*** Emma POV***

“What the hell are you doing up there, Emma?” Susan’s voice roared from downstairs.

I leaned over the toilet, breathing slowly until the nausea finally stopped. I rinsed my mouth, splashed water on my face, and quickly wiped my face.

“I'm coming.” I yelled back.

For the past few days my body had been somewhat strange and heavy. My lower back ached constantly, and I'm always felt tired no matter how much rest I took. I flushed the toilet, and went downstairs quickly.

When I entered the dining room, Daniel was already sitting. He has  an impatient look on his face, his briefcase was resting beside him, and his phone was in his hand.

Susan, my mother in-law was sitting across from him, giving me her usual unimpressed look.

“Emma,” she said sharply, “it’s early in the morning and you cannot even serve your husband breakfast before he leaves for work?”

“I have already finished cooking,” I replied, feeling annoyed that they couldn't notice how exhausted I looked.  "I just went upstairs for a moment because I wasn’t feeling well. You could have called the maid.”

Her eyes went wide as if she heard a taboo. "The maid? You think I should have called the maids to serve your husband his breakfast?"

I didn't reply, instead I went to the kitchen, picked up the dishes and brought them out to the table.

I placed Daniel’s plate in front of him, then set his coffee beside it, turning the cup slightly so the handle faces his right hand. He hates reaching across for it.

I sat down slowly and picked up a spoon. The moment the food touched my mouth, the nausea surges again. I pushed my chair back and hurried to the sink, gripping the counter as my body convulsed. And of course, nothing came  out.

“What is wrong with you?"  Susan sneered. Disgust written all over her face.

I glanced over my shoulder and looked at Daniel. He was gently drinking his soup, his concentration on his phone. He didn't even react, well I'm already used to it. It wasn't in his nature to care.

“I’ve been feeling nauseous and tired lately,” I responded, trying to get his attention. “My back hurts too. It’s been happening for days. I think I should go to the hospital.”

Susan scoffed. “You’re simply being lazy.”

I ignored her and turned to Daniel.

“Daniel… can you come with me to the hospital? I think I need a check up.” I asked hopefully.

He finally looked up. His eyes swept all over me, then returned to his food.

“Emma, isn’t it just fatigue?” his tone sounded almost annoyed as if my request was unreasonable.

“It doesn’t feel like that,” I insisted. “And... it’s been happening for weeks.”

He wiped his lips with a napkin and stood up. “I have a meeting to attend. If you’re feeling sick, then go and see a doctor.”

He picked up his briefcase and walked towards the door leaving no room for argument.The front door closed behind him with a thud.

I almost laughed. Was I really expecting him to accompany me? Tears slowly filled my eyes but I quickly blinked to keep them away. Maybe I was still holding on to the Daniel of nine years ago, this present Daniel only cares for his company and business.

I turned away from the door and looked at my mother-in-law. Susan shook her head, her face filled with disdain.

“Look at that," she taunted. "You’ve managed to chase your husband away before he even finished breakfast. Pack the food and take it to his office yourself. At least do that much.”

"I just said I'm not feeling well. Can't you instruct one of the maids to do that?" I bit out. How could she be so indifferent.

"Why should the maid do that?" She asked, her eyes bulging. "All you do everyday is to sit around doing absolutely nothing. You'll go and take the breakfast to Daniel yourself. Do you understand?"

Annoyance and anger rose in me but I still complied. "Yes I'll do it."

"Good." she replied, then stood up and stormed upstairs.

I stood in the middle of the dining room, my heart heavy. I reached for the plates, but suddenly the ground felt unstable beneath my feet. I tried to hold onto the table but my knee buckled. Suddenly I was falling.

“Mrs. Brooks!” Mrs. Wilson rushed out of nowhere and caught me just in time, steadying me before I hit the floor.

“Careful."  she said gently, helping me to a chair.

“You’re burning up." She stated. Her face filled with concern.

“I’m fine.” I whispered, too tired to speak out loud.

She studied my face closely and asked, “What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” I sighed. “I’ve just been very tired lately… and I keep vomiting but nothing comes out.”

“You’ve been vomiting?” she asked, puzzled.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“A few weeks now.”

Her brows drew together slightly.

“Let me ask you something… when  last did you see your period?”

The question hung between us. Now that I think of it, it's almost the end of the month and I haven't seen my period. Mine usually occur during the first week of each month.

“I… don’t remember.”

I watched the anticipating look on her face and almost laughed. There's no way it's what she's thinking.

