Love and Redemption
Chapter 1
Three years.
It took three freakin‘ years, but I was finally
pregnant!
I couldn’t stop staring at the ultrasound
picture on the way out of the doctor’s office.
This was the baby I’d been dreaming about.
I practically flew into a cab. I couldn’t wait to
tell Tom the good news.
But when I told him, instead of jumping for
joy, he just laughed. Like, a really nasty laugh.
“So, you’re telling me you’ve been playin‘
around, and now you expect me to be happy
about it? Should I give you a medal or
somethin‘?”
“Have I been too good to you or what? That
you thought you could get away with this,
that I would raise some other guy’s kid?”
I was totally confused.
Why was Tom acting like this?
I had to explain, but he slammed a piece of
paper on the table.
“I’m sterile.”
“So, tell me, who’s the daddy?”
L
1
I stared at the paper. Sterile?
Tom was looking at me with this cold, nasty
smirk.
“Go on, say it. Say this is my baby.”
“Lily, you’re unbelievable. You act all sweet
and innocent, but you’re a real piece of
work.”
“I really underestimated you.”
I grabbed the paper. It really did say “sterile.”
I shook my head, trying to find the words.
“No…that’s not possible.”
<
“You’re my first love. I’ve never been with
anyone else.”
“It has to be your baby!”
Tom jumped up, snatched the paper back.
“You’re still lying!”
“Lily, have I treated you badly? I’ve given you
everything, money, love, everything.”
“And what do I get in return? You cheating on
me and expecting me to just deal with it?”
Tom’s eyes were bloodshot. He was trying so
hard to stay calm.
I grabbed his hand, desperate to make him
<
“Tom, please, you have to believe me. It’s
your baby.”
“There must be something wrong with the
test. It has to be a mistake. You can’t be
sterile.”
“Let’s go to another hospital. We’ll get
another test…”
Tom yanked his hand away.
He put everything he had in it. I wasn’t ready
and I went flying backwards, landing hard on
the floor.
Tom crouched down, grabbed my chin, his
voice ice–cold.
r
“Lily, why are you still lying?”
“This test was at the best hospital in the city,
and the vice president did it herself. You think
they made a mistake?”
“Tell me, what were you thinking holding that
ultrasound pic on the way home?”
I looked up at him, but Tom was crying. Real
tears.
He didn’t seem to notice. He just kept going.
“Were you thinking you could finally have your
own kid, even if it wasn’t mine?”
“Or were you figuring out how to trick me,
how to hide the truth?”
L
“Or were you happy for your lover? Was this
the result of your affair?”
Tom squeezed my jaw tighter and tighter. I
cried out.
He smiled a little when he heard me.
“Does it hurt? This pain is nothing compared
to what I feel.”
“I knew you wanted kids. I told you we could
adopt.”
“Why did you do this to me?”
Tom always treated me like I was precious. I’d
never seen him this angry.
Tears streamed down my face. I had to get
く
Tears streamed down my face. I had to get
through to him.
“Tom, you know I’m always at home. I barely
go out.”
“You know who my friends are. You’re my
whole life. How could I be with someone
else?”
“It’s your baby. Tom, you have to believe me.”
Tom looked a little unsure, like he was
actually thinking about it.
Then a woman’s voice cut through the
silence.
“Really?”
Г
“Then who’s this woman with another guy,
going into a hotel?”
