Broken
By Teona Bell
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Ciera Treat thought she was going to the doctor's office to get good news. Maybe she and her husband could finally have a baby. What she gets instead is her husband telling her he doesn't want a baby with her, a wife who's overweight and doesn't look feminine enough for him. He's already found somebody new.
Broken and alone, Ciera can't imagine anyone who has been hurt more than her and is able to hold their head up. That is, until the day she meets sweet little Melly and her single daddy. Ciera finds it hard to believe in second chances, especially when everything her ex-husband found wrong with her is still true.
This time around, things might be different, because Melly is broken too, but will her daddy want to stay with Ciera once he learns the truth?
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Reviews for Broken
25 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Simple and sweet, and made me teary-eyed a few times.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I became misty eyed and cried a few times. It is short and sweet and very uplifting.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved it
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Good book and a sweet positive read.
Book preview
Broken - Teona Bell
Chapter One
I'm sorry, Ciera,
the doctor said, a look of sympathy on her face. The tests are conclusive. While your husband’s sperm is low, it’s not impossibly low. Therefore we tested you as procedure to get to the bottom of our problem.
Our problem, Ciera thought. How was it our when both the doctor and her husband were looking at her?
Right now, your uterus is in an abnormal state.
Abnormal?
Ciera croaked. Her body sounded like a science experiment gone wrong.
The doctor extended a hand to Ciera’s, and Ciera curled her fingers into her palm to resist the urge to smack the touch away. What she really wanted to do was scream and hit something. Tony wasn’t saying anything at all, which worried her.
Easy, it’s just a term. To put it simply, you have a few polyps and fibroids that may be causing your issue. Normally, they only provide a slight risk, but they’re removed...
Ciera’s mind wandered. They had been down this road a few times. First, the tests started with Tony to check his sperm count. Now they moved on to her. The two of them had been trying to get pregnant for three years, and so far no babies. As each day passed, the strain in the relationship had increased. Sometimes they argued. Too often nothing. Tony would disappear in the second bedroom and shut the door, cutting her off. She had tried everything she could to understand and be supportive when the doctor had thought it was his issue that was why they weren’t getting pregnant. Now it turned to her body, and Tony hadn’t said a word. He hadn’t even looked at her.
She glanced over to him now as he listened to the doctor. When they walked into the doctor’s office earlier to get the news, he had chosen the chair near the wall. The one beside her sat empty. He might as well have punched her in the face with that move. She wanted to curl up and cry until she had nothing left, but instead she sat there, dry-eyed. Her dad was ex-military, and he had taught her every day of her life—Keep your emotions to yourself, Ciera. In private. That way nobody can use them against you.
Ciera had always felt like she failed at her dad’s directive. She flew off the handle whenever Tony pissed her off, but in the face of this news, she realized she was wrong. Not once in the whole time she was married did she let Tony see how much he hurt her. She cried after he left the house and cleaned herself up before he got back.
Ciera sighed, watching her husband. She would make a change and do better. You’re saying we can still get pregnant, right?
she asked the doctor. If I have the polyps and whatever removed?
I’m saying we’re not sure that is what’s causing the issue, but yes, there’s a strong possibility.
Okay, so—
Ciera began, but Tony popped to his feet.
Thanks, Doc. We’ll get back to you.
He walked to the door, and Ciera had no choice but to follow. She offered her doctor a thanks of her own and a promise to call to set up an appointment for when she could have the procedure done and get the insurance information straight. By the time she finished speaking with the woman, Tony was already out in the lobby. She jogged to catch up with him.
Hold on, Tony. Damn, what’s the rush?
In the hall, she reached him and grabbed for his arm. Muscles that had turned her on from the first day she met him at the gym flexed under her fingers. As always happened too, her heartbeat kicked up. Five years of marriage hadn’t minimized her love for him.
Tony slowed down and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Somehow the move shook her hand off his arm, and she decided it was coincidence.
She thinks we’ll be able to get pregnant after—
No,
he said.
She frowned. What?
I said, no, Ciera. I’m done.
Ciera put her hands on her hips. What the hell does that mean?
Don’t start with the attitude.
"Wait, you’re telling me you’re done, and I’m not supposed to get mad? What are you done with, Tony? Me getting pregnant, or just me?"
He hesitated, and her throat started to close.
Damn it, Ciera, I didn’t want to do this here, but you’re pushing me.
He glanced up and down the hall. They stood in it alone. Each of the line of doors on both sides of the passage was closed. Ciera had always liked the quiet of the small office building, but all of a sudden, she felt isolated. She dreaded what Tony was about to say.
We’ve been married five years, together for seven. I thought it was going to be different,
he admitted. I mean look at you. You’re not even that feminine.
Her jaw dropped. Was he for real? I’m the same woman you showed off for in the gym!
His gaze rose to her hair, and she couldn’t help reaching up to run her hand over the short, natural curls. They were rough and not as cute as she had hoped when she had the idea of cutting off the perm and letting her hair grow out the way she was born with. To celebrate her new style, she had also dyed it reddish brown. Briefly, she had wondered if the dye job was defeating the purpose, but she fell in love with her hair as soon as it was done. Apparently, Tony didn’t agree, but her hair had never been that long in the first place.
Your hair is short like a boy’s,
he said in a tone of disgust. You’re always in jeans or sweats, and worst of all you let yourself go. I could understand the weight if you were pregnant, but we don’t even have that.
So you think I’m too fat? It’s forty pounds, Tony. I can lose it, but this isn’t about my weight.
He ran a hand over his face. No, it’s not. I’m tired of everything. All I wanted was a sexy wife and a baby. I can’t get that from you.
Pain ripped through her gut. He was