I shook my head in disbelief, and my eyes stung with heat. Tears actually welled up, threatening to spill.
Darrell saw my grief and took it for the real thing. He gripped my shoulders, his expression the picture of tender devotion. "Regina, I wish it were a misdiagnosis too. But I went to a specialist. I know I seem fine on the outside, but the truth is I've been feeling off for a long time."
When the scene called for deeper emotion, I threw my arms around him and sobbed against his chest. "Cancer isn't a death sentence anymore. The baby and I will be right by your side through all of it."
The words had barely left my mouth when Darrell suddenly pushed me back. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor in front of me.
It wasn't until he was kneeling there that I noticed actual tears rolling down his cheeks.
He clutched my hands in his. "Regina, please. End the pregnancy. I can't bear the thought of you raising a child alone."
Hearing those words, a nerve twitched at the corner of my eye. This piece of garbage. For the sake of his own interests, he could be this heartless. I hadn't imagined he could sink this low.