As Emma sat at her desk one quiet afternoon, she received an unexpected delivery. Opening the box, she found a cake with an unsettling message and the pregnancy test she had carelessly left behind. Now, she had a choice: go home and tell her husband the truth, or let him leave without explanation.
While typing an email, the office delivery guy showed up at Emma’s door. He was beaming, holding a bright pink bakery box.
“Good afternoon, Emma!” he said excitedly. “This is for you!”
“Thanks, Nico,” she responded, confused. She hadn’t ordered anything, and there was no office celebration. Maybe her husband, Jake, had sent her a treat from his bakery.
The office buzzed around her, but all Emma could focus on was the mystery of the cake. She opened the box and froze. Written in bold black icing were the words:
I am divorcing you.
Her blood ran cold, but the shock didn’t stop there. Nestled on the cake was her positive pregnancy test.
Emma’s heart sank. Jake had found the test she had carelessly thrown in the trash that morning. She meant to take it with her to hide from him, but in her rush, she forgot. And now, he thought the worst.
Her mind raced. Jake had always believed he was infertile, a fact they had come to terms with over the years. But now, with a positive test in front of him, he clearly assumed Emma had been unfaithful. His response, this cruel cake, was a result of that belief.
The truth was far more complex. She hadn’t cheated. The baby was Jake’s. But she hadn’t told him yet because she wanted confirmation from her doctor. After years of failed attempts, she didn’t want to get his hopes up before being certain.
Memories of their struggles to conceive flooded her mind. Three years ago, after 18 months of trying, they had almost given up.
“I think we should stop trying for a while,” Emma had said, exhausted by their efforts.
Jake had taken it hard. “You mean because of me? It’s my sperm, my problem. So, yeah, let’s stop trying.”
They had been through so much together. But now, Jake was ready to walk away, thinking she had betrayed him.
Emma grabbed the box, gathered her things, and rushed home. She barely noticed the concerned looks from her coworkers as she left. The only thing that mattered was setting things right with Jake.
When she got home, she found him pacing, anger radiating from him. As soon as she stepped through the door, he shouted, “Tell me the test wasn’t yours!”
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