“It’s done, come down. “The nurse instructed, handing out an ultrasound form , “Congratulations, you are pregnant, precisely four weeks.”
Olivia took the B-ultrasound form handed over by the round-faced nurse. To Olivia, the little nurse looked like an angel when she smiled.
Olivia has been married to Alexander McBroom for a year now, she knew it was the right time to have his child.
Alexander McBroom was never home, always busy. People said it was a seven-year itch, but she felt the marriage falling apart in just a year.
With this child , Olivia thought the connection between them and the marriage bond would become strong, as it once was.
Olivia put away the receipt happily and left the B-ultrasound room with gratitude.
Many people were coming in and out at the hospital’s entrance. She looked down at the receipt walking out, immersed in joy. Was interrupted when she was about to go down the steps by a soft voice piercing her eardrum unexpectedly.
“Alex, the baby is moving again. He kicked, here.”
Olivia raised her head and stared blankly at her husband and the person opposite, and couldn’t figure out why Penny White’s arm was holding her husband so tightly and asking him to feel her baby bump.
They walked up to meet her.
Next to Olivia stood two best people in her life. One is her dear husband, Alexander, and the other is her best friend, Penny. The picture of them together is dazzling.
When Alexander McBroom faced Olivia’s frustration, his body paused an awkward expression forming on his face.
“Olivia , listen to my explanation, I…”
Penny White exclaimed, covering her stomach with one hand, the other hand was still tightly hooked on Alexander’s arm: “Olivia , I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry. I’m leaving you guys to sort things out”
Penny White turned around ready to enter inside the hospital when Alexander McBroom grabbed her by the waist embracing her into a tight hug.
He said, “Forget it, Penny, tell her.”
Alexander’s tight hug with Penny lasted forever, and he looked at Olivia’s surprised and painful eyes throughout. Her naïve self didn’t get to ask herself why they were there in the first place, it hit her hard.
“Olivia , it’s not Penny’s fault. In fact, the only problem with her is that she’s too pretty.
What we had is no more, Olivia, let’s get a divorce.” Alex blurted out reluctantly taking his arms off Penny.
The word divorce exploded above Olivia’s head, and her mind went blank for a moment.
As if sleeping with her husband and getting pregnant was not enough, Penny had the audacity to ask Olivia to be godmother to her unborn child. She had given it a thought, now it just hurts.
Furious, after realization, she raised her hand ready to slap snake friend, Penny, on the left cheek.
Alexander stopped Olivia’s hand midair, and flames lit in her eyes.
“Olivia , it’s good for everyone if you leave. I hate for you to make things difficult for Penny.”, Alexander roared.
Olivia couldn’t help the sore corners of her eyes, bitter tears rolled out of her eyes crying,
“Alex, we have been in love since college, we worked hard to save money to get married after graduation. Now we have just been married for a year, and you tell me that we are going to divorce?
It is not April Fool’s Day today, so stop joking with me, okay?”
Olivia grabbed his arm tightly. Alex forcefully freed his arm from her grasp.
Olivia couldn’t believe all of this, she loves her husband to death. Olivia had been faithful to him as her girlfriend even before marriage. Husband after marriage, he became her everything from their wedding. She devoted herself to him, ready to spend their entire lives together.
It had been only a year, only a year!
“Alex, talk to me…”,she begged.
She looked at him humbly as he pushed her. Alex’s indifference and cruelty made her feel as if she was in an ice cellar, and she shivered from the cold.
When she was most desperate, she remembered the receipt in her hand. Unfolding the paper hastily, she moaned.
“Alex, you can give up on me, but how can you give up on your child? Didn’t your mother keep urging us to have a child? I’m pregnant, four weeks in… Look…”
She held the receipt out like her only lifeline, a glimpse of hope forming on her hurt heart.
Olivia focused all her hopes on the test results. She was even ready to forgive him.
As long as he doesn’t divorce her, she can pretend that the matter between him and Penny White never happened. She would go to that extent to save her marriage.
Olivia was full of anticipation, but Alex’s eyes widened suddenly, and his voice was distorted: “What? You are pregnant? Four weeks?”
At first, thought he was excited, so she relaxed her tense heart and nodded hurriedly: “Yes, I just found out. Alex… ah…”
She said eagerly, the sudden slap that landed on her cheek shut her up. Alexander McBroom stared at her with bloodshot eyes, like a beast about to swallow her whole, he lost it.
“ Olivia! You bitch! How dare you give me a bastard? I have been home for less than a month. Let alone this month, how many months has it been since I touched you? Uhm!”
