Shattered Truths

    Two pink lines shouldn’t have the power to destroy my entire world.

  I stood in the bathroom with three tests lined up on the counter, hands shaking so badly I could barely see straight. A month and a half after that stormy night. After the way Dylan had fucked me like he both hated and needed me. Positive. All three of them. I was pregnant.

  “Oh God,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my still-flat stomach. “What am I going to do?”

  Tears slipped down my cheeks. Part of me felt pure terror. Another part felt something warm and protective I wasn’t ready for. This baby was real. Mine. Ours. But how was I supposed to tell Dylan when he could barely stand to look at me?

  The next weeks were hell. Dylan buried himself in work even deeper, barely sleeping, barely eating. Eva Stone moved around the mansion like she belonged there, laughing with him over dinner, touching his arm, sharing old memories. I watched from the shadows, my nausea getting worse every day, my heart breaking a little more each time I saw them together.

  One quiet evening I escaped to the garden, needing air. My stomach was still turning from morning sickness I tried to hide. That was where Dylan found me.

  “You look like shit,” he said bluntly, stopping a few feet away. “Is this because of Eva? I told you she’s just an old friend.”

  I turned slowly, anger and hurt boiling over. “An old friend? She’s all over you. Laughing with you. Touching you. While I’m just the contract wife you regret.”

  He stepped closer, eyes cold. “We’ve been over this. Our marriage is temporary. The contract made that clear from the beginning.”

  I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My voice cracked as I spoke. “I’m pregnant, Dylan.”

  He froze. For a second I thought I saw something flash in his eyes. Shock. Maybe even fear. But it disappeared fast.

  “Pregnant,” he repeated, voice flat. “You’re telling me you’re carrying my child.”

  “Yes.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “After that night. I’m sure it’s yours.”

  He let out a harsh laugh that cut me deep. “Of course it is. According to the contract you signed, you’re welcome to provide me an heir. That was literally part of the agreement. You’re just doing what you were paid for, Ivy. Congratulations.”

  I felt like he had slapped me. “Paid for? Is that how you see me? Some paid incubator?”

  He shrugged, but his jaw was tight. “The contract was clear. If an heir was produced, the family would be secured. You knew what you were getting into.”

  “I didn’t sign up for this,” I shot back, tears burning. “I signed because your mother begged me. Because I actually fell in love with you while you were lying in that hospital bed. I didn’t do it for money.”

  Dylan looked away for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was lower. “Eva is the only woman I’ve ever truly loved. What we had was real. Deep. This thing between us is just… convenient. The baby changes the financial side, but emotionally? I have nothing to give you, Ivy. I’ll support the child. Money, schools, whatever it needs. But don’t expect me to play happy family.”

  My heart shattered. “You’re really going to stand there and say that? After you were inside me? After you came in me multiple times that night? You’re going to treat our baby like a business deal?”

  He stepped closer, eyes dark. “There’s another clause in the contract. If the marriage ends, I get full custody rights. The heir belongs to the Hart family. You should read the fine print better next time.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. “You would take my baby from me?”

  “I’ll do what I have to,” he said quietly. “The doctor mentioned once that the coma might have affected my fertility. So if this child is really mine, it’s almost a miracle. But that doesn’t change how I feel.”

  I stared at him, breathing hard. “I won’t let you treat our child like a transaction. This baby is not a contract item. It’s a person. Our person.”

  Before he could answer, Eva’s voice cut through the garden.

  “Dylan? I heard raised voices. Is everything okay?”

  She stepped into view, looking concerned but with something sharp in her eyes. “Oh. Ivy. Are you alright? You look pale.”

  Dylan glanced at her. “She’s pregnant.”

  Eva’s expression shifted into something almost sweet, but I caught the calculation behind it. “Pregnant? That’s… wonderful. Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll help you through this. I can support Dylan in raising the child properly. We’ve always talked about having a family one day.”

  I felt sick. “You’ll help raise my baby?”

  Eva smiled softly. “Of course. Dylan and I have history. Real history. I’m sure we can make this work for everyone.”

  I looked at Dylan one last time. He didn’t correct her. He didn’t say anything.

  “I’m keeping this baby,” I said, voice trembling but strong. “With or without you. And I will fight for my child. No contract is going to take that away from me.”

  I turned and walked away before either of them could respond. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides. Tears streamed down my face as I heard Eva’s soft voice behind me.

  “It’s okay, Dylan. I’m here. We’ll figure this out together. I’ll help you raise the child the right way.”

  I stopped for a second, breathing through the pain, then kept walking.

  This wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about the life growing inside me. And I would burn everything down before I let them take my baby away.