The Hell You Created
The soft hum of the ultrasound machine filled the small, dimly lit examination room.
Emery Prescott lay alone on the paper-covered table, her slender fingers twisting the hem of her pale blue blouse.
Her hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders, the bangs framing her fair face with its natural rosy tone. Her eyes, usually soft and expressive, were wide with a mixture of fear and fragile hope as she stared at the black-and-white screen.
Doctor Maxwell adjusted the wand gently over Emery’s still-flat abdomen, her expression warm and professional. A small, flickering shape appeared, accompanied by a rapid, rhythmic whooshing sound that made Emery’s breath catch.
“There it is,” Doctor Maxwell said with a gentle smile. “Your pregnancy test was right, Mrs. Prescott. You’re pregnant.”
Emery’s eyes widened, her heart slamming against her ribcage. The word “pregnant” echoed in her mind like a sentence she hadn’t prepared for. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “How… How far along?”
Doctor Maxwell studied the measurements on the screen, tilting her head slightly. “Umm, I’d say four to five weeks approximately.”
“Four to five weeks?” Emery repeated, her voice cracking slightly.
She forced a shaky smile, trying to keep her expression neutral while inside everything felt overwhelming. “Thank you, Doctor.”
Doctor Maxwell wiped the gel from her abdomen and sat back, giving her a kind look. “Everything looks healthy so far. We’ll schedule a proper dating scan soon to get a more accurate timeline.”
Emery nodded, her fingers still trembling as she sat up slowly. She hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly, “Doctor… when can I have a DNA test? To know… who the father is?”
Doctor Maxwell’s eyebrows rose slightly, but her tone remained professional and gentle.
“Non-invasive prenatal paternity testing is possible, but it’s usually done after ten weeks through a simple blood draw from you and a sample from the potential father.
The most accurate results come from an amniocentesis around fifteen to twenty weeks, though that carries a small risk. Why do you ask? Is there some concern?”
Emery looked down at her hands, her voice barely audible. “My in-laws... they're going to suspect me. I want proof this is my husband's.”
The doctor nodded understandingly. “We can discuss your options in more detail at your next visit. For now, focus on taking care of yourself... rest, eat well, and avoid stress. Congratulations, Mrs. Prescott.”
Emery murmured a quiet thank you and left the examination room with her legs feeling unsteady. The rhythmic heartbeat she had heard on the monitor still echoed in her ears.
She was pregnant.
And the truth of whose child it was would change everything.
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Emery stepped quietly into the sleek living room of the Prescott house, the ultrasound picture clutched tightly in her trembling hands.
The room was bathed in soft afternoon light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rebecca paced back and forth near the black leather couches, her face tight with fury.
Harper lounged on one of the couches, scrolling through her phone, while little Kitty played happily on the plush rug, chewing on a soft toy.
The moment Emery entered, Rebecca stopped pacing and turned on her sharply.
“Where the hell have you been?” Rebecca demanded, her voice cold and cutting. “You disappeared without a word to anyone. You didn’t even bother to ask permission or tell a single soul where you were going. Do you think this house is a hotel where you can come and go as you please?”
Emery swallowed hard, her eyes lowered. Without a word, she stepped forward and held out the small sonogram with shaking fingers.
Rebecca snatched it from her hand and stared at it. Her eyes widened in shock.
“I’m pregnant, Mrs. Prescott,” Emery said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as she slowly sat down on the edge of the couch.
Harper looked up from her phone, completely stunned. “What the fuck did you just say?”
She sat up straight, eyes narrowing. “You? Carrying the Prescott heir?”
Emery kept her gaze on the floor, her fair cheeks pale. “I wasn’t feeling well, so I thought I should go see a doctor.”
Harper let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. “You’re fucking kidding me! You? Of all people?”
Rebecca continued staring at the sonogram, her expression unreadable. “How far along?”
“The doctor said it’s too early to be precise right now. They can do a dating scan if you want,” Emery replied softly.
Rebecca’s sharp gaze flicked back to her. “Did Alexander sleep with you?”
Emery looked down, her fingers twisting in her lap, and gave a small, hesitant nod.
“Oh fuck!” Harper threw her hands in the air dramatically. “Here I thought he was still in love with Camilla.”
Rebecca handed the sonogram back to Emery with a cold, measured movement. “We will know soon enough whose child you’re carrying. You can go now.”
Emery took the picture back with trembling hands, stood up slowly, and turned toward the staircase without another word. Her legs felt heavy as she walked upstairs, the weight of the secret pressing down on her chest with every step.
