Chapter 5 Pride Is a Luxury I Couldn't Afford

By the third day, hunger had stopped being a feeling and had become a constant, insistent sound, a gnawing, hollow growl that rose from deep within my stomach and echoed in my bones.

I cradled Noah in my arms, rocking him gently, counting every heartbeat, every tiny breath, every soft stir. I counted my steps across the apartment like a mantra. One... two... three... over and over, just to anchor myself to something, anything that made me feel grounded in the chaos of my life.

I surveyed what little remained: two diapers, half a tin of formula, and no money. My hands shook as I lifted the diapers from the shelf and weighed the formula in my palm, calculating, measuring, trying to stretch every last drop. Hunger and fear intertwined, and my chest ached as I imagined how I would get through the coming days.

I stood in front of the mirror and barely recognized the woman staring back at me. Dark circles under my eyes. Hair unkempt. Cheeks hollowed. This was not the woman Lucien had married. This was not the future I had dreamed of in university, when I imagined a life of shared love, partnership, and gentle laughter filling our home. This was survival. Pure, raw survival.

I reached for my phone. The temptation was immediate. I could send one message. One desperate call. Beg him for money, for explanation, for anything. Just one apology, and perhaps he would come back. But I hesitated. I opened the message draft and stared at it. My finger hovered over "Send." And then I deleted it.

If I begged him now, I would never escape. If I reached for him in desperation, I would give him a reason to think he still had control. I could not let that happen-not for my son, not for me.

I wrapped Noah tightly against my chest, feeling his warmth, his soft breathing, his tiny fingers curling around mine. I kissed the top of his head and whispered promises I didn't yet know how to keep: "I'll figure this out. We'll be okay. I'll protect you, no matter what."

Every step toward the door felt like crossing a battlefield. The city beyond the apartment seemed distant, almost unreal, but I knew I could not remain hidden any longer. I had to move. I had to act. Pride was a luxury I could not afford. Fear was a companion I would carry, but it could not paralyze me.

The streets were quiet as I stepped out, Noah pressed against me, and the cold air hit my face like a slap, waking every nerve in my body. The world didn't pause for me. It didn't slow down to accommodate a woman who had just lost everything. Cars rushed by. People moved quickly, heads down, unaware of the small, fragile life pressed against my chest, unaware of the storm I carried inside me.

And yet, in that moment, something shifted. I felt the first flicker of determination, small and tentative, but undeniable. I would figure this out. Somehow. I would learn. I would survive. And one day, I would ensure that Noah knew he was born into love, resilience, and strength-not abandonment, despair, or helplessness.

Because right then, wrapped in my arms, he was everything.