Chapter 55: He Deserves The Truth
Tears welled in Ruby’s eyes, her hand flying to her mouth. The room seemed to blur, her mind spinning.
A baby. She tried not to think anything until they were done and back in the doctor’s office.
The silence in Doctor Sylvia’s office felt louder than ever as Ruby sat motionless, her trembling hands resting protectively over her lower abdomen.
Her thoughts were scattered, spiraling in all directions, but all she could feel—truly feel—was the thundering of her heartbeat in her ears.
She was pregnant. Pregnant with Stefan’s baby.
The words hadn’t fully sunk in. She had heard them, seen the tiny flickering heartbeat on the screen, but they still didn’t feel real. A child. A part of Stefan. A part of her. A living, growing symbol of everything she had come to cherish... and everything she’d hidden behind a lie.
Doctor Sylvia was kind, her voice gentle as she explained prenatal care, routine checkups, and diet changes, but Ruby could barely absorb any of it. Her eyes were on the scan photo clutched in her hand, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.
She couldn’t breathe under the weight of the secret pressing down on her.
"Thank you," she finally murmured as she stood to leave, the small photo tucked into her bag like a precious burden. "I... I’ll schedule the next appointment soon. But before then, you can send the test results over to the house when it’s out."
Sylvia offered a warm smile. "I’ll do just that. Take care of yourself, Ivy. And congratulations again."
Ruby only nodded before slipping out of the clinic. The sunshine felt too bright, the world too fast, as she walked slowly to the curb and leaned against a lamp post, her legs trembling beneath her.
She couldn’t go to the office. Not like this. Not with her thoughts in shambles and her heart carrying too much.