Chapter 2

               ***Emma's POV***

I sat in front of the doctor’s desk, many thoughts swirling in my mind.

“Doctor, what is wrong with me?”

I had undergone some tests immediately upon entering the hospital, including a pregnancy test. Now I sat nervously, waiting for the doctor to predict my fate.

“Ma’am, you need to calm down. Nothing is wrong with you,” he said, picking up the file in front of him. “From the tests we conducted, it shows that you are four weeks pregnant.”

Many emotions erupted in my chest; relief, joy, and hope. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t utter a word. Finally, after four years of marriage, I had something to show for it. I was finally pregnant. Tears of joy fell from  right?” I asked, wiping my tears. “There’s a baby inside me?”

The doctor nodded. “I’m guessing this is your first pregnancy?” he asked, lifting his gaze from the file.

“Yes, yes, this is my first pregnancy.”

“Okay…” He leaned forward. “Earlier, you complained about bleeding, weakness, and pain in your lower back. We aren’t sure yet if it’s because of the pregnancy or something else.” He adjusted his glasses and continued, “I’m going to give you some medications now, but you have to come back in a week for further tests.”

A dreadful feeling rose inside me, but I buried it immediately. Right now I have to focus on the good news.

“Okay. Is there anything I need to do to make sure the baby is alright?” I asked.

“All you need to do is take your medications, avoid stress, and always get proper rest,” he answered, handing me a piece of paper and the pregnancy test result. “Go to the pharmacy and pick up these medicines. The instructions on how to take them are written there.”

I took the paper and thanked him before stepping out of the office. Mrs. Wilson approached me immediately.

“Mrs. Brooks, what did the doctor say? You’re pregnant, right?” she asked, holding my hands.

I nodded, tears returning to my eyes. Before I could stop myself, I hugged her.

“I’m pregnant. I’m finally pregnant… I have a baby inside me. I’m not barren… I’m going to have a baby,” I cried out, releasing all my deep-buried emotions.

Mrs. Wilson patted my back gently without saying a word. After calming down, I wiped my tears and released her from the embrace. She looked a little flustered. Well, I understood, she was the chief maid, and we weren’t that close.

Awkwardly, she took the paper from my hand.“Why don’t you call the young master while I go buy your meds?” she said hurriedly.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot. I’ll meet you at the hospital entrance,” I replied, taking out my phone.

Mrs. Wilson nodded and left. I suddenly became nervous. What if Daniel doesn’t want this baby? It was always his mom, Susan, who pressured me. No, no… he would be happy. Before we married, he always said he wanted to have many children. He loved children.

Moving toward the exit, I finally dialed his number and held the phone to my ear anxiously. Suddenly, I heard a familiar ringtone. Instinctively, I looked toward the sound and froze.

Daniel was standing beside a woman. He was holding her hands and speaking softly in a way that looked like he was consoling her. The woman was sitting down, and a nurse was tending to a wound on her leg.

I stood there, staring at them dumbly. The way Daniel was looking at her, the way he was coaxing her, it all seemed strange. I hadn’t seen that side of him throughout the four years we’d been married. A bitter feeling rose in my chest. So it wasn’t that he wasn’t compassionate,  he just didn’t care about me.

I tried to see the woman’s face, but his body was blocking her. I dialed Daniel’s number again, hoping he would step away so I could see her face. Instead, he looked at his phone, his face showing irritation as he rejected the call.

My heart sank. Why wouldn’t he pick up my call? As I was still contemplating what to do next, Daniel bent down and scooped the woman into his arms. He turned and started walking in my direction.

I stood rooted to the ground, not knowing whether to hide or approach them. As Daniel came closer, he finally noticed me. I watched as his face turned sour, as if he were irritated. The woman in his arms must have noticed his sudden change in mood because she lifted her face, initially buried in his chest, to look up at him.

Another wave of shock swept through me. Rachael Adams, my stepsister, Daniel’s first love.

What was she doing here? When did she come back? Wasn’t she supposed to be abroad? And most importantly, why was Daniel with her? They had broken up before our wedding, so why was Daniel carrying her in his arms as if she were some fragile creature that couldn’t afford to be broken? These thoughts relentlessly flooded my mind. I suddenly started feeling sick and nauseous.

Rachael followed Daniel’s gaze, and her eyes gleamed. A mocking smile appeared on her lips before she immediately changed her expression. I watched as her face lit up and a fake smile replaced the mocking one.

“Emma, is that you?” she shouted enthusiastically. “Daniel, put me down quickly. Let me greet my sister,” she said, tapping Daniel’s chest.

“No, there’s no need for that,” he replied, shifting his gaze from me to her. “Your ankle is injured. There’s no need to strain it again.”

Rachael pouted, putting on a childish face. Daniel ignored her and returned his gaze to me.

“What are you doing here?” he asked impatiently.

I stared at him, anger crawling inside me. Why was he looking at me like that? Was he not the one with a woman in his arms?

“I told you I wasn’t feeling well during breakfast,” I replied, sadness slowly enveloping my chest. Why couldn’t he just care for me?

He seemed a little embarrassed but immediately put back his expressionless face.

“So what is wrong with you? Have you seen a doctor?” he asked. I could tell he was barely interested.

I clutched the test result in my hand and opened my mouth to answer, but Rachael suddenly interrupted.

“Emma, are you okay? Is there something wrong with your body?” she asked, putting on a concerned look.

I looked at her, feeling more nauseous at the fake concern.

“Nothing is wrong with her. She likes doing too much work, so she’s stressed. You don’t have to worry about her,” Daniel stated before I could even speak.

“Oh, in that case, Emma, you don’t have to stress yourself anymore. Now that I’m back, I’ll take over everything diligently,” Rachael replied shyly.

“What do you mean, take over?” I asked, confused.

“Haven’t Daniel told you yet?” she asked, surprised. “Daniel, why haven’t you told her?”

“I forgot.”

“Tell me what?” I asked, a bad feeling creeping inside me.

Daniel fixed his emotionless eyes on me. Then he spoke the words that shattered everything in me.

“We’re getting a divorce.”