Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen

“Congratulations, you’re one month pregnant. Everything looks fine.”

Mia Bowen held the results of her pregnancy test as she returned to her marital home, feeling like she was dreaming. Was she actually pregnant?

She mustered the courage to text her husband, Timothy Barrett. “Will you be coming home for dinner tonight?”

It felt like forever as she waited for a reply. He’d never liked it when people disturbed him at work, and she was worried that her message would go unanswered as it had in the past.

In the next second, her phone lit up. Timothy replied curtly, “Yeah. I have something to tell you.”

After getting an answer, Mia hurried to get the groceries for that night’s dinner. She put the results of the pregnancy test on the table, then flipped it over, feeling that she was being too obvious.

In the evening, a black limousine drove into the courtyard. Timothy got out with his suit jacket casually flung over one arm. He had a tall figure and striking features.

“Timothy, you’re back.” Mia jogged over to him, reaching out to take his suit jacket. But Timothy handed her some papers instead. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

“Take a look at this. You can bring up any requests you might have,” he said.

at the papers. The first page had the words “divorce agreement” written on it. The bright whiteness of the paper seemed to

on his face. He looked down at Mia, taking in the baby fat around her face.

for her. He’d only married her because his grandmother liked her. Her presence

a month back, he wouldn’t even have noticed that they’d been married for three years.

Mia’s time and youth.

belly and asked shakily, “If—and this is only hypothetical—I were to tell you that I’m pregnant, would you still go ahead

tell you

month ago was an accident—the one and only accident that

her hand had been burned. She quickly moved it away, but Timothy

hitched. “I asked you a question. If I were pregnant, would you want to keep

“No.”

point in having a baby when its parents were caught in a loveless marriage. It was what had happened

out as

her head back to force the tears back. Timothy’s words where like knives

They had gone cold. She poured them into the trash, feeling a bit nauseous from the

swallowed her bitterness as she thought, “Your daddy may not want you, but I’ll definitely protect you with all I’ve got.”

aside after giving birth to a pair of

to be a good wife to him. Now, reality had proven to her that it