The Scent of His Vengeance

I was Liam Hayes' s human diffuser, a vessel for a scent he owned, a living reminder of his mother' s tragic death that he blamed on my family. Tonight, I watched him with Chloe Thompson, hidden in the shadows where he told me to wait.

Then, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. It was happening again. The baby, our seventh, was only three months along, but I knew the signs.

Liam' s smile vanished when his eyes found mine. He dragged me to our bedroom, screaming, "You are useless, Ava!" He paced like a caged animal, snarling, "I gave you one job, and you can' t even do that." He wanted me to suffer, to feel the same emptiness his mother felt, for the rest of my life. The next day, he paraded me at a gala, a trophy for his business associates to touch. He said, "She' s all for you tonight, Marcus. Enjoy." As Marcus' s hands roamed, Liam whispered, "I own you. Your body, your scent, your shame. This is what Monroes deserve."

I had lost seven children, seven tiny sparks of hope. Chloe, the woman for whom my babies' "essence" was harvested, gloated over my most recent loss, wanting to use my dead son' s ashes for a ritual bath.

My grief turned to rage. "They were my children!" I screamed, clutching the urn to my chest. "Let them rest in peace!" But she threw it, and Daniel' s ashes spilled into the birdbath, dissolving into murky water. I cradled my hands, bleeding as I tried to scoop them up, when Liam appeared, his face a thunderous mask. "You dare to lay a hand on her?" he growled, fueled by Chloe' s lies.

"What do I owe you, Liam?" I asked, a cold clarity settling over me. "I have given you my body, my scent, my children. What more do you want?" He grabbed me by the throat, squeezing. "I want your soul. I want you to suffer until you beg for a death I will never grant you." As the world faded, I welcomed the darkness, whispering my children' s names. He released me, then ripped my dress, exposing me to the guards. "Do what you want. Let everyone see what a Monroe is worth." Something snapped. I ran, throwing myself in front of a truck. This time, I would choose my own ending.