Brianna:

I laid in Nick's arms, watching him sleep, listening to him breathe, and thinking about the child growing inside of me. It was exciting, yet it scared me to know who Nick's wife was, how she was, and what she could do to me once she finds out the truth. Tessa can't put any of the blame of Nick's infidelities on me, when I had no idea he was married, and to her.

Tessa could, however, blame me for taking Nick away from her and for not leaving Nick after finding out they were married. That I could understand since I know the truth about them now. And here we are, both lying naked in bed after having another night of sex all night, and knowing he's still legally married to her.

My fingers caressed Nick's chest as I thought about what to say to Tessa once confronting me about sleeping with her husband. After all, I can't use the excuse, 'I didn't know,' when I have known about Nick being married to her for going on two weeks now.

Nearly two weeks ago, I thought Nick and I were over. At least I thought I was. But being in that house alone had me realizing I missed Nick so much more by not talking with or seeing him. I tried to hate him. I tried telling myself not to give in to him. I tried many things, but when he walked into that bar and took me away from the guy I was dancing with and saw the look in his eyes, all the hatred I felt for him, quickly erased. I was mad at him, sure. But the love I felt for him was so much stronger than the hatred I was trying to show I had for him.

Love is always stronger than hate. No matter how much you want to try hating someone.

Love overpowers hate.

This reminds me of something Martin Luther King Jr. once said. 'Stick with love; hate is too great a burden can bear.'

Just as I tilted my head to look at Nick, I heard a knock at the door. At first, I thought about ignoring it and continue laying in Nick's arms, but the knocking got more persistent. I rolled out of bed and grabbed my robe off the bedroom door, putting it on as I headed to the front door. I peeked through the peephole, and my heart quickly stopped beating when I saw it was Tessa. Shit...

I slowly opened the door, leaving it open a crack, and stuck my head between the door and door frame crack. "Tessa. What are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" She desperately asked.

I didn't know what to say or do. I was only in a robe, Nick was in my bed asleep, and I probably smelled like sex. I said nothing as I thought about what to do, and as I stood there looking into her desperate eyes, I probably looked like I was a deer caught in headlights until she got me out of the trance I was in when I heard her speak. "Please?"

"Ah... yeah. Come in," I quietly said while opening the door further for Tessa to enter.

"I'm sorry for showing up like this. But I'm desperate."

I know. I can see that written all over your face...

"Desperate?" I questioned. Curious to know what she was desperate about. Was she desperate for me to come back and work for her, or was the desperation about Nick?

"I'm not sure what exactly happened the night of the event and thought everything went well. But then you took off in a hurry as if something happened. And then the next morning, you left me in shock when you called my office and quit. Since you quit, I've been a mess, and the clinic has been a mess. So I've come here, begging for you to come back. I need you."

While I listened to her talk, all I could think about was Nick in the other room, asleep, and hoping if he were to awake that he'll hear Tessa's voice and stay where he is.

I looked away from Tessa's eyes and looked to the ground, crossing my arms and biting the inside of my cheek, thinking. I know I need a job. But the question is, can I really work for someone like her again? Can I go to work for someone who's husband is also my boyfriend?

"I need you to come back," she begged.

I looked back up to Tessa, lifted my shoulders while raising the palms of my hands into the air. "I don't know, Tessa. If I were to come back, it would have to be part-time," I said, turning my head towards the bedroom, then back to her.

"Part-time? That's it? The clinic has been so hectic since you left, I'm short-handed, and to top everything off, my husband took off and has refused to tell me where he is. I'm going nuts, and I'm ready to pull all my hair out. Everything has gone to shit since you left me hanging at the event."

I grabbed the hem of my robe, tightening the robe around me as my arms crossed, then held it firmly to my sides, thinking about what I should do. "I don't know, Tessa. I, too, have a lot going on and will be needing to leave when I can, so I can go to my doctor's appointments."

Her head confusingly shook. "Doctor's appointments?"

"Yes. Doctor's appointments. I'm pregnant, Tessa," I quietly said, feeling embarrassed. Only because of who impregnated me. Not because it's Nick, but because I'm pregnant by her husband.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell. She was shocked. Hell, I'm still surprised by the news. But it was bound to happen with all the unprotected sex Nick and I was having.

"Pregnant? I had no idea you were involved with someone."

Of course, you wouldn't. How could you have known when your demanding ways prevented us from having our husbands or boyfriends come to our work? You prevented them from sending us flowers, from coming to pick us up for lunch and even call us at work. But now that I know who I've been seeing is her husband, I'm thankful she was a bitch that way. On the other hand, if Nick knew where I worked, I'm sure this all would have handled differently. Either he would have broken things off with me seven months ago, or me for that matter. Or maybe he would have admitted he was married to Tessa.

