Second Marriage, The Billionaire's Planned Love novel Chapter 3
Capítulo 3: Chapter 3 A Dangerous Truth and Desperate Shelter
Ivy’s POV
“I can’t believe you still have this,” I said, accepting the bottle of expensive perfume from Zoe’s hands. It was the same intoxicating scent I’d worn to the underground auction several weeks ago.
“Of course I kept it. You smelled lethal that night.” Zoe collapsed onto my narrow bed. “And clearly, Mr. Mystery Man with the scars thought so too.”
I groaned, burying my face in my pillow. “Stop mentioning him.”
“Why? He gave you the most incredible night of your life!” Zoe nudged me playfully.
“And possibly left me with a deadly disease,” I muttered, sitting up. “My doctor’s appointment is in an hour.”
Zoe’s teasing smile vanished. “Hey, don’t spiral into worst-case scenarios. You’re probably fine.”
“Probably isn’t good enough,” I countered. “What kind of rational person has unprotected sex with a dangerous stranger? I’ve never done anything so reckless before.”
“The kind who needed to break free after being betrayed by her boyfriend of four years with her own cousin,” Zoe replied fiercely. “Besides, I’m coming with you to the appointment.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Shut up. I’m going.” She squeezed my hand. “That’s what best friends do.”
Several weeks after my doctor’s visit, I sat in the same sterile examination room with Zoe beside me, waiting for my test results. My leg bounced nervously as I checked my watch for the fifth time in minutes.
“Relax,” Zoe whispered. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it.”
Before I could respond, Dr. Taylor walked in with a folder in hand and an unreadable expression.
“Ivy,” she greeted me warmly, settling across from us. “How are you feeling today?”
“Terrified,” I admitted. “Just tell me directly—do I have something?”
Dr. Taylor smiled reassuringly. “Your STD panel came back completely negative. You’re perfectly healthy.”
Relief flooded through me. I hadn’t realized how tense I’d been until that moment. “Thank God.”
“However,” she continued, her tone shifting slightly, “we did discover something else in your bloodwork.”
My stomach plummeted. “What is it?”
“Congratulations, Ivy. You’re pregnant.”
The words struck me like a physical blow. The room seemed to spin as blood drained from my face.
“That’s impossible,” I whispered, though I knew it wasn’t. “We only… it was just once.”
“That’s all it takes,” Dr. Taylor said gently. “Based on your hormone levels, I’d estimate you’re about five weeks along.”
Zoe gripped my hand so tightly it hurt. “Are you certain?” she asked the doctor.
Dr. Taylor nodded. “The blood test is extremely accurate. We can perform an ultrasound today if you’d like confirmation.”
My mind raced frantically. Pregnant. With a stranger’s baby. A man whose name I didn’t know. A man with those unforgettable ice-blue eyes and that distinctive scar who had vanished into the shadows.
“My parents are going to disown me,” I choked out, tears welling up. “I’m only twenty-three. I’m still in school.”
“Breathe, Ivy,” Dr. Taylor instructed calmly. “You have options, and you have time to consider them all.”
“I can’t have a baby,” I whispered, panic rising in my chest. “I don’t even know who the father is. How am I supposed to explain this to anyone?”
Zoe wrapped an arm around me. “One step at a time, Ivy.”
Dr. Taylor spent the next thirty minutes walking me through my choices. Termination. Adoption. Keeping the baby. Each possibility made my head spin more violently than the last.
“Whatever you decide, don’t face it alone,” Dr. Taylor advised as our appointment concluded. “Talk to your family, your friends. Get support.”
I nodded numbly, still in shock as Zoe guided me from the office.
“Eat something,” Zoe urged, pushing a plate of fries toward me in the diner where we’d met Finn after my appointment. “For the baby.”
“The baby,” I repeated, the words still foreign on my tongue. “I’m having a baby.”
Finn reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “We’re here for you, Ivy. Whatever you need.”
I looked between them, these two people who had stood by me through everything. “I don’t know what to do.”
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