Chapter 6: Paper Promises

A month later, Rachel and I officially finalized the divorce.

Standing outside the county courthouse, the wind flapped my new suit jacket. I felt like I was finally starting over.

By then, Emily was three months pregnant—her belly just starting to show. She needed weekly checkups, and at the first one, my parents tagged along. I knew what they were after: they wanted to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl.

Old wives’ tales aside, only the ultrasound could tell us for sure. Since it was a fancy private hospital, the doctor didn’t hide the gender. Turns out, Emily was having a boy.

The whole family was thrilled.

That afternoon, I asked Emily to get a marriage license, promising her a big wedding soon.

I figured she’d be moved to tears, but she turned serious instead. After some coaxing, she admitted she was worried the baby might be deformed. Three months ago, the night we didn’t use protection, we’d both been drinking heavily. She’d read online that alcohol could cause birth defects.

Her innocence made me laugh. I explained the risks, said the checkups were what really mattered. If nothing showed up, the baby would be fine.

But she was still uneasy. “I’ve read a lot online—some people’s checkups showed nothing, but their kids still had problems…”

Then she blurted, “So Jason, let’s abort the baby and try again later, okay?”

I shook my head immediately. I was thirty-six—finally about to have my own kid. No way was I aborting over a small risk. My parents would never allow it, either.

She rushed to say, “Jason, I’m afraid if the baby is born deformed, you’ll abandon us…”

Her eyes filled with tears.

Suddenly I realized—I’d just proposed, but hadn’t mentioned money or property. Emily was young, but it was normal to worry. She probably thought if the kid wasn’t healthy and I left, she’d be ruined.

Reluctantly, I held up two fingers. “Emily, how about this—I’ll give you 20% of the company shares, no strings attached. Sound good?”

I tried to sound casual, but my heart was pounding. This was a real test of trust between us.