Chapter 1

• Anabelle stood still for two seconds as she stared at the bright red two lines on the pregnancy kit in her hand, pregnant, she was pregnant, her world was over. How could that be? She only did it once and it was her first time and she landed with pregnancy?
• Tears filled her eyes as a cry wrenched from her lips, what would happen to her now?
• She was just an intern and has not even graduated from university, she has only her mother who works her ass off just to see her through school and she ended up pregnant
• She has been impregnated by a man who doesn't even know her. A man who threw a cheque at her face and asked her to leave after taking her virginity
• A knock sounded on her door, "Anabelle, are you okay?" Her mother's voice sounded and she quickly shove the pregnancy kit away, she was not ready to tell her mother just yet
• "I...I... I'm fine mom" she answered in a shaky voice
• "Come downstairs, I need you to go to the grocery" her mother's voice echoed
• She will have to find a way to tell her mother about the pregnancy.
• (One week later)
• "Mom, I have something to tell you"
• Anabelle shivered mom'sher mom strict eyes met her face
• "You are so pale Anabelle, are you sick?" Her mother asked as she frowned impatiently
• Elizabeth Gideon seldom have time for her daughter, she does all kind of odd job just to put food on the table and send Anabelle to school, it was just the two of them and Anabelle don't even know who her father was as her mother never spoke about him, she always have hope that one day, Anabelle would finish her studies, get a job and take up responsibility in the family
• "What is it Ana, spill, I have to go to Mrs Jones house to do their cleaning, God knows we could use the money" her mother frowned impatiently when Ana didn't say anything else
• Anabelle took a deep breath and let out the bomb
• "I'm pregnant mom"
• A second ticked by, then two, the silence in the room was deafening
• "What did you just say?" Her mother whispered and Anabelle shivered at her tone
• "I.. I'm pregnant mom" she repeated
• Slap! Her mother's palm connected to her cheek
• "How dare you?" Her mother's voice dripped with so much rage
• "Who is the father" Her mother asked coldly and Anabelle flinched,
• No! the father of her child must not be disclosed, Anabelle was still reeling from the hurt of his spurn, it was better that no one knows him
• "I said who is the father?" Her mother yelled and Anabelle shivered
• "I don't know" tears streamed down her cheeks as she replied to her mother
• Slap! Slap! Her mother's hand connected her cheek again but this time, it was both cheeks, her whole body shook with rage
• "How could you be pregnant? Do you know how I toil day and night just to put food on the table and send you to school? And all you can do is to get pregnant?" Her mother, Elizabeth Gideon fumed
• "How could you be such a disappointment?"
• "I'm sorry mother" that was all Anabelle could say, she knew she had disappointed her mum, damn, she felt even disappointed in herself
• "You obviously do not value my hard work, now, go in there, pack your things and leave" her mother's tone was cold and she pointed at the door
• Shock reverberated through Anabelle and her eyes widened as she stared at her mother, she cannot possibly kick her out with pregnancy right? How would she survive? She has no money and nowhere to go, not even a relative, the only one she had was her mother.
• Quickly, she went on her knees and grabbed her mother's legs, tears were flowing down her cheeks
• "B...but where do I go mother? Please, don't kick me out"
• "I don't care, since you did not care how I was suffering for your sake, why should I care about where you will go?"
• "Please mom... don't do this to me, please forgive me, I need you more than ever mother? I know I have disappointed you but I ask you to forgive me"
• Her mother pushed her off her legs, her voice filled with scorn as she glared at Anabelle
• "If you think having a child is so easy and sweet, why don't you go and do it on your own, I have toiled for you, go do the same for your child"
• "No, mother, I can't do this alone, please forgive me" she tried once more to knee at her mother's feet but her mother swiftly moved away
• It was beginning to sink in that her mother meant every word and Anabelle's body shook with fear, she would definitely die out there without her mother's help
• "mother please"
• "I said get the hell out of here" her mother strode to Anabelle's room and put the few clothes she has in a bag and came right back, "I don't want to see your face again, you are nothing but a disappointment" her mother said and threw the bag at her
• "This is few cents, I am kind enough to give it to you, now leave, I won't keep a daughter that is so disappointing in my house" her mother dragged her out of the house and shut the door against her
• Anabelle banged at the door until her hand hurts, she cried until her voice croaked but her mother did not bulge, sniffing, she picked up the small bag which contained her clothes and wandered off
• Great! Now she is pregnant and homeless all thanks to Hazel De Valle.
