Hot Coffee (The Hollens)

Chapter 32 (Lines)

Emma's POV

It had been one month since my engagement with the handsome Ethan Hollen. His former fiancee,

Sharon, had left his mansion and his life completely. I was finally at peace with the world around me.

Ethan had already begun to spoil me rotten, shopping for clothes, shoes, jewelries and other

accessories, taking me to fancy restaurants for dinner dates, and spending all of his free time with me.

I was so grateful to him for changing my life for the better. He was such an incredible human being.

Never in my life had I thought I would actually get the chance of becoming so happy.

You'll never amount to anything!" my foster mother screamed in my face and pushed me into my tiny,

cold, dark room.

I was ten.

I was doing the chores of washing the dishes after dinner and accidentally broke a cup.

She punched me in the back and yelled at me. She said that I was and always would be an outcast and

that was why my parents never wanted me to begin with. I had been heartbroken, crying on the inside

for days, but I learned how to surpass the pain and insults. After all, she was right; my parents never

wanted me and I'd never get to know them.

As the memories faded, so did my hurt and pain. I had finally found myself and was satisfied with my

life as it was now. I wouldn't change the past because it made me who I was. I wouldn't wish to have

different parents because I was beautiful just the way I was. I wouldn't change the present because I

was now at peace with it. From nothing into something; I was definitely blessed and someone in the

sky must have highly favored me.

________________ Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

It was the second Friday in August when my husband-to-be told me that he had to leave for a business

trip to France the following day. He would be gone for a week. An entire week without my baby? I

wanted to cry already.

"Hey, cheer up," he teased as he saw my lips were pouted and my arms crossed over my chest.

"A whole week?" I dragged out.

"Baby, I promise we'll go to France when I get free time off from work. Just you and I."

A wide smile dismissed my pouts and I hugged him. I'd only seen France in magazines, on television

and the internet. The place was like heaven on earth. I couldn't wait to visit it with Ethan.

Halley and I waved him off as he set off for his business trip the next morning. I, then, went back

upstairs and laid on the bed. I don't know what it was but lately I had been very tired and lazy.

Twenty minutes later, Halley knocked on the door.

"Come in," I answered and sat up.

She was carrying a bowl of hot chicken soup. I loved chicken soup but when I inhaled the scent of it I

had to make a beeline for the bathroom.

"Emma, are you alright?" she asked, setting down the soup and following me.

She rubbed my back as my head hovered over the toilet.

"I'm alright," I responded as I gathered myself upwards and rinsed my mouth in the face faucet.

"You were vomiting, it's obvious you're not okay."

"I'll be fine, I just need to lay down."

She helped me back to bed and opened the windows so I could get some fresh air.

I quickly fell asleep.

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing and answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Hi baby, how are you?" his voice spoke.

"I'm fine," I exhaled deeply.

"You sound tired. Have you been doing any house work?" his voice was stern.

"Not really. I've been in bed since this morning and I've been vomiting."

"Really? How are you feeling now?"

"What do you even care? You're not even here with me when I need you,."

What had come over me?

"Emma, baby, I'm sorry I'm not there with you. I'll be back soon, but I need you to do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"I need you to take a pregnancy test."

I couldn't believe my ears. A pregnancy test for what? I wasn't pregnant. Was I?

"Emma, did you hear me?"

"Yes. I'll do it when I wake up again."

"I love you, baby."

"I love you, too."

I fell back asleep as soon as we hung up.

I finally managed to get out of the room. It was the only place I wanted to be, in the room with fresh air

and without noise. I called over a private assistant so she could fetch me a pregnancy test. God knew

how many scandals and headlines would erupt if I were to walk into a pharmacy or supermarket and

buy myself a test. The press had been very interested in me lately and would follow me to the ends of

the earth just for a story.

The test was dropped off to my room and I read the directions in a blur, panicking. If there was one line

that indicated negative. If there were two that meant positive. I was low-key praying for two.

I peed in a throw away cup and inserted the stick in until it penetrated. The line was appearing, one

line... one line... I exhaled as it stayed. I wasn't pregnant.

I threw the cup away and sat down on my bed. I buzzed Halley to bring me up a bottle of fresh orange

juice.

"So how are you feeling now?" she asked when she entered.

"Much better."

"Did you take the test?"

"Yep."

"And?"

"It's a negative."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. The stick is on the faucet and the box with the instructions is next to it."

Halley disappeared to the bathroom. She came back with the stick and the box in came in.

Ew, didn't she know I just pissed on that?

She read the instructions silently to herself then she gazed at the stick. She looked over to me drinking

a big bottle of chilled orange juice and read the directions aloud.

"Two lines indicates a positive pregnancy, one lines indicates a negative. Emma, there are two lines on

this stick."

I spat out the orange juice. I took the box and stick from her again and read aloud then looked at the

stick again, eyes wide awake this time, not knowing what to feel. It had just been one line, now there

were two. Should I be happy or sad?

"Congratulations," she squealed and pulled me into a hug.

I was still numb and stuck from the stick I was holding. I rubbed my stomach and the tears came from

my eyes. I was pregnant with a billionaire's baby.

_________

The Next Day.

"Girl, you have to call back your fiance and tell him you're pregnant. He's be worried about you, he's

even blowing up my phone," Halley said as she tried to yank me out of bed.

I only moaned in disobedience; all I wanted to do was to stay in and sleep without any noise.

"I'll call him when I wake."

"No Emma. You better call him now."

"Halley please, just leave me be. I said I'll call him when I get up." I threw the covers over me.

She finally gave up and left.

My phone rang again but I ignored it and turned it off.

No Noise!!!

I woke up by a loud bang at the door.

What the hell!!

I jumped up from my sleep and in walked Sharon and Ethan's mother.