Stay

Chapter 2: Stay

Ashley's head pounded, the pain so intense it radiated to her eyes. She had no choice but to stop by a pharmacy before leaving. After washing her tear-streaked face, she applied minimal makeup to hide the puffiness, then pulled on a face cap and sunglasses to avoid recognition.

By the time Ashley arrived at the pharmacy, her body burned with fever, and her muscles ached unbearably.

A pharmacist attended to her as she slumped onto a brown couch, facing several counters stacked with different packs of medicine.

"What symptoms are you experiencing, ma'am?"

She listed them, hoping for a quick remedy. The pharmacist listened attentively, then gave her a curious look.

"Have you considered taking a pregnancy test?"

Ashley blinked in confusion. "Pregnancy?" That hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Your symptoms align with early pregnancy. I'd advise taking a test to be sure."

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. A pregnancy test? That wasn't possible… right?

But doubt crept in, mingling with the anxiety already simmering inside her. Against her better judgment, she bought a home pregnancy kit, her hands clammy as she took the brown paper bag and left.

Once she got home, she hesitated for what felt like hours before finally gathering the courage to take the test.

The minutes dragged endlessly as she waited for the result, her heart slamming against her ribcage.

Then, the result appeared. Positive.

Ashley stared at it, shaking her head in disbelief. No. This had to be wrong.

Tears blurred her vision as she grabbed her car keys and drove to the nearest clinic. She needed a proper test, something more reliable than a flimsy strip of paper.

At the clinic, a nurse took her blood sample and asked her to wait. The minutes crawled by, her fingers digging into her palms as she anxiously bounced her leg.

When the nurse finally returned, smiling warmly, Ashley felt like she was suffocating.

"Congratulations, ma'am. You're three weeks pregnant."

Her vision swam. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in.

"What?!" The word came out hoarse, strangled.

The nurse handed her the result, but her hands trembled too much to hold it. She snatched it up anyway, scanning the page. The truth was printed in bold black ink. Three weeks pregnant.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up in her throat. This isn't real. This can't be real. It has to be wrong. She wanted it to be a dream.

Before she even realized what she was doing, she had bolted out of the clinic and into her car. She drove, but she had no idea where she was going. Just… away.

For hours, she circled the town, thoughts spiraling, emotions raging. Tears flowing endlessly.

Her life was a cruel joke at the moment. How could she be pregnant for a man who had just served her divorce papers. A man who already belonged to someone else.

Christian had been adamant about not having children, insisting she stay on contraceptives—contraceptives she occasionally skipped because she hated taking pills. Plus having being on it for years, she wasn't just tired but afraid that she might suffer some side effects.

Now, reality loomed before her, suffocating. She couldn't tell which was better. The side effect, or this pregnancy.

How could she be this careless and unfortunate? The thought of raising a child alone terrified her like shit.

Hours later, an angry voice yelled her name, jolting her awake. Ashley's eyes flew open, panic setting in as she scanned the unfamiliar darkness. Her vision adjusted, and Christian's furious face came into focus.

"What are you still doing here?!"

Her heart sank as the pieces of her hazy memory returned. After hours of aimless driving, she had eventually made her way home, utterly drained. She had only wanted to rest for a little while.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I fell asleep," she murmured.

His angry gaze darkened, and before he could speak, a singsong voice echoed from the stairs.

"Baby!"

Ashley's stomach twisted into knots as she scrambled off the bed, her legs unsteady. She needed to tell him about the pregnancy. Maybe this would change everything.

"Chri… Christian."

"Didn't I tell you to leave as soon as you..."

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out, her hands instinctively cradling her stomach.

The room fell into an eerie silence. Christian's eyes slowly traveled down to her stomach, lingering there. Ashley held her breath, waiting.

Then suddenly, he let out a laugh—cold and mocking.

"You're what?" he asked, struggling to contain his amusement.

"Pregnant," she repeated, the word now feeling foreign in her mouth.

The air grew stifling, making it harder to breathe.

