Michelle’s heart pounded as she stared down at the positive pregnancy test. He’d left her little choice. She had no access to birth control, and he refused to wear protection. She had to move her plans forward and escape, for her sake, but more importantly, for her unborn child’s.

She knew every creak of the floorboards and every corner of the house. Lucas’s complacency made her cautious but determined. Her biggest challenge was navigating the constraints of her condition while avoiding his suspicion. Days turned into weeks that became months. At least that’s how it felt. She had no way to measure the passing of time. Lucas gave her more freedom. He never let her outside, but she had free rein inside.

Michelle’s heart raced as she lay beside Lucas in his bed. The night was still; the room lit only by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Lucas, lulled by their nightly routine, was sound asleep, his breathing steady and deep. Michelle stared at the ceiling, her mind racing with the plan she had meticulously crafted.

It was a dangerous game, but one she had to play to keep up the illusion. Every day, she acted like the devoted partner Lucas wanted her to be, carefully nurturing a façade of affection, even convincing herself that she might still harbor feelings for him. But she had fallen for Lucas again—at least the part of him that was tender and loving. But the darkness of his controlling nature, and the shadow of their past, were too great to ignore. Her love for her unborn child and her desire to provide a safe future outweighed everything else.

Michelle had waited until she was certain Lucas was in a deep sleep. The house was quiet, the silence heavy and almost suffocating. She was prepared for this moment. She eased out of bed, moving with careful precision, and slipped into her clothes—simple and practical to help her blend in as she made her way to freedom.

With a final, lingering look at the man she did care for again, she tiptoed across the room, her heart aching with the weight of the decision. The house remained locked, and Lucas kept the key hidden, so Michelle had to be creative. She found a window in the back of the house that was less secure and had been practicing her escape route. The window was old and creaky, but she oiled it to minimize the noise.

Michelle tiptoed to the window, her hands steady despite the turmoil inside her. She unlatched it and pushed it open, her heart skipping a beat at the slight resistance. The chill of the night air brushed against her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of the room she was leaving behind.

She climbed out of the window, her movements cautious but swift. The ground below was rough, and she carefully lowered herself to avoid injury. Once on the ground, she glanced back up at the house, the light from the window casting a long shadow. Reaching up, she pushed it closed, hoping to throw Lucas off when he woke.

With one last look at the house that had been both her prison and her refuge, Michelle took a deep breath and made her way through the darkened streets, her mind focused on keeping to the shadows and making her way to the nearest train station.

As she walked, she felt a pang of guilt. Lucas had been kind to her, and there were moments they genuinely connected. But the thought of raising her child in such an environment was unbearable. She couldn’t let her child endure the same fate.

The streets were eerily quiet, and Michelle’s heart pounded as she walked through the empty streets, the cold night air biting at her cheeks. She had no safe house waiting for her, no one to turn to. She had her wits and the determination to protect her child. The city was unfamiliar and the risk of being found ever-present.

Her mind raced through her options. She needed to be resourceful. She found a train station a few blocks from Lucas’s house. It was a hub of transient activity, and in the cover of darkness, it offered anonymity. She snuck onto a freight train, hiding in the darkened corner of an empty car. It was a gamble, but she had no other choice. Once she arrived at a town far enough away from here, she would look for a job and a place to stay.

After staying in a women’s shelter for a few weeks, Michelle took a job as a courier on an international flight. It paid enough to finance a new identity, and a few days’ accommodation in Portugal, where she found work in a small tourist cafe. The picturesque streets of Lisbon offered an anonymity that was both comforting and unsettling. Her priority was to stay off the radar and keep her pregnancy a secret. The job’s pay was modest, but it secured her a small apartment, basic living expenses and a ticket to Australia.

The day Michelle went into labor, she was alone in a foreign country with no friends or family to turn to. The pain began late at night. With her heart racing and a deep-seated fear of being discovered, she hailed a taxi to take her to the nearest hospital, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts—about her baby, about Lucas, and about the uncertain future that lay ahead.

In a sterile hospital room, she gave birth alone. A beautiful baby girl who brought her both immense joy and profound relief. The process was gruelling, but as the baby’s first cries filled the room, Michelle felt a surge of love and protectiveness that transcended the fear she had been living with. She held her daughter close, whispering promises of a better future as tears of both joy and sorrow streamed down her face.