3

Ollie

"Do you think you should see a doctor?" Kim asks, worriedly pacing back and forth. However, I can't respond because nausea won't allow me.

"Damn it, Ollie, something is going on inside my head and I don't like my thoughts!" She breathes heavily, leaning against a wall and dragging herself along it until she sits on the floor.

"Tell me, when was your last period?" "Okay, that was the question of the century, and honestly, I don't understand why I didn't pay attention to that detail before. I mean, I don't have a regular menstruation schedule. However, it never fails. Whether at the beginning, middle, or end of the month, it always comes, but not this month."

"For God's sake, Olivia, why didn't you insist on him using a damn condom?!" My sister scolds, unable to contain her despair, and resumes pacing inside the bathroom, where I remain prostrate, waiting for a new wave of nausea to hit me.

"You were so caught up in the moment!" She interrupts me. "And now, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Kim. I just know I have one more reason to leave this house and look for a job."

"And who's going to hire you in this condition, Ollie, tell me?" Dejected, my sister sits back on the floor, and I do the same, leaning against the wall behind me. The worst part is she's right. Nobody in their right mind would want to hire me knowing I'm pregnant. And how will I manage when the baby comes? Heavens, I've messed up everything! All our plans and dreams are slipping through my fingers, and I don't know what to do to stop it.

"What are we going to do, Ollie?"

"I'll figure something out, dear. I promise," I say, moving closer to her and embracing her tightly.

The following days became increasingly difficult to control the symptoms of this completely unexpected pregnancy because along with the nausea came weakness that drained all the strength from my body and a sense of sleepiness that seemed never to leave me. The days were passing, and consequently, my time was running out, and I could no longer hide this situation from my parents' perceptive eyes.

However, it didn't take long for Edie to put an engagement ring on my finger, and everyone was already talking about marriage. Damn it, I can't sleep anymore, and eating is almost a torment because the smell of food makes me nauseous.

In the middle of the night, I was already ready to go to bed when I became dizzy, and my vision darkened. Nervously, Kim held me as best she could and helped me to bed.

However, the next morning, even though I was disheartened, I went downstairs for breakfast, and strangely my sister wasn't at the table. My parents were too serious, and that was a bad sign.

"Good morning!" I say, forcing a smile, and suspiciously I settle into a chair without looking them directly in the eyes. "Where's Kim?"

"She went to get something I asked for," my mother's dry tone doesn't go unnoticed, but I try to focus on pouring myself a cup of coffee. "Are you pregnant, Olivia?" The sudden question startles me, and I accidentally spill some of the hot coffee on my clothes. "Ah, darn it!" I curse as part of the hot coffee spills onto my clothes, and trembling, I grab a cloth to dry myself.

"Oh, darn it!" I growl as hot coffee spills onto my clothes, and trembling, I grab a cloth to dry myself.

"Do you think I haven't noticed? The morning sickness, the excessive hunger, and the excessive sleep? And you didn't even ask me to buy this month's pads!" I close my eyes, reproaching myself for this tiny detail. A strong thud on the table startles me, and I finally look into both of their eyes.

"Answer your mother, girl!" Dad orders, and I gulp nervously.

"And don't lie to me because I'll know if you're lying, Olivia Martín!" Mom's deep voice doesn't escape my attention, but I try to focus on serving myself a cup of coffee. "Are you pregnant, Olivia?" The sudden question catches me off guard, and I accidentally spill some of the hot coffee on my clothes. "Ah, darn it!" I curse as part of the hot coffee spills onto my clothes, and trembling, I grab a cloth to dry myself.

"I am," the words cautiously escape my lips. Dad stands up abruptly, and fearfully, I stand up too.

"For God's sake, Olivia, how did this happen?!" Mom inquires, but my eyes are fixed on my dad's movements as he begins to unbuckle his belt from his pants. "HOW?!" She shouts, and I shrink back, moving a bit further away.

"I-I don't know."

"HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW, OLIVIA? HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHEN YOU GOT PREGNANT? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WITH WHOM?! Oh my God, everyone will talk about your promiscuity, my daughter! Everyone will point fingers at us as irresponsible parents. Oh, God, where did I go wrong? WHERE DID I GO WRONG WITH YOU, OLIVIA?!" Her screams seem to make the walls of the house tremble.

