บททั้งหมดของ Breaking Up With The Hottest Man On Ice : บทที่ 151 - บทที่ 160

Emma's POVThe message appeared Tuesday evening. Social media DM. From Marcus Chen."Saw Jake at jewelry store. Looked like he was ring shopping. Congrats if that's where you two are headed."I stared at my phone. Ring shopping? Jake was looking at rings?We had not discussed marriage seriously since Alex asked about it months ago. Just vague "someday" conversations. Nothing concrete.My immediate reaction was panic.Not because I did not want to marry Jake. I did. I loved him. Wanted forever with him.But marriage felt enormous. Permanent. Terrifying.What if I was not ready? What if I failed at being a wife like I failed at everything else?What if marrying Jake meant he could leave more easily when he realized I was not enough?Irrational thoughts. Anxiety talking. But real nonetheless.Marcus's message continued. "Can we grab coffee? I never apologized for that scene in college. I was a jerk."Coffee with Marcus. My ex-boyfriend from eight years ago. The one I used in the fake bre

Emma's POVJake was hiding something.I noticed it gradually. Small things at first. Then bigger.Hushed phone calls that stopped when I entered the room. Sneaking away to text someone. Checking his phone constantly.Meetings he would not explain. "Just handling something. Nothing important."Working late at the office without me. We usually worked together. Now he made excuses to stay behind.My insecurity activated immediately. What if he was having doubts about us?Marcus's words echoed constantly. "He will never forget what you did. That stays with a person."Maybe Jake was pulling away. Realizing he could not fully trust me. Reconsidering our future.The pregnancy complicated things. I was seventeen weeks now. Showing. Emotional. Vulnerable.Perfect time for my brain to convince me everything was falling apart.I tried to ignore it. Told myself I was being paranoid.But the secretive behavior continued. Got worse.One evening, Jake said he had late meeting. Would not be home unti

Emma's POVI knew the proposal was coming Friday.Should have felt excited. Nervous in a good way. Happy.Instead I felt dread. Heavy. Suffocating.All my insecurities surfaced at once. Could not stop them.I was not from his world. Jake was wealthy. Sullivan family had money going back generations. Private schools. Country clubs. Connections.I grew up poor. Single mom. Welfare sometimes. Scholarship to college was my only way out.We did not belong together. Not really.And I hid his son for eight years. Lied. Kept Alex away. Could he really forgive that? Truly?Or was he just saying the right things because we had a child together?I did not finish my degree originally. Dropped out when I got pregnant. Only went back later. Years behind where I should have been.Jake had MBA from top business school. I had degree finished at twenty-seven while working full time.His family barely tolerated me. Margaret was trying now, but for how long? How long before she reverted? Before everyone

Emma's POVI needed time alone. To think. To remember.Left Alex with Sarah. Told Jake I needed a few hours. He understood. Let me go without questions.Drove to the building where I worked as cleaner a year ago. Tall glass structure. Business district. Where I scrubbed floors at night.Looked up at it. Remembered how small I felt back then. How invisible.Now I was director of marketing. Partner. Building something real.But part of me still felt like that cleaning woman. Not good enough to enter through the front door.Next stop: the tiny apartment where Alex and I first lived when we returned to the States. One bedroom. Cramped. Barely affordable.Stood outside. Remembered the fear. The uncertainty. The constant worry about money.We survived. More than survived. Thrived.Then the park. Where I used to take Alex when I could not afford activities. Free playground. Free space. Enough.Sat on a bench. Watched kids play. Remembered pushing Alex on swings. Making up games because we ha

Emma's POVWoke up nauseated. Room spinning. Could not keep anything down.Stress. Anxiety. My body manifesting what my mind felt.Jake knocked. "Em? You okay?""Fine. Just morning sickness."But he knew better. Came in. Sat on bed edge."We can postpone. Do this another time when you feel better.""No.""Emma, you are sick. This is supposed to be special. Not miserable.""I need to do this today. I need to face my fear. If I postpone, I will just spiral again.""But—""Jake, please. I will pull myself together. Just give me a few hours."He hesitated. Then nodded. "Okay. But if you are still sick tonight, we postpone. Deal?""Deal."He left. I forced myself up. Took medication. Drank water slowly. Rested.Body cooperating eventually. Nausea fading. Just nerves. Just fear.Sarah arrived at three. Came to help me get ready."How are you feeling?""Better. Still nervous.""That is normal. Jake is nervous too. He texted me three times asking if you were okay.""What did you tell him?""T