My ex husband discovered my secret daughter

NoelleThe first thing I did when I stepped out of the hospital was hold my stomach.Just a light touch, like I needed to reassure myself it was real. I had been pregnant for a while now, and I had just finished my weekly checkup.Even after hearing the doctor say it twice.Even after seeing the results clearly in front of me.I should have been happy… I was happy.But the feeling didn’t last long enough to settle.Because the moment I thought about telling Adrian… it disappeared.I stood by the side of the road for a few seconds longer than necessary, watching cars pass by like I had nowhere to be. Like going home wasn’t something I was ready for.Adrian didn’t like distractions. That was the simplest way to describe it. Anything that didn’t fit into his plans, his schedule, his routine… he had no time for it.And lately, I wasn’t even sure if I still fit into any of those things.Our marriage had never been loud or dramatic. It was quiet, structured, and carefully planned.We didn’t

NOELLEI didn’t go to the shop the next day. Lila called twice.The first time, I let it ring out. Then the second time, I picked up and told her I wasn’t coming in.She didn’t ask too many questions. “Be careful Noelle. You're carrying a child now and you know how your body gets when you're stressed.” I smiled slightly, happy that at least I still had someone who cared about me. “ I'll be fine Lila don't worry. I'll be at the shop tomorrow.” “ Don't you dare!!. I'll handle the shop for you so you can stay home till next week” I didn't agree with her but I didn't wanna argue either so I said yes and ended the call. My body felt different. I wasn't just tired and weak but I had pains all over. Guess the pains came with pregnancy.The doctor had warned me a long time ago that getting pregnant wouldn’t be easy for me. Even now, after it finally happened, she had still been careful with her words.I needed rest and I needed to avoid stress. I needed to be careful with everything but it i

NOELLE The papers arrived the next morning.They were placed neatly on the table beside my bed, like they were something ordinary. Like they didn’t carry the weight of a marriage ending. For a long time, I didn’t touch them. I just stared.My name was already printed there. His too.Everything looked so official. So we were really getting divorced.I reached for them slowly, my fingers hesitating just before they made contact. For a moment, I wondered if I should wait. If I should talk to him again. If I should try one more time to make him listen.But deep down, I already knew that there was nothing left to fix.Adrian had already made his decision the moment he chose to believe that report over me. The moment he looked at me like I was a stranger. The moment he stopped listening.I picked up the pen.My hand trembled slightly as I flipped through the pages. Each line felt heavier than the last. Words like separation, settlement, agreement. Words that had nothing to do with love.My

CHAPTER SEVENNOELLEThe hotel room was quiet when I opened my eyes.For a few seconds, I forgot where I was.Everything around me felt unfamiliar. The pale walls, the large window overlooking the city, the soft sound of traffic outside. None of it belonged to me.Then reality settled back in slowly.I had left New York.I closed my eyes again briefly, one hand moving instinctively to my stomach.Still there.That thought grounded me more than anything else.I exhaled softly and pushed myself up carefully from the bed. My body still felt weak. The stress of the past few days had drained me completely, and the flight yesterday only made it worse.The doctor warned me to avoid stress.I almost laughed at the memory.There was no way to avoid stress when my entire life had fallen apart in less than a week.I reached for the bottle of water beside the bed and took a slow sip before looking around the room again.Seattle was colder than New York.Rain tapped lightly against the windows, ma