I sighed, "That's because I kept my personal life private. Besides, you didn't want them showing up at work, anyway."

Tessa nodded, still looking confused or shocked. The look on her face was also telling me she was thinking hard about something. Then she spoke. "If you were to come back, I'll work with you about leaving for your appointments.

Nick said Tessa would be served divorce papers on Friday, which is tomorrow. I secretly crossed my fingers, hoping that will be happening. But if that doesn't happen, what will happen when I'm at the clinic, and they serve her then? Crap.

"I'm still not feeling well, but I can give it a try. How about I start on Monday?" I said, tightening back my lips, wondering what in the world is wrong with me. What am I thinking? And am I nuts?

She forced a smile. "Okay. I'll make it work and will go straight to the office to let Shyla know," she said, reaching and wrapping her arms around me.

I gulped.

I cannot believe she's hugging me. If she only knew I'm pregnant with her husband's child, she wouldn't be hugging me; she would be doing something else. I closed my eyes and put one arm around her, barely touching her.

This is fucking weird to me.

Very fucking weird...

******

Nick:

I rolled to my side, and as I went to rest my arm around Brianna, I realized she wasn't there when my arm fell to the bed. I opened my eyes, saw she wasn't there, then I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling. I had never felt so in love as I do now and couldn't stop wondering what I was thinking to go through with marrying Tessa when all I wanted to do was end our relationship then.

Finally, I rolled myself out of bed, reached for my clothes, and quickly dressed. I wanted to make sure Brianna wasn't in the bathroom hanging her head over the toilet, and if she was, I knew she would need a glass of water to rinse out her mouth. I was just about to step foot in the hallway when I heard Brianna talking to someone, recognizing that someone's voice was Tessa's, and stopped to listen.

As I stood there listening to Tessa talk to Brianna. It had me wondering what Tessa was up to. I also found it odd for her to show up at Brianna's this early in the morning. I walked over to the nightstand to grab my phone, and when I saw it wasn't there, I realized I left it on the arm of the couch, with my briefcase also resting against Brianna's couch.

Shit...

I walked back over to the doorway to listen and see if I needed to show my sorry ass face to Tessa. But as I listened in on their conversation, Brianna surprised me when I heard her laying down the law with Tessa. She stood up for herself in front of Tessa. Something my chicken shit ass needs to do. And something that I've needed to do for years.

I really am a chicken shit when it comes to standing up for myself when it comes to Tessa, and hearing Brianna do it gives me all the more incentive to tell Tessa, finally, how I feel and how I've felt about her all these years.

Tessa needs to hear the truth.

And that's what I will do.

I cannot continue doing this any longer.

I will get my things, and I will tell Tessa we're over... for good.

******

Brianna:

I was getting antsy and was feeling uncomfortable the longer Tessa stayed in my apartment. All I wanted was for Tessa to leave, finally. While Tessa's arms were around me, out the corner of my eye, I noticed Nick's cellphone on the arm of my couch, with his briefcase resting against the couch, and slipped out of Tessa's embrace. "Is there anything else you need? I hurriedly asked, hoping she would get the hint I wanted her to leave.

She must have gotten the memo. She shook her head, took a step towards the door, then looked at me. "I'm sorry. I know I should have called before coming here. I just didn't feel it would be right to call and beg for you to take your job back, and felt I needed to ask you in person," she said, cupping the doorknob. "It's a huge relief to know you will come back, thank you," she smiled while opening the door.

After she left, I made sure the door latched entirely shut, immediately locked it, then turned around and pressed my back against the door while looking towards the bedroom, and as Nick walked out, he sighed, "I didn't think she was ever going to leave."

"When I saw it was Tessa standing outside the door, I thought I was about to faint. I didn't know what to do. If I told her no, I felt she would think something was up, and instead of allowing a scene to happen outside my doorway, I thought it was best to let her in and hope to God, you didn't walk out."

He breathed a chuckle, "I almost did. But then I heard Tessa's voice and stood behind the doorframe, listening to what she had to say. So, now you're going back to work for her Monday?" He grinned.

"I guess," I sighed, "I don't want to, but what choice do I have? I need the money."

"You don't need the money," he said as he walked to me and pulled me in his arms. "I have the money to support you and the baby."

"Not after Tessa gets a hold of it," I retorted.

He held me tighter, and then I felt him smiling and looked up. "I've been planning this divorce for so long that after you and I started getting serious, I secretly started hiding money."

I felt my brows form together after hearing what he admitted. "Tessa could easily find out, you know."

He shook his head. "No, she won't. There's nothing she could trace. All monies I've received, I cashed at their bank. Not mine. Besides, she's entitled to half the money I've received up until the day I first filed, which was about six months ago."

