Chapter 299
Dorothea slid into the car, thumb hovering over her phone as she thought about texting Latham. That’s when she saw the battery icon flashing red, barely hanging
on.
She was just about to switch to Do Not Disturb to save what little juice was left when her phone lit up with an incoming call.
“Hey, my phone’s about to die. Let’s talk when I get back, I’m already on my way p>
A deafening boom cut through the air.
Both Dorothea and Latham froze on either end of the line. The call cut out, her screen going black as the battery finally gave up.
Dorothea craned her neck to see what happened and caught sight of a fuel tanker in the distance, flames roaring sky-high. “Did that just… explode on its own p>
“Looks like it,” the driver replied.
“Let’s be careful. Go around p>
As soon as she finished, Dorothea realized her phone had shut off. She’d left her charger at the hotel, and carrying a power bank wasn’t really her thing. With nothing else to do, she leaned back and closed her eyes for a quick nap.
Meanwhile, Latham was completely freaking out.
“Dorothea? Babe? Hello p>
He kept calling her, over and over, but all he got was that robotic voice telling him her phone was unavailable. Panicking, he rushed to the parking garage, checked with the front desk, and found out Dorothea had gone on a business trip to Veridian. He didn’t hesitate—he got in his car and sped onto the highway.
The sound of the explosion replayed in his head, in sync with the pounding of his heart. He could feel the worry burning in his chest. “No, nothing happened,” he whispered, trying to convince himself. “You and the baby are both okay p>
But the only thing he could really hear was the wind rushing past his windows. Everything else faded out. Just a little while ago, he’d felt on top of the world. Now, it felt like the bottom had dropped out of his life.
Dorothea, on the other hand, had managed to fall asleep. When she woke up, the car was already pulling into a service area.
“Dorothea, do you want to take a break?” the driver asked.
She rubbed her eyes, not fully awake. “Yeah. Could you help me borrow a charger or a power bank? My phone’s completely dead p>
Once she got her hands on a charger, she plugged in her phone. It took a few
minutes before it powered back on, crawling along at just 1% battery.
That’s when she saw it—a notification showing 99 missed calls. Her heart skipped a beat.
Was that even possible? Who would call her 99 times?
She tapped to check and saw Latham’s name on every single one. Her chest tightened, and before she could even think about calling him back, her phone started ringing again.
“Hey, babe, are you okay? Can you hear me?” Latham’s voice came through, frantic.
Dorothea pressed her lips together, a little overwhelmed. “I’m here. I’m fine. My phone died and shut off. I’m at a service area, just got it plugged in p>
Latham was silent for a beat, then snapped to attention. “Which service area? Stay there—I’m coming right now p>
Dorothea had so much she wanted to say, but in the end, she just managed a soft, “Okay p>
The 99 missed calls had left her rattled. He must’ve been terrified something happened to her. Thinking back, she remembered the explosion as they hung up, which probably made things even worse.
She checked the time. Her phone had only been off for a little over an hour, so he’d been calling her every thirty seconds or so. She could practically feel his panic through the screen.
Half an hour later, Latham’s familiar Bugatti pulled up at the gray, crowded service area. The sleek car looked completely out of place.
He got out, walked fast toward her, and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Latham she whispered.
“You scared me so much,” he said, his voice still shaking. “Promise me you’ll keep your phone charged next time. Don’t ever let me lose track of you, okay p>
Dorothea nodded, feeling guilty. “Okay. Sorry, I left my charger at the hotel p>
“You don’t have to apologize. I was just so scared you were hurt p>
He let her go, his eyes suddenly bright with hope. “Did you buy a pregnancy test p>
“Um, yeah,” she said, guessing he must’ve seen the box in the trash. “But it was negative p>
“My period’s two weeks late, so I thought I’d check p>
“You’re pregnant,” Latham cut in, not missing a beat.
“What?” Dorothea stared at him. “But there was only one line p>
He smiled a little, pulling up a photo on his phone. “Here, look. See? Two lines. You must’ve left in a hurry that day. The second line was faint, but it’s there. The baby’s probably only four weeks along Content belong’s
Dorothea pressed a hand to her stomach. “So… we’re really having a baby p>
“Yeah. It’s still early, but let’s go to the hospital and check, just to be sure p>
On the way back, Dorothea sat quietly in Latham’s car, her mind spinning with thoughts of babies and those 99 calls. The shock hadn’t worn off.
“Latham, what if something really happened to me?” she asked softly.
“Don’t say that. Nothing’s going to happen. That’s not even an option,” he said, cutting her off right away. “Don’t let your mind go there. We’ve still got a long road ahead p>
Dorothea smiled, fingertips pressed gently her belly. “Yeah. Our road is still long p>
By the time they reached the
hospital, both of them were buzzing with nervous excitement. They got
the paperwork did the blogot
and waited together in the doctor’s office for the results.
“Mr. Latham, based on these results, your wife isn’t showing any signs of pregnancy
right now. If you want to be sure, I can order an ultrasound p>
“No way. The test showed two lines!” Latham protested, immediately pulling out his phone to show the doctor.
The doctor adjusted his glasses, sounding calm. “Those tests aren’t always accurate. We’ll need to trust the hospital’s results. Please head to the second floor for the ultrasound. It won’t take long p>
Dorothea blinked, feeling a little lost. Together, they made their way to the ultrasound room.
When she came out, her face was complicated.
Latham looked at her, hope flickering in his eyes. “Well? Did they find the baby p>
“Latham, I think the test I bought might have been expired. I’m not pregnant. Actually She hesitated, embarrassed. “I think my period just started p>
Latham looked like he was about to cry. His dream of being a dad, gone just like that.
He took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. “Alright. I’ll get you what you need. Wait for me by the restroom p>
They left the hospital feeling a little deflated.
Dorothea tried to cheer him up. “Don’t worry. We’ll have kids someday p>
“Yeah.” Latham opened his Twitter app, then started deleting the draft he’d been working on, letter by letter.
“I’m not rushing. By the way, which pharmacy did you buy that test from? I want to check if they’re selling expired stuff p>
Dorothea just stared at him, speechless. He really was serious about everything.