Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Too Late

Gregory's POV

The house felt unusually quiet after Emily left, Lucy walked over with a smile and wrapped her arms around my neck. 

"Finally," she said. "Now we don't have to hide anymore." 

I looked toward the front door without answering. Emily had walked away without begging, shouting, or causing a scene that wasn't what I expected. I thought she would refuse to sign the papers or try to convince me to change my mind. Instead, she had simply packed her things and left.

 "Gregory?" Lucy called again. "Did you hear what I said?" 

I turned to look at her. "I have a headache." 

She frowned for a second before forcing another smile. "Then you should rest. I'll make you some coffee."

 I nodded absentmindedly and walked into the living room. My eyes landed on the dining table. It was covered with candles, a cake, and decorations. I looked around the room, confused.

 "What's all this?" I muttered.

Lucy walked in behind me and shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she was trying to surprise you so you wouldn't divorce her." 

I walked closer to the table. Everything had been arranged carefully, as if Emily had spent hours getting it ready. My eyes stopped on the small gift box sitting in the center.

 "Did you open this?" I asked.

 Lucy quickly shook her head. "No, I didn't even notice it."

 I reached for the box, but before I could touch it, Lucy stepped beside me. "Forget about it," she said. "She's gone now, whatever is inside doesn't matter anymore."

 I looked at her, then back at the box. For some reason, I couldn't ignore it. I slowly picked it up and lifted the lid. A pair of tiny white baby shoes lay neatly inside. I stared at them without moving. They were so small they could fit in one hand underneath them was a folded piece of paper.

My heart started beating faster as I picked up the paper. It was a hospital report, I unfolded it and scanned the first few lines. My eyes stopped on one sentence. Pregnancy confirmed.

 I read it again and again. My hands refused to move and my mind couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. Emily... was pregnant?

 My eyes dropped to the date at the top of the report. It was from today ... .today. The same day I had handed her the divorce papers. The same day I had accused her of being unable to give me a child. A strange feeling settled in my stomach as every word I had said replayed in my head. “You can't give me an heir.”

"What is it?" Lucy asked as she leaned closer. 

Before I could answer, something else slipped out of the box and landed on the floor. I bent down to pick it up. It was a small handwritten card. My eyes slowly moved across the words written in Emily's neat handwriting. 

>You're going to be a daddy.

I stood frozen and the room fell completely silent. The card slipped from my fingers as I looked toward the front door Emily had walked through only an hour ago. She had been trying to tell me the truth... and I never gave her the chance.

My hands started shaking as I picked up the card again. I read the words over and over, hoping they would somehow change. Emily had been pregnant; she had been carrying my child while I stood there accusing her of failing me. I remembered the way she had looked at me when I said she couldn't give me an heir.

 She had almost spoken, her hand had moved to her stomach for just a second before she lowered it again she had known. She had wanted to tell me, and I had chosen not to listen.

 "Gregory..." Lucy called carefully. 

I turned to look at her. For the first time that night, I noticed the worry on her face. "Did you know about this?" I asked.

 She looked at the report before quickly shaking her head. "Of course not Gregory, don't let her fool you. Anyone can fake a hospital report."

 I stared at her without saying a word. "Think about it," she continued. "If she was really pregnant, why didn't she tell you?"

 I laughed bitterly. "She tried."

I grabbed my car keys and headed for the front door. Lucy hurried after me and caught my arm. "Where are you going?" she asked.

 "To find my wife." The words came out before I even realized what I had said. 

Lucy's face changed immediately. "She's not your wife anymore," she snapped. "She signed the divorce papers."

 I pulled my arm away. "She signed them because I gave her no choice."

 I rushed outside and got into my car. As soon as the engine started, I drove out of the gate. I called Emily again and again, but every call went unanswered. By the time I reached the small apartment she used to live in before we got married, the lights were off. 

An elderly neighbor recognized me and slowly walked over. "Are you looking for Emily?" she asked. 

I nodded. "She left not long ago, a fancy car came for her. They picked her up and drove toward the private airport."

I didn't waste another second. I drove straight to the airport, ignoring every red light along the way. When I finally arrived, I ran out of the car just as a private jet began moving across the runway. 

"Emily!" I shouted, even though I knew she couldn't hear me. I stood there, watching as the plane picked up speed before lifting into the night sky. It disappeared into the clouds within seconds, taking Emily and my unborn child with it.

 I remained where I was, unable to move for the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to lose something that could never be replaced. And deep inside, I knew one thing with absolute certainty. No matter how long it took, I was going to find Emily... even if she never forgave me.