Chapter 1 My mother, Rebecca, always told me her husband’s eyes were for her and her alone. No other woman was allowed to look. Not even me, his daughter. The first time I ever called him “Daddy,” she sealed my lips with superglue. “You just had to get his attention, didn't you?” she hissed, pinching my arm. “Now you can keep your mouth shut!” When he came home from a business trip and I ran to hug him, she beat me with a wire coat hanger until I bled. “You little slut! Trying to steal my husband? Not in this life!” When he took me to Six Flags, just the two of us, she waited until he was asleep. Then she threw me out the window of our 18th-floor apartment. “Let’s see if you can seduce him when you’re a pile of broken bones!” As I looked up from my shattered body, I prayed to whatever cosmic force was listening. “I’ll do anything. A hundred lifetimes of penance. Just please, next time, give me a different mom.” Darkness. Then, a voice I knew, filled with a joy I’d never heard. “Oh my god, Kyle! It’s positive! I’m finally pregnant! I’m going to be a mom!” It was my Aunt Jenna. “Please, please, please, let it be a girl!” Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Aunt Jenna was my new mom. Aunt Jenna was a ray of sunshine, but she’d struggled with infertility for years. She’d seen how I was treated; she’d even tried to adopt me. But Rebecca, my mother, refused, just to be cruel. Now, my fantasy was real. I curled up inside her womb, so happy I could burst. Then I heard it. A voice from a nightmare. My mother, Rebecca. “Jenna, we’re pregnant at the same time! Mark, honey, what if I have a girl, too?” My father, Mark, sounded thrilled. “That’d be great, Beck. Little girls are so sweet.” Rebecca's voice tightened. “You’re already obsessed with her, and she’s not even born. What’s going to happen when she’s here? You won’t even have eyes for me anymore. I’m not giving birth to my own replacement!” Aunt Jenna was stunned. “Rebecca, what are you talking about? That’s your daughter!” “My intuition is never wrong,” Rebecca snapped. “It’s a girl. A little homewrecker. Mark, I’m getting an abortion. This baby is bad luck. I’ll give you a son.” Her fingernails dug into her own stomach, right where her fetus would be. The OB-GYN quickly intervened. “Mrs. Collins, your hormone levels... frankly, this pregnancy is a miracle. You’re not likely to conceive again.” Mark’s voice was low and serious. “Rebecca, stop this. It’s our baby. And my parents are finally getting a grandchild. You’re not getting rid of it.” Aunt Jenna tried to smooth things over. “Bec, calm down. Your husband is a grown man. He’s not going to leave you for a baby.” Rebecca knew when she’d lost. She immediately switched tactics, bursting into tears. “Oh, Mark, you scared me when you yelled! I’m just so hormonal! Of course I’ll be a good mommy!” But as soon as Mark was out of earshot, I heard her whisper to her belly. “You think you’re safe just because you’re born? I’ll make every second of your life hell. You will never take my husband from me.” Chapter 2 That venomous voice sent a chill through me. In response, Aunt Jenna’s womb felt even warmer. She started humming a lullaby. This was my mom. Both women were high-risk, so they ended up in the same luxury maternity center. When Mark was around, Rebecca was the model of a glowing mother-to-be. When he was gone, she was a demon. She’d throw her prenatal vitamins in the toilet and flush her nutrient-dense meals. I'd hear her in the hallway, smoking and chugging Red Bull. “Think you can make me sick, huh? Let’s see how you like this! I hope you’re born with defects!” She even did frantic, high-impact workouts, trying to force a miscarriage. Aunt Jenna and the nurses tried to stop her. “You don’t get it!” she’d scream. “I have to keep my figure! If I let this little bitch steal my husband and my body, I might as well be dead!” I was terrified. But this time, I was in Aunt Jenna’s belly. Who was in Rebecca’s? Maybe it was a boy. He'd probably be fine. …If she didn’t manage to kill him first. My life with Aunt Jenna was completely different. She ate well, slept soundly, and had no morning sickness. I was so well-behaved that her pregnancy barely showed. By the second trimester, she was radiant. The other pregnant women flocked to her. “What’s your secret? You’re the most peaceful pregnant woman I’ve ever seen!” “You’re not even swollen! Your skin is glowing!” Jenna