He Lost Me, Now He Wants Me Back

*ANNA* “Congratulations, ma'am. You're pregnant.” Pregnant. My entire world stopped. It knocked the air straight out of my lungs. The words refused to make sense. It felt like a cruel joke. A line from a script meant for someone else entirely. I stared blankly at the woman sitting across the desk, my fingers digging so hard into my thighs that my nails bit through the fabric of my trousers. “No,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “There's been a mistake.” The doctor adjusted her glasses, her expression softening into a gentle smile. She clearly mistook my horror for the typical shock of a first-time mother. “We ran the panels twice to be sure,” she said, tapping the laptop screen before her. “You're about three weeks pregnant.” A cold knot twisted in my stomach. Three weeks ago. I knew exactly what had happened. One drunken mistake. One night I could never erase. If I hadn't been thinking about him and drowning in my own depression. I could have saved myself from this disaster right now. I closed my eyes for a second, the bitter memory flashing behind my eyelids. I had taken the morning-after pill the very next day. I still remembered waking up naked, pain throbbing between my legs, the white sheets stained with blood. I opened my eyes, still wondering how the pills didn't work. How was the situation even possible? Had the pills expired? Or was my life just cursed? “This…” I swallowed hard, trying to clear the sudden burn in my throat. “Are you certain?” The doctor slid a small, white envelope across the desk while I looked at it as if it were a venomous snake. “Miss Anna?” The doctor leaned forward, shifting in her leather chair. “Are you alright?” No, I'm not. But still… I couldn’t scream my agony at a stranger. “Yes, I'm fine. " I forced my hands forward, taking the envelope from the desk and shoving it into my handbag. “Thank you, Doctor." Without waiting for her response, I pushed my chair back, my heels scraping loudly against the floor as I bolted from the suffocating room. I pushed through the glass doors of the hospital; the courtyard was buzzing with life. I watched a man carefully guiding his pregnant wife toward the entrance, his hand resting protectively on her back. Near the fountain, a little girl wearing a hospital gown chased her older brother while their parents watched, cautioning the girl to slow down; still, they shared a cheerful smile. Even the patients in wheelchairs, pale beneath their hospital gowns, smiled as loved ones pushed them through the courtyard. Despite their suffering, they had joy. But me? My life has been like hell. Or maybe… worse than that. I stared up at the blue sky, a familiar, arching longing washing over me. If I had just followed him years ago or even run away with him far from here, things might have been different. If I had nothing, at least I would have been happy and free. Turning on my heels, I hurried towards the parking lot. Just as I reached for my car door, my phone vibrated violently against my hip. I pulled it out, looking at the caller ID. Oliver. My jaw clenched; even when he wasn't standing in front of me, his presence always loomed over my life like a shadow. I pressed the green button. “Hel…” “Where are you, Anna?” The quiet rage in his voice frightened me more than shouting ever could. I took in a quiet breath. “Cleaning up your dirty deed.” “I swear, Anna,” he paused, “if I found you, you'd regret it.” “Is that a threat, Oliver?” “Answer my damn question, Anna.” His voice sounded restless. I pressed the red button, switching my phone off. ********** The lobby smelt faintly of lavender and old magazines as I walked up to a young receptionist, who looked up from her computer, her face settling into a warm, professional smile. “Hi there, do you have an appointment?" “No. I just need some information.” “Of course." She stood up, opening her drawers. “How can we help you today?” “I want to terminate this pregnancy.” The words left my mouth without emotion. The receptionist didn't blink or show even a flicker of judgement. She simply reached beneath the counter and slid a clipboard over to me, a medical history form clipped to the front. “Please fill this out, and a counsellor will see you shortly." I sat in the corner of the waiting room, the pen trembling in my grip. I filled out the form until it reached the last question. Reason for Visit? My pen hovered over the blank white space. Why? Because… I was terrified. I refused to let him own another piece of me. After so many years, this was my first decision I was allowing myself to make without anyone interfering in my life. A single tear escaped, tracing a path down my cheeks. I wiped it away angrily with the back of my hand. “Are you done, ma'am?” I looked up to see the receptionist standing close to me. I stood up on unsteady legs and handed her the clipboard, my signature still damp. I returned to my seat, mindlessly twisting the bracelet around my wrist. Minutes stretched like hours until a nurse in dark green scrubs stepped into the waiting room. "Are you Miss Anna?” “Yes, I am.” I stood up, answering her question. “The doctor is waiting for you. Follow me.” I followed the nurse down a short hallway and into a quiet examination room. An older physician with kind eyes and silvering hair sat behind her desk. She gestured to me to sit on the empty seat opposite her. “I read your intake form, Miss Anna,” she began gently, folding her hands together on the desk. “You're looking into ending the pregnancy. Before we discuss the procedure, I have to ask: do you feel pressured by anyone to make this choice?” "No,” my response came out too fast and defensive. The elderly woman studied my face for a long moment. “Then tell me what's bringing you to this decision. Are you married?” “Yes.” “Is your husband aware of it?” I opened my mouth to say something, but the words tangled in my throat. How could I possibly explain the hellish reality of my life? “I just can't have this baby.” I managed to say, my gaze dropping to my lap. "But that's not quite the same as not wanting it.” My head snapped up, a flash of anger breaking through my anxiety. “I can't let this child ruin my only chance to be free from this cage.” The woman let out a long, heavy sound, exhaling deeply. “Look, I don't know your situation, and I'm not here to judge you, but I do know what regret looks like. If you make this choice, make sure…” “I won't regret it,” I cut her off, remembering how I got married to Oliver. My wedding day was the worst nightmare I had ever experienced. “Regret is nothing new to me. Tell me… have you ever been forced to marry someone when you had someone else in your heart?" The room fell completely silent. The woman sighed, a look of sorrow crossing her face. She reached into her drawer and dropped a small business card across the desk. “This is the contact of Dr. Mark. He is a specialist, and he will do his job well. But please, think it through carefully before you make the final decision.” “Thank you, Doctor.” I murmured, snatching the card from the desk. By the time I walked out into the clinic’s parking lot, the vibrant afternoon sun had hidden beneath the thick dark clouds. The winds had turned cold, whipping strands of hair across my face. The sky hung low, swollen with rain. I pushed my hair behind my ear, unzipping my handbag and rummaging around the bottom for my car keys. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on my upper arm with force. Before I could even gasp, my body spun. SMACK! The force of the slap knocked me off balance, my heels skidding on the asphalt, and my body pitched sideways, but my hands instinctively caught the side mirror of my car, preventing me from crashing onto the hard pavement. “You worthless child!” “How dare you try to bring disgrace to the Eduardo family!”