It was almost nine at night when she arrived home and Pandora felt like she would die from exhaustion. She let herself into the house and dumped the bags near the door. She kicked off her shoes and dropped them down to the floor beside her luggage.

She was just about to crawl to the stairs when she heard a knock on the front door. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” she muttered to herself and went towards the staircase.

“Pandora!” She frowned when she heard Derrik yelling from outside the door. He began to pound on it, making her groan.

“Nothing important, it seems. Just a lunatic knocking at an odd hour,” she said to herself and moved to the door, knowing Derrik wouldn’t leave without seeing her face.

She only managed to pry the door open when Derrik pushed it open and barged in. Pandora stumbled, shocked by the force he had used.

“Finally came home, I see!” he yelled and crossed his arms over his chest. “You look like a slut with that hair color. What? Are you trying to look good now? You’re already divorced and nothing can help with that face of yours.” He snickered sarcastically.

“What I have been doing or how I look is no longer your business. Cut the crap and tell me what you want.”

Derrik glared at her before rolling his eyes. “Did you get the eviction notice I sent you? You need to move out immediately; I need the place.”

Pandora pressed her fingers to her forehead, hoping the headache would lessen. She didn’t have the energy to fight with him. “Not going to happen. This is my house… the court gave it to me. Go cry to someone else because I ain’t complying with your void eviction notice,” she said firmly. She opened the door, needing him to get the hell out of her house. If possible out of her life, too.

“Still as stupid as ever,” Derrik spat out so harshly that Pandora was sure he had hated her for all the years they were married. “Don’t you flaunt your money all the time? Use some of it to buy a place of your own. This is a family home where a couple who will have kids should live.”

Pandora scratched her forehead, trying not to respond to him as she wished. But mincing words was not good for her health. She had wasted enough time on this man.

“The doctor told me I could get pregnant if I tried. It seems part of the problem is also with you… and what mistress of yours? Take care…” She stopped with a grim look. “This is my house. Now leave.”

Derrik laughed incredulously. “You’re right. This shitty house and you go together. I deserve a much better place where I can raise my children. How about we sell the house and go our separate ways.” He waved between the two of them. “We will never see each other ever again.”

“Even if I sell the house, you won’t get a dime from it. This is my house. That I bought with my money. The money I spent a lot of effort making… of course, you wouldn’t know what that feels like, would you?”

Derrik snorted. “Ah, if only you had put in as much effort into our marriage as you did your work and house… Maybe we could have actually lasted.”

Pandora rolled her eyes. “If you actually loved me and not the money you are drooling after right now, we could have been happy,” she corrected quickly.

“Wow. How did you expect me to like you when even your parents abandoned you? I’m not a saint, Pandora.”

“Out,” she hissed through her gritted teeth. “Get out this second!” she yelled louder this time.

“You’ll do well handing the house over before I drag you back to court. Mackenna and I are trying for a baby and we need a house to raise our family,” Derrik responded angrily, knowing he was getting on her nerves.

‘Please leave. Why isn’t he leaving?’ she screamed internally. She was already drained from the trip, she couldn’t handle a fight right then.

“Then get a job like a normal man and pay for a house,” she sneered.

“Well, I can’t because I have to look after Mackenna. We need all the help so that the baby is safe.” He stopped talking and looked at her menacingly. “Oh, I understand now, you don’t want me to have children because your broken body can’t have any.”

She shook her head, having enough of his nonsense. She pushed him against the chest and toward the door.

“You are pathetic, you know that? You can go around telling your sob story to everyone, but at the end of the day, I will be getting this house. I promise you,” he said before storming away.

Pandora slammed the door shut and locked it. She sank to the floor and tears started to drip down her face without her permission. It was strange how a year of her life could completely change how she felt about the man she thought was her soulmate.

The love she had felt for Derrik had slowly morphed into hatred. A hatred so deep that the tears were short-lived and it gave her the energy to get off the floor, head upstairs and change for bed.

“This house is mine. I gave him ten years of my life and I won’t let him take away another moment of happiness from me.”

