Chapter 1

Six years after we broke up, I found myself in his emergency room.

"I'm pregnant. The baby is yours."

His face went ashen. "Pregnant with a six-year-old? What are you even talking about?"

The atmosphere instantly became unbearably awkward.

"So, you're not going to acknowledge it?"

"You think I'd just step up and be a stand-in dad?" he shot back.

I fell silent for a few seconds. "Fine. Then I'll find a father for him myself."

Nine months later.

He clutched the chief surgeon's arm, his voice rough with desperation. "Please, man, I'm begging you. Make the incision as neat as possible. She's obsessed with how things look."

I went for a pre-marital health check with my blind date.

Turns out, I was pregnant.

The wedding was off.

Mrs. Gable, the matchmaker, stormed over to my place and reamed my mom out.

"You told me your girl was a good, wholesome catch! A good, wholesome catch who’s two months pregnant?!"

"You've completely ruined my reputation!"

"Don't ever call me again! Bad luck!"

...

My mom got an earful, then I got an earful from my mom.

"Who's the father?"

"..." I just clammed up.

"Skylar Hayes, you're twenty-eight, not eight! Are you still messing around out there? Do you have any common sense?"

"Are you trying to kill me, your mother, with stress?"

"Whatever." I turned and went upstairs, locking the door behind me.