The Countermove

The day I got my wife’s ultrasound report, I heard our unborn child’s voice in my head.
Dad, as soon as I’m born, Mom’s going to divorce you!
Her first love can’t have kids, see? So she’s just using you to have a baby. Then she can take me and live happily ever after with him!
I believed it without a second thought. I filed for divorce immediately.
But after the divorce, my health began to fail. I got weaker by the day, until I was diagnosed with cancer.
During a chemo session, I ran into my ex-wife. And I heard the voice of the child in her womb again.
Haha! Just kidding! Mom never cheated on you! I made it all up!
Why would a child lie?
I died without ever understanding.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we got the ultrasound report.

1
“Mr. Clark, congratulations! You’re going to be a father! The report shows the baby is just over two months along.”
The doctor’s voice was cheerful. “Now, you’ll need to take extra special care of your wife. Pregnant women can be emotionally sensitive, you know.”
Her voice cut through the fog in my mind. I snapped my head up and stared at the report in her hand. It was real. I was back.
And in the next second, I heard it. The voice of the child in my wife’s womb.
Dad, Mom’s going to divorce you the second I’m born!
The voice was identical to the one from my past life. An icy dread washed over me. The chilling memory of my lonely death in that hospital bed came rushing back, sharp and terrifying.
Before I could process it, the voice came again.
Mom’s first love is sterile! That’s the only reason she married you! You were just a means to an end! A walking sperm donor!
Once I’m born, she’ll divorce you, take me, and go live her fairy-tale life with him!
Last time, I heard those words and my world collapsed. I didn’t question them for a second. I demanded a divorce. No matter how much my wife, Stella, pleaded and tried to explain, I held fast to the “truth” our child had given me.
It wasn't until I was on my deathbed that I learned it was all a lie.
But why? Why would a child do such a thing?
This time, I was going to find out.
The doctor noticed my pale face. “Mr. Clark, are you alright? Is the news a bit of a shock?”
I looked at Stella’s still-flat stomach, a dark thought forming in my mind. “Doctor… this child. Is it… normal?”
She blinked, confused. “Are you asking about the baby’s health, Mr. Clark?”
I thought about my last life. This child was the reason I lost Stella. What if I chose not to have it? What if I just ignored the voice? Would we have made it? At the very least, when the cancer came, would the woman I loved have been by my side?
Would the ending be different if I chose to end it now?
I nodded slowly. “This pregnancy was an accident. My wife and I… we weren’t prepared. I’m worried there might be something wrong.”
My voice dropped. “What if… we were to terminate…”
“Owen, my stomach hurts…”
Before I could finish, Stella’s face went white. She clutched her abdomen, sweat beading on her forehead.
And the voice returned, sharp and angry.
Dad, what are you trying to say to the doctor?
You don’t want me, do you? Because that would make me very, very unhappy.
I know you love Mom. Even if she betrayed you, the most you’d do is divorce her. You could never bring yourself to let her die, could you?
Stella was now in too much pain to speak.
I understood. The thing in her womb was listening. To everything. The slightest hint that I didn't want it, and it would take Stella down with it.
But it was right about one thing.
I loved Stella more than life itself. In my past life, when I thought she’d betrayed me, the pain had driven me mad. I hadn’t listened to a word she said, just cut her out of my life. In the end, I died on an operating table, never having seen her face one last time.
The doctor saw Stella’s agony and her professional calm kicked in. “Ma’am, are you alright?” she asked urgently. “If your health isn't stable enough for a pregnancy, I have to advise you to prioritize your own well-being. You can always try for another child later.”
Stella wiped the sweat from her brow, her teeth gritted. “I’m fine. I can do this.”
“Stella, we don’t have to do this. Your health is what matters…” I started, but her face grew even paler, a silent scream in her eyes. The words died in my throat. I turned to the doctor. “Could you prescribe some glucose and vitamins, please? We’re keeping this baby. We’re definitely keeping it.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the voice returned, placated.
That’s more like it, Dad.
You’d better take good care of Mom. Or I’ll make sure she pays for it.
Oh, and by the way, if you don’t listen to me… it won’t just be her life on the line. It’ll be yours, too.
The voice trailed off, but the threat hung in the air. The cancer. The sudden, aggressive cancer from my last life… was it because of this thing? But that didn’t make sense. I had already divorced Stella. Why would it come after me then?
A cold sweat soaked through my shirt. I didn’t dare say another word. I knew, with absolute certainty, that it was listening.
Later that day, back home, Stella took a phone call in the other room. When she came out, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
“Honey, I have a class reunion tonight. I’ll be home a little late.”
Last time, that phone call was the final nail in our coffin. I had instantly believed the voice in my head, convinced she was meeting her lover. I’d filed for divorce that very night.
Not this time. I would not make the same mistake.
I forced a smile and nodded. “Okay. Have fun. Take care of yourself… and the baby.”

2
It was four in the morning when I heard Stella creep back into the house. After a quiet shower, she leaned over and kissed my forehead before sliding into bed and wrapping her arms around me.
The voice was waiting.
Dad, Mom just got back from her little tryst. How can you even sleep?
Just divorce her already! Don’t worry, when I grow up, I’ll repay you for everything.
The words were identical to my past life. I forced my breathing to stay even, feigning sleep. I replayed the last life in my mind. After I demanded the divorce, Stella had been utterly bewildered. She begged me to reconsider. But I was resolute, and she eventually relented. I gave her everything in the divorce—the house, the savings. I walked away with nothing. She was carrying my child, after all. And she was the woman I had loved for so many years.
I never saw her again.
After I died, they told me she had a complete mental breakdown.
Her reactions last time… they didn't add up. Could it be true? Had she really never cheated on me?
I decided I would talk to her in the morning, tell her everything.
But when I woke up, she was already gone. A note was on the kitchen table.
Honey, breakfast is on the table and I made you some fresh soy milk. I had to head to work early. See you tonight!
A flicker of warmth spread through my chest, but it was immediately extinguished by the voice.
Dad, did you see the sweet little note Mom left you? Here’s a newsflash: she’s on a date with him right now!
Why won’t you just divorce her already?! Is a woman like that really worth it?!
She was at work. Miles away. But the voice was right here, screaming in my head. I didn’t have time to dwell on it, but the more insistent it became, the more certain I was that something was terribly wrong.
What was its motive for pushing me toward divorce so hard?
Whatever it was, this time, I was going to change my fate.
On my way to the office, a mysterious old man in strange, flowing robes grabbed my arm, his face etched with panic.
“That which does not belong to you, you must not touch!”
I flinched, startled, having no idea what he meant. I figured it was some new kind of street scam and tried to pull away. But his grip was like iron.

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