With that mantra in place, she closed her eyes and dreamed. Her dreams were plagued with taunts from Derrik and Mackenna. She tried to push them away, but she tumbled instead. She waited for the fall to hurt but two strong arms wrapped around her protectively.

“Hey, I’ve been looking for you,” the voice said. “Why did you leave me without saying goodbye?”

Pandora turned to look at her face, but she couldn’t see him. She recognized those piercing grey eyes of his. She looked down and saw a swirl of tattoos on his arms.

“Wh—who are you?” she whispered.

“Did you forget me? It’s me, Dora… Nemo.” Even though she couldn’t see his face, she could tell he was smiling. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you,” he promised before disappearing.

Pandora awoke feeling rested and happier than she had when she went to bed.

“Spill,” Kiera said, wriggling her brows at Pandora the moment she sat down.

“What?” she asked, looking between Keira and Sia, her friends from high school and college respectively.

“Don’t act coy. You had sex. It’s written all over your face,” Sia said smugly and Kiera nodded rapidly.

Pandora’s mouth dropped open in shock. Was it really written on her forehead? How tense had she looked before? “No, I didn’t,” she answered stubbornly.

“Yes, you did. I swear we will torture it out of you if you don’t start speaking.”

Pandora frowned at the two and motioned at the server. “I need some coffee before my lips open,” she announced. In no time, the coffee was in front of them and Pandora had taken her first sip.

“You've had your coffee now. What did he look like?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t remember.” When she opened them, she saw the look of worry on her friends’ faces.

“Did someone hurt you?” Sia asked urgently.

“No.” She shook her head before placing her hand over Sia’s. “We were both drunk… so drunk that I don’t remember how he looked.” She stopped and remembered the bits that were still embedded in her mind. “I know he was tall, somewhat muscular, and had beautiful tattoos all over his arm.”

She bit her lip when she remembered his smoldering grey eyes. “And his eyes were grey. Other than that, I don’t remember exchanging names.” She gulped. “It was good. It was so good that I came a number of times. But that is all I remember.”

Sia and Kiera shared a smile. “Were you safe?” Kiera asked and Pandora’s eyes moved between the two of them.

“I don’t even remember what he looked like. You expect me to remember if I used protection?” She dropped her head in her hands when she realized how risky her move had been. “How was I so stupid?”

“Pandora, you are fine. But still, you should get checked out, okay?”

She was twenty-nine, had only been with two men in her life, and was going to get tested.

“We’ll get checked out right with you,” Kiera told her. “The nurse at the local clinic is so hot. I hope he is working.” She smiled with a dreamy look on her face.

“Damnit, Kiera. You’ve got a boyfriend… do you remember Ron or not?” Sia yelled and slapped Kiera’s shoulder.

“So what? That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy looking at a handsome man. I am not cheating on Ron. And he knows I find nurses hot.” She shrugged.

Pandora snorted because if Kiera wasn’t her childhood friend and she didn’t know better, she wouldn’t know if Kiera was in her right mind or not.

Sia extended her hand to Pandora. “Come on. Let’s go to the clinic and get this over with.”

- - - - -

“Miss Leonard,” the nurse called. Pandora waved at her friends and walked into the room. She had decided that since she needed to get her routine check-up the next month, she would get it over with in one go.

“I will be doing your exam today. If you can change into this ad lay on the table, I’ll get my assistant and be back in a few minutes.”

Pandora undressed after the door closed. Moments later, the nurse was back with someone in tow. As she set out to do the exam, she explained each step to Pandora.

“Everything looks clear. We will have your results in a few days. Now, we just need to do your blood work.”

Pandora nodded and the nurse helped her sit up.

“As it has only been a few days, you will need to come back for a pregnancy test.”

She gulped and shook her head. “There is no need for that.” The nurse stopped what she was doing and turned to Pandora. “I can’t have kids.”

“I’m so sorry,” she muttered, taking the needle out of Pandora’s arm. “You will receive your results back in a few days but you do need to come back in three months time for another blood draw and test. It’s just procedure.”

“If anything unusual pops up, just come back. You can get dressed now; we’re finished for the day.”

