Chapter 59.
Emily’s POV
It had been a month since the trial, since Frank was taken away, and yet the heartache still lingered, dull but persistent. I found myself going through the motions, living on autopilot. Numb.
The students at school continued to call me Miss Donald, each time the name weighed on me more. I hated it–the name, the associations, the memories it carried. But I wasn’t ready to embrace the Williams name either. It felt too foreign, too loaded with expectations and history that I wasn’t sure I belonged to.
My students noticed the change in me, and I could see it in their eyes, the way they hesitated before speaking or avoided my gaze during lessons. Some of the more curious ones had even tried to ask, but I brushed them off, hoping they would drop it. But kids are persistent, and the more I distanced myself, the more they worried.
One afternoon, as I was packing up after class, I heard a small voice. behind me.
“Miss Donald?” It was Sarah, one of the more outspoken kids in my class. She stood there, fidgeting with her notebook. “Are you… mad at us?”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Mad at you? No, of course not, Sarah. Why would you think that?”
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Sarah looked down, scuffing her shoe against the floor. “You don’t smile as much anymore,” she mumbled. “And class is… different.”
“Different how?” I asked gently, kneeling down so I was at her level.
She scrunched up her face, trying to find the right words. “You used to be fun,” she said, her voice quiet. “Like… we’d do games and stuff, and now you just… talk.” She glanced at the door before quickly adding, “Tommy said he’s bored, so he doesn’t want to come to class anymore.”
I felt a sharp pang in my chest. “Tommy’s not coming to class?”
Sarah nodded. “He hides in the library with some of the other boys. They say it’s boring now.”
“Boring?” I repeated, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. I had been so wrapped up in my own pain, I hadn’t even noticed how it was affecting my teaching.
Sarah shuffled her feet. “We like it when you smile, Miss Donald,” she said softly. “It makes class better.
I looked at her, my throat tight. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” I whispered, placing at hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make things boring for you all. I’ll try to do better, okay?”
She gave me a small smile, nodding. “Okay. But can we play that math game again tomorrow? The one with the cards? That was fun.”
Chapter 50
I forced a smile, my heart heavy. “We’ll see, Sarah. We’ll see.
As she walked away, her innocent request lingered in my mind, but my thoughts quickly drifted to the conversation I had earlier that week. Vera had called, her voice warm but filled with a sense of urgency.
She and Tom wanted to be a part of my life again. like they were trying to fill the gap of all those lost years. I appreciated their kindness, but something about it unsettled me, making the whole situation feel overwhelming.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were trying to fill the void Frank had left behind, like I was some kind of replacement for the son they’d lost. It made me uneasy, even though I knew they meant well.
Sitting in the cafeteria at school, I absentmindedly picked at my food, not really tasting any of it. I had piled my tray with more than I usually ate, and the sight of it all was a little ridiculous. Caroline, my old middle school teacher, noticed as she walked by. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes flicking to the overflowing tray.
“Emily, are you eating for two?” she joked with a laugh, her eyes twinkling with humor. “You’ve got enough food here for a small army.”
I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth. Her words hit me like a slap. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Eating for two? Does she think I am pregnant? No. No, that couldn’t be possible. Could it?
Panic surged through me, and without a word, I stood up, leaving my tray
Chapter 59
behind as I rushed out of the cafeteria. My heart was racing, my mind a whirl of denial and fear. I could barely focus as I hurried to my car, fumbling with my keys, my hands shaking.
The drive to the store was a blur, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the pregnancy tests, my hands trembling as I grabbed more than I needed, shoving them into my basket.
When I got home, I locked myself in the bathroom, my breath coming in shallow gasps. One by one, I took the tests, waiting for what felt like an eternity for the results to appear. The first one showed positive. Then the second. By the time I got to the fourth, there was no denying it.
I was pregnant.
The realization hit me hard, knocking the air out of my lungs. How could this have happened? I had been careful, hadn’t I? But then, I remembered -there had been that one time. That one missed pill. But I thought the chances were slim, almost impossible.
I sank to the floor, the tests scattered around me, my mind spinning with disbelief. What was I supposed to do now? The thought of bringing a child into this world, into the chaos of my life, terrified me. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t be a mother, not like this.
A sudden knock at the door startled me, and I froze. I wasn’t in any state to see anyone. But the knocking persisted, louder this time. I didn’t want to answer it. I didn’t want to deal with whatever was waiting for me on the other side. But before I could even move, the door creaked open, and I heard footsteps approaching.
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Chapter 59
I looked up, my heart sinking as Keith stepped into the room. His eyes found mine, concern etched into his face.
“Emily,” he said softly, taking a step closer. “What’s going on? Why didn’t you answer the door?”
I stared at him, my mind racing. Why was he here? What did he want?
