Pregnant

"It's been two weeks, Hayley. You need to stop crying over him. He is not worth a single tear that falls from your eyes." Emily, Hayley's best friend consoled her.

Emily sat down beside Hayley on the couch, gently patting her shoulder as Hayley lay still with tears streaming down her face. She was tired of everything. The anguish was too much to bear all at once.

It had been two weeks since Leo and her divorced, yet she still couldn't get over him. Hayley had gone to her family to seek their help to help her plead with Leonardo, but instead of supporting her, they abused her and kicked her out.

Hayley knew they never truly cared for her or considered her as family, especially her foster mother, Wendy Forbes. She despised Hayley so much that Hayley often wondered why she even adopted her in the first place. Hayley was aware that she had no place in that home, but she never imagined that in her time of need, they would turn their backs on her and leave her helpless. They made it clear that she had no one. They resented her. The Andersons resented her. Even her husband resented her.

With nowhere else to go, Emily had kindly offered for Hayley to stay with her, at least until she could gather herself again since she had no money to move in to a new apartment. Emily had hoped to comfort and cheer her up, but that was not possible. All Hayley ever did was cry all day.

In the depths of Hayley's mind, she tried to convince herself that the tumultuous events of two weeks ago were nothing but a nightmare. She was certain she would soon wake up from it and find her husband by her side once again. However, her delusion came crumbling down when the headlines of the morning news flashed on the screen. In bold, capitalized letters it read: "BILLIONAIRE, CEO OF ACS GROUP, LEONARDO ANDERSON AND ACTRESS LILIAN LOPEZ TO BE WEDDED ON SATURDAY." Another headline caught Hayley's eyes also: "BILLIONAIRE'S EX-WIFE DIVORCED DUE TO FAILED MARRIAGE."

Leonardo came up on the screen. There he was, looking immaculate with Lilian by his side.

It was a harsh reality that Hayley had to accept and move on from Leonardo, knowing full well that he would never change his mind no matter how hard she pleaded.

The tears were uncontrollable, and she found herself motionless on the couch, lost in her emotions. Her mind couldn't help but wander to thoughts of how things would be different if she had a child. Perhaps she wouldn't be enduring this pain and suffering. But it was futile to dwell on such thoughts now that she had to face the fact that Leonardo would no longer be a part of her life.

As the wedding day of Leonardo and Lilian drew closer, Hayley made the decision to leave the city and start afresh somewhere else.

Emily and Hayley sat at the dining table, eating. Despite her efforts to engage Hayley in conversation, her heart was heavy, and she couldn't bring herself to speak nor touch her food.

"Is something troubling you?" Emily asked, noticing her lack of appetite.

Hayley raised her head to meet her concerned gaze and shook her head, "No, Em. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked.

She nodded, confident in her answer.

Then Emily sighed and continued to eat her food.

"I'm leaving Clasold City," Hayley announced abruptly to her. 

She paused, looking at Hayley with her, her ocean blue eyes unwavering.

They were both quiet for a moment, until Emily spoke up. "That's for the best. You will be fine."

Hayley could hear the pain in her voice, but she simply smiled and nodded. Hayley could tell she was relieved that she was already beginning to move on after three weeks of non-stop tears.

Hayley tried to eat, although her appetite was non-existent, just as it had been for the past weeks. She stood up, intending to leave, but a wave of dizziness hit her, causing her to sit back down.

Emily rushed over to her, her concern evident in her agitated expression. "Are you alright?"

Hayley nodded, "Yes, I feel a bit dizzy though. Think I should rest." She tried to stand again, but this time she found herself dashing towards the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet. Emily patted her back and tucked her hair behind her ear while she emptied her bowels.

'This fucking illness struck again!' Hayley cursed inwardly. 

She had been experiencing occasional bouts of vomiting for the past few weeks, but they ignored it, attributing it to malnutrition.

After Hayley finished, Emily helped her into a bath before she went to lay down on the couch. She gazed up at the ceiling, aware of Emily's eyes on her. She was always worried about her, and Hayley wanted to tell her that she was fine before Emily bluntly and abruptly asked her the question that caught her off guard.

"Are you pregnant?" 

Hayley turned her gaze sharply towards her, staring at her as if she had misheard her.

"What?"

Emily asked again, undeterred. "I asked if you are pregnant, Hayley?"

Hayley inhaled exasperatedly, glaring daggers at her. Turning her gaze back to the ceiling, she struggled to control her growing anger. How could she even ask her that?

"Come on, answer me. Explain the strange illnesses you've been experiencing for the past two weeks. You've been vomiting, feeling nauseous, dizzy, and have lost your appetite. You look so pale, skinny... All symptoms of pregnancy!" Emily pressed, her tone demanding answers.

"Enough, Emily. Enough!" She snapped, sitting up sharply. "I'm already suffering as it is... please don't add to it."

"But... I-I just wanted to-"

"I am a barren woman, Em! Is that what you wanted to hear before you leave me the fuck alone?" She yelled, hurt and pain laced in her words.

"I'm sorry..."

Before Emily could finish her sentence, Hayley ran off to the bathroom again, feeling violently ill.

Hayley splashed her face with water, holding onto the sink as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was a mess, just like Emily had pointed before. Thin, pale, and sickly. 

Looking at Emily's reflection in the mirror, she spoke calmly.

"I'm not pregnant, Em. But I am sick. I need to see a doctor."

Emily nodded, "I'll get the keys."

*****

"Congratulations, Ms. Forbes. Here are the test results. You're two months pregnant!" The doctor exclaimed, handing Hayley the paperwork.

Emily and her exchanged a quick glance. Hayley could see the excitement on her face, but she couldn't feel the same as she turned to the doctor in disbelief. She took the results from him, examining them carefully herself. It was true, those were her test samples and the results were positive.

"Congratulations, Hayley. We're going to have a baby! My intuition was right, you are pregnant," Emily exclaimed with joy, a wide grin spreading across her face.

Hayley wanted to say something but she couldn't. Her emotions were an overwhelming mixture of astonishment, elation, and sadness. She watched as her surroundings faded into a blur, consumed by the thoughts racing through her mind.

She was pregnant, truly and unquestionably. Her, Hayley, was pregnant. The same person they had deemed "barren" and hurled derogatory labels at, was finally blessed with a child.

For so long, she had been labeled as infertile, made to feel like a sick and cursed woman incapable of bearing a child for Leonardo. But now, everything had changed.

She couldn't help but wrap her arms protectively around her flat stomach, a victorious smile creeping across her face.

This news was her key to finally winning back her  husband.