Chapter 37

• AMANDA
• I feel like I've been punched in the gut. My father's words are like a slap in the face, a harsh reminder of the impossible expectations he's always placed on me. "If you're truly their wife, you need to bear their child," he repeats, his voice cold and unyielding. I feel a wave of nausea wash over me. How can he even suggest such a thing? Doesn't he know that I'm still reeling from the news that I have fibroids? Doesn't he care that I'm struggling to come to terms with the fact that I might never be able to have children? But of course, he doesn't care. He never has. All he cares about is getting what he wants, no matter the cost.
• I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I know that I have to think carefully, and have to come up with a plan to deal with my father's latest demand. But as I stand there, my mind racing with thoughts and fears, I feel trapped. Trapped in a never-ending cycle of expectation and disappointment, with no way out.