Before I could say anything, Mrs. Wilson suddenly tightened her grip on my wrist.

“Emma.”

I followed her gaze downward. A faint red stain was slowly spreading across my skirt near my knees. Panic immediately set in.

“What… what is happening?”

Mrs. Wilson’s expression turned serious and concerned.

“We need to get you to the hospital immediately,” she said. "Go and change quickly while I tell the driver to get ready.”

I rushed upstairs and went into the master bedroom. My hand shook as I removed my clothes. I shook my head as if to get rid of the thoughts swirling in my mind.

There's no way right? It was just a night, and I couldn't even remember if I took the contraceptive pills or not.

After getting ready, I rushed downstairs. I contemplated telling Susan that I'm going to the hospital but decided against it. It's not like she would care anyways.

"Mrs Brooks. Here, I packed the young master's food. You can drop it off after you visit the hospital" Mrs. Wilson said, pushing the flask to my hand.

Right, I almost forgot. "Thanks Mrs Wilson" I collected the flask and started walking towards the door.

Dizziness hit me again, luckily Mrs Wilson was still close. She gently helped me into the car. Looking at how she cared, my heart slowly warmed.

"Why don't you accompany me? I think I will be needing your help"  I urged.

She quickly nodded and entered the car. The driver started the car and zoomed off.

As the gate disappeared behind us, I pressed my hands gently against my lower abdomen. Could I actually be pregnant?

If it is true, then everything will change. Maybe this child will finally bring Daniel and I  closer. I rubbed my stomach lightly as the car speeds toward the hospital.

***Emma's POV***

I sat in front of the doctor’s desk, many thoughts swirling in my mind.

“Doctor, what is wrong with me?”

I had undergone some tests immediately, upon entering the hospital, including a pregnancy test. Now I sat nervously, waiting for the doctor to predict my fate.

“Ma’am, you need to calm down. Nothing is wrong with you,” he said, picking up the file in front of him. “From the tests we just did, it shows that you are four weeks pregnant.”

Many emotions erupted in my chest; relief, joy, and hope. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t utter a word.

Finally, after four years of marriage, I had something to show for it. I was finally pregnant. Tears of joy fell from  freely from my eyes.

"You sure right?” I asked, wiping my tears. “There’s a baby inside me?”

The doctor nodded.

“I’m guessing this is your first pregnancy?” he asked, lifting his gaze from the file.

“Yes, yes, this is my first pregnancy.”

“Okay…” He leaned forward. “Earlier, you complained about bleeding, weakness, and pain in your lower back. We aren’t sure yet if it’s because of the pregnancy or something else.” He adjusted his glasses and continued, “I’m going to give you some medications now, but you have to come back in a week for further tests.”

A dreadful feeling rose inside me, but I buried it immediately.

“Okay. Is there anything I need to do to make sure the baby is alright?” I asked.

“All you need to do is take your medications, avoid stress, and always get proper rest,” he answered, handing me a piece of paper and the pregnancy test result.

“Go to the pharmacy and pick up these medicines. The instructions on how to take them are written there.”

I took the papers and thanked him before stepping out of the office. Mrs. Wilson approached me immediately.

“Mrs. Brooks, what did the doctor say? You’re pregnant, right?” she asked, holding my hands.

I nodded, tears returning to my eyes. Before I could stop myself, I hugged her.

“I’m pregnant. I’m finally pregnant… I have a baby inside me. I’m not barren… I’m going to have a baby,” I cried out, releasing all my deep-buried emotions.

Mrs. Wilson patted my back gently without saying a word. After calming down, I wiped my tears and released her from the embrace. She looked a little flustered. Well, I understood, she was the chief maid, and we weren’t that close.

Awkwardly, she took the papers from my hand.

“Why don’t you call the young master while I go buy your meds?” she said hurriedly.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot. I’ll meet you at the hospital entrance,” I replied, taking out my phone.

Mrs. Wilson nodded and left. I suddenly became nervous. What if Daniel doesn’t want this baby? It was always his mom, Susan, who pressured me. No, no… he would be happy. Before we married, he always said he wanted to have many children. He loved children.

Moving toward the exit, I finally dialed his number and held the phone to my ear anxiously. Suddenly, I heard a familiar ringtone. Instinctively, I looked toward the sound and froze.

Daniel was standing beside a woman. He was holding her hands and speaking softly in a way that looked like he was consoling her. The woman was sitting down, and a nurse was tending to a wound on her leg.

