What Loving You Cost Me

Chapter 12- That’s My Ride

Elizabeth

The doctor said I could go home after a few more hours of monitoring. Daniel did not talk much while I changed. He just stood by the door, watching me the whole time like he was waiting for me to say something.

The car ride home was quiet. Too quiet. I kept my hand on my stomach without even thinking about it and stared out the window. Daniel drove with one hand on the wheel, tapping his fingers every few seconds.

After a while, he finally spoke.

“You should have told me,” he said, his voice low. “Ten weeks, Elizabeth. You’ve been carrying my child all this time and you didn’t say anything?”

I did not answer. I just kept looking out the window. My mind was going a mile a minute. Now that he knew about the baby, he was not going to let me have any space. He would try everything to pull me back under his control. I had to be ready.

Daniel glanced at me. “Talk to me. Say something.”

Still nothing.

He let out a long breath. “This changes things. We’re having a baby. We can work on us. You don’t have to keep fighting me like this.”

I listened to him talk the rest of the way home. He went on about responsibility, about how he would take care of everything, about how things could be different if I just stopped being so difficult. His words felt heavy, like they were trying to wrap around me again. Inside, I was scared. My hands were cold. But I was also tired of being scared all the time.

When we got home, I waited until the front door closed. Then I turned to him.

“I need to talk to you.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Right now? You just got out of the hospital.”

“Yes. Right now.”

He looked at me for a second, then nodded. “Okay. Let’s talk.”

We went into the living room. He sat on the couch and leaned back. I stayed standing.

“I’m keeping this baby,” I said.

Daniel looked relieved. “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“But whether you get to be in this baby’s life,” I continued, “that’s up to you now.”

He frowned, sitting up a little. “What are you saying?”

I took a slow breath, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was beating hard.

“If you really want this baby, then prove it. Call off the engagement with Hayley. Tell her the truth that I’m your wife, not your sister. If this baby matters more to you than your business, show me.”

Daniel stared at me like I had gone crazy. Then he let out a short laugh.

“You’re not serious.”

“I am,” I said. “You always told me the engagement was just business. That it wouldn’t go any further. You promised me that. So end it. Or admit that your work is more important than this child.”

Daniel leaned forward, his voice getting softer, the way it always did when he wanted to pull me back in.

“Elizabeth come on. You’re emotional right now. The pregnancy is making you think all kinds of things. I promised you the engagement wouldn’t go past that, and it won’t. I just need a little more time. You know that.”

I shook my head.

“You also promised you would let me be. You said if I proved I loved you, you would stop controlling me. But the moment I tried to have some space, you fired my brother and threatened my whole family. So don’t talk to me about promises.”

I took out my phone and held it up.

“I can call Hayley right now and tell her everything. That I’m your wife. That I’m pregnant with your child. Or you can do it.”

Daniel’s face changed. He stood up slowly.

“You’re really threatening me with my own child?”

“No,” I said. “I’m giving you a choice. If this baby actually matters to you, then you wouldn’t do anything that makes me want to run. Because if you keep pushing me, I will leave. And you will never find me or this baby.”

I kept my hand on my stomach and looked at him.

“So choose. Either you let me be you leave my family alone, you give me space, and you get to be part of this baby’s life or you keep your business and your lies, and you lose us both.”

Daniel stared at me for a long time. His jaw was tight. I could see him thinking, calculating.

The silence stretched out.

Finally, he ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath.

“Fine,” he said quietly. “I’ll let you be. For now. The engagement with Hayley is still just business. It won’t go any further. I already told you that.”

He looked at me, eyes hard.

“But don’t think this means you’ve won. This isn’t over, Elizabeth.”

I stood there for a second, letting his words sink in. My heart was still racing, but something inside me had shifted. I was not going to let him have the last word this time.

I met his gaze without looking away.

“Maybe it isn’t,” I said quietly. “But I will not be the same person who used to cry and beg you to love me anymore. If you want to be in this baby’s life, you’ll have to earn it. Every single day. And if you can’t then I’ll raise this child alone.”

I turned toward the stairs before he could respond.

“Goodnight, Daniel.”

As I walked up the steps, I could feel him watching me. My hands were shaking, but I did not stop. For the first time in years, I did not feel small.

I felt like I was finally starting to fight back.

I stayed in the shower until the water ran cold, just standing there thinking. Deep down, I had hoped he would choose me.

That hearing about the baby would finally be enough.

But it was not. Not even close. The business and Hayley still mattered more to him than us. That truth hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I barely slept that night.

The next morning, my phone rang while I was still lying in bed. It was Miguel.

I answered with a tired sigh.

“Hey.”

“Did you talk to him?” Miguel asked immediately, sounding anxious. “Has he changed his mind about the job?”

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead.

“No, Miguel. He hasn’t changed his mind.”

There was silence on the other end.

“What? So you’re not going to help me? He’s your husband, Elizabeth!”

I sat up slowly, feeling the weight of everything.

“I can’t keep cleaning up after you. What you did was wrong. You stole from the company. You lied about your degree. You’re lucky Daniel did not press charges. I’m not going to keep begging him on your behalf.”

“So that’s it?” Miguel’s voice rose. “You’re just going to turn your back on me?”

“You need to get your life together,” I said, my voice steady but tired. “Stop lying. Stop making excuses. Start taking responsibility for once. Until you do that, I can’t help you.”

I hung up before he could argue.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with a text. It was from Marcus.

Marcus: It’s Friday...been thinking about you. Want to do dinner again tonight? Same rooftop spot if you are free.

I stared at the message for a while, then smiled a little.

Me: Sounds good. What time?

I dropped the phone on the bed and let out a long breath.

I was choosing myself and I was happy about it.

I avoided Daniel the whole morning until he left for work.

I stayed in my room until evening, only coming out when I knew he was not around.

When it was time to get ready, I stood in front of the mirror for a long time. I picked the emerald green dress I had bought with Hayley, the one that hugged my body but still hid the small bump. As I put on my makeup, I kept staring at my own reflection.

Why does this still hurt? I thought. Why am I still hoping he will come upstairs and stop me? He chose already. He chose his deal and Hayley over me and this baby. I need to stop waiting for him to care.

I took a deep breath, finished my lipstick, and looked at myself one last time. I barely recognized the woman in the mirror.

When I walked downstairs, Daniel had just walked through the front door. The moment he saw me, he froze. His eyes moved slowly over the dress, then up to my face. His jaw tightened.

Before I could even take another step, he grabbed my wrist.

“Where are you going?” His voice was low and rough. “Dressed like that? Have you forgotten you are pregnant?”

I looked up at him and spoke calmly.

“You made your choice, Daniel. You chose your business and Hayley. You said you would let me be, so I’m doing exactly that. I’ll keep my word about the baby, you will get to be in its life. But you don’t get to control what I do anymore.”

His grip on my wrist got tighter. I could see the anger in his eyes, and something else I could not quite read.

Just then, a car horn sounded from outside.

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“That’s my ride.”

I pulled my hand out of his grip, turned around, and walked out the door.