Happy Destruction Day
A few days later.
Emery took slow, careful steps across the hospital room, one hand gripping Ivy's arm for support and the other resting protectively on her still-tender abdomen.
The C-section incision pulled with every movement, a constant reminder of what Harper had done.
"You're doing great," Ivy encouraged softly. "Just a few more steps. You've already come so far today."
Emery managed a small smile, but her mind was elsewhere. "Tell me about him again, Ivy. Please."
Ivy's voice softened with affection. "He's so tiny and cute, Emery.
When I saw him in the NICU yesterday, my heart just cracked open.
He's smaller than I imagined, but he's perfect.
Those little dark curls, those tiny fists.
.. even his breathing is so delicate it makes you want to cry.
He's fighting so hard, just like his mama. "
Emery's eyes filled with tears. "I want to see him."
"Soon, Emery. Right now you need to focus on yourself. Recover properly."
"I'm fine," Emery insisted, voice trembling. "I... I want to see him. I feel so empty inside now. I want to hold him."
"Wait for Jesse," Ivy said gently. "He'll take you in the evening. He's been waiting for this moment too."
Emery nodded reluctantly. "Okay."
They walked a few more steps before Emery's legs started to shake. "I'm tired..."
Ivy immediately helped her back to the bed, easing her down carefully. "Mom asked the hospital to keep you here under careful observation for a few more days so you can recover properly. Otherwise they'd have sent you home already."
Emery settled against the pillows with a wince. "Mrs. Prescott... she knows now, right?"
"Yeah. Jesse told her everything."
Emery looked down at her hands. "What was her reaction?"
"She's... still figuring it out," Ivy said honestly. "It wasn't as aggressive as I thought it would be. She's worried about the family name, but she's not exploding. She'll come around. Don't worry."
Emery nodded quietly.
"I'll bring you something to eat," Ivy said, squeezing her hand before leaving the room.
Emery sat on the edge of the bed, one hand on her now-empty belly, thinking about everything that had happened, and everything that was still to come.
×××××××
That evening, Jesse helped Emery into a wheelchair and pushed her toward the NICU. Both were dressed in full protective gear: gowns, masks, hair nets, gloves, and shoe covers.
Emery's heart raced as they entered the quiet, warmly lit room filled with the soft beeps of monitors and the sight of several tiny incubators.
"There are more babies here too," she whispered, eyes scanning the room desperately.
Jesse pointed gently with a gloved finger toward the far corner. "He's over there."
Emery's breath caught. Her eyes locked on the small incubator. She stood up slowly from the wheelchair despite Jesse's gentle protest, leaning heavily on his arm for support.
"Emery, careful..."
She walked as fast as her healing body would allow, Jesse supporting her every step.
When they reached the incubator, she stopped, eyes filling with tears at the sight of her son.
He was so small. So incredibly tiny. Lying under the warm lights with tubes helping him breathe, dark curls soft against his head, tiny fists clenched as if holding on with all his might.
Emery's knees trembled. She couldn't kneel, so she stayed standing, supported by Jesse's strong arm around her waist.
Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her gloved hand against the glass.
"My baby..." she whispered, voice breaking. "My sweet boy... Mama's here. I'm so sorry I couldn't hold you sooner. I'm so sorry you had to come this early because of what happened."
The baby's eyes remained closed, his little chest rising and falling with the help of the machines. He looked so fragile, yet so perfect.
Jesse's own eyes were wet as he stood beside her, arm securely around her. "He's beautiful, isn't he? Look at those little hands... he's a fighter, just like you."
Emery nodded, sobbing softly. "He's so small... but so perfect. I love him so much already. I can't believe he's ours."
Jesse leaned his head gently against hers. "He is. Our Emesse. He's going to be okay. The doctors say he's getting stronger every day."
Emery pressed her forehead to the glass, tears falling freely. "Mama loves you, little one. Daddy loves you. We're both here, and we're never leaving you. Just keep fighting, okay? We'll hold you soon. I promise."
Jesse rubbed her back gently. "He's going to have your eyes and your smile. I just know it."
Emery smiled through her tears, still gazing at their tiny son. "And your protective heart. He's already so strong."
They stayed like that for as long as the nurses allowed: two parents, separated by glass but connected by unbreakable love, whispering promises to the little boy who had already survived so much.
×××××××
Rebecca sat quietly in the chair beside Emery's hospital bed, watching as the younger woman slowly ate the light dinner the nurse had brought. The room was calm, the only sounds the soft clink of the spoon and the distant hum of hospital equipment.
