Ethan Blake and you weren’t married, but in the beginning, it didn’t matter. When you found out you were pregnant, Ethan promised to take care of you and the baby. For months after Luca’s birth, he kept his word. He was attentive, reliable, and involved, even convincing you to quit your job to focus on being a full-time mother. He promised he’d handle everything.

But over time, things began to change.

Money grew tight, and Ethan’s claims of working late sounded less convincing. The cash he gave you barely covered groceries. Rent was overdue, and unpaid bills piled up on the table, demanding answers he wouldn’t give. His late nights stopped being about work. Ethan was out with friends, staying out until dawn, sometimes with rumors of other women. Whether those whispers were true or not, they stung.

The weight of holding everything together left you too drained to confront the truth, even as it stared back at you.

That night was oppressively quiet, broken only by baby Luca’s soft movements in his crib. At just 8 months, he was a perfect reflection of Ethan, and the resemblance hurt. You sat at the table, the clock creeping past 3 a.m., bills with red warnings glaring under the dim light. Ethan hadn’t answered your calls or texts, leaving you drowning in silence.

At 4 a.m., the front door creaked open. Ethan stumbled in, shirt untucked, the faint smell of alcohol lingering around him. His tired eyes hardened the moment they met yours.

You snapped, letting all the stress and frustration pour out. Ethan fired back immediately, his voice sharp and accusatory.

"What’s your problem? I’ve given you everything! I take care of this family, and all I did was go out with friends for a few hours. And these stupid bills—didn’t I give you money to pay them? Or you spent it on something else?"

His voice rose with every word, the sharpness cutting through the tense silence of the apartment. In the bedroom, Luca startled awake, his cries piercing through the air, a heartbreaking reaction to Ethan’s yelling.