A sham

life had grown almost unbearable for Lila and Noah. Though they’d married for love, Lila’s family saw Noah as a poor man with little to offer.

Her uncles and aunts, clinging to traditional beliefs, resented her choice and rejected the man she’d chosen. The news of Lila’s pregnancy, far from bringing them joy, only heightened their anger.

They pressured her relentlessly, insisting that if she continued with this marriage and pregnancy, she would disgrace the family. In their eyes, the only way to salvage the situation was to terminate the pregnancy, seek forgiveness, and end her life with Noah.Exhausted and torn, Lila and Noah felt their love pushed to its breaking point.

Their only solace lay in the hope of finding sanctuary somewhere, a safe place where they could find guidance and possibly acceptance. They turned to the local Catholic church, believing that the priest there might understand their struggle. The priest, a European missionary named Father Francis, was known in the community for his conservative views and strict adherence to church tradition. Desperate for some kind of support, they entered the dimly lit church office, with Lila clinging to a hope that her prayers might be answered.

Father Francis listened to their story with an unreadable expression, taking in their situation and the distress in Lila’s eyes. After a long silence, he spoke in a grave tone.

" I understand the burden you are carrying,” he began, his voice heavy with authority. “But you cannot expect God’s blessing upon this child without first setting things right. You are living outside the rules of the Church.

I cannot offer you refuge here unless you agree to correct your mistakes.”Confused, Noah asked what he meant, and Father Francis explained that for them to receive the Church’s support, they would need to first “cleanse” themselves by agreeing to terminate the pregnancy. “

After that,” he continued,

“I will conduct a proper wedding for you, and then, perhaps, you can start again ,this time with the Church’s blessing.”Lila’s heart sank. She had hoped for compassion, for understanding, and instead she felt condemned, pushed even further into despair. She looked over at Noah, searching his eyes for any hint of direction, but he too seemed lost. Their last hope for refuge was slipping away. The weight of Father Francis’s words hung over them as they left the church in silence, feeling more alone than ever.

That night, after hours of tearful discussions, they made the difficult decision to follow through with the procedure. They felt they had no other choice; the family’s pressure, the priest’s conditions, and their isolation had become unbearable.