Finalizing her ...

Flinging the black box onto the passenger seat, you make the tires squeal as you tear away from Carly's house. The thoughts come unbidden, plaguing you with doubt and anxiety. Something was wrong with Carly's box of tricks. You had begun to realise that your sense of satisfaction - of gratitude - proved that her **** had failed. Despite everything, despite the complete change in your life, you have been happier, more fulfilled, just... better than you were before.

Carly must have known this. She's been watching you this whole time, she knows that you like your new life. Her meticulously planned and executed **** has backfired on her completely. What could she possibly do to turn things back around and twist the knife?

There is only one more thing she can do - short of waiting for your baby to be born and murdering it. That would probably be a step too far, even for her. So just one thing that she can take from you to bring your whole life crashing down around your ears.

Alex.

Leaving the car at an awkward angle in the driveway, you charge into the house and up the stairs. There are no signs of life anywhere, but there is a fringe of light around your bedroom door, slightly ajar at the end of the landing. Steeling yourself, you reach out to the handle and push.

It looks much as you left it this morning. Alex was out at a class, so you were able to tidy it up to your recently exacting standards. The only things that have changed, there is your boyfriend sitting in bed with his phone in his hands, looking up at you with a surprised expression; next to the bed is a scruffy pile of clothes with his jeans on top and his sneakers discarded to the side.

"Hey babe, what's up? Did you have work today?"