SWNOVELS Chapter 426 Unbelievable News!
426 Unbelievable News!
(Jayden)
Winona stands in front of me, and my mind is still reeling from the shock. A baby. Our baby. It's hard to wrap my head around it, and I'm fighting through a storm of emotions: disbelief, fear, and the tiniest flicker of hope. "Twelve weeks," I say, my voice rough and unsteady. "How long have you actually known for sure?"
She takes a deep breath. "I did a test after you left for London. Look, obviously you aren't the first to know. Viktor helped and then Klara. Lisa knew, and Lance overheard us talking about it."
"Fuck Half the world knew before me. Have you suspected before now?"
"Because I needed to be sure," she repeats. "I needed to know everything before I told you, and I didn't want to do that over the phone. Then you and Lance kind of derailed that."
"That alone could have brought on a miscarriage. How are you feeling?" I ask, desperation and worry bubbling up. "Are you okay? Shit."
"I'm okay. Klara's been a huge help, making sure I stay calm and monitoring my blood pressure. I've booked appointments with doctors here, and they're aware of my history, but... I wonder if I need my own medical team back home." The gravity of the situation settles over me, and I'm hit with a wave of fear. "God, what if... what if something happens to you or the baby."
She steps closer, placing a hand on my arm. "I'm scared too," she admits. "But we have to focus on what we can control. Stress management, staying calm, and taking it one day at a time. That's all we can do."
"Why didn't you tell me as soon as you suspected anything?" I ask, and there's an edge of hurt in my voice. "Didn't you trust me enough to handle it?"
She winces, and I immediately regret the sharpness of my question. "It wasn't about trust," she says softly. "I never did suspect anything until Bobby's BBQ and one of the staff's mother, an older woman, made a prediction. I just laughed it off."
"I'd already joked about that with Lisa on the phone and she told me just to do a home test to put my mind at ease. That was positive but I still thought there could be a chance it was wrong. So Lasked Viktor if Klara could help."
"He's very good at saying nothing."
"Don't blame him. He has to be discreet for a living."
"I'm not. But it does prove how much he has our backs."
Winona nods. "Anyway, Lisa flew out for support. I had no clue Lance would come to surprise you. Lisa had no idea about who I'd been with hall pass week either, then Lance guessed from hearing Lisa and I talking... then you came back, saw him first and well... I can't think about the rest.." "Holy shit. Winona, how have you gotten through all that?"
"Everything has been so... complicated. That's why I knew I needed all the information for you. Because if
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426 Unbelievable News!
I'd told you and you thought you may not be the father, I wasn't sure I could handle that. It worked out bed enough as it was."
She looks down, guilt flashing across her face. "I didn't want to believe it at first," she says. "I was scared Scared of hoping, terrified of losing the baby,"
"How was fate? Putting Lance there first. It was like I was blank. I just wanted to hurt him. I still can't forgive him taking advantage of you like that. Betraying my friendship."
Her eyes fill with tears. "I wish hall pass week hadn't happened. But we can't change the past. We can only focus on now and what's ahead,"
"So what do we do now?" I ask, desperation seeping into my voice. "How do we protect you and the baby?"
She looks at me, determination shining through her fear. "We stick to the separation plan," she says. "We keep up the pretense to keep Judy at bay. But we support each other behind the scenes. / focus on the baby's health and you and Viktor gather evidence against Judy." I exhale, trying to steady my racing heart. "I'll do whatever it takes," I promise. "Even if it means pretending to be apart. But will you go back to the US?"
"It's a tough one, I'll really miss what we were building here. But maybe it's for the best..."
"We have a lot to work through, can we do that at long distance?"
"I hope so. I guess if we want it bad enough, but right now, it's the baby I'm focusing on. We'll have to see how we are once all this has happened."
"Let's go get something to eat and a drink. At least we can talk about possibilities with Kalra and Viktor. 1 know you have Lisa there right now. So you have support."
She nods. "Lisa has been amazing and so,has Klara. But there's still a lot to navigate. I don't want Judy finding out about the pregnancy. But I'll be showing soon enough. Being in the USA might buy me some time but she'll get told sooner or later." "Then I need to get as much on her as I can, and get her locked up where she belongs."
"It's a dangerous game Jayden. If she suspects you, she might try to hurt you."
"That's a chance I have to take. If Gus won't help, I'll find someone who will."
We start walking back to the farmhouse.
"I want to believe that."