STAY WITH ME.

CHAPTER FOUR.

I was asked to go home and get some rest so I took an uber home as i wasn’t physically well enough to drive myself. When I got home- or the hotel. the silence in my room felt suffocating. My coworkers had sent me off with gentle smiles and well- meaning encouragements to rest, but resting was the last thing I felt capable of. I sank into the couch, staring at the bare walls, letting the words echo in my mind. Pregnant. You’re going to have a baby.

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. A baby. The word sat strangely on my tongue, like a foreign concept I’d read about but never fully understood. How could this be happening now, at the lowest point in my life, with a husband who wasn’t even mine anymore? The thought of Jake loomed over me like a dark cloud, and I could almost hear his voice in my head, full of that smug, infuriating confidence. He would see this baby as an anchor, a way to keep me tethered to him even as I tried to break free.

I twisted on the couch, pressing a pillow over my face, wishing I could block out the world, wishing I could sleep. But the questions kept coming, relentless and heavy. Do I even want this child? Can I do this alone? Will he- My stomach twisted. Of course, Jake would fight me on this. The man who cheated on me would suddenly have all the righteous resolve of a man fighting for his family.

The clock ticked on as the questions circled. I tossed and turned, shifting from the couch to the bed, back to the couch, until the first gray light of dawn seeped through the windows. My eyes were heavy, my head pounding from the lack of sleep, but one thought had settled firmly in my mind by the time the sun fully rose: I had to go back to Karen. She needed to know. With Jake involved, this wasn’t just a divorce anymore. It was a battle.

I walked into Karen’s office with an urgency that bordered on desperation. She looked up from her desk, her sharp gaze catching on the dark circles under my eyes and the restless energy I couldn’t hide.

“Emma?” She stood up, her concern evident. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Are you alright?”

“No,” I replied, voice hoarse from the night’s silence. “Karen, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She gestured to the chair, eyes narrowing slightly as she waited for me to speak. I took a deep breath, hands clenching in my lap. “I found out yesterday- I’m pregnant.”

Karen’s face remained composed, though her eyes flickered with something- concern, maybe? Or maybe calculation. “Pregnant,” she repeated, as if letting the word settle in the room.

“Yes,” I said, voice barely more than a whisper. “And Jake- he doesn’t know. But he’s- he’s going to make this difficult, Karen. He won’t just let me go. Not now, not with a child in the picture.”

She nodded, a slow, steadying motion as she folded her hands on her desk. “Emma, this does change things. Jake is a managing partner in one of the city’s top firms, isn’t he?”

I felt my stomach knot at the reminder. “Yes,” I replied. “Which means he has resources- connections. He could make this an absolute nightmare.”

Karen gave me a small, sympathetic nod. “Divorces can be challenging enough with a spouse who is cooperative. With someone like Jake- especially with a pregnancy involved- things could get messy.”

I let out a shaky breath, bracing myself. “Messy how?”

“Well, for one, there’s the issue of custody,” she began, her tone professional but edged with caution. “Given his position, he could argue that the baby deserves a stable, financially secure environment, and he could try to frame that as reason enough to contest for primary custody. There are also financial implications, alimony, child support, things that can quickly become bargaining chips when emotions are involved.”

I felt my pulse quicken, fear blooming in my chest. “Are you saying he could take the baby from me?”

Karen held up a hand, calm and steadying. “Not necessarily, Emma. But he could certainly try. And if he decides to fight for custody, he won’t make it easy.”

The walls felt like they were closing in. This was supposed to be my escape, my chance to be free of him. But with this baby, how could I even consider going through with it if it meant binding myself to Jake forever?

“What if I serve him the divorce papers and skip town before he even thinks of contesting” I asked

“Well, he is legally allowed to ask you back in town for the legal proceedings if he wishes to contest but it’s worth the try” she said

“I’ll serve him the papers, and I’ll find a way to start over. I need to do this for myself.”

Karen said with a reassuring smile. “Just remember, the key is to stay focused on your well-being. I’ll help you prepare the paperwork and make sure everything is in order.”

As I left Karen’s office, a flicker of hope ignited in my chest. I could reclaim my life, free from Jake’s shadow. The thought of moving away and starting anew felt both exhilarating and terrifying, but for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of control over my own destiny.