Hot Coffee (The Hollens) novel Chapter 32

Emma's POV

It had been one month since my engagement with the handsome Ethan Hollen. His former fiancee, Sharon, had left his mansion and his life completely. I was finally at peace with the world around me. Ethan had already begun to spoil me rotten, shopping for clothes, shoes, jewelries and other accessories, taking me to fancy restaurants for dinner dates, and spending all of his free time with me.





I was so grateful to him for changing my life for the better. He was such an incredible human being. Never in my life had I thought I would actually get the chance of becoming so happy.

You'll never amount to anything!" my foster mother screamed in my face and pushed me into my tiny, cold, dark room.

I was ten.

I was doing the chores of washing the dishes after dinner and accidentally broke a cup.

She punched me in the back and yelled at me. She said that I was and always would be an outcast and that was why my parents never wanted me to begin with. I had been heartbroken, crying on the inside for days, but I learned how to surpass the pain and insults. After all, she was right; my parents never wanted me and I'd never get to know them.

As the memories faded, so did my hurt and pain. I had finally found myself and was satisfied with my life as it was now. I wouldn't change the past because it made me who I was. I wouldn't wish to have different parents because I was beautiful just the way I was. I wouldn't change the present because I was now at peace with it. From nothing into something; I was definitely blessed and someone in the sky must have highly favored me.

________________

It was the second Friday in August when my husband-to-be told me that he had to leave for a business trip to France the following day. He would be gone for a week. An entire week without my baby? I wanted to cry already.

"Hey, cheer up," he teased as he saw my lips were pouted and my arms crossed over my chest.

"A whole week?" I dragged out.

"Baby, I promise we'll go to France when I get free time off from work. Just you and I."

A wide smile dismissed my pouts and I hugged him. I'd only seen France in magazines, on television and the internet. The place was like heaven on earth. I couldn't wait to visit it with Ethan.

Halley and I waved him off as he set off for his business trip the next morning. I, then, went back upstairs and laid on the bed. I don't know what it was but lately I had been very tired and lazy.

Twenty minutes later, Halley knocked on the door.

"Come in," I answered and sat up.

She was carrying a bowl of hot chicken soup. I loved chicken soup but when I inhaled the scent of it I had to make a beeline for the bathroom.

"Emma, are you alright?" she asked, setting down the soup and following me.

She rubbed my back as my head hovered over the toilet.

"I'm alright," I responded as I gathered myself upwards and rinsed my mouth in the face faucet.

"You were vomiting, it's obvious you're not okay."

"I'll be fine, I just need to lay down."

She helped me back to bed and opened the windows so I could get some fresh air. 

I quickly fell asleep.

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing and answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Hi baby, how are you?" his voice spoke.

"I'm fine," I exhaled deeply.

"You sound tired. Have you been doing any house work?" his voice was stern.

"Not really. I've been in bed since this morning and I've been vomiting."

"Really? How are you feeling now?"

"What do you even care? You're not even here with me when I need you,."

What had come over me?

"Emma, baby, I'm sorry I'm not there with you. I'll be back soon, but I need you to do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"I need you to take a pregnancy test."