would just blush. “I don’t know! I guess I just have a very calm baby.” My uncle Kyle would kiss her belly. “See? This kid knows not to give her mom a hard time. She’s already a good daughter.” He’s right, I thought. I’m here to be loved, and to love them back. I’d give a little kick, and Jenna would laugh and rub her stomach. Rebecca would watch us from across the room, her eyes burning with jealousy. She finally stomped over. “Jenna, you’ve been craving salty snacks, right? Salty for a boy. I’ve been craving sugar. That’s a girl.” She patted her own stomach. “You wanted a girl, right? Let’s just swap when they’re born. We’re family, after all!” Chapter 3 Jenna just stared at her. “Rebecca, are you feeling okay?” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “I don’t want this girl. You can have her. You give me your son. That way you don't have to worry about him leaving you for some girl later.” Even Jenna’s patience snapped. “You’ve been smoking and drinking and trying to hurt that baby. And now you want to trade it? That is your child, Rebecca! Don't you have any love for it?” “Love?” she shrieked. “It’s a tiny husband-stealing slut! I don’t love it! And stop acting so high and mighty. If you don’t want to swap, fine!” She stormed off, and we could hear her in her room, slamming things. She started doing burpees and jumping jacks, trying to induce labor. The nurses were terrified of her. “The baby is in my body!” she’d scream. “I’ll do what I want!” And yet, the baby stayed. Rebecca got desperate. She ordered a bunch of herbal abortifacients online. Jenna saw the strange packages and immediately called Mark. Mark arrived, his face like thunder. He swept the bottles and powders into the trash. “Are you out of your mind? This is my child, too!” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “If you dare try anything like this again, I swear, I’ll take the baby and you can get the hell out of my life. For good.” Rebecca collapsed, sobbing. “Mark, no! I love you! I just... I can’t stand it when you care about someone else! Please, I’ll be good, I promise!” Mark, my father, sighed. He actually believed her. He hugged her and swore that she would always be the most important woman in his life. He was a liar, but he was her liar. The moment he left, Rebecca started slamming her belly into the corner of her desk. “See what you did? You made him yell at me! You’ll pay for this, you little bitch!” I felt a jolt of panic. Aunt Jenna, she’s crazy. We have to get away from her. Chapter 4 I had a plan. I started kicking. But only when Rebecca was near. At first, Jenna just thought I was being active. "Ooh, feisty! Kicking for Mama!" But I was persistent. Any other time, I was perfectly still. The second she heard Rebecca's voice, I'd kick and roll. After the twentieth time, Jenna stopped. She just held her belly, a look of deep confusion on her face. She didn't say anything, but that night, she asked Kyle if they could transfer to a different maternity center. He was confused. It was late in her pregnancy, and it was risky. Jenna just said, "It's a mother's intuition, Kyle. Something feels... wrong." He relented. They moved her to a private room at the opposite end of the building. Rebecca would stop by, but Jenna would pretend to be asleep. After a few tries, Rebecca stopped coming. I relaxed. A little. Then, eight days before my due date, I decided. I've been in here long enough. And I'm not taking any more chances. Mom, sorry, but it's time! I gave one, powerful kick downwards. “KYLE! NURSE! MY WATER BROKE! I’M HAVING THE BABY!” Jenna’s shriek echoed down the hall. They were rushing her to the delivery room when Rebecca ran out, blocking the gurney. “You can’t! You’re early! We were supposed to go at the same time! Just hold on!” Mark dragged her away. “Are you insane? Get out of the way!” She was still screaming as the delivery room doors swung shut. Twenty minutes later, I was out. "Waaaaah!" Mom! I'm here! The doctor was laughing. “That’s a record! Easiest delivery I’ve seen in years! You’re a lucky woman.” My family crowded around. Rebecca, her face a mask of fake smiles, was pushed forward. “Look, Rebecca. Go ahead, see your niece. Maybe it’ll bring you luck.” She shuffled forward, peered into the blanket, and froze. Her hand spasmed. The stainless steel thermos she was holding tipped. It was full of boiling water.
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