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• [SIX YEARS LATER]
• "Happy birthday sweetheart" Ana said as she kissed her son's sleepy face and his eyes snapped opened
• "Mom, I'm five years old today, you promised to get me a cool gift on my fifth year birthday"
• Anabelle laughed as she stroke her son's head, "of course I did and you will get it but for now, I have to be at the office, I promised to come back early for your birthday, now, hop, hop to the bathroom" she tickled her son who laughed and skidded to the bathroom"
• She smiled as she watched run off. Her son Melvin looked like his father, his gray eyes was testament that Hazel De Valle was his father.
• Years ago, she was shattered at the news of her pregnancy. She was just twenty one then and thought that the world had come to her end but right now, her son is the source of her joy and she would give absolutely anything for him.
• She had no regret keeping that pregnancy even though it took a lot from her
• Soon, Melvin was dressed and she took to her friend, Stella who lives just next street from hers.
• Stella was Melvin's Godmother and she adores him, she had helped Anabelle in her lowest moments.
• Anabelle had slept on the street after leaving her mother's house, she had looked for stores that were closed for the day and hurdles beside them to sleep.
• She had begged to have food on her table while searching for a job.
• She washed dishes and did laundry but still the money she had earned was never enough to rent her a house, it could barely feed her and her unborn child.
• On one of those days, she had slept outside a small shop that was closed down and the owner of the shop came early before she could wake up, the owner was Stella, she had pitied the pregnant lady and had taken her in but Stella parents refused to harbor a stranger and would not let her in, so, Stella let her sleep in her shop and their friendship blossomed, now they are more like sisters than friends.
• Stella had taken Anabelle off the street when she got married to a photographer and moved out of her parents house
• Now Stella is happily married with a baby girl who Melvin adores and sees as his little sister.
• Soon after, Anabelle was able to save a little from doing odd jobs and with the help of Stella's husband, Eric, she got a job in a small firm as an office messenger.
• Although the pay wasn't much, it was enough to pay her rent and put food on her table so she moved out of Stella's house to where she now lives.
• She kissed her son goodbye and quickly rushed off, her boss is someone very strict and she wouldn't want to get into trouble with him.
• *******************************************
• "I want to give my mummy a present on my birthday, I want it to be a surprise for her when she get back"
• Stella raised her brow at Melvin, "really? What do you want to give her?"
• "This" Melvin replied and whipped out a flier
• Stella frowned at the flier and frowned, "Is that not Hazel De Valle and his fiancee?"
• "My mum is a fan of Ms. Joelle Viscount, she makes sure to listen to all of her music and always buy any newspaper that has Hazel De Valle or Joelle Viscount"
• "So, what gift do you want to give your mum then? Do you want to give her that flier?"
• Melvin shook his head, "Hazel De Valle is going to commission a new project here and he is coming with Ms. Joelle, I want to get their autographs for mom"
• "That's so thoughtful of you" Stella replied and collected the flier from him, the address where the commissioning would take place was not that far from her place
• "Please" Melvin begged, thinking that her prolonged silence meant she was going to turn her down
• Stella stared at those piercing gray eyes and for the millionth time, wondered who Melvin's father was, her friend had never spoken about the father of her child and she hadn't pressed, those eyes would certainly be that of his father because Anabelle's eyes were calm turquoise.
• "Alright Melvin, let's go, although, the place will be crowded so, you kids have to stick close to me at all times"
• Melvin yipped in joy, he had taken one of his mother's pictures, he will have them sign on it. He could not wait to present her picture signed by her favorite actress to her. His mother will be very happy.