Accidentally yours

The day before her wedding, Olive Bennett couldn’t contain her excitement. Her white lace wedding gown hung neatly on the closet door, and her veil lay folded on the bed. Everything she had ever dreamed of was about to come true—marrying Frank, the man she had loved for six years, in front of friends and family. She glanced at the clock. Delilah, her stepsister, was supposed to help her with last-minute wedding details, but she was late, as usual. Olive sighed and decided to make herself some tea. The apartment was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. As she stirred honey into her tea, Olive’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. It was Frank. “Hey, babe,” she answered cheerfully. “Hey, I left my cufflinks at your place,” Frank said. “Mind if I swing by and grab them?” Olive smiled. “Sure. They’re in the bedroom drawer. I’ll leave the door unlocked.” “Thanks. I’ll be there in ten.” Olive decided to take a quick shower before Frank arrived. She left her phon

Olive adjusted the strap of her suitcase as she maneuvered through the crowded airport. The din of announcements over the intercom and the bustling of passengers filled the air. Her chest felt heavy, weighed down by the betrayal and heartbreak that had unraveled her life in just a matter of hours. Each step felt like she was leaving behind the fragments of a dream she had clung to for years—a life with Frank, a family she thought she could trust. But that dream was dead now, and she had to move forward.She gripped her boarding pass tightly, as if it were her lifeline. Her destination was New York City. It wasn’t a place she’d dreamed of living, but it was far enough from the chaos she was escaping. It was a city big enough to lose herself in, to start over without the judgmental stares and whispered rumors that would undoubtedly follow her back home.Olive inhaled deeply as she stopped at a coffee counter to order something warm. The sleepless night had drained her, leaving her jitte

Olive sat in the cramped seat of the plane, her fingers tracing the outline of the leather handbag resting on her lap. She had only packed the essentials—clothes, a few personal items, and the lingering sense of uncertainty about what awaited her back in Chicago. For the first time in days, she felt a small but real sense of calm. She had made up her mind. New York was where she wanted to build her life. It would be her escape, her fresh start.The past three days in New York had done something for her—brought her peace, gave her space, and allowed her to breathe. The messages from her father had only confirmed that there was no going back to the life she had known. She wasn’t the same woman who had left Chicago, and she never would be again.As the plane touched down in Chicago, Olive stared out of the window, unsure of what she was walking into. It was hot for the middle of the afternoon, and the heat pressed against the window as the aircraft taxied to the gate. She had no intentio

Olive stared at her phone after ending the call with Dr. Harris. Her chest tightened with anger, frustration, and disbelief. The audacity of the situation was overwhelming, and the very idea of carrying Raymond Stone’s child felt like a cruel joke. She had been an unwilling participant in someone else’s mistake. The fact that she had been accidentally inseminated with Raymond Stone’s child felt like a violation of her very being.“Surrogacy mistake,” she muttered bitterly. “As if that excuses anything.”She got up from the couch and paced the living room, her thoughts spiraling. “How could they confuse me with someone else?” she muttered. “This is my life they’re playing with!”At the same time, Dr. Harris sat in his office, staring at his phone. His palms were sweaty as he replayed Olive’s words in his mind: “Pretend it never happened. I’m terminating this child.”Before he could gather his thoughts, his phone buzzed again. The name on the screen made his stomach drop—Raymond Stone.

Olive’s thoughts swirled around her, too rapid for her to make sense of them. Her mind kept drifting back to Raymond’s unexpected appearance in her hospital room, his words lingering even as the pain in her head grew stronger. I don’t need you, she had whispered, but the truth was, part of her wanted him to stay. She closed her eyes, trying to escape the confusion in her heart, but exhaustion overcame her, and her eyelids fluttered shut, pulling her into a deep, dreamless sleep.The night passed in a blur, and as the first light of dawn crept into the room, the quiet was broken by a gentle knock on the door. A nurse entered, her presence calm and reassuring. She checked the monitors by Olive’s bed, adjusting the drip and checking her vitals.But something was wrong.The nurse’s brow furrowed as she noticed Olive’s temperature climbing. She pressed her fingers to Olive’s forehead, confirming the rising fever. Without wasting a moment, she called for assistance, and soon, a team of doct