Chapter 2

Chloe

  I’d just made the greatest mistake of my life, I stomped my feet on the floor repeatedly as I held the pregnancy test kit I’d gone to get because I’d missed my period for over a week. I was patiently waiting for the result when I saw what shook me.

Double lines? I really am pregnant, I disposed of the pregnancy test and tore out the second one I had bought and peed over it, while praying this one brings one line.

I paced about my room, I knew I was pregnant but I wasn’t just ready to admit it.

As expected, this second one also brought forth two lines.

I’m no longer a kid and I know what pregnancy symptoms are, but how did I? I usually make sure I take my pills after sex.

I was lost in my thoughts already when it clicked, I now remember how it happened.

I’m pregnant and it was a result of a one night stand?!

I remembered that night at the club, we danced and then he suggested we get out of there. I was getting a little bit tipsy already and we soon got somewhere.

I’d thought he wore a condom, I paced about my room as I tried to remember but I got nothing.

Did he wear a condom? I wasn’t even sure.

He was the only one I’d had sex with since that night and I’d thought he wore a condom, I have no way of contacting him, I’d fucked a stranger and now I’m carrying his baby.

The chills I felt when it dawned on me was overwhelming, I felt goosebumps all over my body and my eyes soon started to turn cloudy.

I’m doomed.

I have no way to take good care of myself yet let alone a child. I'm too young to have a baby, I couldn’t possibly have a baby I can’t take care of.

I had plans, lots of plans, I still wanted to further my education, I wanted to get a job, my dream place, apartment, I wanted to be able to afford things without getting worried but now with a baby in the picture? It’s highly impossible.

I kept pacing around as I thought about all the plans I had, I didn’t even see myself getting married or being a mother yet!

My warm room soon turned cold as I panicked. How was I going to take care of myself and my baby, I will now become a disappointment to parents that already think of me as one.

The wedding is a week away and I’m carrying a bastard child. I have a baby growing in my womb, a baby I don’t know who his father is!

I played with my fingers, an act I do whenever I was anxious or scared, picking my finger to my lips, I started biting my nails as tears trickled down my eyes.

What was I going to say to my father, mother and my supposed husband and his family? I made my way as quickly as I could back to the trash can as I picked up the pregnancy test stick.

I stared at it for a while and dropped it back into the trash, I’d thought a miracle would happen and somehow the test would turn back negative.

But it was still positive, it remained that way.

    ‘How accurate are PT strips/sticks?’

I typed into g****e and crossed my fingers as I hoped I’d get an answer that would calm me down, I scrolled through all 1,987 answers and I finally found one that claimed PTs to be inaccurate sometimes.

I decided I was going with that but with the two sticks staring at me like it was a living thing and the way I felt now, I knew it was 100% accurate.

For the umpteenth time, I am pregnant.

I picked up my phone with shaky hands as I went through my call log, I found my best friend’s number and without wasting a lot of time, I clicked on it immediately.

She picked up after the third ring, “Hello.” She called into the phone and my voice failed me.

Everything I’d wanted to say got stuck in my throat as hot tears streamed down my face, I sobbed and sniffed before trying again to speak but still, nothing.

“What is going on, Chloe? Where are you?” She asked and I could hear the panic and worry in her voice.

“H... home.” I managed to let out as I dropped the call, falling on my bed and burying my face into my pillow, I let myself cry as hard as I could.

I didn’t know I’d fallen asleep until the knock on my room door jolted me awake.

I sluggishly made my way to the door and peeped to see who it was. I was relieved when I saw my best friend opening the door. I pulled her inside and for a hug, she was confused but she soon relaxed in my embrace.

Patting my back and whispering “shhh” in my ear as I sobbed.

“What’s the matter, Chloe? Talk to me.” She said as we both sat on my bed, I walked back again to the trash can and was still disappointed when I saw it still had the two lines on it.

Not saying a word, I handed it to her and her eyes widen, they looked like they were going to fall out of her skull.