Christian's laughter abruptly died, his face twisting into something darker. He took a step toward her, and she instinctively moved back.

"You think a pregnancy lie will change my mind? You're so desperate!"

Ashley shook her head, trying to explain, but he cut her off, his jaw tightening.

"I don't want to hear any more of those lies! You're on contraceptives, Ashley. Have you forgotten?"

She bit her lower lip, debating whether to admit that she had missed a few doses. But before she could respond, his expression shifted, suspicion flickering in his eyes. He twist in his expression now terrified her.

"Wait… have you been missing doses?"

Ashley hurriedly shook her head, terrified of what he might do next.

"Good," he muttered under his breath. "Because I wouldn't want a child with someone like you."

The words hit her like a physical blow. A fresh wave of pain engulfed her. Had his reluctance to have children never been about timing, but about not wanting them with her? Was she so unworthy?

Before she could process the hurt, Kayla's irritating voice rang out again, slicing through the tension.

"Babe…"

"Honey, I'm here," Christian responded so quick it irritated Ashley to the bones.

Ashley turned just as Kayla appeared in the doorway. The other woman's eyes widened in shock at the sight of her, clearly having expected her to be long gone.

Kayla's gaze snapped to Christian, irritation flashing across her face. She'd mentally planned all the fun she was going to have with Christian this night as they celebrate his freedom from his failed marriage.

But now still meeting his moronic wife, she only hoped that christian hadn't changed his mind.

"Chris, what is she still doing here? I thought you said the divorce was finalized."

Christian sighed. "It was, babe. Everything was taken care of this afternoon. I'm just as surprised as you are to see she's still here."

Perfect. He still belonged to her, and only her. Her intestines did a somersault in excitement.

Ashley's eyes drifted to the sparkling engagement ring on Kayla's hand, a painful reminder of the luxury and love Christian had never offered her. She glanced down at her own hand, still wearing the cheap wedding ring he had given her.

A surge of anger rushed through her. In one swift motion, she yanked the ring off and threw it at his feet.

Christian's face registered shock, but before he could react, Kayla's shrill voice filled the room again.

"I hope you're not planning on sleeping in this room tonight, Ashley?"

Ashley shot her a scornful look and grabbed her bag. "Don't worry, I was on my way out of your miserable lives."

Kayla's face contorted in anger, but Christian intervened before she could retaliate.

"Watch your tongue," he warned.

Ashley only rolled her eyes.

"Baby, I'm feeling really hot. I'd love to take a bath now. My eyes still hurt," Kayla whined, tugging at Christian's arm.

Ashley couldn't wait to escape their irking presence, but Christian blocked her path, forcing her to witness their nauseating display.

"Darling, the bathroom is over there," he said sweetly. "Go ahead, and I'll join you soon."

Kayla shot Ashley a smug smile before sauntering into the bathroom. Her voice rang out mockingly.

"You did a good job keeping him occupied till I was ready, Ashley. But your services are no longer needed here."

Ashley clenched her fists, tempted to march in and shut her up. But she refused to lower herself by fighting over a man who had never truly been hers.

She turned to Christian, her voice cold. "Excuse me."

He didn't move.

"Where do you think you're going at this time of night?"

"I'm leaving your house," she snapped.

Christian scoffed. "You had all afternoon to leave, but you waited for me, hoping I'd take you back."

Ashley silently gulped some air into her lungs. He was partly right. And right now, she was so tempted to drop to her knees and beg him to not leave her, but her pride kept begging her not to embarrass herself further.

"Please, just move," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I don't want to fight you."

He let out a bitter chuckle. "You'll stay in the guest room tonight. Tomorrow morning, you're gone. It's already 10 p.m.; I won't be responsible for any missing adult."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the bathroom.

Ashley bit her lip hard, trying to fight back tears. She knew he was right...it was really late, and she hadn't figured out where to go yet.

But the thought of spending another night in this house...this suffocating, miserable house...made her feel like she was drowning.