"Mom, I didn't..."

"Don't call me mom, you slut!" She snarls in a mix of disappointment and anger, landing a hard slap on my face and then a sequence of slaps that I try to avoid until she steps back and cries bitterly in a corner. Tears stream down my face instantly.

"Who is the father of this child, Olivia?" Dad rudely demands, and my eyes dart anxiously to the dark leather coiled in one of his hands.

"I don't know. Dad, please!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME, YOU INSOLENT GIRL! I WANT THE NAME OF THAT BASTARD, OLIVIA! He'll have to be a man to accept what he's done and marry you!"

"For God's sake, I'm not lying!" I retort, a mix of fear and impudence in my tone. "I don't know his name..."

"Well, you..." He raises the belt, and I close my eyes, anticipating the leather to sting my skin.

"Dad, don't do this!" Kim interjects, standing between him and me.

"Kimberly, get out of the way now!"

"No! Dad, she's pregnant, and you can't hit her like this!"

"If you don't move, I'll hit both of you!" He shouts, raising the belt again, and once again, I close my eyes, expecting the burning sting on my skin. However, it doesn't come, and even without courage, I decide to open them. To my surprise, Mom is holding onto Dad's arm, and hopefully, I search her eyes.

"I want you to leave my house, Olivia."

"Mom, please..."

"Leave my house now!" She orders with a low but imperative tone. Kim casts me a pitying glance. However, I look at my parents in a silent plea.

"Please, where will I go at this hour?"

"I don't care. I won't harbor a promiscuous slut in my house. I want you to pack your things and get out!"

"Mom..." I try to plead for her mercy, but she turns her back on me, and all that's left for me is my dad's stern gaze.

"Kimberly, go to your room."

"But, Dad..."

"I SAID GO UP, GO NOW!"

"I'm sorry, Ollie!" My sister whispers without making a sound and runs to the stairs.

"And you, forget you have a family here because from now on, you don't have a father or a mother anymore. I'm leaving now, and when I come back, I don't want to see you here." He turns his back on me, and devastated, I sit back in the chair and start to cry.

This wasn't how I planned to leave this house. I should be working, earning my own living, and choosing a cozy home to welcome my sister and me. However, I'm packing some clothes into a bag, and amidst painful tears, I bid farewell to my sister.

"I want you to take this with you." She hands me a colorful cloth as if it were a bundle.

"What's this?"

"It's my savings, Ollie. It's not much, but it'll help you."

"Oh no, Kim, I can't accept this!"

"Please, Olivia, take it with you. You'll need it, my sister." She insists, and touched, I receive the small bundle from her hands and hug her again. This time, tightly and for a long time, and finally, I look around. To every corner of this room that holds much of my history.

"I'll come back for you," I promise, looking at her hopefully to find strength to succeed out there.

"And I'll be waiting for you right here." I nod and force a smile for her.

"I love you, don't forget that," I say.

"I love you too, Ollie, but you need to go before they..." Kim's voice trails off.

"I know, I know." I take a deep breath. "I don't know how, Kim, but I'll manage to make it through, for myself, for both of us. I didn't think it would be so hard to leave, but it is. After all, I was born in this house and grew up here too. And I have many, many memories in this place."

Outside, I look around the street without knowing where to really go. When I start walking down the sidewalk, I decide to go to Edie and ask him for help.

"I just need a room for a few days. I need to look for a job and a safe place to stay," I tell him.

He audibly sighs. "I can't, Ollie. Your father would destroy me if I did that."

"Edie, please, I promise it'll be just a few days. And he doesn't need to know," I plead, hoping for his cooperation.

"You know him better than anyone, Olivia. Your father would leave me without clients overnight. You know his influence over everyone here," Edie responds, revealing his dilemma.

I just nod, shaking my head. "All right!" I drop the bag on the floor to remove the ring from my finger that he gave me a few days ago. "This belongs to you. I would never be a good wife for you, Edie. I would never fit into that stupid standard that you insist on maintaining in this town."

"Olivia, I..." Edie begins, but I cut him off.

"Until we meet again, Edie!" I interrupt, already feeling the weight of the impending departure.