Chapter 3 Betrayed By Family

• Laughter.
• Not the kind you can laugh with. The ugly kind. The kind that burrows into your skin and stays there for weeks.
• My vision blurred. My throat burned. But I wasn’t going to let them see me cry. Not here. Not them.
• So I grabbed my bag and threw him a cold glare. “When you're ready to use your brains, you know where to find me.”
• “And if he doesn't?” Zoey retorted. “Quit acting like a hot shot, you're embarrassing yourself.”
• “I guess a paternity test will determine who is embarrassing who,” I said coldly and walked away.
• As I hurried down the halls, the tears began falling down my cheeks. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt sick of this place. Everything.
• I headed home, hoping to just sleep the pain away and think of the next step to take before my life was officially ruined.
• Little did I know that an even bigger surprise was waiting for me at home.
• At first, everything seemed normal until Denise descended the stairs. She wasn't usually home at this time.
• “I see little miss perfect finally came home,” there was a smugness I couldn't fathom on her face.
• Denise had never exactly liked me. Despite the fact that she was my big sister, she treated me no better than Zoey.
• “You didn't go to school today?” I asked her.
• “If I were you, I'd be more concerned about my myself,” she smiled and made her way to the kitchen, leaving me standing there, confused.
• I waved it off and walked to my room. I crashed on the bed, thinking of how quickly my life was falling apart.
• Hours later, at the normal time when I was supposed to be back from school, my parents came home. It was unlike them to return so early. I just had this sick feeling in my stomach.
• The front door slammed shut downstairs.
• I sat up immediately.
• Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway, and I heard my mom’s voice first.
• “Where is she?” she asked someone. Probably Denise.
• “She got back hours ago. She’s been in her room,” Denise replied, and there was a smug lilt in her tone that made my skin crawl.
• My bedroom door burst open before I had the chance to brace myself.
• My father walked in first. Jaw locked. His face was unreadable, but that was almost worse than anger. Then came my mother, and the look on her face? That was pure fire.
• “I got a very interesting phone call today,” she said, holding up her phone like it was some kind of evidence. “Would you care to explain this?”
• I blinked at the screen she shoved in my face. It was a video.
• Of me.
• At school.
• Holding the test.
• Screaming about being pregnant.
• Phones flashing. Crowd cheering. Zoey yelling. Williams just standing there.
• The entire humiliating moment, now immortalized on the internet.
• It already had thousands of views.
• I felt the blood drain from my face. How did they get that?
• “M-Mom, I was going to tell you…”
• “You were going to tell me?” she repeated, voice trembling. “Were you going to tell me before or after the entire state knew? Before or after the PTA meeting next week where I have to look those people in the eye and smile like my daughter’s name isn’t being dragged through the mud?”
• I swallowed hard, throat aching.
• “Who is it?” my father finally spoke. His voice was terrifyingly low. “Who’s the boy?”
• My hands were shaking now. “It was… It’s… Williams. But…”
• “Williams,” my mom cut in with a disbelieving laugh, hands on her hips. “The one we let sleep over here on game nights? The one you swore was ‘different’? That Williams?”
• I nodded. Shame heating my cheeks.
• “And he’s denying it?” my father asked.
• “He said, he’s trying to say it’s not his. That I…I made it up.”
• “Jesus Christ.” My mother turned away, her hands going through her hair. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to yourself, to your future? Our reputation?”
• “I didn’t plan this!” I snapped, feeling the tears rising again. “I’m not some scheming girl trying to trap a boy! I loved him. I thought he… he loved me too…”
• But they weren’t listening anymore.
• And then the final blow.
• “Oh, she planned it alright,” Denise said, leaning against my doorway, sipping a glass of juice like this was some primetime show. “Why else would she parade the test around school like a trophy? Please, she’s been craving attention ever since cheer season ended.”
• “Denise, shut up!” I barked.
• “No,” she said, sauntering into my room. “You always act like you're better than everyone else. But now? Now you're just the girl who got dumped, humiliated, and pregnant in the middle of the cafeteria. Congratulations. You're officially the family disappointment. To think mom and dad invested so much in you like the rest of us were nothing only for you to turn out like this…”
• “Enough!” my dad snapped.
• But the damage was done.
• My chest was heaving, tears falling freely now.
• “I didn’t plan it,” I choked. “I swear I didn’t mean…”
• “Shut up,” she snapped. “We don’t want to hear about love or accidents or whatever fantasy you’ve written in that head of yours.”
• “I was going to tell you. I was going to…”
• “Well, now you don’t have to,” Denise called sweetly from the hallway. “I saved you the trouble, didn't I?”
• So she was the one who sent them the video. I lunged toward the door, but Mom blocked me.
• “You’re going to fix this,” she said, her voice now eerily calm. “You’re going to call the clinic tomorrow. You’re going to make an appointment. And you’re going to handle this quietly.”
• The floor tilted beneath me.
• “What?”
• Dad crossed his arms. “You’re getting an abortion. Either that or I am going to disown you.”