Pandora sighed as the nurse walked away and slowly got dressed. She was surprised to find Sia and Kiera both waiting for her.

“Come on. It’s girls’ night out!” Sia said, picking up on her horrible mood.

As they munched on an extremely cheesy pizza and sipped on their wine, Kiera went back to the topic of the mysterious man. “Tell me more. How was it?”

“I don’t remember!” Pandora protested.

“You remember some stuff. I can see it in your eyes. They glaze over when you think about him,” Kiera said, reminding her just how well her friends knew her.

She licked her lips and took a moment to form the words. “His body was… firm. And I remember that he made me laugh and smile and feel good.” She shook her head and bit her lip. “I just knew he was more worried about making me feel good than getting off himself.” She shook her head a little. “I felt… wanted.” She didn’t have any other words to explain what she had experienced.

“I think we need to track this guy down.” Kiera's eyes sparkled with determination. Their eyes met and Pandora raised her brow to ask how.

“Any man that makes you smile like that… I need to see him and I want him to be beside you and keep that smile on your face.”

“It was a one-night stand with a stranger, Ki. Nothing more.” She didn’t miss the sadness in her voice as she said that.

Kiera frowned and opened her mouth to argue, but Pandora stopped her.

“All I remember is the joking nickname we shared. I don’t even know what his real name is. Of the millions of people in Vegas that day… how do you think I can find him?” She was unable to hide the pain of how true her words were.

“Dora…” Sia whispered sadly.

“It’s fine. I’ll be just fine.”

“Enough moping around!” Kiera clapped her hands and jumped up. “You don’t need a man. All you need is Sia, me, and your very 'personal' assistant.”

Kiera produced a brand-new vibrator and handed it to Pandora. “This is your birthday gift. Belated happy birthday, bitch,” she laughed.

Even though Pandora rolled her eyes, she felt grateful that the vibrator was in a sealed box. “This is what every girl needs. Besides her two best friends, that is,” she commented, agreeing completely.

Pandora groaned, still feeling tired after ten hours of sleep. As she sat up, she felt a wave of dizziness overcome her. Before she could lay back down, her stomach turned. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, hoping and praying she wouldn’t puke on the floor.

She hunched over the toilet and heaved. Nothing really came up. She didn’t have time to be sick. And she willed her body to stop without much result. When the retching finally stopped, she dragged herself to the sink to clean up. Still, her stomach felt uncomfortable.

As the day passed, she felt worse. Nothing seemed to help with the nausea she was feeling. She tried to force down the lunch before resting her head on the desk, hoping a short nap would make her feel better.

Sleep made everything better, right?

“They pay you to sleep at work?” she heard Derrik say. She jumped at the sound of his voice, but it was her stomach that made it worse. She covered her mouth and looked at him.

“What?” he said irritably, staring her down.

“I want to puke just looking at your face,” Pandora said bluntly.

“Don’t get cheeky with me just because you’re having a terrible day.” Derrik’s smug grin made her feel terrible. “Here,” he said, throwing a stack of papers on her desk.

She looked through them angrily when she realized he was trying to force her into selling the house. “What is this? Derrik, don’t you understand? You’re not getting my house and I am not going to give you the money either!”

Derrik’s next words were loud enough for everyone in the office to hear. “You’re a selfish piece of shit. Sitting here, all high and mighty, but you look ugly and all wrinkled. You make me sick. What the hell did I see in you?” He paused for a second before resuming. “Now that you look exactly like you did while we were married, you’re all ugly again. The fake extensions did make you look a little better. Why did I ever want a worthless and ugly woman like you?”

“Get out,” Pandora gritted out. She felt her colleagues looking her way.

“Because of you, my girl lost another baby,” Derrik said, this time his voice a whisper. She could hear the pain in his voice, but she didn’t give a damn about what Derrik felt.

“That is none of my problem.” She picked up the papers and threw them in the trash. “Get out right now. And if I see you here again, I will get a restraining order against you. Did I make myself clear?” she challenged.

Derrik narrowed her eyes but he didn’t move a muscle, defying her.

Pandora picked up the phone and dialed the security head. “Get this piece of shit out of my office. Make sure to let the other security detail know that he is no longer welcome here.”

