mouth in a sobbing mess. "I'm not pregnant, Daddy. I thought I was, but the doctor says I have fibroids, not a baby."
• There is a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I think the call has dropped. But then my father's voice comes back, low and menacing. "What do you mean you have fibroids? How is that possible?" I swallow hard, trying to explain. "I don't know, Daddy. The doctor says it's a growth in my uterus. It's not a baby."