The Tales from Urban Nights

Lia's life had always been a portrait of perfection. She had worked tirelessly to get into her dream college, and there she met Ethan—the man she believed was her soulmate. They built a life together, one brick at a time. Lia had supported Ethan through the early, grueling years of his career, working odd jobs while he chased his dreams. Eventually, his hard work paid off, and the money started flowing. They married in a fairy-tale ceremony, surrounded by their loved ones, and soon after, they decided it was time to start a family. 

When Lia found out she was pregnant, she thought she'd reached the pinnacle of happiness. But as her belly grew, so did a nagging sense of unease. At first, she chalked it up to pregnancy hormones, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she looked less desirable, her once-glowing skin losing its radiance, her figure changing in ways she hadn't expected. "It's just hormones," she told herself again and again. 

But then she found changes in Ethan as well. He started wearing cologne—something he had always hated. She teased him about it one evening, asking why he'd suddenly become a fan of scents. 

He laughed, wrapping her in his arms. "Just trying to be the best husband and father I can be. I want to be presentable. New habits, new life", he said as he put a soft kiss on her forehead lovingly. 

His words made her laugh, and for a moment, the unease melted away. But as the days turned into weeks, Lia noticed more changes. Ethan began waking up early and coming home late. When she asked if work was keeping him busy, he responded with an exhausted nod and a tired smile. 

"It's for us," he reassured her. But Lia couldn't silence the feeling that something was off. 

---

Ethan told her about a business trip, he promised her that he would come back in a week, and also how he had called both their parents to come live with her and help her out. 

On the night of departure as Ethan leaned in to kiss her goodbye before the business trip, she caught a nauseating whiff of perfume. It wasn't hers, and it wasn't his cologne. It was floral and cloying, clinging to his suit like a ghost. 

"Where is that smell coming from?" she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion. 

Ethan didn't understand, but after thinking about it for a fraction of a second, he gave a reply with his every changing smile, "Must've been from someone at the office. You know how packed elevators get!! Anyway, don't stay up till too late and take care of yourself. Baby, make sure to miss me. I love you." He left. 

She stood there and looked at where he was standing a few minutes ago, she didn't move for that seed of doubt that had taken root inside her, had finally bloomed into something monstrous, she didn't believe him. She couldn't believe him anymore

As weeks passed, the unease transformed into an unbearable weight. The morning sickness never left her and with the lingering nausea, worsened by Ethan's growing distance, she didn't understand what to do anymore. Lia tried to talk to her family and friends, but they dismissed her fears, chalking them up to stress and hormones. 

"Ethan loves you," her mother said. "Don't let pregnancy paranoia ruin your happiness." 

But Lia's instincts told her otherwise. 

---

When Ethan returned from his trip, he was different. She felt like his smile no longer reached his eyes, and his touch felt cold. He had changed, even though he kept saying that everything was going to be okay and how much he loved her, she didn't believe her.

The dreaded day came when one evening, he dropped a bombshell: 

"I think we need to consider... terminating the pregnancy." 

Lia froze. Her hands instinctively flew to her swollen belly. "What are you saying?" 

Ethan avoided her gaze. "The doctors mentioned complications, didn't they? I just think it's better for your health—better for us—if we don't take the risk." 

Lia's world crumbled. She screamed, begged, and sobbed, but Ethan wouldn't relent. The nauseating perfume that seemed to haunt him now suffocated her, fueling her growing hatred. She clung to her baby, desperate to protect the only thing she had left. But no one listened. Not her family, not even her parents, who once doted on her every word. 

In the end, Lia was left powerless. Her baby was gone, her cries drowned out by the relief of those around her. Ethan was triumphant, smiling and calling the procedure a success. 

"The tumor is gone," he said to their family one evening, his voice light with optimism. "We can finally plan for the future." 

The words shattered her. Her baby—her precious child—reduced to nothing more than a "tumor." Lia's grief boiled into rage, her love for Ethan dissolving into something darker, something monstrous. 

---

That night, Lia ran. She fled their home, her bare feet pounding against the cold earth. The scent of perfume still clung to her nostrils, but it was drowned out by a new sound: a soft, gentle cry. 

"Mommy," the voice whispered, faint but unmistakable. "Are you coming? It's so dark here. I'm lonely." 

Lia stopped, her breath hitching. "Baby?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Is that you?" 

The cry came again, more insistent. "Please don't leave me, Mommy. I need you." 

A twisted smile spread across Lia's face as she turned toward the sound, her heart swelling with a mix of grief and joy. She ran faster, deeper into the night, the voice guiding her. She didn't notice the frantic shouts of her husband behind her, calling her name, begging her to stop. She didn't care. 

He was a liar, a cheater, and a murderer. He had killed their baby, and now he wanted to keep her from reuniting with the only thing that mattered. 

"No," she whispered, her voice firm. "I won't let you take this from me." 

Lia plunged into the darkness, her steps quickening as the cries grew louder. The world around her seemed to dissolve, the trees and streets replaced by an endless void. But she didn't stop. She couldn't. 

Ethan's voice grew distant, his pleas fading into nothingness. Lia's twisted smile widened as she finally reached the source of the sound. 

"I'm here," she said softly, her arms outstretched. "Mommy's here." 

The darkness swallowed her whole, and Lia was never seen again. 

---

In the days that followed, Ethan combed the town for his wife, desperate to find her. But the search yielded nothing. Lia had vanished without a trace. 

Some said she had succumbed to her grief, wandering into the woods to escape the weight of her pain. Others believed she had gone mad, consumed by the loss of her child. 

But those who lived near the forest swore they could hear faint cries at night—a baby's wail, joined by the soft, soothing whispers of a mother's voice. 

"Don't be afraid, my baby. My baby star. The world is cruel but here I am... Here I am waiting by your side. Sleep tight my child, sleep tight. Your mother will protect you from the world outside."