All Chapters of Divorcing my dead sister’s husband : Chapter 31 - Chapter 39

It’s been a week since we moved houses into a bigger one and also 2 weeks since I found out I was pregnant. And also to weeks since I got back to the office.I'm staring at the ultrasound photo taped to my bathroom mirror when the panic hits. Eight weeks along, the doctor said. Everything looks perfect, she said. But all I can see is how tiny and fragile everything is in that black-and-white image."Daniela?" Thomas calls from downstairs. "You okay up there?"I splash cold water on my face and try to get my breathing under control. "Fine! Just getting ready!"But I'm not fine. I haven't been fine since we left Dr. James's office three days ago with our first official baby picture and a due date circled in red on the calendar.I should be happy. I am happy. But I'm also terrified in a way that makes my chest tight and my hands shake.Downstairs, Sam is eating cereal and swinging his legs under the table."Can we tell people about the baby today?" he asks for the third time this week."

I'm propped up in bed with my laptop, trying to focus on quarterly reports when my phone rings. Detective Rivera's name flashes on the screen, and my stomach immediately knots."Hello?""Daniela, it's Detective Rivera. How are you feeling?""I'm okay. On bed rest, but okay." I close the laptop and give him my full attention. He doesn't call unless it's important. "What's going on?""I need to update you on the investigation into Alex's business dealings. Can you talk?""Yes." I sit up straighter, ignoring the doctor's orders for a moment. "Did you find something?""We found a lot of things. More than we initially expected."There's something in his tone that makes my pulse quicken. "What kind of things?""Daniela, your ex-husband was involved in a much larger operation than we realized. Money laundering, tax evasion, securities fraud. We're talking about a network that spans multiple states and involves several high-profile individuals."I feel dizzy suddenly, and it has nothing to do

Coming home from the hospital felt like stepping into a different life. Thomas had spent the two days I was there rearranging everything, and I could see the changes the moment I walked through the door."Careful on the stairs," he said, hovering behind me as I made my way up to our bedroom. "Dr. James said—""I know what he said." I was trying not to be irritated by his constant worry, but two days of bed rest in a hospital bed had left me feeling like a fragile piece of glass everyone was afraid to touch.Sam bounded ahead of us, then stopped at the top of the stairs. "can I show her now?""Show me what?"Thomas's face went slightly red. "I may have done some reorganizing while you were gone."He led me past our bedroom to the spare room at the end of the hall. The room that had been serving as Thomas's home office and a catch-all for Sam's outgrown toys. He opened the door, and I froze.The room was completely transformed. The walls, which had been a boring beige, were now painted

I changed my mind about testifying three days before the sentencing hearing.Thomas found me on the phone with Rivera at six in the morning, still in my pajamas, sitting on the edge of our bed."What are you doing?" he asked, but I could tell from his voice that he already knew."I'll be there Tuesday morning," I said into the phone. "Whatever accommodations you need to make, make them.""Daniela—" Rivera started."I have to go." I hung up and looked at Thomas.He was standing in the doorway, fully dressed for his morning run, looking at me like I'd just announced I was planning to rob a bank."You promised," he said quietly."I promised I'd talk to you first. I'm talking to you.""No, you're telling me. There's a difference."I struggled to stand up, my belly making everything awkward at twenty-eight weeks. "Sarah's evidence wasn't enough. The prosecutors are still offering him a plea deal. Eight to ten years instead of fifteen to twenty.""That's still a long time.""It's not long e

I was cutting Sam's chicken when my water broke.We were having dinner at the kitchen table—nothing fancy, just baked chicken and mashed potatoes—and I was telling Sam to eat his vegetables when I felt a sudden warm gush between my legs."Oh," I said, looking down at the puddle forming on the chair beneath me.Thomas looked up from his plate. "What's wrong?""I think..." I stood up carefully, feeling more fluid trickling down my legs. "I think my water just broke."Sam's fork clattered to his plate. "Right now?""Right now."Thomas was on his feet immediately, his chair scraping against the floor. "Are you having contractions?""I don't think so. Not yet." I gripped the back of my chair as another gush of fluid confirmed what I already knew. "But this is it.""Okay. Okay." Thomas ran his hands through his hair, and I could see him switching into crisis mode. "Hospital bag?""By the front door.""Car seat?""Already installed.""Sam—""I'm coming with you," Sam said firmly, pushing bac