Chapter 9 Pregnant

Sophia For the past week, my body had been betraying me. Every morning, the same routine played out—waking up with a churning stomach, running to the bathroom, emptying what little I had in me. It started as a nuisance, but then it became more persistent and more obvious, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Stella had been watching me carefully, her sharp eyes always following my every move, but today, she finally spoke. “Sophia, you don’t look well,” she said, feigning concern as she studied me from across the dining table. “Let’s go see a doctor.” The warmth in her tone was new. and strange at the same time, but I also knew I had to see a doctor. For a moment, I hesitated, my guard flickering. Was she actually worried about me? After all these years of indifference, was she now trying to be a mother? I wanted to believe that. I needed to believe that. So I followed her. The car ride was quiet, her hands tight on the wheel, her expression unreadable. But I ignored the unease creeping up my spine. Maybe she really was trying. Maybe, for once, I wasn’t alone. When we arrived at the hospital, Stella wasted no time. She walked straight to the front desk, flashing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Doctor Peterson, please check on my daughter. She hasn’t been feeling well for two weeks now,” she said smoothly. Daughter? The word hit me like a punch to the gut. She had never called me that before. Not once in all these years. A warmth bloomed in my chest, small and fragile, but real. Maybe things were changing. Maybe she was finally accepting me. I let myself hope, foolishly, stupidly. The doctor took my blood, then my urine, running the necessary tests while I sat in silence, trying to push away the nervousness curling inside me. I kept glancing at Stella, searching for some kind of sign that this wasn’t another one of her mind games. Then the doctor returned. His face was unreadable as he looked between the two of us. “Mrs. Parker,” he said, addressing Stella directly. “Sophia is ten weeks pregnant.” I froze, and my breath caught. Pregnant? The word rang in my ears, loud and deafening, drowning me in panic. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but my mind couldn’t form the words. Ten weeks? That meant—my heart stopped. That night. The night they drugged me. The night in that hotel room when I willingly gave my innocence to that stranger. It all came crashing back, suffocating me. I turned slowly, my hands trembling as I looked at Stella, searching for some kind of reaction—some hint of motherly concern. And that’s when I saw it. A smile. For a split second, just a fraction of a moment, she was smiling. A chill ran down my spine. But then, just as quickly as it appeared, she wiped it away, her expression twisting into feigned outrage. “Who got you pregnant?” She demanded, her voice sharp and accusing, loud enough to echo in the small room.I almost laughed. Of course. I had been stupid. She didn’t bring me here because she cared. She wasn’t concerned about me. She knew I was pregnant, and she just wanted to confirm it. My stomach churned with disgust. “Stop pretending, Stella,” I said, my voice cold, my hands curling into fists. “We both know you and your precious daughter did this.” Stella’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “How dare you accuse me of—” I cut her off. “You wanted me to be raped, didn’t you?” I hissed, stepping forward and watching the way her mask started to slip. “Seven men. That’s how much you paid for that night. But you and Sadie must have been just as high as I was because you shoved me into the wrong room. And now?” I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Now you must be thrilled that I’m pregnant.” Stella stiffened. Her eyes flickered with something—guilt, realization, maybe even fear—but it disappeared just as quickly. She knew. She knew I remembered. But instead of acknowledging it, she simply straightened her posture, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in her expensive blouse. “Forget it,” she muttered, turning towards the door. “Let’s go home. At least this wasn’t my doing after all.” Her words hit harder than any slap. She wasn’t even denying it. She didn’t care. And just like that, whatever hope I had left inside me died. The drive home was silent. Neither of us spoke. I had nothing left to say to her. But she… she was planning something. I could see it in the way her fingers tapped against the steering wheel, the way her lips curled ever so slightly like she was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When we pulled up to the villa, she barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out and rushing inside, her voice loud and dramatic. “Honey! Honey! Honey, please come outside!” Stella yelled the moment we reached home. I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. Of course. She wasn’t going to waste any time. My father, Benjamin Parker, stormed down the staircase, his brows furrowed in irritation. “Why are you yelling, woman?” And then she dropped the bomb. “Your daughter is pregnant.” My father froze. I saw tears in his eyes. For a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, he would ask if I was okay. If I needed help. But then he turned to me, his eyes filled with disgust. “How could you be so careless?” His voice was sharp, filled with rage. “Sleeping with a man at your age? Do you have no shame?” I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him that I didn’t choose this, that it was his wife and stepdaughter who had done this to me. But it wouldn’t have mattered. He had already made up his mind. “Get out of my house.” His words were final. Cold. I gasped, my throat tightening. “Dad, please—”