I stood there, staring at them dumbly. The way Daniel was looking at her, the way he was coaxing her, it all seemed strange. I hadn’t seen that side of him throughout the four years we’d been married. A bitter feeling rose in my chest. So it wasn’t that he wasn’t compassionate,  he just didn’t care about me.

I tried to see the woman’s face, but his body was blocking her. I dialed Daniel’s number again, hoping he would step away so I could see her face. Instead, he looked at his phone, his face showing irritation as he rejected the call.

My heart sank. Why wouldn’t he pick up my call? As I was still contemplating what to do next, Daniel bent down and scooped the woman into his arms. He turned and started walking in my direction.

I stood rooted to the ground, not knowing whether to hide or approach them. As Daniel moved closer, he finally noticed me. I watched as his face turned sour, as if he was irritated.

The woman in his arms must have noticed his sudden change in mood because she lifted her face, initially buried in his chest, to look up at him.

Another wave of shock swept through me. Rachael Adams, my stepsister, Daniel’s first love.

What was she doing here? When did she come back? Wasn’t she supposed to be abroad? And most importantly, why was Daniel with her?

They had broken up before our wedding, so why was Daniel carrying her in his arms as if she were some fragile creature that couldn’t afford to be broken? These thoughts relentlessly flooded my mind. I suddenly started feeling sick and nauseous.

Rachael followed Daniel’s gaze, and her eyes gleamed. A mocking smile appeared on her lips before she quickly changed her expression. I watched as her face lit up and a fake smile replaced the mocking one.

“Emma, is that you?” she shouted enthusiastically. “Daniel, put me down quickly. Let me greet my sister,” she said, tapping on Daniel’s chest.

“No, there’s no need for that,” he replied, shifting his gaze from me to her. “Your ankle is injured. There’s no need to strain it again.”

Rachael pouted, putting on a childish face. Daniel ignored her and returned his gaze to me.

“What are you doing here?” he asked impatiently.

I stared at him, anger crawling inside me. Why was he looking at me like that? Was he not the one with a woman in his arms?

“I told you I wasn’t feeling well during breakfast,” I replied, sadness slowly enveloping my chest. Why couldn’t he just care for me?

He seemed a little embarrassed but immediately put back his expressionless face.

“So what is wrong with you? Have you seen a doctor?” he asked. I could tell he was barely interested.

I clutched the test result in my hand and opened my mouth to answer, but Rachael suddenly interrupted.

“Emma, are you okay? Is there something wrong with your body?” she asked, putting on a concerned look.

I looked at her, feeling more nauseous at the fake concern.

“Nothing is wrong with her. She likes doing too much work, so she’s stressed. You don’t have to worry about her,” Daniel stated before I could even speak.

“Oh, in that case, Emma, you don’t have to stress yourself anymore. Now that I’m back, I’ll take over everything diligently,” Rachael replied shyly.

“What do you mean, take over?” I asked, confused.

“Haven’t Daniel told you yet?” she asked, surprised. “Daniel, why haven’t you told her?”

“I forgot.”

“Tell me what?” I asked, a bad feeling creeping inside me.

Daniel fixed his emotionless eyes on me. Then he spoke the words that shattered everything in me.

“We’re getting a divorce.”

***Emma's POV***

Divorce? Did I hear that right?

"Who's getting a divorce?" I asked, unable to make sense of anything.

Daniel's face contoured in displeasure. "Don't act dumb, Emma. I know you understand what I mean."

"But I really don't understand." I insisted.

We stood there looking at each other for about 30 seconds before Daniel finally moved and gently placed Rachael on one of the waiting chairs. He then turned and faced me, looking all serious.

"Look, Emma, I know this is coming all of a sudden, and I'm sorry for telling you like this." he  moved closer and placed his hand on my shoulder as if he was consoling me.

I looked at his hand on my shoulder. This was the first time in forever since he had initiated a physical touch between us. Ironically, it was when he was asking me for a divorce.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" I asked, my throat tightened painfully. I thought about the child in my belly. I thought this would be a new beginning for us.

"Emma don't blame Daniel. I was the one who went to him," Rachael said, trying to stand up. Daniel quickly rushed to her side and gently pushed her back to the chair.

"Stay put, I've got this. You don't have to explain anything."

I stood there looking at them as if I was the outsider and they were the couple. What shocked me more was the way Daniel was tending to her. It was still difficult for me to comprehend.

"Mrs. Brooks, here you are," Mrs. Wilson's voice sounded behind me. I turned to see her rushing up to me.

