Chapter two

It was hard, it was hard for my life to return back to normal. Hell it was impossible especially now that I woke up feeling like absolute crap. My head was pounding, and my stomach churned in that way where you just *know* something is wrong. I sat up slowly, hoping the dizziness would fade, but it didn’t. Instead, it lingered, reminding me of the mistake I made just weeks ago. The night I let my guard down with a stranger, something I never thought I’d do.

Groaning, I leaned against the headboard, staring at the clock. I should’ve been at work an hour ago, but I couldn’t even think straight. Last night, I was just fine, but this morning…something felt different. Off.

Dragging myself out of bed, I stumbled toward the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. Maybe I was just coming down with something. It had been a stressful few months—my breakup with Adam, finding out he’d been cheating on me, and now, feeling completely lost after a reckless decision to sleep with someone I didn’t even know.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the memory, but that nagging feeling in my gut wouldn’t go away. As I reached for my toothbrush, a sudden wave of nausea hit me, hard. I barely made it to the toilet before everything came back up.

“What the hell?” I muttered, clutching the sink as I wiped my mouth. This wasn’t normal. I hadn’t eaten anything weird, and it wasn’t like I had been partying or anything. Then, it hit me.

No, it couldn’t be. I couldn’t *possibly* be...

I stumbled back into my room, heart racing. The thought crept in slowly, but once it was there, I couldn’t shake it. My period. When was the last time? I mentally counted the days, feeling the blood drain from my face.

It was late. Really late. I was

I felt my chest tighten, and my hands shook as I rummaged through my drawers, pulling out a box of pregnancy tests I’d bought months ago “just in case.” My heart pounded in my ears as I took the test, trying to calm myself down.

Minutes passed, but it felt like an eternity. I paced the bathroom floor, unable to look at the test yet, terrified of what it might say.

Finally, I gathered the courage and glanced down.

Two lines.

Two damn lines.

I stared at it, my brain refusing to accept what I was seeing. Pregnant? How could I be pregnant? My mind raced, replaying that night over and over again. I hadn’t even thought about it at the time. It was all a blur of passion and emotion, a moment of weakness after a heartbreak I hadn’t fully processed. And now this?

I sank to the floor, the weight of it all crashing down on me. Pregnant. I was pregnant with a stranger’s baby.

I took a deep breath, my head spinning as I tried to make sense of everything. I hadn’t planned for this. I hadn’t *wanted* this. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn’t even process it fully. The nausea hit me again, but this time, it wasn’t just physical. It was the overwhelming fear of the unknown.

Silver was the first person that came to mind. I needed to talk to her, but how could I even begin to explain this? She’d ask who the father was, and I’d have to admit that I didn’t even know his name.

I closed my eyes, fighting back tears. This wasn’t how my life was supposed to go. I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I wasn’t ready for any of this.

But like it or not, I was about to face the biggest decision of my life.

I picked up my phone, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through the contacts. There was only one person I could call, someone who’d understand—or at least, someone who wouldn’t judge me for being such a mess.

“Silver?” I croaked out, my voice barely above a whisper. “Can you come over?”

Her reply was instant. “On my way.”

It didn’t take long before I heard a knock at the door. Silver let herself in, like she always did. Her tall frame filled the doorway as she rushed to my side, her eyes scanning my face for any sign of what was wrong. Without a word, she sat beside me on the couch and pulled me into her arms, petting my hair in that soothing way she always had when I was upset.

“Talk to me, Neri,” she said softly, her voice filled with concern. “What’s going on?”

I wanted to speak, but the words caught in my throat. I didn’t know how to tell her everything, how to explain the whirlwind of emotions that had me feeling like I was on the verge of breaking.

“I miss him,” I finally muttered, my voice shaky and small.

“Who?” she asked, confusion flickering across her face. But when she saw my eyes welling up with tears, realization hit her. “Ryan?”

Her expression darkened immediately. Silver had never liked Ryan, not since the day we met him. She always said there was something off about him, something controlling and toxic. But I never listened. I was too blinded by the idea of love to see it.

“Nerissa,” she began, her voice firmer now. “Don’t. Don’t even *think* about going back to that loser. He never deserved you.”

“I know…” I whispered, but it didn’t make the pain go away. “I just feel so…lost.”

I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. They came rushing down like a dam had burst inside me, and I sobbed into Silver’s shoulder. Every bad decision, every regret, every ounce of self-loathing poured out in those tears. My life wasn’t supposed to turn out like this.

Silver held me tighter, her voice softer now. “You’re going through a rough time, but you’re stronger than this, Neri. Ryan doesn’t get to define you. None of this does.”

But it didn’t feel like that. Not right now. I felt like my world was crashing down, and I had no idea how to rebuild it.