Trigger warnings: Physical Spousal Abuse and Loss of Baby.

Alice sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling as she stared at the pregnancy test. The two lines were clear, unmistakable. She was pregnant. A mix of joy and fear washed over her, her mind racing with thoughts of the future, of a new life growing inside her.

But her joy was short-lived. Earl burst into the room, his eyes flashing with anger as he saw the test in her hand. 

"What the hell is this, Alice?" he demanded, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

Alice looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mix of hope and fear. 

"Earl, I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

Earl's response was a harsh, bitter laugh. 

"A baby? You think you can just decide when to have a baby, Alice? You think you can control my life like that?"

Before she could react, Earl's fist met with her stomach, with such force, the blow sending her sprawling across the bed. Alice cried out, the pain sharp and intense, her body curling around the growing life inside her.

"Earl, please," she begged, her voice a raw, ragged plea. "Don't hurt the baby."

But Earl was beyond reason, his anger a raging inferno. He grabbed her by the shoulders, his fingers digging into her flesh as he shook her violently. 

"You don't get to decide, Alice. I will decide when you get pregnant. I decide when you have a baby."

He struck her again, his fist connecting with her stomach, her ribs, her face. Each blow was a brutal reminder of her powerlessness, of Earl's control over her life. Alice's cries filled the room, a symphony of pain and fear.

Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain tore through her, a sensation unlike anything she had ever experienced. She doubled over, her body convulsing as she felt a warm, sticky wetness between her legs. Earl's eyes widened as he saw the blood, his anger momentarily replaced by a look of shock and realization.

Alice looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears and accusation. 

"Earl, what have you done?" she whispered, her voice a raw, broken plea.

Earl's face hardened, his eyes cold and unyielding.

 "I told you, Alice. You're only allowed to get pregnant when I want you to. This is your fault. You brought this on yourself."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Alice alone with her pain and the shattered remnants of her hopes and dreams. She lay there, her body aching and her spirit broken, the life she had hoped for slipping away with each drop of blood.

In the silence, Alice's mind raced, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She thought of the life they had built, the dreams they had shared, and the love that had once bound them together. Now, it all felt like a cruel joke, a twisted illusion shattered by Earl's violence and control.