Chapter 35
18–year–old Emily’s POV
Nine years ago
Two months later, I found out I was pregnant, and the weight of that secret crushed me from the inside out. The last two months had been nothing short of hell.
Everyone believed that I was the one who had seduced Keith, that I was some kind of home–wrecking slut. The whispers, the judgmental stares, the blatant revulsion from people I had known my entire life–it all became too much to bear.
I decided that I couldn’t stay. I packed my things in secret, trying to make as little noise as possible. My father had already changed his will, cutting me off from the trust fund that had once been my safety net.
I would leave with nothing but the money I’d saved from part–time jobs over the years, which was barely enough to get by. But I didn’t care. I just wanted to escape, to start over somewhere where no one knew my name.
Just as I was about to slip out the door, my mother walked in. Her eyes immediately fell on the pregnancy test I had foolishly left on the bed. I saw the realization dawn on her face, followed by an expression of sheer horror.
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“Whose is it?” she demanded, her voice cold and sharp like a knife.
I panicked and lied. “It’s someone else’s. It’s not Keith’s,” I stammered, desperate to make her believe me. But I could see the doubt in her eyes.
“You’re lying,” she spat, her voice filled with contempt. “You’re trying to steal Keith’s child and claim it as your own. I won’t let you ruin his life any further.” She locked me in my room, convinced that I was a threat to Keith and Lily’s future.
“Please, Mom, you have to believe me,” I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. “I would never do that. Just let me go, and I’ll leave. You’ll never have to see me again.”
But my mother didn’t pay any heed, her cold eyes piercing through me as she turned away, leaving me trapped. I knew I had to get out somehow–I couldn’t let them take my baby away.
That night, as the house fell silent, I took a deep breath and made my move. I grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it against the window, the glass shattering with a sharp crash. The sound echoed through the night, but I didn’t care.
Ignoring the sting of the glass slicing into my palms, I hoisted myself through the broken window, every instinct screaming at me to move faster. My feet hit the ground, and I took off, the cold night air biting at my skin.
My heart pounded in my chest as I raced down the street, my bloodied hands leaving a trail behind me. I didn’t dare look back, fear pushing me
Chapter 33
forward with every step.
But then, just as I thought I might have escaped, headlights flashed behind me. A car screeched to a halt, and I felt my stomach drop. Keith stepped out, his face a mixture of anger and confusion as he rushed toward me.
“Why are you running, Emily?” he demanded, grabbing my arm to stop me. “Why are you doing this?”
“The baby isn’t yours,” I lied again, trying to pull away from him. “Just let me go.”
Keith’s grip tightened, and he shook his head, as if trying to make sense of my words. “Don’t lie to me,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “I know the truth, Emily. I know that night was your first time. The blood on the sheets told me everything.”
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. He knew. He had known all along. There was no escaping now.
“The child is mine, isn’t it?” Keith continued, his voice
o as he
looked at me with something that almost resembled pity. “You can’t raise this child in the chaos you’ve created. It’s not safe.”
“I don’t want your pity, Keith,” I snapped, but my voice wavered with the tears I was fighting to hold back. “I just want to be left alone.”
Keith didn’t respond right away. He simply looked at me, his ga
gaze
Chapter 35
piercing through every lie I had told, every wall I had tried to build
around myself. “You have done enough damage,” he finally said, his tone. firm. “You’re coming back with me, now.”
Before I could protest, he took me by the arm and led me back to the house. My mother was waiting at the door, her face a mask of satisfaction. I knew then that there was no escaping this. I was trapped.
Within days, arrangements were made. There was no grand wedding, no celebration–just a hurried ceremony that felt more like a punishment than
a union.
The courtroom was cold and impersonal, a stark contrast to the warm weddings I had once dreamed of. As I stood there reciting vows that felt hollow, the weight of the room pressed down on me.
My parents stood off to the side, their faces a mask of disappointment. Keith’s parents were there too, their expressions hardened with disdain. The judge’s voice droned on, but all I could focus on were the judgmental eyes around me. I caught snippets of hushed whispers that cut through the air like knives.
“She’s just a whore, trapping him like this,” one voice sneered. “She’s ruined his life. He deserves better,” another muttered.
I tried to block out their words, but they echoed in my mind, amplifying my shame. My heart ached as I held onto the wilting bouquet, my hands trembling. Keith stood beside me, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed straight ahead, avoiding my gaze.
Chapter 35
There was no warmth in his touch, no comfort–just a shared sense of obligation that neither of us wanted. The disgust in the room clung to me like a second skin.
When it was over, the judge pronounced us husband and wife, but it felt more like a sentence. The small gathering dispersed quickly, the disapproval still lingering in the air. As I walked out of the courtroom, the cold hit me, and I realized I was now bound to a man who didn’t love me, surrounded by people who despised me.
The loneliness was overwhelming, and as I looked down at the simple ring on my finger, I knew this was just the beginning of a life I had never wanted.
But even as I left, I clung to a tiny shred of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Keith would see me differently after we were married. Maybe he would fall in love with me, and we could raise our child in a loving home.
But I didn’t know it then, Keith would soon make me break down in ways I could never have imagined.