Behind her, the living room remained silent for a moment before Harper’s voice cut through the air again, sharp and mocking.
“Well… this just got interesting.”
Emery didn’t look back. She clutched the ultrasound photo to her chest and continued up the stairs, tears burning in her eyes.
×××××××
The family gathered for dinner in the sleek dining room, the black pendant light casting a dramatic glow over the marble table.
Emery moved quietly around the table, placing the last dishes down before taking her seat beside Alexander.
She looked pale, her hair tied back loosely, eyes downcast.
Alexander glanced at her plate, still empty. “Emery, eat.”
Ivy nodded encouragingly. “Yes, come on. You need to eat something. Look at all this you made!”
Emery shook her head, voice soft. “I’m not in the mood. I don’t want to eat.”
Alexander’s tone remained firm but controlled. “You will eat. You’ve barely touched anything all day.”
She reluctantly picked up her fork, took a small bite of the chicken she had made earlier, and immediately her face twisted. Her hand flew to her mouth as nausea surged violently.
Without a word, she pushed her chair back and rushed out of the dining room, palm pressed tightly over her lips.
Jesse stood up instantly. “Emery?”
“Oh my fucking God, both my brothers are just gone for her!” Harper snapped, rolling her eyes.
“What happened to her?” Jesse asked, still half-standing.
Rebecca glared at him. “I would tell you if you sat down.”
Jesse slowly lowered himself back into his chair, tension radiating from every line of his body.
Alexander turned to his mother, frowning. “Is she sick? I told you not to let her do housework. Don’t you see how delicate she is? One strong breeze and she would literally fly away!”
Rebecca set her wine glass down with deliberate calm and spoke coldly.
“She’s pregnant.”
Jesse’s head snapped toward his mother so fast it was almost violent. “What?”
“What?” Alexander echoed at the same time, his voice stunned.
“What?!” Ivy squealed, eyes wide with sudden delight.
“Oh, that is just incredible!” Grandpa Prescott said warmly, a rare smile breaking across his face. “I get to see my great-grandchildren!”
“Yes! You do!” Ivy laughed, reaching over to squeeze his hand.
Jesse stared at Rebecca, his intense eyes filled with disbelief. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. She went to the doctor today. They said it’s too early, which aligns perfectly with how long it’s been since she’s been married.”
Alexander’s jaw dropped. He sat frozen for several long seconds before he finally spoke, voice hesitant and disbelieving.
“So… I’m going to be a dad?”
“Yeah,” Rebecca replied, her tone dripping with disdain.
“Unfortunately, the mother is a middle-class nobody who somehow managed to trap my brother with a baby before she even learned how to behave in this house. A gold-digging little replacement who went from scrubbing floors to carrying the Prescott heir in record time. How convenient.” Harper added.
Normally, Jesse would have shut her down immediately, but today he couldn’t speak.
He sat completely still, the world narrowing to a single, crushing point. His heart felt like it was being ripped apart in slow motion... a brutal, unrelenting agony that made it hard to breathe.
The woman he loved more than anything was carrying his brother's child, and he had to sit here and listen to his own mother insult her.
Every word from Harper’s mouth was a knife twisting deeper into the wound he had created himself.
He had lost Emery. He had lost the future they could have had. And now he would have to watch her raise his brother's baby while Jesse lived in silent torment just down the hall.
The pain was so profound it felt physical, like his chest was caving in. He wanted to scream. He wanted to flip the table and tell them all the truth. Instead, he sat there, shattered, the taste of ash in his mouth.
Ivy shot her sister a sharp look. “Harper, have some respect. This is a baby we’re talking about... your niece or nephew.”
Alexander exhaled slowly, a stunned smile finally breaking across his face. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his dark hair.
“My God…”
He stood up abruptly. “I’ll be back.”
Alexander left the dining room without another word.
The others resumed eating. Ivy excitedly chatted with Grandpa Prescott about baby names and nursery ideas. Rebecca and Harper sat fuming in silence, exchanging dark glances.
And Jesse?
Words couldn’t describe what he felt.
It was a quiet, devastating implosion. The kind of heartbreak that didn’t scream, but slowly crushed every part of him from the inside out.
The woman he loved was pregnant, and he had to pretend it meant nothing to him.
He had to sit at this table and act normal while the love of his life carried someone else's baby.
The guilt, the jealousy, the helpless rage, and the overwhelming love all collided inside him until he felt like he was drowning in silence. He stared at his plate, fork frozen in his hand, wondering how much longer he could survive this living hell he had created.
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