Confession in Blood

Clara was wracked with unending pain, too weak to dodge the blows. Instinctively, she raised her hands to protect her belly, only to endure another lash.

She didn't know how many times she had been struck; her consciousness was fading, and her limbs felt powerless. Yet she held her belly tightly, thinking, 'No one loves this child, and no one anticipates its arrival. What if I abandon it? How piti