"She'll still fight it. If she gets herself a good enough attorney, they'll dig into everything you've sold since and will try filing a motion to include all money you've made up until the day she received the divorce papers. I'm telling you, she already told me she would take you to the cleaners."

"And I've already got everything worked out. I'm giving Tessa everything, with a settlement I know she can't refuse."

"She'll refuse. And she will do everything she can to make you broke. And the more I think about what she's told me in the past, I think Tessa's been planning this day to happen for a long time."

"Me too. And I'm five steps ahead of her. Trust me..."

I don't think he knows what Tessa is capable of. I've heard her talk, I've seen how she acts. The woman is fucking crazy, and I have a feeling we're both about to find out how crazy she truly is. I looked to the couch and pointed. "Your phone and briefcase. I think she saw them before she left."

******

While Nick was on the phone, I looked online, reading reviews for all the physicians in the area and hoping to find me the best doctor. And after reading up on all the surrounding doctors, I made a couple of phone calls until I found a doctor willing to get me in this afternoon.

As I hung up with the nurse, I noticed Nick not looking too happy and asked, "Is everything okay?"

He ignored my question. "Were you able to find a doctor?"

I nodded and pointed to the screen of my laptop as he hovered over my shoulder. "A doctor can see me at this office in two hours."

"I'll bring you. Then I'll have to drop you off on my way to the office..." he smiled, then he somewhat answered my question when he sighed, "If Anna weren't such a wonderful employee. I'd fire her right on the spot."

******

After checking in and filling out all the necessary paperwork, the reality was setting in, and I started feeling nervous. I walked back over to Nick and sat while looking around the room and studying all the pregnant moms, babies, and all the little kids running around. Then my mouth formed into a smile when I watched a mom beside me lift her newborn out of the car seat to feed her.

"Brianna Jacobs?" A nurse called out, breaking me from the daze I was in.

Nick stood, reached for my hand, and grinned. "Come on, you."

I was nervous and clung to Nick while we followed the nurse back to our room. After answering her questions, she handed me a gown, then instructed me after changing to lay on the examination table and wait for the doctor to come in.

Moments later, there was a light knock at the door, and in walked my new doctor. Doctor Matthews smiled while introducing himself and shaking Nick's hand, then headed to me, shaking my hand. "So you think you're pregnant?"

"I am pregnant," I said quickly. "I'm about three months late. And I took a couple of tests. Both were claiming I was pregnant."

He smiled, "How about since you're sure you're pregnant, we will skip the pregnancy test and go straight to seeing what's growing inside you? Sound okay?"

"Works for me," Nick said, standing and walking over to me.

I, too, wanted to see what was growing and smiled while watching the doctor set up the ultrasound machine. Next, he raised my gown, squirted gel into my stomach, and began moving the wand around until he found what he was looking for. "There he or she is," the doctor happily pointed. "Let's get the measurements to see exactly how far along you are. And compare to when you remember your last menstrual cycle."

Nick and I watched as he clicked and typed in notes into the computer, confirming I was fourteen weeks pregnant with a due date around Christmas. Then, he hooked up the fetal doppler for us to hear the heartbeat.

Seeing the baby on the screen, then hearing the baby's heartbeat overwhelmed me and had my emotions working overtime. Tears were filling my eyes, and my heart was melting faster than candle wax falling from a lit candlestick. I looked at Nick and felt more in love than I ever was before entering the doctor's office.

Nick's eyes were glued to the screen, smiling from ear to ear, and the happy sounds that were escaping his mouth had the tears that wanted to fall from my eyes, fall.

The doctor handed me Kleenex, and then he gave me a folder containing every bit of information I needed to know about pregnancy.

Nick's arm tightly formed around me as we headed out of the doctor's office. Proudly saying, "A Christmas baby. How perfect is that?"

I never gave it any thought, but now that he mentioned it, it had me smiling. "I'd say it would be the best Christmas present I've ever received."

After he opened the door for me, he pulled me in for a kiss. "Don't even ask what that's for. Just know that it's because I love you and how I love this new glow about you."

I scanned through the folder the doctor handed me, then skimmed through a book of baby names that were also inside. I set it down, then looked at Nick. "Do you have to go to work?"

He nodded, sighing, "Yeah. I need to talk with Anna. Why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Something is telling me I shouldn't be alone today."

His head snapped my way, looking worried. "What do you mean by that?"

"Intuition," I informed. "For some strange reason, I keep getting a bad vibe. And the closer we get to my place, the stronger I feel it."

The second Nick pulled into the apartment parking lot. I noticed a vehicle parked next to mine, looking similar to Tessa's, and pointed. "Um, Nick? Is that Tessa's car?"

"What the fu-" Nick began saying until I smacked his arm, cutting him off.

"You've got to be kidding me... I knew I could feel something wasn't right."

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!🤞🤞