Unexpectedly Yours

Elora’s Point of View

The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway buzzed faintly, casting a cold, sterile glow on the white walls. I sat there, gripping the plastic armrests of the chair, my foot tapping uncontrollably against the polished floor. My chest felt tight, like my lungs were refusing to expand properly. How the hell did I end up here? Just a month ago, I had my entire life planned out. A freshly-minted degree from a good business school in the country, a shiny five-year plan, and the world at my feet.

Now the only thing that was stock in my head were the words “There’s a 70% you’re pregnant.”

“Pregnant.”

The word alone was enough to make my palms sweat. I rubbed them against the fabric of my jeans, hoping to somehow stop the rising panic in my chest. A baby. I wasn’t even in a relationship. Hell, I hadn’t even had sex in a year. Yet here I was, waiting for the confirmation of a pregnancy that supposed to happen.

“Miss Grayson?” A nurse poked her head out of the examination room, her voice soft but clinical.

I jumped to my feet, my knees trembling beneath me. “Yes?”

“Dr. Andrea would like to see you now,” she said with a polite smile, gesturing for me to follow.

Andrea. Had been my doctor since college. The person I trusted with my health and, apparently, the person who had unknowingly turned my life into a goddamn circus.

The walk to her office felt like an eternity, each step echoing in the hallway. I couldn’t tell if it was the distance or the weight of what I was about to hear that made my feet feel like lead. I tried to keep myself calm, rationalize things. Maybe the tests would show negative. Maybe it didn't work as intended, and I’d walk out of here laughing about how ridiculous it all sounded.

But the second I walked into Andrea’s office and saw her face, I knew.

“Come in,” she said quietly, not meeting my eyes.

Her usually warm smile was gone, replaced by a tight, apologetic expression that made my stomach churn. I shut the door, and before I could even sit down, she spoke.

“Elora…” Andrea’s voice wavered slightly, a tone I had never heard from her before. “The results came back positive. I'm afraid you’re pregnant.”

The words hit me like a freight train. My legs gave out, and I sank into the chair across from her desk, my ears ringing.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” My voice sounded distant, like it wasn’t even mine. “Andrea, how? How does something like this even happen?”

Andrea sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I wish I had an answer that would make sense. It was a mistake on my part. Your file was mixed up during your routine checkup last month, and instead of running a standard procedure as should, I …” She paused, swallowing hard. “I inseminated you with someone else’s sample.”

“Jesus Christ,” I whispered, leaning forward and burying my face in my hands. “Andrea, How could you let this happen? What do I do now?”

Her voice cracked. “Elora, I'm sorry!”

“Sorry?” I snapped, my head shooting up. “Do you know what you’ve done to me? What you've…” My voice broke, and I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back tears.

“Elora, I’m so sorry,” she said softly, tears pooling in her own eyes. “I’m going to fix this. I swear to you.”

“Fix it?” I let out a bitter laugh, my hands trembling as they gripped the armrests of the chair. “You think this is fixable? Fine tell me how? Infact…”

Before I could stop myself, the words came out “I want it taken out.”

Andrea froze, her face paling. “What?”

“I can’t do this,” I said, my voice rising. “I can’t raise a child whose father I don’t even know. I have a life planned, Andrea. A career. A future that doesn’t involve… this. Just…just schedule the procedure, okay? This has to end.”

“Elora…” Andrea’s tone changed, becoming more cautious. “That’s not even an option.”

“What do you mean it’s not an option?” I demanded, my pulse quickening. “It’s my body hence my decision.”

She stood and moved around the desk, kneeling in front of me with a desperate look in her eyes. “You don’t understand. The… the sample they used wasn’t just anyone’s.”

“What do you mean?”

Andrea hesitated, and in that moment, I felt the air leave the room. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I waited for her answer.

“It belonged to Mr. Dominic Hale.”

I stared at her, uncomprehending. “The hell, am I supposed to know that name?.”

Her lips parted in disbelief. “Elora, The Dominic Hale, CEO of Hale Enterprises, billionaire, and probably the most powerful man in New York.”

My heart stopped.

Oh, I knew who Dominic Hale was now that she’d said it. Everyone knew him. He was the kind of men they used as case studies in business school, not for his charm or charisma but for his ruthless efficiency in navigating the business world. Stories about him floated through the media like urban legends, how he fired half his board of executive staffs in a single day, how he crushed competitors without breaking a sweat.

And now I was carrying his child.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

Andrea nodded grimly. “Elora, listen to me. Termination isn’t an option. If Dominic finds out…”

I cut her off, standing so abruptly that the chair screeched against the floor. “Andrea! I didn’t sign up for this!”

“I know,” Andrea said, her voice rising to match mine. “But this was his last viable sample and If you chose to terminate this pregnancy…” She trailed off, her face crumpling.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt like it was caving in. The enormity of the situation hit me all at once, a tidal wave of fear, anger, and disbelief. This wasn’t just about me anymore.

I sank back into the chair, my hands trembling as they covered my face. My carefully constructed plans were crumbling around me, replaced by a reality I didn’t know how to handle.

“This is just not happening to me..,” I muttered, more to myself than Andrea.

“Elora…” Andrea’s voice softened, but I didn’t look up.

“I can't deal with this right now,” I said, forcing the words out. I stepping back as I stood. My legs felt like they were going to give out any second, but I forced myself to keep walking, one step at a time.

Then I walked out, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. One thought ran through my mind as I pushed open the exit door and stepped into the crisp evening air

I’m in for a big ride..