I sat frozen on the bed, my mind spiraling with thoughts. Each breath felt like I was forcing air through a narrow straw, shallow and insufficient. My head spun from the lack of oxygen.

"That can’t be true. The child isn’t his."

The words played on an endless loop in my mind, a desperate mantra shielding my heart from shattering completely.

Slowly, the repetition took effect, steadying my racing pulse, easing the tightness in my chest. Logic crept back in, pushing past the haze of panic.

"I ...