Chapter 43

NICOLE

The doctor's words hung heavy in the air, the room suddenly feeling suffocatingly small. "You're pregnant," he said simply, his tone devoid of emotion.

For a moment, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, my mind struggling to comprehend what he had just said.

I sat there in silence, my eyes fixed on a random spot on the wall as I tried to process the news.

This wasn't supposed to happen. I was on birth control, and I always used protection. How could this have gone wrong?

I sat there lost in thought, the weight of what was happening started to sink in. I was going to be a mother. Me.

The thought was terrifying. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready to give up my freedom, my independence, my life as I knew it.

The mere thought of motherhood filled me with a sense of overwhelming dread.

Marcus looked at me with concern, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze. I felt like I had been blindsided, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to face this new reality.

The