They didn’t care. Nobody did. I called the media. I was laughed at when I asked for support. The neighborhood let me down. I had nobody left on my side anymore.

Worst of all, there was a nagging voice inside my head. It begged to ask the question, “Was this really about the bar? Or was it about Hunter?

I wasn’t in the mood to think. Walking through the caution tape near our bar, I sat down against the front doors of the building. I had no time to spare.

Carefully funneling the bike chain through the bars of the front doors, I locked my body and stood firm. When the chains felt tight enough, I tossed the keys into a pile of trash nearby.

I was going to have a baby. A child of my own. Once I held the plastic test in my hands, everything felt real and attainable, and I quickly understood my role. I couldn’t stop speaking the truth. I vowed to stand up for what my family, even if I couldn’t succeed.

The police arrived in small waves. First, it was just a few standing officers, mulling around the area and laughing at their own jokes. But as time passed, both cop and citizen joined the sidewalk to observe me like a caged ape.

Still, I held my body upright and straight, and I yelled my stupid chants, knowing that nobody cared. I was doing it because I wanted my kid to come into a world that cared about its community.

From inside my jacket pocket, I felt my phone buzz. I saw Hunter’s name flash across the screen.

“Hey. Can’t exactly talk right now.”

“I know. I’m watching you on my phone right now,” he said. “Social media is losing their shit.”

I tried not to laugh, but a high-pitched and completely embarrassing squeal issued from my throat. “Do I look okay?”

“You look like a hippie,” he said.

Dammit. Why did he always have to make me laugh?

I cleared my throat and slumped against the door, shifting the weight of the chains around my back.

“Joking aside, you need to be careful,” he said.

“I told you that I wasn’t giving up, Hunter.”

“And I told you that I’d fix this. You just have to give me some time here,” he said.

I looked beyond the row of cop cars, far beyond the sea of casual observers. Near to the block was a newly paved parking lot for the construction crews. I let myself count on Hunter one more time.

Hunter sighed. “Look, I don’t know what I’m talking about anymore. You should stay.”

“Hunter, I’m pregnant,” I said. “I took the test, and I’m going to have a child.”

His voice squeaked into the air. “Oh my God! You took the test?!”

“I did,” I said, breaking a smile.

“I’m on my way, Matthew. Just stay put. I’m going to put an end to this,” he said.

I lifted against the tight chains. “Does it look like I’m going anywhere?”

“Er, well, no,” I stuttered. “I need to make a few calls, but I can be there in less than twenty,” he said.

“Don’t take public transportation.”

I hung up the phone and stared into the dense crowd of observers. Suddenly, all of their spiteful comments came rushing back into my hearing. I felt like shit. Utter, total shit. But I had planned to sit this one out for days, even if it going through morning sickness on live television.

Throughout the night, I thought about everything. Hunter and the baby were two points of contention in my life. I wanted to raise this child, and I felt ready to be a daddy. Despite his enthusiasm to change, I didn’t know if I could trust him.

Still, a person could change if they wanted something bad enough. I did. Sawyer did. Hell, my fucking parents had to go to rehab for six months, but they did a complete one-eighty. It was possible, but it was a significant risk.

Hunter had all the money in the world. He had a magnificent penthouse and enough pull to get him out of jail early. But I didn’t believe that Hunter had enough power to end all of what had fallen over me.

Nobody did.

So as I sat chained to those doors, I decided that I’d do this alone. For now. But if Hunter somehow came through, I’d be forced to go over everything again. People could change—I just had to remember that.

When he finally arrived, I saw him running out of the Metro exit, trailing down the stairs and combing through the crowd. I never understood why someone so rich would use public transportation over a cab, but he was weird like that. Actually, that was something I liked about him.

Hunter, however, wasn’t the only one to show up on time. Jack Dobson and his group of jerks could be seen gathered near a set of policemen. They were discussing my arrest, no doubt.

Next to them, a fire truck sat ready. More ambulances. More media. All of them came to do their job of tearing me apart. I knew how this played out. Soon, they’d bring in the bear spray. They’d force me out of here within a short half hour.

Hunter pushed his way through the spectators. “Shut this down, dammit!”

As soon as he reached Jack, he stopped, out of breath but confident. “We can’t act on this, Jack. We don’t have clearance.”

“Clearance? What is this about? The zoning violations, Hunter. The whole block is a safety concern,” he said.

I could see the faint outline of a cheap grin on his face. I hated him. More than ever, I wanted nothing to do with these people. “I want out,” I said.

Jack’s nostrils flared, and a thick vein popped against his neck. “Fine,” he said. “If that’s what you need to do, we’ll cut you out. But you’re not getting your initial investment.”

“Jack, you’re not listening to me,” Hunter said.

Jack held an unlit cigar in his hand. Gloating, he waved it in front of him, observing the dry tobacco leaves. He lit the end and took a vacuous puff, blowing the smoke into Hunter’s eyes.

“Do what you need to do, but make a choice already,” he said.

Hunter paused and looked at me. “Please,” I thought to myself. But I couldn’t rely on thoughts and prayers anymore.

“I choose him.” Hunter pointed with conviction.

“What?” Jack stood dumbfounded as the ash on the end of his cigar started to pile up.

I watched as Hunter hit the lit stogy out of his hand. Burning embers flew around them as Hunter swung his arm back. He nearly got his punch through, but the cops acted faster, rolling him to the floor like an accordion.

I stood up, unable to act. All I could do was scream and watch as the men in blue carried him away in cuffs. When Hunter looked back, a burning look of defiance shined in his eyes.

He must’ve had a plan.

“What the fuck’s wrong with you,” Jack lashed back, slapping his face. “You were Hunter Underwood, CEO of Underwood Property and Management. Now, you’re a walking contradiction.”

Hunter lashed forward, but the men in blue held him back. “I’ve changed, Jack. I want to be someone different.”

Jack grabbed Hunter’s cheeks and laughed deliberately. “Nobody changes. They use that as an excuse to win something.”

Before Hunter could answer, he was pulled out of my sight. I dropped back to the floor, glancing back at the incoming bodies, armored with black padding like a sinister army. They clearly weren’t coming to visit me with gifts.

I held my head down as my name came across the loudspeakers. “Matthew McKinnon. You are under arrest for trespassing…” More words rang out, but I stopped paying attention.

The riot police’s tactical boots crunched against the asphalt, but the only thing I could think to do was laugh.

Laugh, because I felt different already. The curse was starting to break. And no matter what, once this baby would arrive, I’d be free.