After years of crushed hopes and heartbreaking false alarms, I stood in the bathroom staring at a pregnancy test—two pink lines. I froze, unsure whether to scream, cry, or run to Daniel, my husband, with the news we’d waited five long years to hear. But something inside me said to wait. Not out of fear—out of the need to be sure. I wanted the proof to be real, tangible, undeniable before I let him share in this fragile joy.

So I booked an ultrasound and told Daniel I had a dentist appointment. It wasn’t easy lying to him, but I promised myself it would all be worth it when I could show him the heartbeat on a screen, a photo tucked into a card, a little surprise waiting at home.

At the clinic, the ultrasound technician smiled and pointed to a flicker on the monitor. “That’s the heartbeat,” she said gently.

Tears filled my eyes. That tiny pulse, that flutter of life, was ours. I was finally going to be a mother.

Floating out of the exam room, my hand instinctively went to my belly, cradling it. I felt light, like my heart had grown wings. I turned a corner, already imagining how I’d surprise Daniel with the news.

Then everything shattered.

Just outside the OB office, I saw Daniel. He was laughing, glowing… holding a very pregnant young woman. His hand was resting on her belly with a familiarity that twisted my stomach. They looked close. Comfortable. His expression—tender, gentle, protective—was one I knew well. It was the look he once gave me.

My legs moved before my brain could catch up. I ducked behind a vending machine, heart pounding. I watched them leave, practically arm in arm. I pulled out my phone and ordered a rideshare.

“Follow that gray SUV,” I told the driver. My voice was steady, but inside, I was unraveling.

We trailed them to a quiet neighborhood and parked a few houses away. I stepped out, my heart beating like a war drum. I watched Daniel help her from the car, watched them walk into a small brick house. I couldn’t sit still. I walked straight to the door and knocked.

Daniel opened it. His face went white.

“Emily?”

I pushed past him, heart racing. “What’s going on, Daniel?”

The woman inside turned to face me. She was young, glowing, and undeniably pregnant. She looked surprised—but not in the way I expected.

“You’re Emily?” she said with a smile, then hugged me before I could respond.

I froze. Hugged? What was happening?

Daniel rubbed his face, clearly scrambling for words. “Emily, this is Maya.”