“You’re pregnant?!” She screamed before covering her mouth with her palm, cautioning herself even though there was no one around, “you’re pregnant?” She asked again but this time in a whisper.

I nodded reluctantly and she gasped, “what? When? Where? How?” She hit me with a lot of questions that I had no idea which to answer first.

Summoning my courage and deciding to have a little fun, I decided I was going to answer all.

“What? I’m pregnant. When? I don’t know. Where? I have no fucking idea. How? I had sex, the fuck.” I groaned as I fell back on my bed again, already exhausted.

“Do you know who the father is?” She asked and I shook my head negatively, I told her I had no idea who it was but I haven’t had sex with anyone since the stranger at the club.

“What do you mean you don’t know if he wore a condom or not?” She asked and I was unable to answer, “what are you? 16? Why couldn’t you tell?” She added and I buried my face in my palm with a groan.

“I was drunk, I didn’t know.” I was crying already as I thought about it all again.

She moved closer to me and placed her arm around my shoulders as she tried to console me in the best way she could, it wasn’t working but I appreciated her help.

“Whatever decision you choose to make with this baby, I am with you a hundred percent,” she started saying, “do you want an abortion?” She asked and I lifted my head up at once.

My countenance told her that that was definitely out of it, I’d never thought of an abortion and I still didn’t want to think of it.

“Okay, no abortions,” she let out after staring at me for a while, “what do you want to do then?” She asked again and as usual, I shook my head.

I had no idea what I wanted to do but I know I’m not terminating this baby, I wanted to keep it even though I knew I had no way to take care of it aside with my parents help.

“That’s it!” I beamed and my best friend stared at me like I was crazy.

My parents, I know how they’d take it but I needed to try, I’m going to tell them about it.

My mind was made up and after staying with me for a while, my best friend left.

I walked to the dining table with all of the courage I’d mustered, I already told them I needed to talk to them and they were already waiting when I got there.

At least now I won’t have to get into the arranged marriage now that I’m pregnant, I thought as I prepared myself to speak.

“I’m pregnant.” I spoke like I had something hot in my mouth and I didn’t miss the disappointed look on mothers face as my father let out a kid laugh, he probably thinks I was joking.

“Pregnant?” He said amidst laughs and unable to argue, I handed him the test result so he could see for himself, he passed it over to my mother who gasped as it dropped from her hand.

“What have you done?” My father asked as they both proceeded to scold me, reminding me of the huge disappointment to the family I am and how all I ever think about is to ruin their good reputation.

“Who’s the father? It definitely has one, right?” My mother demanded and I didn’t have the heart to tell her, I didn’t even know his name.

She knew my answer when she saw my reaction and I could tell she was even more heartbroken than when I’d just broken the news of my pregnancy.

They didn’t take it easy with me and, unable to stand it, I hurriedly walked to my room and buried myself under my thick duvet, crying.

The knock on my door woke me and I winced when my room was unusually bright. I checked the time and it was 9:00am, I’d just had an unusually long hour of sleep.

I opened the door to find my father still disappointed as he looked me up and down, if looks could kill I would probably be dead by now.

“You don’t have to come here and remind me about my unfortunate life—”

“We’re having a meeting with the Benjamins, we’re telling them about the pregnancy and calling the wedding off.” He interrupted me.

“What?” I asked like I didn’t get the clear message, but not replying, my father walked out on me, leaving me at the door.

The week was agonizing for me especially with my father bringing up his disappointment about my pregnancy and every other thing I did.

It was the most horrible week anyone could have and I was surprised I didn’t give in to my suicidal thoughts.

I dressed up and applied a lot of foundation on my eye-bag that was as a result of lack of sleep and lots of tears.

Composing myself properly, I made my way to the conference room where I’d break my news of being pregnant and my father would call the wedding off.

I walked in and time froze as I stared into the eyes of this man, the devil himself.

It was him, the reason my whole family was disappointed in me.