The Alarm Beneath Her Ribs

She learned to ignore her own needs. Then her body refused to stay quiet.

When Tracy struggles to breathe during an ordinary workday, she tries to keep going. Deadlines are waiting, and she has become practiced at hiding discomfort.

A diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes forces her to take her health seriously. But at home, her husband Henry turns her illness into another reason to criticize, humiliate, and control her.

As Tracy learns to manage her condition, she begins recognizing the patterns she has spent years explaining away. With support from her mother, coworkers, and advocates, she takes steps toward independence—but Henry refuses to respect the distance she creates.

Now protecting her health also means protecting the life she is trying to rebuild.

The Alarm Beneath Her Ribs by Mia Bills is emotionally compelling contemporary fiction about chronic illness, coercive control, and learning to trust your own needs after years of being told they don’t matter.

Can Tracy build a life where caring for herself no longer requires an apology?

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Content note: Includes emotional abuse, verbal humiliation, stalking, intimidation, and medical emergencies.

Digital ebook. No physical book will be shipped.

Cover: 100% AI

Content: 70-80% writer

Category: Women's Fiction, Domestic and Psychological Drama, Secular Fiction

File Format: PDF, EPUB

Word Count: 11,000

Rating: PG-13