right and the shots I received every two months were doing their job. I couldn't bring a baby into my situation, and I knew Alessandro would go berserk when he found out. Then it hit me. Alessandro. What was I going to say to him? How was I going to convince him it wasn't my fault? He always made sure to have everything under control. Without a fail, he always checked if I showed up on every single one of my appointments and took the shots.
“Is there anything else I can do?” the doctor inquired, sounding concerned.
“No, thank you,” I replied, and rose from the chair with shaky legs, stumbling to the door.
“Mrs. Damiani,” she called as I was about to touch the door handle, and I met her gaze. “Are you going to be okay?”
I forced a smile. “Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine.”
She nodded, but that concerned expression remained glued to her face. She sensed the gravity of the predicament I faced. But complaining about it was useless. She couldn't help me. Nobody could help me. I left the doctor's office as white as a sheet. I felt like the loneliest person in the entire universe.
Broderick skimmed through a magazine and glanced up the moment I stepped into the waiting room. His face changed from relaxed to worried in a matter of seconds.
“Olivia, what's wrong?” I heard his arrested voice, but strolled past him and lowered into the nearby chair.
He hurried toward me while I stared into nothingness. During the past few months, Broderick had managed to break down some of my walls and convince me to let him come closer. The worst of it still remained buried somewhere deep within, but sometimes, I talked to him about the hardships of my marriage. It was only for the sake of a temporary relief...nothing else. This, however, was a matter I was not prepared to discuss with him.
“Olivia?” he called my name, and I shifted my gaze with an absent mind. “What the hell did she tell you?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Can we please go outside?”
He seemed confused, but agreed to oblige nonetheless. “Of course.”
He gently wrapped his arm around my elbow and we walked down the hallway. We didn't speak a single word the entire time. When we sat in the car, the thought of seeing Alessandro appeared before my eyes and I panicked. My stomach twisted into knots and I prayed for it all to be a dream. But it was real and it was only a matter of time before I had to face him. “I don't want to go home,” I blurted out at the thought of breaking the news to my husband.
If it was possible, Broderick seemed even more confused than before. “Where do you want to go, then?”
“Anywhere,” I said quietly and wrung my hands in my lap. “ I don't care.”
He nodded slowly and fastened his seatbelt, starting the engine without asking any more questions. As we drove in silence, I sank deeper and deeper into the oblivion of my dark thoughts. My throat constricted and shudders raked my body. I had no idea how I was going to collect the courage to tell him. Broderick parked the car close to the sea and we sat in silence. I stared into the distance for what seemed like an eternity.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Broderick demanded.
I shook my head, avoiding eye-contact.
He exhaled and his voice softened. “Are you sick?”
I shook my head again, suppressing the need to burst into tears.
“Olivia?” he called me in a whisper.
I gasped a deep breath and covered my face with my hands, drowning in misery. I was completely lost. I had no idea what to do and was terrified of Alessandro's reaction. If he wanted a baby, he would have expressed that wish a long time ago.
“Olivia, what the hell is going on?” Broderick's voice disrupted my thoughts.
Realizing he’d lost his patience, I inhaled a chunk of air and met his gaze. The need to unload my burden and tell somebody was stronger than common sense, and I finally gave into it. “I'm pregnant,” I mumbled.
Broderick's features settled into a serious, worried expression. “Pregnant?”
I nodded, unable to speak.
“Are you sure?” he mimicked the very same question I had asked the doctor.
I huffed a sarcastic smile. “I'm sure.”
“But the shots...”
I shrugged. “The doctor said they could fail. The chance is extremely small, but it's not unheard of for a woman to fall