Chapter4
1205 Words
Tara’s POV
“She's truly pregnant”,I heard a voice say. My eyes opened heavily, adjusting to the light. Different pairs of eyes stared at me with disappointment.
I sat up sluggishly and looked at my dad, whose eyes were emitting fire at the moment.
“Thank you, Doctor, I'll walk you”, Mara said to the doctor who was ready to leave.
“You turned out to be a complete disappointment”, my dad began. Tears rolled down my eyes. I clutched the duvet for comfort, as if it would shield me from dad’s horrible words.
“Micheal, I think we should let her rest first”, Caroline said, to my surprise. Is she actually caring for me or just pretending?
“Rest? There's no rest for a complete failure. You aren't my flesh and blood”, he said, pointing at me with disgust.
I broke into fresh tears hoping he would stop.
“Dad, please”, I pleaded, but it fell on his deaf ears.
“No true daughter of mine will disgrace her own family! You better think of what to do with your life, and for your information, your sister will be getting engaged to Alex tomorrow, and you're fired!” He thundered and left angrily.
I sat in a daze trying to process what he had just said. I couldn't lose Alex. I shook my head vigorously trying to get his words out of my head. I looked up at Caroline with pleading eyes, she shook her head and left too.
Mara came in and picked up the dress and shoes.
“I suppose you won't be needing these anymore, as you're no longer Mrs Ferdinand to be”, she said and laughed wickedly.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked out of curiosity. “I've been nothing but kind to you ever since we met. Why can't you be my sister for once?”
“Let's see, why do I hate you? I just hate the fact that good things happen to you and that includes Alex”, she said enviously. “I mean you're not the only Wilson, everyone down to the housekeepers respects you while they treat me as the illegitimate child, but look now you have nothing, you're just plain Tara Wilson”, she said with an evil sneer and left.
I burst into fresh tears, I cried about everything I had lost, my mother, my mother's bracelet, Alex, my family and my job. I laid on my bed unable to move, I was feeling numb from crying so much. But no one cared enough to check up on me. Claire came in after a while and sat close to me.
“Ma'am, you have to be strong”, she said, holding my hand in comfort. She's about my age and has been my personal housekeeper since she was eighteen, hence we’ve become quite close.
“What do I do, Claire? My life is over”, I said, and cried again. She pulled me into a warm embrace, reassuring me that I still had a life ahead of me.
My hand unconsciously went to my stomach and I realized my life wasn't over yet.
I picked myself up after a while. I could hear the hustling and bustling going on in the yard, the preparation for tomorrow was ongoing. Dad had told me to break up with Alex on my own, he said he was going to tell them I didn't want to marry him anymore.
Tears flowed down my eyes as I picked up my phone. I ignored his various calls and messages.
“I'm sorry”, those were the only words I could type. I sent him the message and switched off my phone. The second order from my Dad was to leave the house. I had nowhere to go. Nevertheless, I packed a few important things into a box and got ready to leave the house I was born and raised in.
“Be careful, sis”, Mara taunted me as I wheeled my box downstairs, Caroline smiled like the evil witch and my Dad had his back turned to me.
Claire cried as she pulled me into a hug. She didn't want me to leave, but the decision wasn't hers to make.
I took off my wristwatch and dropped it in her pocket as a parting gift.
“Look after yourself Tara”, she said, crying heavily. “Please”.
“I will Claire”.
And with that, I left Wilson's mansion with a stranger's child growing in my belly.
My first stop was at Jasmine's. She pulled me into a hug as she opened the door, but her countenance changed as soon as she sighted my box.
“Dad kicked me out, I don't know where to go, Jas”, I said with tears.
“I'm so sorry about that T. Look, I love you so much, and I would have loved for you to stay with me, but Malcolm would never agree to it”, she said, holding my hands.
My body shook as Jasmine made me understand that she couldn't accommodate me because of her boyfriend.
“But I'm your friend”, I argued.
“And I love you, and I really wish I could help you but…
“Yeah, guess I'm no longer the Tara Wilson you loved”, I said, and walked out of her apartment.
My tears flowed freely as I kept wheeling my box to the next stop. I took a taxi to Eleanor's house but was met with another rejection.
Her parents are the traditional ones, they believe I would influence their daughter negatively. Eleanor stood behind them mouthing words of apology to me.
Becca's case might have been different, but she was out of Los Angeles with her boyfriend and didn't know when she would be coming back.
I had no choice but to check into a hotel for the night. I lay on the warm bed after walking through the cold night of Los Angeles. My body shivered as my tears flowed, I just couldn't stop crying.
One night of fun had rendered me homeless, jobless and without family and friends.
“Be strong, for yourself and for the life growing inside of you”, my mother said, stroking my head. I snuggled closer to her to take in her warmth. I missed her a lot.
“Stay with me, Mama, I have no one”, I said, crying.
“You have you and your child.”
I shook my head in denial.
She stood up and started walking away from me. I kept calling out to her, but she didn't respond to me.
And just like darkness taking over light, she vanished.
“Mama!” I yelled and opened my eyes, only to realize that I had been dreaming.
I walked to the window and realized it was morning already. I rubbed my stomach and thought about the innocent life growing inside me and, for the sake of the child, I resolved to be strong.
- Writer
