Small Town CEO Grump

Prologue

Jenna

I stood in the bathroom and stared at the positive sign, not knowing what to do next.

“Are you alright in there?” my husband shouted through the door. “You have been in there for fifteen minutes.”

“Yes,” I said, hearing the strain in my voice. “I will be right out.”

I had taken six different pregnancy tests just to make sure that the results were accurate.

I had to admit that although I was shocked it had happened so quickly, I wasn’t exactly disappointed. I wanted to have children, and I figured it would work out. My only concern was how my husband was going to react to it.

He had just outlined a bunch of plans that he had for traveling, and I knew that having a baby would mean that we had to put some of those plans on hold.

I took a deep breath, figuring I might as well face the issue.

I washed my face and opened the door.

My husband was standing in the hallway, his expression a mixture of concern and annoyance.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I was getting worried about you.”

I nodded. “Yes. I am okay. But we need to talk about something.”

“Okay,” he said, suspiciously. “Let’s go into the living room. For some reason I feel like I should be sitting down for this conversation.”

I followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch. Rather than sitting next to me, he chose the chair across from me. I didn’t know why, but this upset me. It made me feel like we were going to be having an argument, rather than me telling him we were about to start our family.

“Don’t you want to sit next to me?” I asked, patting the cushion next to me and sliding over to make more room for him.

He shook his head.

“Not yet,” he said, his expression a cross between a smile and a sneer. “I want to see what you want to talk to me about, first.”

“Okay,” I said.

I wasn’t going to fight with him. We had been arguing much more than usual, and I just wanted there to be peace. Especially at that moment.

“So, what is it?” His tone was flat.

“I’m pregnant,” I said.

I wasn’t sure how I had expected him to respond, but I had certainly never imagined what happened next.

He jumped up out of his chair.

“What?” he shouted, angrily. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said.

“How could this happen?!”

I stared at him, not knowing what to say.

“I mean, I know how it happens,” he said, his voice bitter. “But I thought you were taking care of that.”

“I was,” I said. “But nothing is 100% effective.”

“You can’t be pregnant. It’s not time. We’re not ready for a kid. I’m not ready for a kid.”

My heart started pounding as I tried to not to get angry.

“Well, I am pregnant,” I said. “Whether you think we’re ready or not, it’s a fact.”

“No,” he said. “I don’t accept that.”

He was pacing back and forth in front of the window. I stood up, folded my arms across my chest, and stared at him.

“You don’t accept that?” I said. “What does that even mean? There’s nothing to accept. I am pregnant. It’s a fact.”

“You don’t have to stay pregnant,” he said. His voice was quiet, but his tone was still angry.

“Yes, I do,” I said, firmly.

“No, you don’t,” he responded. “There are options.”

“No,” I replied. “As far as I am concerned, there are no options. I am pregnant, so we need to figure this out.”

He shook his head.

“No,” he said. “We don’t.”

He stopped pacing and stood right in front of me.

“The solution is yours. If you tell me you are having this baby, then you can also tell me goodbye. Because I’m out. Right now, Jenna. Tell me.”

I stared at him, absolutely shocked at what he had just said.

My eyes filled up with tears, but I didn’t say anything.

After a few moments of silence he nodded.

“I see,” he said. He turned and walked towards the door. “Goodbye.”

He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

I sank down on the couch and buried my face in my hands.

I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but I knew I had to figure it out.

And I would.

Because I had no other option.