Chapter 6.

Chapter 6

Sophia sat on her bed, staring blankly at the antique mirror. The sun shone through her curtains, creating shadows in her room. She tried to figure out her feelings by studying her reflection. She felt her hands shaking while she attempted to put her hair up in a tidy bun. The tiredness she felt these days made even the smallest tasks seem as difficult as moving a heavy rock.

 Recently, she noticed that any little task did would wear her down physically, and the queasiness she had been feeling for a while now had turned into a constant wave, hitting her unexpectedly. 

Eleanor Montgomery always the vigilant mother had noticed the changes. "Sophia, are you okay? You seem a bit off today," her mother gentle but firm voice had asked her during breakfast. Sophia had felt nervous when she heard the question, She forced a smile, her lips tight, and nodded, brushing it off as stress from church activities and the pressures of her volunteering Jobs. But her mother stared at her intently, looking worried and feeling like something was wrong.

 That night, when Sophia was alone in her room, she couldn't stop thinking about her mother's concerned expression. She felt anxious as she looked at her laptop, the screen shining in the dim room. She paused before typing her symptoms into the search bar, each key press sounding ominous. Nausea, tiredness, dizziness—all signs pointed to a scary outcome. 

As she read through the articles, her heart raced and she took quick, shallow breaths. The word "Pregnancy" appeared on the screen, filling her with fear. Sweat formed on her forehead, and her hands trembled so much that she had to shut the laptop, not able to confront the reality on the screen.

The next day, Sophia was determined to be sure of things. Even though she was scared of what might happen, she knew she had to get some confirmation. She lied to her parents, that she was going to a youth group meeting at church, her voice steady despite the storm brewing within. 

Nate suggested driving her, but she said declined saying she wanted to walk to help her think. She didn't want him to know where she was really going. 

The pharmacy was far from their house, tucked away in a part of the city she wasn't as familiar with. Sophia felt nervous as she grabbed the pregnancy test off the shelf, her heart pounding in her chest. The cashier, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, scanned the item silently, but the disapproving look she gave Sophia made her cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

 Sophia paid hurriedly, avoiding eye contact as if hoping to disappear. Then she went to her room and locked the door. She sat on her bed, looking at the small box in her hand. It seemed like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode and, about to ruin everything in her life. Downstairs, she could her mother was talking to the housemaid, and Nathaniel was laughing with Victoria.

 However, all the sounds she knew well felt far away and separate, as if they belonged to a world she was no longer a part of. Sophia had to remind herself to calm down as she awkwardly opened the box. She carefully followed the directions with numb precision, her hands moving mechanically like someone else was guiding them. The wait was so hard to handle. It felt like time was moving so slowly as she remembered her strict upbringing—lessons about staying pure, her mom cautioning her about doing wrong, and the pressure from her family. And when she saw the test result, everything fell apart for her. Two pink lines appeared on the test, indicating a positive result.

 Overwhelmed with emotion, she cried to so much that she felt the room spinning as she sat down on the floor. Fear gripped her heart as she knew her life has been changed forever. 

Over the next days went by quickly, she tried to stay away from her family because she felt guilty and ashamed. She couldn't eat much because just thinking about food made her feel sick. Every morning and evening during prayers, she prayed for forgiveness and guidance, but all she sensed was a quiet void that seemed to tease her requests.

 Alexander Sinclair was always on her mind, but the thought of confessing to him scared her. Would he even be interested? Would he ignore her worries, like he always did with things that were important to her? Sophia couldn't handle it by herself anymore, so she decided to meet Alexander in a quiet park away from anyone that could see them. 

The park was peaceful, with only a few people jogging past, focused on their own thoughts. Sophia got there early and walked back and forth near a bench by a big oak tree. The wind made the leaves rustle above her, but it didn't help her nervousness. When Alexander showed up, he still had his usual strong presence. He walked over to her looking relaxed, with his hands in his pockets and his phone in his hand. "You wanted to chat?" he inquired, showing his slight annoyance at being bothered. Sophia found it hard to speak. She found it hard to speak when she saw his unfriendly attitude. He was not his usual friendly self; instead, he seemed cold and distant, which made her feel scared.

