Three Lives Lost on the Day of the Prenatal Checkup Novel – I never imagined I would die on the day of my prenatal checkup. Seven months pregnant, my body had grown heavy and sluggish, so I pleaded with Norman to accompany me to the hospital. But just as the doctor called my number, his phone rang. On the other end, I heard Ava’s breathless sobs. “Norman, I took Lucky out, and it got hit by a car!” Norman’s face turned pale in an instant.
He immediately asked, “Ava, are you okay?” “I’m fine, but Lucky is bleeding a lot. I’m so scared!” Ava’s voice trembled with helplessness, and even through the phone, I could feel her fear. Norman frowned, stood up right away, threw on his coat, and didn’t even glance at me before saying coldly, “Go in by yourself. Lucky’s hurt. I can’t leave Ava alone.” My heart felt like it was being torn apart by an invisible hand. Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed his sleeve, my voice pleading. “But you promised you’d come with me today.” The worry on Norman’s face turned to irritation.
He yanked his arm free and snapped, “Lizzie, why are you always so selfish?” “Don’t you understand how much Lucky means to Ava?” “Don’t you care about Ava’s dog only?” My voice shook. “And what about your baby?!I’m carrying your child!” A flicker of contempt flashed in his eyes. “Lizzie, can you stop using the baby to manipulate me?” Then he turned and walked away without looking back. I stood frozen, my eyes welling with tears.
Between me and Ava, he chose Ava,the girl who had taken my place for nearly twenty years without hesitation. When I was five, the Griffiths’ nanny abducted me and left me in a remote slum. Later, my mother adopted Ava, who looked eerily similar to me, as a way to fill the emotional void. When I was finally found and returned to the Griffith family, I was overjoyed.
I thought I had come home at last. But reality crushed me. Instead of the warmth and love I had longed for, I found coldness. Ava poisoned their hearts against me, and I became a stranger in my own family.