"I have been waiting for you at the hospital's entrance. What are you still doing here?" She asked.

I opened my mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say. She finally noticed Daniel's presence Daniel's presence.

"Oh, Mr Brookes, are you here to pick up madam?"

"No," Daniel replied without missing a beat. "You can take her home. I have things to attend to."

Mrs. Wilson, still unaware of  the situation, continued, "but the young madame is..." I stopped her before she could finish.

"Let's just go. Daniel is busy at the moment." Taking her hand, I dragged her out of the hospital.

"Ma'am, what's going on?" She queried the moment we stepped outside the hospital.

I sighed, looking at the pregnancy report again. Many plans were already forming in my mind. "Have you gotten the medicine?"  I asked instead.

"Yes, here it is" she answered, raising the medicine for me to see. I took the medicines and stuffed them into my bag. I turned to her and mustered all the seriousness that I could.

"Mrs. Wilson, can I ask you for a huge favour?" I held her hand

"Yes, you can ask me anything, ma'am. As long as it's within my capabilities I'll definitely do it."

Her reply was satisfying enough.

"Can you promise to keep this pregnancy news between us?"

Her face looked like I had asked her to keep a forbidden secret.

"But ma'am, how can I? Why don't you just tell the young master?" She asked, her voice sounding confused and at the same time scared.

Holding her hand tighter, I replied, "Because he wants to divorce me." 

My heart skipped a beat upon saying that. Looks like I haven't even come to terms with it yet.

"What? How can you say that? I haven't seen you and the young master quarrel before. What could possibly make him want to divorce you? Or else..." She trailed off.

She finally remembered that Daniel was holding a woman back inside the hospital.

"Promise me okay? Please?" I begged.

"Alright. But what if the baby could actually change the young master's heart?"

I knew she was trying to convince me. I was still confused about where to stand but, one thing was certain— I can't hold on to this marriage any longer. I deserved so much more.

"I sincerely don't know what I'm going to do but let things just progress first," I replied. 

The overwhelming tiredness returned again. As if sensing my exhaustion, Mrs. Wilson slowly guided me to the car after promising not to say a word to anybody.

Once we  got back, I quickly went up to my room and dozed off. When I woke up, it was already dark. I reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. Glancing at the clock, panic immediately set in. It's 8:32 PM.

How did I sleep for that long? The thought of Daniel coming home at any time from now immediately got me to my feet.

I rushed downstairs to the kitchen, only to see Mrs. Wilson cooking. That surprised me since she only cooked when I asked her to  or  when I'm sick. Neither of those happened so why was she preparing the meals?

Sensing my presence, she turned around, her face brightening up immediately. Now that's definitely unusual.

"Ma'am, you shouldn't be here. Go and wait at the dining table. I'm almost done here."

Before I could ask what she meant by why I shouldn't be in the kitchen, she ushered me out of the kitchen. I went and sat quietly in the dining room.

Not long after, she came out and started bringing plates of food to the table. She then handed a small bowl of soup.

"Here, drink this. It's chicken soup, and it's good for pregnant women, especially during this early stage." She said, looking around as if to make sure no one was listening. "I'll go and call Madame Susan to come down for dinner now" she added quickly and left.

I stared blankly. pregnant?  How could I forget? The tears returned to my eyes again. It felt as if I wasn't alone anymore.

I took the bowl of soup and started sipping it slowly. The warmth of the soup spread throughout my body as I drank it.

"Why are you smiling at yourself? Have you suddenly gone mad?"

I looked up to see Susan majestically walking down the stairs. What was she even still doing here? Wasn't she supposed to go back to Brooke's main residence?

"How can you start eating when your husband isn't at the table yet?" She asked giving me the unimpressed look again.

"Daniel's not home yet" I answered and continued drinking the chicken soup.

How could I tell her that Daniel rarely came home, and when he did, it was always later in the night. I had waited for him constantly every night after we got married, but I eventually gave up.

"Then wait for him to come home. Why do I always have to remind you of your duties as a wife?" she yelled, her tone filled with disappointment.

Irritation spiked in me. I thought I was already used to her constant nagging, but it looked like I was wrong. I was about to explain that Daniel never came home on time when the noise of a car moving into the compound stopped me.

I dropped the bowl and looked toward the door. I didn't know why my heart was beating restlessly, as if something huge was about to happen.

The door swung open, and Daniel walked in. He wasn't alone though. Rachel Adams was in his arms with his coat draped around her.