I stood at the entrance, the air heavy with the smell of dust.

I glanced at the dining table; it was covered in a layer of dust.

I had been in the hospital for a month, and the house had been empty for just as long. Everything was exactly as I had left it the day I went to the hospital.

The seedlings on the balcony had withered too.

I realized Barry hadn't been home.

Today was the day I was discharged from the hospital, and Barry hadn't shown up.

I didn't expect him to. I took a taxi home by myself, only to be greeted by this scene.

I walked into the spare bedroom, filled with the things I had prepared for the baby.

The moon-shaped crib, the tiny clothes in all styles and colors—none of it would be needed now.

Remembering that the baby's funeral hadn't been arranged yet, I took out my phone to call Barry.

The baby had barely entered the world before leaving it, but I still wanted to preserve some trace of his existence.

"Hello." A woman's voice came through the phone.

I gripped the phone tighter, my voice cold. "Put Barry on."

"Barry's busy right now, he doesn't have time," Serena's voice was tinged with laughter.

I took a deep breath. "Don't forget, I'm his wife."

"Barry's making me dinner," Serena said smugly. "He says I'm still recovering and need to eat well. What do you need him for? I can pass along the message."

"I'm arranging the baby's funeral. He needs to come home," I said, struggling to keep my anger in check.

"A funeral for a baby that wasn't even born? That's bad luck. You should forget about it," Serena said, disdain dripping from her words.

"That was my child with Barry. You have no right to interfere," I finally lost my composure and shouted at Serena.

She didn't care. "Let's see if Barry listens to you or to me."

When I tried calling again, I found I had been blocked.

A dull pain began to throb in my lower abdomen. I opened my mouth, and blood gushed out.