“We are not done here, Pandora!” Derrik hissed as he was pulled out of her office by security.

Pandora had to cover her mouth and she slowly sat down on her chair. She tried her best to breathe through her nose, willing the nausea away.

- - - - -

Pandora sleepily walked to the front door, knowing that Keira said she would take her to work. It had been three weeks since she woke up feeling sick and it was not getting any better. In fact, she felt worse than before. She almost got into an accident the night before because she felt woozy while driving.

Opening the door, Pandora allowed Keira in before moving to her couch and lying down on it.

“It has been three weeks. I think it is time you went to a doctor,” Keira said as she felt her head.

“It’s just a bug,” Pandora muttered weakly and then pressed her lips together when she saw her friend frowning down at her.

“What did the clinic say about your tests?” Pandora blinked because she had no idea what the other was talking about. “Last month you got tested for STDs remember?”

Pandora slowly sat up. “I never heard back from them. Damn it, I must have missed their calls. Do you think he gave me something?” she yelped as her heart started racing.

Keira looked worried but placed a fake smile on her face. “Let’s go to the doctor’s office and get you checked out, okay?”

“I can’t. I need to go to work,” she said, knowing if she didn’t get on the road, she would be late to work… again.

Keira shook her head. “I am calling your boss and taking you to the doctor.”

Pandora groaned, deciding it was best not to fight in her condition. She curled up, and closed her eyes. Her eyes drifted close as she heard Keira speaking to someone on the phone.

“Hey,” she said, pushing Pandora’s hair back. “You need to get up and dressed. Your doctor’s appointment is in an hour.”

Pandora nodded and slowly sat up. Her eyes drifted to the clock and she found it was almost two in the afternoon. “Oh no!” she muttered.

“It’s fine. I called in for you. Now get dressed.”

Pandora shook as she thought about how she had not taken a sick day in all the years she had been working. She went to her room and grabbed some loose clothes. Keira helped her into the car and drove slowly to the doctor’s office, making sure she didn’t feel sick again. Pandora was thankful that she didn’t need to wait with other patients and was ushered into the doctor’s office.

“I checked your results and the tests came back clean. Do you think you could be pregnant?” the nurse asked. “I saw that you didn’t do the follow-up.”

Pandora shook her head at the nurse. “That’s not possible. I have a history.”

“Let’s do the test, just to be clear.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Keira said and the nurse just hummed.

“Give me a urine sample and we can go from there?” the nurse prompted.

And Pandora did just that. After a few minutes of wait and Pandora frowned as the nurse looked at the pregnancy stick with a smile. “Just as I thought. You’re pregnant.”

The nurse placed the test down on the table beside her to see. Pandora’s eyes fell on the positive sign on it. “I can’t be,” she said, her voice barely over a whisper. Her eyes flitted between her friend and the nurse, who both looked ecstatic.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. She remembered a story where a woman got a false pregnancy test positive and ended up having cancer.

“It must be cancer,” she sobbed out. She looked at the nurse who was shaking her head.

“Ma’am. It’s not cancer,” she replied. “The stories you hear online are about a man who had cancer and took a pregnancy test. It’s not the same thing.”

“Keira, you know I can’t have a baby. Derrik and I tried for years!”

“Pandora, just take a scan and you will know what is going on, right?”

“The doctor isn’t here today, but I am a licensed technician. I can sign you up and perform the scan for you.” She paused. “I want you to calm down so that we can take a look and see what is going on. Okay?”

Pandora sighed before nodding. Soon, she was pulling her pants off and sitting on the table. The nurse prepped her and told her what to expect. Pandora gripped the bed as the scan proceeded.

The nurse made humming noises before she stopped moving. “There you go,” she murmured and turned the screen for Pandora to see. “Do you see that?” she asked as she pointed at the screen.

“Yes,” Pandora said, nodding. She frowned as she looked at the bean-shaped mass. “What is it? Is that the cancer?” she asked.

The nurse frowned. “That’s your baby,” she corrected.

Pandora looked at her and then back to the screen, feeling a sob rip out of her mouth.