Emery looked up, her voice gentle. "Mrs. Prescott... you should go home and rest. You've been here all day."
Rebecca sighed, shaking her head. "I'm fine."
Emery pressed her lips together, unsure how to respond.
After a long pause, Rebecca spoke again, her voice quieter than usual. "What Harper did to you... was wrong. Wrong is too small a word. She crossed every limit. I'm sorry, Emery."
Emery was genuinely surprised. The formidable Rebecca Prescott, the woman whose composure never cracked, was apologizing to her.
Rebecca continued, eyes distant. "She'll have to spend years in prison for what she did. She deserves it. She tried to hurt my grandbaby."
Emery swallowed, her hand instinctively resting on her now-empty belly. "Does my... relationship with Jesse not bother you?"
Rebecca let out a long, tired sigh. "It's a lot to process. But I'm done pushing Jesse and forcing him to date other women when his heart clearly belongs to you. You're the love of his life and the mother of his son. I cannot do anything anymore."
Silence fell between them, heavy but not entirely hostile.
"Like it or not," Rebecca continued, "Jesse did the right thing by keeping his relationship secret.
You would have suffered more. I would never have accepted you back then.
" She looked at Emery directly. "You have potential, Emery.
You are capable. Use it to raise my grandchild, and we won't have a problem with each other. "
Emery offered a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Prescott."
Rebecca gave a single nod. "Forgive me when your heart agrees to."
Emery nodded and turned back to her dinner, the weight of the conversation settling over her.
Unbeknownst to them, Francesca Monroe had been standing just outside the slightly open door in the corridor.
She had come to the hospital after hearing about the birth, carrying a fruit basket as a calculated gesture. Instead, she had heard every single word.
Her face twisted with rage and humiliation. She threw the fruit basket onto the floor with a clatter, turned on her heel, and stormed away.
She finally understood why Jesse had always clung to Emery.
And why he had never truly given her a chance.
Francesca's eyes burned with cold fury as she left the hospital.
This wasn't over.
×××××××
The next morning, the hospital waiting room was buzzing with tension. Jesse sat hunched over his phone, staring at the headlines that had exploded across every major news site and social media platform overnight.
Jesse's hands trembled as he scrolled. The articles were brutal... photos of Emery at the hospital, old pictures of him and Emery together at company events, wild speculation about the timeline. The entire world now knew the truth.
"Who the fuck did this?" he muttered, voice low and dangerous. "No one except the family knew..."
The door opened. Rebecca walked in carrying a thermos of homemade soup.
"Jesse, I brought this soup for Emery. She said she didn't like the hospital food-"
"You told everyone," Jesse cut in, his voice cold.
Rebecca stopped. "What?"
He turned slowly, eyes bloodshot and filled with fury. "You told the media about the truth."
"What truth?"
Jesse stood up, phone in hand, and shoved the screen toward her. "That the baby is mine!"
Rebecca's eyes widened as she read the headlines. Her face went pale. "Jesse... I didn't. I swear to God it wasn't me. I just came from home!"
Jesse's jaw clenched so hard it ached. "Then who did it? Alexander? Ivy? No! They knew for a long time! You just came to know and you leaked it!"
"It wasn't me, Jesse," Rebecca insisted, voice rising with desperation. "I would never do such a thing. The baby is my grandchild!"
Jesse's phone rang loudly. He glanced at the screen. Francesca. He let out a bitter laugh and answered on speaker so Rebecca could hear.
"What do you want, Francesca?"
Francesca's cheerful, mocking voice filled the room. "Jesse, honey, did you see the news?" She laughed brightly. "I did it! You're welcome! You'd have taken a lifetime to come up with the courage and tell people about the truth. So I did it! It's okay, don't be thankful."
Jesse's face twisted with rage. "Francesca, you fucking bitch."
"Mwah, Jesse. I know you like what I did. Happy Destruction Day!" She cheered and hung up.
Rebecca stared at the phone, stunned. "Jesus..."
"She did all this," Jesse said, voice shaking with fury. "That psychotic woman leaked everything."
Rebecca pulled out her own phone, already dialing. "I'll call Alexander. He'll deal with the board and the PR team." Her voice turned icy. "I'm going to make sure Francesca regrets doing this. If we go down, we're taking the Monroes with us."
Jesse sank back into the chair, head in his hands, the weight of the public exposure crashing down on him. The secret he had guarded for years was now splashed across the world.
×××××××