Chapter 8: The Perfect Wife.

I clutched the test in both hands, pressing it to my chest in a silent prayer.

Maybe this would change things. Maybe it would remind Brad that I was more than property. That I was human. And now, a mother to be.

Maybe.

That night, after dinner, I shared the news with him.

“Brad,” I said quietly, my voice betraying my anxiety. “I’m pregnant.”

He looked up from his phone, his finger pausing mid-air. Then, a slow smile spread across his face.

“Well…” he said, leaning back in his chair, his expression cold. “Isn’t that something?”

I felt like I was standing on a tightrope.

“Yeah. How do you feel about that?”

He rose from his seat.

“Wait for me,” he said, patting my hair lightly. Then he grabbed his keys. “I’ll be right back.”

For half an hour, I washed the dishes and tidied up while waiting.

When he finally returned, his footsteps sounded louder than before. He held a small whiteoʻ paper bag, which he set on the dining table.

Opening it up, he took out a pill. “Take this.”

I frowned. “W