Oh God, how could I have carelessly left the pregnancy test in the study?
The weight of my mistake pressed down on me like an invisible hand squeezing the air from my lungs. Panic surged through me, a tidal wave that threatened to drown any semblance of rational thought. My hands instinctively clutched at the fabric of my dress as if seeking some anchor to hold onto in this storm of emotions. Each second stretched longer than the last, every tick of the clock mocking my inability to turn back time and undo what had been done. Yet here we were—Lionel holding the evidence of my secret shame, his expression unreadable but undoubtedly calculating.
