Chapter 1 Unexpected News

The sterile scent of the doctor's office clung to the air as Amelia sat nervously on the examination table. The silence was palpable, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock. The doctor, a figure obscured by the weight of pending revelation, finally spoke. "Congratulations, Amelia. It appears you're expecting twins." Her heart fluttered with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. A vision of a growing family flashed before her eyes, a dream she had hoped to share with the man she loved—Ethan, the CEO of the company where she dedicated her days. She fished for her phone in her purse, her hands shaking with excitement, while she pictured the look on Ethan's face when she tells him the news. Beside her, Emily, her sister stood smiling down at her. It all seemed surreal that after years of being together, she was finally going to give birth to their children. It wasn't just one child, but two. It was exactly six pm when she got back to the house with Emily. After the ultrasound checkup confirming she was already three months pregnant, Emily had suggested they go to shopping. It had been fun. Ethan was seated on the couch in the living room when they arrived, his eyes glued to the television. He had his legs crossed and his tie hung loosely around his neck. When they entered into the room, he stood up and regarded Amelia carefully. “You left work early.” His voice held a silent accusation, but Amelia was too excited to notice. She ran to him, flinging her arms around him and beaming. “I went to see the doctor today. We're pregnant and not just that…” she paused for effect, smiling from ear to ear. Ethan grunted in response, his eyes flickering to the bags Emily was struggling to carry. If for anything, he didn't seem too pleased. “What?” He asked, his expression guarded. “We are having twins my love. Twins!!” She flung herself into his arms again, giggling like a high schooler with her crush. With hopeful anticipation, she had shared the news with him, expecting shared joy. Instead, his reaction was a cold gust of wind extinguishing the warmth of her expectations. "Twins? This is... inconvenient," Ethan muttered, his expression darkening with displeasure. He pushed her away lightly, his eyes falling to her stomach briefly, a stark contrast to the joy that should have accompanied such news. Amelia felt the knot of uncertainty tighten in her stomach as Ethan continued, his words sharp and dismissive. "You need to consider other options, Amelia. This isn't the right time." His words were sharp and cold. Amelia staggered backwards like she'd been punched. “What?” “Amelia, we can't have these babies at this time. I really think you should find alternative means to get rid of them.” There was no warmth in his eyes as he spoke to her and for a moment, she wondered what had come over him. “What??” She asked again, not sure she'd heard him the first time. What was he thinking? How could he reject their babies? Especially since they've been trying so hard to get pregnant since they got married. But Ethan stared back at her. “Do you think I don't know what you did? How desperate could you have been Amelia?” His words hung in the air like a verdict. “What are you talking about?” She asked him, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from sliding down her cheeks. Ethan closed the distance between them as he glared at her. For some reason he appeared very angry. Amelia took a step back, not sure what to feel in that moment. The man before her was something else–someone else. “How could you do this to me Amelia?” Ethan rushed at her grabbing her by her shoulders. He shook her angrily, his voice hard and cold. “They aren't my kids.” He said simply. At those words, Amelia pulled herself from his grip and shoved him away from her. Suddenly she felt like hurling something at him. He disgusted her. How could he think that of her? What made him think that of her? “What are you talking about?” She gulped and continued. “If they aren't yours then whose are they? And what proof do you have that they aren't yours, Ethan?” Amelia asked, tears running down her eyes as her hands trembled. For the first time since they got married, she was calling him by his name and not an endearment. It was not lost on Ethan, who hissed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Ethan? Really? That's who I am to you now? Ethan?!!!” He fumed. “These babies are yours. I have never been with anyone else since I met you. I don't care what you've been told but you're a fool to believe rumor mongers.” She exploded. Ethan laughed harshly. “Rumor mongers? Everyone in the office knows about you and Ty. How you've been working well together over the past few months. What else am I not aware of? What else are you lying to me about Amelia?” He bellowed, his hands clenching into fists. Amelia couldn't believe her eyes. Instinctively, her hands went to her stomach and rested there as her eyes shot daggers at Ethan. “What did you just say?” She asked him, her voice cold and distant. Something inside her shattered like broken glass then. “You heard me. I am willing to save our marriage Amelia, if only you get rid of those children. They aren't mine and I will not raise someone else's children.” His words were final and before she could say anything else, he was walking out of the house. Amelia stood there long after he'd left. Her body shook with uncontrolled sobs. What had happened in the short time she'd left the office and went to the hospital? She remembered how happy he'd been when she told him earlier that morning that she felt pregnant. Where had those rumors originated from? Ty was simply an intern she was helping grab the ropes of the company. He was very good at his Job, and she'd hoped to leave him in charge of her office during her leave. The times they'd spent together was simply her coaching him about the company and his duties in her absence. Her head suddenly hurt, and the room seemed to spin. “This isn't happening”, she muttered to herself. In a matter of minutes her whole world had come undone. In a matter of minutes, Ethan had broken her heart. She flailed her arms about wildly, trying to find something to hold on to. She felt dizzy and disoriented. What was happening to her? “Amelia? Amelia?!! Stay with me!!” Amelia recognized the voice of her sister, and was aware of the weight of someone pushing against her. She was fairly aware of her sister's arms around her as she led her upstairs. She felt woozy and lightheaded, and her chest hurt with an unfamiliar pain. Maybe Ethan had been drunk or maybe he'd had a bad day at work, she kept telling herself as her sister dragged her upstairs. She wanted to badly to give him the benefit of the doubt, but then she knew that Ethan hated alcohol and he'd never treated her that way before even on his bad days. A sinking feeling settled in her chest as Emily tucked her into bed. The weight of the unexpected news and Ethan's callousness heavy on her shoulders.