Chapter 1

Tessa POV

I held the pregnancy test result in my hands, smiling with joy. After two long years of trying, I was finally pregnant. I couldn't wait to tell my husband.

I picked up my phone to call him, but then I thought it would be better to share the news in person.

That evening, I changed into a flowy white dress, wanting everything to be perfect. I cooked his favorite dinner—roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy—and set the table with candles and our best plates.

The clock hit 7:00 p.m., the time he usually arrived. I paced nervously in the living room, rehearsing what I would say to him.

For the past two years, things had been difficult between us. His anger toward me had grown, especially with the pressure to have a child. Every failed attempt seemed to drive us further apart. There were nights he barely spoke to me, mornings when he left without a word. This pregnancy felt like my only chance to repair our relationship.

7:30 p.m. passed. Then 8:00 p.m. I checked my phone, but there were no missed calls or texts. What was going on? By 9:00 p.m., I was already anxious.

The candles had burned down, and I was lying on the couch, almost asleep, when I heard his car in the driveway. My eyes snapped open, and I rushed to the door.

I opened it to find him with a cold look on his face, the strong smell of alcohol on him. I wanted to be angry, but my excitement made me ignore it, eager to share the good news.

"I have something to tell you," I said, holding up the pregnancy test.

He didn't respond. Instead, he walked past me, loosening his tie, as though he hadn't heard me. As I followed, I heard the click of high heels behind him. A woman stepped into the doorway, tall and confident, her hair styled perfectly, a smirk on her face.

My smile disappeared instantly. I stared at her, then back at him.

"Who is she?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm done with this, Tessa. I'm fucking done with you."

I froze, and the pregnancy test slipped from my hand, falling to the floor.

"What are you talking about?"

He stepped aside, letting the woman enter the house. She looked around at the burnt-out candles and untouched dinner with a mocking smile.

"This," he said, gesturing toward her, "is Maya. Unlike you, she can actually give me what I want—a child. She's pregnant with my baby."

I staggered back. That couldn't be true. "No... no, you don't mean that. I—I'm pregnant!" I cried.

"Don't listen to her, baby," the woman interrupted. "She's just lying to keep you. Don't fall for it," she said, while Caleb nodded in agreement.

"I'm not lying!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face. "I've been waiting all evening to tell you! Look!"

I grabbed the pregnancy test, which had landed on the floor, and reached out with trembling hands.

Before I could hand it to him, Maya snatched it away and ripped it in half, letting the pieces fall to the ground.

"Do you really think anyone will believe this? You probably had someone fake the result. Pathetic. Everyone knows you're infertile. You can't give him what he wants. And now you're lying about being pregnant? Have some dignity."

"Even now, you're trying to make a fool out of me," Caleb said, tossing a stack of papers at me.

"Sign these," he demanded. "We're done. I'm divorcing you. Maya is moving in, and you're leaving tonight."

I fell to my knees, clutching his pants as I sobbed. "I'm pregnant! Please believe me!"

Maya moved closer, standing beside Caleb. As I reached for him, begging him to listen, she shifted slightly, and I lost my balance, falling forward onto my stomach.

I accidentally brushed against her as I fell, clutching my stomach in pain, but then she gasped dramatically.

"Caleb!" she screamed, clutching her stomach. He quickly caught her before she hit the ground. "She pushed me! My baby!"

"What?" Caleb's face turned red as he glared at me.

"No, I didn't! I swear!" I cried, afraid of what he might do. "It was an accident—I didn't touch her!"

But Maya groaned loudly, clutching her stomach in apparent pain.

"You bitch." Before I could explain, his hand struck me hard across the face, sending me sprawling to the ground.

It was the first time he had ever hit me, and he wasn't finished. He shoved me so hard that I hit the corner of a coffee table with the back of my head.

Blood dripped from my mouth and head as I lay on the ground. Instinctively, I wrapped my hands around my stomach, still desperate to protect my baby, but then I felt a warm, wet sensation between my legs.

I panicked, realizing what was happening. My trembling hands reached out to Caleb, but he only stood there, his arm protectively around Maya.

"Please... help me," I begged.

For a moment, he seemed concerned, as though he was about to move toward me, but Maya tightened her grip on him, stopping him.

"Caleb, we need to go to the hospital. I'm scared for our baby," she said, her voice trembling as she clung to him.

I lay there, blood seeping from my head, my vision blurring. The room spun.

I reached out one last time toward Caleb, but he didn't move—not a single step.

Without a second thought, he guided Maya to the door.

"Don't leave me!" I screamed, my voice breaking. "I'm your wife! This is your child! Don't do this!"

He paused at the door but didn't look back. "Whenever you're done with your act, sign those papers and leave before I get back."

Then he left, taking Maya with him, closing the door behind them. I was left alone, curled on the cold floor, clutching my stomach as the pain grew worse.

I couldn't lose this baby. Not after everything I had been through.

With the last bit of strength I had, I reached for my phone. My fingers shook as I dialed 911.

"Help," I whispered when the operator answered. "Please... I'm pregnant... I'm bleeding..."

My breathing slowed, and the last thing I saw was the candlelight flickering out as everything around me faded to darkness.