CHAPTER FOUR: Disowned by Her Father
1220 Words
“No way. This can’t be happening,’’ Stella whispered to herself with her eyes on the pregnancy test. Two pink lines stared at her from the screen, there was no mistaking the result.
They trembled in her hands as she groped for another test. Perhaps, the first one was wrong. It had to be.
But the second test was carried out and it also gave the same result. The third and the fourth.
Stella collapsed in the bathroom and fell on the floor, as she was unable to think what she had just found out. “I am pregnant, and the baby belongs to a stranger,” she exclaimed, “Oh my god, what shall I do now?”
She fumbled for her phone and with shaking hands dial the only person that she could turn to.
“Hello?” A cheerful voice that belonged to Megan responded to her.
“Meg, I. . . I need help,” Stella said crying, barely controlling herself.
“Stella?” Mega looked troubled, “Are you alright?”
“I am pregnant, Meg. All the tests are out,” she said.
Both of them froze for a second. Then Megan said something, her tone was calm but assertive. “Alright, do not worry, we will solve this issue. Have you considered, well, not keeping it?”
Stella bit her lip. “I don’t know. I’m scared…”
“Hey, if you really want it gone, I can render some assistance, you know, I will send you some money, your parents never have to know. ”
“I. . . I can't. What if something goes wrong? I could die, Meg.” Stella replied.
Megan sighed. “I understand that but you have to consider it Seriously, it could transform your life. ”
“I know… I should have never done this… God, I am such an i***t. ”
“You stop saying that it is not all your fault, you know Oscar is an i***t as well. ”
Stella wiped her eyes. “Yes. I just don’t know how to locate him. ”
Megan let her know that thinking about Oscar is not the solution– “Forget about him, we need to concentrate on you right now, what are you going to do?”
Stella then sighed and shut her eyes to utter her last statement. “What if…I think I need to explain myself to my parents?”
“Are you sure? They might freak out. ”
“They are going to discover it one day anyway. ” It is better to inform them now, right?”
“Okay. If that’s what you want. Just. . . be prepared. They might not take it well. ” Said Megan.
Stella nodded although Megan was not able to see her. “I know. Thanks Meg, I don’t know how I would survive this without you. ”
“That’s what we are friends for.” “Call me after, okay? No matter what happens.”
“I will. Bye Meg. ”
Stella then hung up and looked at herself in the mirror. She almost did not recognize herself in the mirror, she was so pale and scared.
The rest of the day was incredibly tedious and she had to wait for it to end impatiently. Stella repeats the actual statement to her parents, how she is going to deliver the statement, and how her parents would respond to it. She tried to occupy herself with a book but all the letters on the page seemed to float in front of her. She turned on the television set but could not afford to concentrate on any of the shows.
She became more and more anxious as the hours went on. What if they threw her out? What if they never talked to her again? She considered calling Megan back, maybe asking her if she can come over to her house for a while if things get ugly. But no, she had to confront it “head on.”
Eventually, she was able to hear the door of the house open from the front.
“Stella? We’re home!” her mom said.
Stella was having serious tension in her mind as she went down the stairs. She found her mother in the kitchen packing away foodstuffs that had been purchased earlier.
“Hello sweetheart,” her father said, with a bright look on his face. “Feeling any better today?”
Stella tried to say something but was unable to as the words lodged themselves in her throat.
Her mom frowned. "Honey? What's wrong?"
“I. . . I need to tell you something,” Stella could hardly utter the words.
Her parents looked at each other in concern.
“What is it?” her dad asked, putting down the bag he was carrying.
Stella breathed in deeply. "I'm pregnant. "
The kitchen became very quiet. Her mom paled at her statement. Her dad's smile vanished.
“What did you say?” He asked in a low growl tone.
Stella had a rising feeling of a lump in her throat. “I’m so sorry I don't intentionally do this, I….,”
“Who is the father?” her mom snapped, gripping the counter of the kitchen tightly.
Stella took her gaze from her father and looked at the ground. “His name is Oscar But… I don’t really know him. ”
“How can you tell us you don’t know who slept with you?” Her dad moved closer as if that would help him hear her better.
“It was just one night. At a club, I've been trying to find him, but...”
“Enough!” her dad boomed, banging his hand on the counter-top. Stella flinched.
Her mom started crying. “Why did you behave like this irresponsibly?”
Stella looked at her, “I’m sorry,” she said again as her tears started to flow. “I made a mistake. I…”
“A mistake?” her dad was furious; his face was red with irritation. There is nothing worse than this, Stella, this is life-changing, how could you throw your future away like this?”
“I didn’t realise how I just ended up doing that!”
Her dad looked at her, sternness written all over his face and shook his head. “I still find this hard to digest, my own daughter, pregnant by some man she picked up in a club. ”
"Dad, please…”
But he cut her off, his next words like a knife to her heart, “You are a bastard, I disown you, I don't want to ever see you in this house again until you bring the man who made you pregnant. ”
Stella just stood there stunned, unable to say a word as everything she knew turned out to be a lie.
Her mom gasped. “John, you don’t really mean that!”
“I mean it?” Her dad growled. “She has made her decision, now she can pay the price.”
“Remember she is our daughter!” her mum cried, sobbing.
“Not anymore,” her dad snapped at her. He turned to Stella. “You have a few hours to pack your things and get out.”
- Writer
