Novel Square
8
New York, Mia
My eyes widened, and my heart seemed to stop beating as I stared at the shocking headline on the screen. How in the world had the media caught wind of my pregnancy? Panic surged through me as I tried to process the implications of this unexpected revelation.
It was Bella who burst into the kitchen, her face flushed with alarm, holding her phone up to show me the gossip that was spreading like wildfire across the internet. “Look at this, Mia!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling with disbelief.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
I grabbed Bella’s phone, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I read the salacious headlines and articles that were being shared across various news outlets and social media platforms. This was a nightmare unfolding before my eyes, and I had no idea how to stop it.
“What the hell, Bella!” I managed to stammer, my voice quivering with anxiety. This was far from good news, and I feared the consequences that would follow.
I knew it wouldn’t be long before my phone started ringing incessantly, and I braced myself for the inevitable confrontation with my father. Kieran had gone out to get us dinner, and I wished he were here to handle the call. I had never been my parents’ favorite child, and their disappointment in my life choices had always loomed over me.
They had disapproved of the major I had chosen in college, and in their eyes, I was a failure for not following the path of business administration and joining our family’s business empire. That’s why, after graduation, they had arranged my marriage to Gavin, who thankfully wasn’t a complete stranger and whom I genuinely liked. It had been their way of molding me into the perfect daughter they had envisioned.
With trembling fingers, I picked up the phone as it began to ring. “Hello, father,” I answered, my voice tight with trepidation.
“What do I read on the internet!” he barked immediately, bypassing any pleasantries or inquiries about my well-being.
“Sebastian Thornton!” he screamed, his anger palpable through the phone. “You’re cheating on Gavin, you whore!”
The tears welled up in my eyes, and my voice wavered as I tried to defend myself. “I’m not cheating on anyone,” I choked out, my heart heavy with the weight of my family’s expectations and judgments.
“Then what am I reading?!” My father’s voice exploded through the phone, causing me to flinch. “Don’t make me come over to slap some sense into you!”
I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the storm that was about to descend. “I divorced Gavin two months ago,” I explained, my voice steady despite the turmoil within. “He was cheating on me, Father. He has a baby on the way with another woman.”
There was a short, tense silence on the other end of the line, and I could almost feel the tension radiating through the phone. Then, a loud crash followed by the sound of shattered glass pierced the air. It was the first time in years I had heard my father lose control like this.
“What the hell, Mia!” he roared, his voice laced with anger and disbelief. “You divorced him?! And you didn’t even bother to tell me? To tell your family?!”
I closed my eyes, trying to find the right words to explain myself. “People make mistakes, Mia,” he continued, his voice a tempest of emotions. “Why would you divorce Gavin for a small mistake like that?”
The words stung like a slap in the face. Small mistake. My father called cheating a small mistake, as though it was something trivial. It was clear he didn’t understand the depth of the betrayal I had endured.
“It’s not a small mistake, Father,” I replied, my voice firm. “I couldn’t stay in a marriage built on lies and betrayal. I deserve better.”
“You think you know everything better!” My father’s voice grew louder, frustration seeping through every word. “And look at you now, knocked up! You’re such an embarrassment for this family! You’re dragging our family’s name through the mud.”
His accusations came like a barrage of artillery, each word a painful reminder of the strained relationship I had with my family. I had always felt like a disappointment, like I could never meet their expectations, and this situation only seemed to validate their disappointment in me.
“I’m sorry,” I offered, my voice trembling with a mixture of sorrow and frustration. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
My father’s anger continued to burn like a wildfire, consuming any semblance of reason or understanding. “You will get rid of that thing,” he ordered, his tone cold and unforgiving. “I will transfer money to you, and you will get rid of it.”
My heart sank at his callous demand. He was referring to the life growing inside me as if it were a mere inconvenience, something to be disposed of. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and the weight of his words threatened to crush me.
“I won’t do that, Father,” I said, my voice resolute despite the tears that welled up in my eyes. “I won’t end this pregnancy.”
The line fell into a chilling silence as my father’s anger seemed to reach its peak. I knew that I was risking further estrangement from my family, but I couldn’t let their judgment and expectations dictate my choices any longer. This was my life, and I had the right to make decisions that were in my best interest and the best interest of my child.
The conversation with my father escalated into a heated argument, with accusations flying and my pleas for understanding falling on deaf ears.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to hang up the phone, my emotions in turmoil. The tears that had been brimming behind my eyes finally spilled over, and I slumped into a chair, overwhelmed by the storm of emotions that had been unleashed.
Bella rushed over and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Mia, are you okay?” she asked, her concern evident in her eyes.
I wiped away my tears and nodded, taking a shaky breath. “I will be,” I replied, my voice steadier now. “But this is going to be a long and difficult battle. I need to protect myself and our child from this media frenzy.”