The next day, Lara found herself sitting in a small waiting room, far from the tall glass towers of the corporate world.
She was at the clinic.
The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender, and soft music played from a speaker in the corner. A few other women sat nearby, flipping through magazines or scrolling on their phones.
Lara stared at her hands, waiting for her name to be called.
It was time to confirm what she already knew: she was pregnant—and far along enough that soon, she wouldn't be able to hide it anymore.
She had to face it.
"Miss Lara Daniels?" a nurse called gently.
Lara stood and followed her into a private examination room. The nurse smiled kindly and handed her a gown. "The doctor will be with you shortly."
Lara changed quietly, her heart pounding in her chest. She lay back on the examination table and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm herself. It felt so surreal. Like her life had suddenly split in two—before the baby, and now.
A soft knock came before the doctor entered. A woman in her late forties, warm and professional.
"Good morning, Miss Daniels," she said with a calm voice. "I've reviewed your test results from last week. Everything confirms that you're just over ten weeks pregnant. The baby is healthy."
Lara's breath caught.
Ten weeks.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"You look surprised," the doctor said gently.
"I guess... I just hoped it was all in my head," Lara admitted.
The doctor smiled. "That's a very natural feeling. But you're not alone. Many women walk this path with uncertainty. What matters now is how you choose to move forward."
Lara nodded, blinking back unexpected tears.
After the appointment, Lara stepped outside and breathed in the crisp spring air. She pulled her coat tighter around her. Her mind felt heavy, yet clear at the same time.
She needed to protect her baby. No matter what.
Her phone buzzed. A message.
From an unknown number.
> "We need to talk. I know about the baby. —A."
Her heart dropped.
A? Ava?
Or someone else?
How could anyone already know?
She looked around nervously, but no one nearby was paying attention to her.
She had told no one. Not even Amelia. Not even... Ethan.
Lara stood frozen on the sidewalk, staring at her phone. The city moved around her, people rushing past, cars honking, laughter spilling from a nearby café. But all she could feel was one thing:
Panic.
If someone knew... what would they do with that information?
And worse—what if she didn't have as much time as she thought to keep her secret?