“So?” Yuri demanded before Yoona had even had a chance to shrug out of her coat. “Tell us!”

                “Are you pregnant?” Taeyeon asked.

                Yoona flopped into her chair, wrung out from the events of the past weeks. To her utter horror, tears welled in her eyes. It was like knocking the final stone from an already weakened dam.

                Her friends stared at her in shock as she dissolved into tears.

                “Oh, my God, Yoona, what’s wrong? Honey, it’s okay, you have plenty of time to get pregnant,” Jessica soothed.

                Tiffany and Hyoyeon wrapped their arms around her from both sides and hugged her fiercely.

                “I am pregnant,” she said on a sob.

                That earned her looks of bewilderment all around. Sunny took charge, taking a table napkin and dabbing at Yoona’s tears. Her friends sat quietly, soothing and hugging her until finally she got her sobs under control and they diminished to quiet sniffles.

                “What the hell is going on?” Sooyoung asked bluntly. “You look like hell, Yong. And you haven’t been yourself.”

                “She’s right,” Jessica said in a grim voice. “Besides we’re her friends and we love her. We can get away with telling her she looks like crap.”

                Seohyun sighed. “I think what they’re delicately trying to say is you just don’t look happy, Yoong. We’re worried about you.”

                “Everything’s such a mess,” Yoona said as tears welled up all over again.

                “We’ve got all day,” Taeyeon said firmly. “Now tell us What’s going on with you.”

                The entire story came spilling out. Every humiliating detail, right down to the disaster of a wedding night and her decision to make Siwon fall in love with her.

                The girls looked stunned. Then anger fired in Jessica’s eyes. “That son of a ! I hate him!”

                “So do I,” Taeyeon announced.

                “I’d like to kick him right between the legs,” Sooyoung muttered.

                “You aren’t going to stand for this are you?” Yuri demanded.

                “I don’t know what to do,” Yoona said wearily.

                Jessica grabbed Yoona’s hands. “Look at me. You are a beautiful, loving, generous woman. You are perfect just like you are. The only one who needs to change in this relationship is that jerk you married. I’m so pissed right now I can’t even see straight.  I cannot believe his nerve. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you and moreover he doesn’t deserve you.”

                “Amen,” Tiffany growled. “You need to tell him to take along walk off short end of a pier.”

                Sunny pulled Yoona into her arms and hugged her tightly. Then she pulled away and gently wiped at the tears on Yoona’s cheeks.

                “I love you guys,” Yoona said brokenly. “You can’t even imagine how much I needed you right now.”

“I just wish you’d confided in us sooner,” Taeyeon said. “Nobody should have to endure all of what you’ve endured alone. That’s what friends are for. We love you. We would have kicked his sorry weeks ago if we’d known.”

                Yoona cracked a watery smile. “What would I do without you all?”

                “Let’s not even consider the possibility since you’re never going to be without us,” Tiffany said.

                “So, what are you going to do?” Seohyun asked, her voice full of concern.

                Yoona took a deep breath because until right now, at this very moment, she hadn’t known. Or maybe she had but pushed it aside, unwilling to accept the decision that her heart had already made.

“I’m going to tell him I can’t do this,” she said softly.

                “Good for you,” Yuri said fiercely.

                “You’re leaving him?” Jessica asked.

                Yoona sighed again. “I can’t stay with him. I deserve a man who loves me and doesn’t want to change me. I’m tired of trying to be someone I’m not. I liked myself the way I was. I don’t like this person I’ve become.

                “That a girl,” Taeyeon said. “And don’t worry even for a minute about the baby. You have us. We’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll babysit. We’ll go to the doctor with you. We’ll even coach you in the delivery room.”

                “Oh God, Stop before you make me cry again,” Yoona choked out.

                “Do you want one of us will go with you?” Sooyoung asked anxiously. “I don’t want you to have to do this alone. Jessica would be awesome to go with you. She can be scary when people mess with someone she loves.”

                Jessica grinned.

                “No,” Yoona said. “This is something I have to do on my own. It’s time I regained control over my own life and future.”

                “I’m so proud of you, Yoong,” Taeyeon said.

                Yoona looked at her friends and some of the terrible ache in her chest dissolved at the love and loyalty she saw burning in their eyes. She really would be okay. And now she had a child to focus on.

                The moment the nurse had confirmed that she had a life growing inside her; Yoona’s entire world had change. Her priorities had shifted and she’d instantly known that she had to do what was best for her and her child.