I plopped down on the sofa.

The echo of my own voice bounced off the bare walls. I still hadn’t finished unpacking. Open boxes everywhere, a dirty mug on the table, and my white coat hanging on a chair.

And now this.

I put my hands to my face.

—It can’t be… it can’t be…

Ten years as a gynecologist.

Ten years watching women enter my office with fear, hope, surprise, tears.

And now I was on the other side.

I.

Pregnant.

From my husband.

Well… **ex-husband in the making**.

I laughed.

Not a happy laugh.

A hysterical laugh.

“Of course,” I murmured. “Of course this had to happen now.”

The irony was brutal.

While he was playing dad with his “friend”, I was actually pregnant.

The universe had a rather twisted sense of humor.

I took a deep breath.

I am a doctor.

First things first.

I had a blood test the next day at the hospital.

Result:

**6 weeks pregnant.**

I stared at the paper for a long time.

That meant I had gotten pregnant… right before I left.

Just before discovering everything.

Perfect.

Simply perfect.

My first reaction was such a chaotic mix of emotions that I couldn’t even sort them out.

Rage.

Sadness.

Fear.

But also… something more.

A strange feeling.

A small spark in the chest.

Life.

There was a life inside me.

I leaned against the sink in the hospital bathroom.

—Okay —I said to myself quietly—.

—Let’s think.

I had two options.

Tell him.

Or not.

The second one was tempting.

Disappear.

Raising the baby alone.

Never see him again.

But the reality was more complicated.

Legally we were still married.

And, although it pained me to admit it, **that child was also his**.

That afternoon I arrived home with my mind in a knot.

I turned on my cell phone.

There were 17 missed calls.

His.

And several messages.

**Lucas.**

My husband.

Or the man who would soon cease to be one.

I opened one.

“We need to talk.”

Other.

“Please answer me.”

Other.

“This can’t end like this.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

—Oh, really?

But there was something more.

A new message.

A photo.

The unknown number.

She.

The mistress.

I opened the image with resignation.

It was a selfie in the hospital.

She had her hand on her belly.

And my husband by her side.

Smiling.

The text read:

“Some men do know how to be present ❤️”

I felt a burning sensation rise up my chest.

But this time I didn’t cry.

I simply blocked the number.

Forever.

Then I opened Lucas’s chat.

I wrote a short message.

“We need to talk. Tomorrow. 7 PM. Video call.”

The answer came in seconds.

“Yes, thanks.”

Thank you.

What a ridiculous word.

I slept badly that night.

The nausea wasn’t helping.

Nor the fact that my life was changing too fast.

At seven o’clock the next day I turned on the laptop.

Lucas appeared on screen.

It looked worse.

Baggy eyes.

Unkempt beard.

And an expression I had never seen on him before.

Blame.

—Hello —he said.

-Hello.

Awkward silence.

“I miss you,” she finally said.

“Don’t start,” I replied.

Sigh.

—The house is empty.

-Good.

—It’s not the same without you.

—That’s not my problem.

He rubbed his face with his hands.

—I made mistakes.

“Mistakes?” I repeated.

—Is that what you call months of lies?

—I didn’t deceive you.

I froze.

—Excuse me… what?

“I didn’t deceive you,” he repeated.

I looked at him in disbelief.

—Lucas… I literally have a hundred photos of you two.

-I know.

—Then don’t talk nonsense.

He took a deep breath.

—She is pregnant.

—I know that.

—But the baby isn’t mine.

I blinked.

-Sorry?

—It belongs to her ex-boyfriend.

I stared at her.

-And you…?

—I was helping her.

I let out a dry laugh.

-Clear.

—Because men often hug their pregnant friends so tenderly that they look like the father.

—I was going through a difficult time.

-Me too!

—Your wife!

Lucas remained silent.

-I know.

—And I ruined everything.

-Yeah.

—But there was never anything between us.

I looked at him.

For ten years she had learned to read his face.

She knew when he was lying.

I knew when he was nervous.

And now…

He didn’t seem to be lying.

—So why was he sending you those photos?

Lucas frowned.

—What photos?

-Oh really?

I showed him screenshots.

Her face changed.

—Wait… was I sending you this?

-Every day.

-I did not know.

—Lucas, please.

—I swear I didn’t know.

She stared at the photos.

—She said she wanted to thank me for supporting her.

—He never mentioned that he was writing to you.

—How convenient.

—I’m not saying I was perfect.

—I ignored you.

—I neglected you.

—But I never cheated on you.

The silence grew heavy.

There was a part of me that wanted to believe him.

Another one that doesn’t.

Finally, I took a deep breath.

—I have something to tell you.

Lucas looked up.

-That?

-I am pregnant.

The world stopped.

Literally.

Lucas remained completely still.

—What… did you say?

-I am pregnant.

His breathing became irregular.

—How much?

—Six weeks.

His hand was trembling.

—That means…

-Yeah.

—It’s yours.

Lucas put his hands to his head.

And she began to cry.

I had never seen him cry like that.

-My God…

—You’re going to be a dad.

I remained silent.

I didn’t know what to do with that reaction.

—I didn’t know you were pregnant.

-Me neither.

-I’m sorry.

-Don’t say that.

—I’m sorry for everything.

—For not being there.

—For not listening to you.

—For making you feel alone.

—For losing you.

His words seemed sincere.

But the damage had already been done.

—Lucas…

-Yeah.

—This doesn’t change anything.

Her face tensed.

-That?

—The divorce is still ongoing.

—But the baby…

—The baby will have two parents.

—But not necessarily a marriage.

Lucas took a deep breath.

—Can I… see it?

—When it’s born.

—And during pregnancy?

I thought about it.

—We can talk about that.

He nodded slowly.

-Thank you.

We hung up after a few minutes.

I stared at the black screen.

Life wasn’t simple.

It never had been.

But now…

There was something new growing inside me.

And for the first time in months…

I didn’t feel alone.

Because, even though the marriage had ended…

My story was just beginning.

With a new city.

A new life.

And a small heart beating inside me.

One who knew nothing of betrayals, divorces, or mistakes.

I only knew one thing.

**I wanted to live.**