I birthed, he bedded my bestie next door

Chase slammed on the brakes, sending the car to a screeching stop on the shoulder. He turned to me, panic written all over his face. On the other end of the call, Sienna's trembling voice broke the silence. "Helen... y-you know?" "Yeah." I slumped against the seat. Another brutal contraction ripped through my abdomen, stealing the air from my lungs. "I found the condoms Chase bought. Thanks for the push present." "Helen, please, let me explain. I never meant for this to happen. I just..." I hung up before she could finish. The screen had barely gone dark before she called again. And again. Without hesitation, I held the power button and shut the phone off right in front of Chase. "Drive." He glanced at me, his voice careful and pleading. "Helen, please. Let me explain. I just made a stupid mistake..." I closed my eyes, unwilling to look at him for another second. "Drive. My water's broken. Our baby comes first." The rest of the drive was filled with his apologies. "Helen, I'm sorry. I acted without thinking. You've been pregnant for months. I couldn't touch you. I was so frustrated I wasn't thinking straight. Sienna had just gone through her divorce. She showed up at my place drunk and crying that night, and I lost control. Helen, please don't be upset. If something happens to you, the baby and I..." I almost laughed. He claimed he loved me. He claimed he cared about our child. Yet none of that stopped him from sleeping with my best friend while I was carrying his baby. ***** By the time they wheeled me into the delivery room, the pain had nearly swallowed my consciousness. The moment I closed my eyes, memories flooded back. Eight months pregnant, I'd waddled beside Sienna to help her catch her husband cheating. When I tried to protect her, her ex shoved me so hard that I nearly lost my balance. After Chase rushed me to the hospital, he'd stood over my bed with bloodshot eyes, furious. He pointed at me and shouted, "Helen! Do you even care about yourself? About our baby?" Back then, guilt had eaten me alive. I'd apologized over and over, blaming myself every single day. "Push! Keep pushing!" The doctor's voice pulled me back to reality. I gritted my teeth and tried to push, but the moment I gathered my strength, tears poured down my face. My body felt completely drained. The pain in my heart hurt far more than the agony of labor. Because the two people I'd trusted most had betrayed me, my husband... and my best friend. "What's wrong? Stop crying. Control your breathing and push!" the doctor urged. "I... I can't..." I gasped between ragged breaths. "I don't have any strength left..." The doctor made a quick decision. "We're doing an emergency C-section. Nurse, get the consent form signed by a family member. Hurry!" The nurse grabbed the paperwork and rushed out. I stared blankly at the white ceiling above me, silently apologizing to the baby inside me. 'I'm sorry, sweetheart. Mom's trying... but I'm so tired.' Less than two minutes later, the nurse burst back into the operating room, breathing hard. "Doctor! There's no one outside. None of her family is here."