The faint scent of baking filled the small, cozy kitchen, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside Lulu Bridge. Her hands trembled as she meticulously arranged a banquet of Alex’s favorite dishes on the table – a celebration, she’d planned, for the joyous news that had finally come.

But the joy had curdled into a bitter, acrid taste. The doctor’s words, a cruel echo, had just confirmed her worst fears: “There’s been a terrible mistake.”

Her phone, still warm from the call, lay discarded on the counter. Lulu’s eyes, red-rimmed and brimming with unshed tears, fell upon the single, damning piece of paper she’d clutched all afternoon – the positive pregnancy test. A miracle, she’d thought. A dream come true. Now, a nightmare.

She looked down at her simple, worn clothes. She’d planned to buy something sexy, something to mark this new chapter. Instead, a wave of despair washed over her, chilling her to the bone. The delicious aroma of the food now seemed to mock her, a false promise of happiness.

The sound of a key turning in the lock sent a jolt through her. Alex. He was home. Her heart pounded, not with excitement, but with a sudden, icy dread. She had to tell him. Everything. But as the door swung open, revealing not just Alex, but Emery, draped over his arm, Lulu’s world tilted on its axis.