 "I... I need to tell you something important," she started, speaking softly. Alexander quickly checked the time on his watch, looking impatient. "I hope this isn't something unimportant, Sophia. I have a lot to do, you should have asked me to reschedule when I am free." Her hands tightened into fists by her sides, her nails pressing into her palms. She believed this was the moment that would make a difference.

 "I'm expecting a baby," she said suddenly, her voice shaking. There was a pause. Alexander looked at her with a cold and calculating gaze, his blue eyes unreadable. After a moment, a small smirked tucked in the corners of his. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?" he asked, sounding uninterested. Sophia felt her heart sink. "What do you mean by 'is that all'?" This is important, Alexander. We must come up with a plan."

He shrugged and looked back at his phone, showing that he was uninterested in the conversation. "It's easy. Just deal with it." "Do away with it, if you have to," he said with indifference, showing no emotion, which made Sophia feel like she had been slapped.

 "Do away with it?" she repeated in shock, her voice breaking. "You're talking about... getting an abortion?" Alexander let out a sigh, showing he was annoyed by her response. He said, "You can call it whatever you like. Just make sure it gets done." "I'm too busy for this," Sophia felt her stomach churn with worry. She couldn't understand how he could be so cruel and uncaring.

 "Can we consider... getting married?" she inquired, sounding hesitant and hopeful. "Getting married could fix things and..." Alexander suddenly burst into laughter, a chilling and mocking sound that reverberated throughout the deserted park. He interrupted Sophia, questioning her sanity for even considering marriage. "Do you really believe I would marry you just because of this? You are even more naive than I thought," As he said this, Sophia felt the ground beneath her fall away. "But... I thought we meant more to each other than just..." She stopped talking, unable to complete her sentence. 

"More than just what?" Alexander said in a scornful tone. "More than just a way to pass the time?" Oh, stop being so dramatic, Sophia. You were just a convenience, that's all. "But getting married? No way." Sophia felt her chest tighten and she struggled to breathe as she processed his words. "You didn't care at all, did you?" she quietly said, feeling the truth sink in heavily. "No, I didn't," Alexander replied coldly, looking directly at her without any regret. 

"You were simply... easy." You're just a distraction to me. I wouldn't choose to be in a serious relationship with someone like you. Sophia felt tears filling her eyes, but she stopped them from falling, not wanting him to see her cry. "How could you do this to me?"

 "How could you do this to yourself?" Alexander shot back, his tone harsh. "Don't pretend you didn't know what was going on. You were aware of everything from the beginning." Sophia felt her knees give way, so she held onto the park bench to keep herself from falling. She couldn't believe that the man she thought she loved and trusted had been deceiving her from the start. "I can't believe you," she quietly said, mostly to herself rather than to him.

Alexander felt his phone vibrate, and glanced at the screen before putting it away. "I need to leave. Don't contact me again, Sophia. We're done." He turned on his heel and walked away without a second glance, leaving her standing there, broken and alone.

His last words cut deep into her heart, "You were never good enough for me, anyway," he said with disdain as he walked away. The words stayed in the air even after he left, burning into Sophia's heart. Sophia stood still, unable to move, thinking about a million things at once. She wondered how she had gotten to this point, feeling completely betrayed and abandoned.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, bringing her back to the present moment. She quickly reached for it, feeling nervous as she saw Victoria's name on the display. "Sophia?" "Where are you its almost dinner time?" Victoria asked with concern and a hint of impatience. "Mother has been looking for you and she's really worried." "We all are." Sophia lied, struggling to keep her voice steady. "I'll be back home soon." "Alright," Victoria replied, though she didn't sound entirely convinced. "Just… don't keep us waiting too long."

As Sophia hung up the phone, the full impact of everything hit her again. She needed to go back home, see her family, and act like everything was normal. But how could she do that when her whole world had just fallen apart? The park was deserted, with the sun going down behind the trees, making long shadows on the ground. Sophia looked towards a person far away, partly hidden by the trees. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see who it was, but the person vanished quickly, making her feel uneasy. Could it be a family member? Maybe someone she didn't know was keeping an eye on her? She couldn't stop thinking about the questions without answers as she walked home, one hand on her stomach. 

As she reached the front door, her mother's voice echoed through the hall. "Sophia? Where have you been? "Sophia hesitated, the weight of her secret pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, the door closing behind her with a soft click, sealing her fate.