Chapter 2 - The Portal
The dining room table went completely silent. Jessica’s expression shifted not to shock, but to quiet satisfaction.
I looked across the table at my husband. “Is that what you want?”
“Maybe it would be easier,” Michael replied casually.
Five years earlier, that sentence would have sent me into a panic. That night, I felt a strange, chilling calm.
“Okay,” I said.
Michael frowned. “Okay?”
“If you want a divorce, I won’t fight you on having one.”
I unlocked my phone and placed it flat on the table beside his plate. My doctor’s patient portal was open, clearly displaying the words: PREGNANCY CONFIRMED. ESTIMATED GESTATIONAL AGE: 8 WEEKS.
Michael stared at the screen, his eyes widening. Then he looked up at me. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.”
Carol’s wineglass stopped halfway to her mouth. Jessica recovered first, her tone sharp. “That’s convenient.”
May you like
Michael turned sharply toward his sister. “Jessica, stop.” But he still didn’t reach for me. He didn’t ask how I was feeling or when I had found out. Carol cleared her throat, offering a practiced platitude: “Well, a baby shouldn’t be used to keep an unhappy marriage together.”
“I agree,” I said, standing up from my chair. “I’m not asking Michael to stay.”
