Chapter 5

Aubrey stared at the high heels. Then, with a sudden surge of defiance, she picked one up and snapped the heel clean off. She did the same to the other.

She carefully adjusted the urinary bag hidden beneath the layers of the expensive gown, the cold plastic a constant, humiliating reminder of her body' s betrayal. Then, wearing the broken shoes, she walked, one footstep steady, the other dragging, toward the main house where the party was in full swing.

The ballroom was a sea of glittering jewels and fake smiles. In the center of it all stood Connor and Kassie, the golden couple, basking in the adoration of the city' s elite. Guests swarmed them, offering congratulations and asking about the wedding date.

Kassie, dressed in a flowing gown that accentuated her pregnant belly, looked up at Connor with a shy, loving gaze. He responded by placing a tender hand on her stomach, his smile full of pride and affection.

Aubrey' s entrance silenced the room. All eyes turned to her as she hobbled across the marble floor, her broken shoes making an awkward, uneven sound. Whispers followed her, cruel and sharp.

"Look at her shoes. How embarrassing."

"She' s a cripple. Such a shame, she has a pretty face."

The words were a thousand tiny cuts. She had stood by Connor's side for twenty years, and not a single person in this room knew her name. Kassie had been here for less than two, and she was already the celebrated "future Mrs. Harris."

She reached the center of the room and stopped in front of Kassie. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she bowed her head.

"I' m sorry," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Kassie feigned shock, hiding behind Connor. "I can' t hear you," she said, her voice laced with mock fear. "Please, Aubrey, speak up. I just want this to be over."

Connor' s jaw tightened. "Let everyone hear you," he commanded.

Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut. She felt like she was being flayed alive, her dignity stripped away layer by layer for everyone to see. She took another breath and shouted, her voice raw with pain.

"I' M SORRY!"

She straightened up and looked at Connor, her eyes pleading. "Is that enough?"

He looked away, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

Kassie stepped forward, all magnanimous forgiveness. "Of course, I forgive you, Aubrey. I just hope you won' t try to harm my baby again."

Aubrey ignored her. She turned to leave, but Kassie' s hand shot out, grabbing the back of her dress. At the same time, Kassie stuck out her foot, tripping her.

Aubrey fell hard. The sound of tearing fabric filled the air. The back of her dress was ripped open, exposing her thin, scarred back and the medical bag taped to her side.

The bag was dislodged by the fall. It hit the floor and burst, its contents spilling across the pristine marble.

Kassie let out a theatrical gasp. "Oh, my god! What is that?"

Someone in the crowd recognized it. "It' s a urine bag! How disgusting!"

The room erupted in gasps of horror and revulsion. Kassie started to dry heave, clutching her stomach as if the sight and smell were making her sick.

Connor rushed to Kassie' s side, his face a mask of concern, gently rubbing her back. "It' s okay, it' s okay," he soothed.

The other guests scrambled away from Aubrey as if she were carrying a plague. They pointed and whispered, their faces twisted in disgust.

She was utterly alone, exposed and humiliated in a crowd of strangers. With trembling hands, she tried to pull the torn dress together, to hide her shame. She struggled to her feet and fled, the sound of their laughter and disgust chasing her out of the ballroom.

Connor watched her go, a sharp pain in his chest. But he turned back to Kassie, his duty as a father-to-be overriding the ghost of the love he once felt.

Outside, the city was cold and unforgiving. No taxi would stop for the disheveled, weeping woman in a ruined gown. Finally, a kind-faced woman pulled over.

"Are you okay, honey? Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

The simple act of kindness broke Aubrey completely. The woman' s gentle voice, the first she had heard in what felt like an eternity, opened the floodgates. She climbed into the car and wept, a storm of grief and pain that had been building for years.

After getting a new medical bag at the hospital, she returned to the house. Connor was waiting for her in the living room.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "What is that thing? Why do you need it?"

For a moment, a sliver of hope returned. Maybe now he would listen. Maybe now he would understand.

She opened her mouth to tell him everything-about the kidney, the illness, the death sentence.

But just then, his phone rang. It was Kassie, her voice a weak, pitiful whine on the other end.

"Connor, my love, I' m not feeling well. The smell... it' s still in my nose. I think I' m going to be sick."

Connor' s face softened instantly. "Don' t worry, Kassie. I' m coming right now."

He hung up and turned to Aubrey, all traces of his earlier concern gone. He had already forgotten his question.

"Kassie is sensitive to smells because of the pregnancy," he said, his voice cold and distant. "The smell from your... device... is upsetting her. I think it' s best if you move into the attic for now."

He didn' t wait for a reply. He hurried upstairs to Kassie' s room, eager to comfort her.

Aubrey stood frozen in the middle of the living room, the familiar, dull ache in her chest returning with a vengeance. For a brief, foolish moment, she had thought he might still care.

She had been wrong.