Divorce With Benefits: A Second Chance At Love-Chapter 139: Her Diagnosis

Holding the report tightly to his chest, Jared closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, willing his emotions to steady. When he opened them, a determined light replaced the uncertainty that had lingered moments ago.

"What about the Glover family?" Jared asked, his voice firm but weary. He looked directly at Arthur, his hazel eyes glinting with resolve. "When will you let us leave?"

Arthur tilted his head slightly, observing Jared with his usual composed demeanor.

"I assume," Jared continued, "that by your presence here, you’ve already handled the Glover family. I trust that they don’t pose a threat to us anymore."

Jared glanced briefly toward the bedroom Jerica was in, then back to Arthur, his voice dropping to a quieter tone. "I’ll not pursue my revenge any longer. I swear it. If you could arrange a meeting with the Glover family, I will ask for forgiveness—publicly, even. I’ll make amends however they see fit. And if they want me gone..." His voice faltered for the briefest moment before regaining its edge. "I’ll gladly quit and leave this place for good."

Before Arthur could respond, a sharp voice cut through the air like a whip.

"What are you talking about?"

Jared’s head snapped toward the source, his heart skipping a beat. Jerica stood in the doorway, her hair slightly disheveled, her expression a mixture of confusion and fury. Though she looked pale and a little unsteady, her eyes burned with a fire that instantly filled the room.

"Jerica..." Jared stepped toward her, concern etched across his face. He offered his arm instinctively, a small gesture of support, but she batted it away with more force than he expected.

"Why," she hissed, her voice trembling with barely contained anger, "would you ever apologize to those swine?"

Jared sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of her question. "Come sit with me," he said softly, taking her hand in his. Though she didn’t resist, her gaze bore into him, unyielding, as he guided her to the couch.

Jerica sat, her hands clenched in her lap, her eyebrows furrowed in silent defiance. Jared knelt beside her, his hazel eyes searching hers, silently pleading for her to understand.

Across the room, Arthur’s lips curled faintly into a knowing smile, his hands resting on the file he had placed on the coffee table. He had investigated Jared thoroughly—too thoroughly—and yet, nothing in the reports had prepared him for the man he was seeing now.

This Jared was unlike the ruthless, calculated figure painted in the testimonies of his enemies. This Jared was softer, gentler, a man willing to bend his pride and risk his life’s ambitions—all for the woman sitting beside him.

Arthur’s gaze flicked to Jerica. Her anger, though righteous, only seemed to deepen Jared’s resolve. It was clear to him now: love had fundamentally changed Jared. It had stripped away the armor of arrogance and sharpened his innate sense of protection into something profound, something primal.

"Jerica..." Jared’s voice trembled as he reached for the report, his hands slightly shaky. He placed it gently in her lap, his eyes glistening with a mixture of overwhelming joy and lingering fear.

Jerica furrowed her brows, her fingers fumbling slightly as she picked up the report. Her eyes darted over the text, widening with every line she read. She looked up at Jared, her face a canvas of disbelief and tentative hope. "This is my report?"

Jared nodded, his grip on her hand tightening as though anchoring her to the moment. His voice broke, raw with emotion, as he said, "Yes, honey... it’s yours." He inhaled deeply, steadying himself before delivering the news that had changed his world. "You’re pregnant."

The words hung in the air, reverberating in Jerica’s mind as tears welled up in her eyes. They spilled over, dripping down her cheeks in warm, silent streams. For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Her free hand drifted unconsciously to her abdomen, trembling slightly as if the gesture might confirm the miracle growing inside her.

Jared placed his hand over hers, his touch gentle yet firm. His fingers brushed against hers as if reassuring her that this was real—that life, fragile yet resilient, was blossoming within her.

"I..." Jerica’s voice cracked as she searched for the words. Her heart raced, and her thoughts spiraled between disbelief and elation. "I’m really... pregnant?"

Jared nodded, his own tears flowing freely now. "Yes, you are. You’re carrying our baby."

Jerica sobbed softly, the sound laced with joy and disbelief. She wanted this—she had hoped for it, clung to the belief that she wasn’t dying—but to have it confirmed was almost too much to bear. She pressed her hand against her abdomen, the realization hitting her like a tidal wave.

But then, doubt crept in. Her eyes darted back to Jared, her voice hesitant, her words trembling on her lips. "Wait... so, my cancer? What about my cancer?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Her question pierced through Jared’s euphoria like a cold wind. For a brief moment, his face darkened. The possibility he had shoved aside, unwilling to confront, now loomed before him. The joy of her pregnancy had momentarily overshadowed everything else, but her question forced him to remember the shadow that had hung over them.

He reflexively turned to Arthur, who had been quietly observing from the side, his expression calm but serious. Arthur cleared his throat, stepping forward to address them both.

Jerica’s gaze followed Jared’s, landing on Arthur with a mix of anxiety and determination. She needed answers—no matter what they were.

Arthur spoke, his tone measured but tinged with something softer, almost fatherly. "About that... there was a mix-up in the reports." He paused, glancing at Jared and then at Jerica. "I’ve already contacted the hospital and taken the necessary steps to ensure accountability for this mistake."

Jerica’s breath hitched, her fingers curling slightly against her abdomen. "What are you saying?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Arthur’s eyes softened as he looked directly at her. "Jerica, you do not have cancer. You’re perfectly healthy. There’s no illness—no threat to your life. You’re strong, and your baby is strong too."

For a moment, there was silence. Jerica stared at him, her mind struggling to process the enormity of what she’d just heard.

Jared’s chest rose and fell heavily as the weight of Arthur’s words settled over him. His heart, which had been clenched tight with fear for so long, finally began to loosen. Tears brimmed in his eyes once again, and he reached out to wrap Jerica in his arms, pulling her close.

Jerica clung to him, her tears soaking into his shirt as sobs wracked her body. Relief, joy, and gratitude coursed through her in waves. "We’re going to have a baby," she murmured, her voice trembling. "And I’m... I’m going to be here to see it."

Arthur smiled faintly, stepping back to give them their moment. "Congratulations to both of you," he said, his voice low but warm, a rare gentleness softening his composed demeanor.

"Congratulations," another voice rang out, breaking through the emotional silence.

Jerica and Jared both turned sharply toward the origin of the voice, their expressions shifting from joy to cautious curiosity.