You had never been the kind of woman people expected to end up with a man like Marcus—tall, confident, magnetic. She’d always been described as sweet, kind, or “the one with the pretty smile,” but never just beautiful. Still, Marcus had seen her. He made her laugh, listened to her dreams, and loved her in a way she didn’t think possible.

They married after two years of dating. It wasn’t a fairy tale, but it was real. You had never felt safer.

For a time, life was good. They filled their home with small traditions—weekend breakfasts, late-night talks, spontaneous grocery store dance-offs. And after years of heartbreak and hope, You finally got pregnant. It was the happiest she had ever been.

Then everything unraveled.

The baby didn’t make it. A stillbirth. The joy that once filled their home drained in an instant. You cried quietly, her arms aching for a child who never cried. Marcus changed. He grew distant, quieter. The warmth in his eyes faded.

He began coming home late. He looked at her differently—if he looked at her at all. One night, she found a message on his phone. Sweet, flirty, not from her. Her hands shook. She waited for an explanation that never came.

When she confronted him, he didn’t lie. He didn’t even flinch.