Chapter Four: The Test That Broke Me
1179 Words
Aria’s POV
“If you don’t know… then maybe you never knew me at all.”
The words were still in the air when he stepped closer and his eyes burned into mine.
“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“It means,” I said and my voice shook, “I never betrayed you.”
He let out a short breath. “Then explain.”
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“You’re carrying a child,” he said. “And we just divorced.”
His jaw tightened. “You expect me to clap?”
The hallway was smaller. “I was your wife,” I said.
“Were,” he corrected.
That one word hurt more than everything and he grabbed my arm again. “We’re going to the hospital.”
“I already went,” I replied and his eyes narrowed. “What?”
“I fainted yesterday, they ran tests.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“You were busy,” I said. “You had dinner plans.”
His face hardened.
“Get in the car,” he said.
—
The drive was silent and I sat beside him, staring at my hands, but he kept both hands on the steering wheel.
There was no music and no words, there was only the sound of the engine and I remembered the nights he drove me home after events. He used to ask, “Are you tired?”
Now he said nothing and we stopped in front of a private hospital, he got out first and I followed.
Inside, the nurse bowed slightly when she saw him.
“Mr. Cole.”
“I need a paternity test,” he said and there was no hesitation and no doubt in his voice.
The nurse then glanced at me. “This way.”
I felt like everyone was staring, like I did something wrong.
In the examination room, a doctor explained the process.
“It’s early,” he said. “But we can do a non-invasive test.”
Adrian nodded. “Do it.”
The doctor looked at me. “Are you willing?”
I then met Adrian’s eyes.
He waited, no apology and no trust.
“I’m willing,” I said. if he doubted me this easily, maybe I was foolish to love him.
The nurse then took my blood and I watched the dark red filled the tube and Adrian stood by the window.
He did not look at me and after it was done, the doctor said, “Results in three days.”
Three days.
Three days of waiting.
Three days of silence.
—-
The days passed slowly and I moved into a small hotel room after leaving the mansion.
I sat on the bed at night, holding my stomach.
“I’m here,” I whispered. “I won’t leave you.”
My phone never rang, not even once and on the third day, I received a message.
“Results ready. Please come.”
My hands shook as I read it and I took a taxi to the hospital but he was already there and he was standing outside the doctor’s office.
When he saw me, he did not greet me.
“Let’s go in,” he said and inside, the doctor looked serious.
He held a file and my heart beat fast.
“Mr. Cole. Mrs. Bennett,” he began.
“We’re divorced,” Adrian said and the doctor nodded. “Miss Bennett.”
He then opened the file.
“The paternity test result is negative.”
The room went silent and I blinked.
“I’m sorry?” I asked.
“The child is not Mr. Cole’s.”
The words felt unreal.
“That’s not possible,” I said quickly. “There must be a mistake.”
“The result is clear,” the doctor replied and Adrian let out a dry laugh.
I then turned to him. “You know me.” He looked at me slowly.
“Do I?”
My heart dropped.
“I have never been with another man,” I said. “Never.”
“Then explain this,” he said, pointing at the file.
“I can’t explain something that isn’t true!”
The doctor then cleared his throat. “If you wish, you can repeat the test.”
Adrian the closed the file.
“No need.”
He stood up and I felt like the floor was moving.
“This is wrong,” I whispered and he looked at me like I was a stranger or worse, like I disgusted him.
“You had three years,” he said. “If you were unhappy, you could have left.”
“I wasn’t unhappy!” I cried.
“Then why?” he asked.
“Why what?”
“Why betray me?”
The word broke something inside me.
“I did not betray you!”
My voice echoed in the room and the doctor looked uncomfortable and then Adrian stepped closer, his face was calm, it was too calm.
“Get rid of it,” he said and for a second, I thought I heard wrong.
“What?”
“The child,” he continued. “Get rid of it.”
The air left my lungs.
“You don’t want to raise another man’s child, right?” I asked.
“I won’t,” he replied and my ears rang.
“This is your child,” I said again, but weaker now.
“The report says otherwise.”
Tears blur my vision.
“You believe a paper more than me?”
“I believe facts,” he said.
Facts.
As if love was numbers and as if three years meant nothing.
“You think I’m that kind of woman?” I asked but he did not answer and that silence said everything and my chest hurt so much that I could barely breathe.
“You want me to kill my baby?” I whispered.
“Don’t call it that,” he said. “It’s a mistake.”
Mistake.
The word then made my hand move before I thought and the sound of the slap filled the room.
His head turned slightly from the impact and the doctor gaspsed.
My palm burned. For three years, I never raised my voice at him, never disrespected him and never touched him in anger, but today, I could not stop myself.
Tears then streamed down my face.
“I would rather die than kill my child,” I said and my voice shook but I stood straight.
He slowly turned his face back to me and his eyes were dark.
I then grabbed my bag.
“This child is mine,” I continued. “Even if the whole world denies it.”
I walked toward the door and my steps felt heavy, but I didn’t stop.
When I opened it, I didn’t notice the figure standing at the end of the hallway, watching and smiling, I just walked past without seeing her.
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