Defeated by Love: The Unexpected Bride

No matter how careful you are, accidents can still happen... A petite, fair-skinned woman sat on the floor, her beautiful eyes complementing her oval face, with perfectly shaped eyebrows and a high, curved nose. She looked at the pregnancy test showing two lines in her hand, her heart pounding out of rhythm. Her mind was filled with questions... "How the hell did I end up pregnant?" Amanda muttered to herself, puzzled by the situation she found herself in. She recalled the night she had a one-night stand with a man last month, driven by curiosity. She had insisted he wear a condom, otherwise, she wouldn't have gone through with it, fearing sexually transmitted diseases. He had complied with her request. So how did she end up pregnant... "Ugh..." Her small hand rose to clutch her head over the unfolding events, unsure of what to do next. Inside, she cursed herself and felt like hitting something, as her life was just starting to improve. After her mother passed away when she had just graduated high school, their house was repossessed because she couldn't pay off the debt her mother had taken out against it. This forced Amanda to postpone her plans to attend university and start working to support herself. She chose to work as a PR representative at a bar because it paid well and didn't require much educational background. With just a pretty face and good personality, she could earn money, despite the risks she was willing to accept. She saw it as an honest job that could help her reclaim the repossessed house... Now, Amanda was focused on working hard to save money for her education, as it was her dream. But she never thought that her youthful curiosity would come to an abrupt end after just one night... Amanda tried to calm herself with the situation at hand before reaching for the phone beside her to call Kim, her close friend since middle school. It didn't take long for the other end to pick up with a sleepy voice. (Hello?) "Hey, are you free right now?" Her full lips asked as her beautiful eyes glanced at the clock on the desk. It was already six in the evening, but her friend's voice sounded like she wasn't fully awake, even though she had work today, while it was Amanda's day off since she had finished her shift. (Yeah, I'm free. Just woke up. What's going on?) As soon as the lazy voice stopped, Amanda didn't hesitate to share what had happened to her with Kim. “I'm pregnant.” (What! What did you say?) “Don't be so loud, I'm already scared,” Amanda said as she rubbed her chest with her small hand to calm down from the stress, even though it felt like her brain was about to burst. (How can I not be shocked? You're pregnant, not just having a bowel movement.) “Yeah.” (Are you serious? You're not joking, right?) “Is this something to joke about?” (True, did you check properly?) “Yes, I bought two pregnancy tests, and both showed two lines.” She replied with her full lips, while her beautiful eyes looked at the pregnancy test results lying beside her, then she sighed heavily, but it didn't help. This is why they say you should think before you act... (With whom?) “There's only one person.” (The guy you had a one-night stand with, right?) “Yeah.” Because that night, Sheena, the client Kim was serving, covered the expenses, so she invited her to a fancy bar in the heart of New York, filled with rich young people, which is where Amanda met the guy she had a one-night stand with. (That's rough, with a one-night stand guy.) Kim, hearing that, almost slapped her forehead in disbelief for Amanda for the situation she was in, because it's very difficult to get someone from a one-night stand to take responsibility, which Amanda knew well, making her unable to think of a solution right now. Seeing Amanda silent, Kim wanted to slap her own mouth for carelessly stressing her friend out more, and then asked what she was curious about. (Didn't he wear a condom?) “He did.” (How can you get pregnant if he wore a condom? Or did it break?) “That's what I'm wondering.” Because she saw the guy wear a condom the first time, but she wasn't aware of the subsequent times because she was too focused on the pain from her first time having s*x, and before she knew it, he was already inside her. (So what are you going to do?) “I have to call that guy.” (Do you have his number?) "I have it," Amanda walked to the dressing table, then opened the drawer to see his business card that he gave her before they parted ways, hoping to sleep with her again. However, she didn't want that, as Amanda just wanted to experience s*x to see what it was like, not to continue any relationship. While Amanda was standing and looking at the name and phone number on the small piece of paper, hearing Kim's question brought her back to her senses. (Try it, maybe he can help you find a solution.) "He has to, because he was part of making this happen." She just needed to let him know what happened and ask about that night, whether he wore a condom every time or if it broke. As for the rest, she couldn't think of anything yet and needed to talk to him again. After hanging up with Kim, Amanda quickly got dressed and walked out to the front of the alley of her dormitory. She stopped in front of the clinic, feeling nervous, her small hands sweaty, but she tried to stay calm. Then she went inside to take another pregnancy test. Amanda spent quite a while in the clinic. After completing the pregnancy test, she received the confirmation of her pregnancy and walked back to her room with a mind full of chaos, not knowing what to do next. So many thoughts flooded her mind that it felt like it was going to explode. Once she reached her room, she picked up his business card. She dialed his phone number on her mobile and immediately called the person who was part of making this happen. The call was answered quickly... On the other end, a tall, handsome man with a sharp nose was walking down the stairs of his house, planning to go out for drinks with friends that night. Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his jeans pocket. He reached in with his large hand to check, and seeing an unfamiliar number, his thick, dark eyebrows knitted together slightly before he answered the call. "Hello," Amanda remained silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and responding with a racing heart. (Hello?) "Who is this?" Carter asked with a puzzled expression upon realizing it was a woman calling, as he usually never gave his phone number to anyone. (Amanda) "Amanda who? I don't know you." Amanda wasn't surprised by the response, as they barely talked that day. She didn't even ask his name. What she said wasn't important to her, as long as he remembered the woman he had a one-night stand with a month ago. (I'm the one you hooked up with last month.) Carter was momentarily stunned upon hearing that, as he didn't expect the person who had captivated him so much that he couldn't have a relationship with anyone else, waiting only for her to contact him, would reach out today. Knowing this, the thick lips that held a cigarette curled into a pleased smile before he asked mockingly, his face unable to hide his grin. "What's up? Want to do it again?" Thinking only of this, he spoke directly to her. Upon hearing that, Amanda immediately responded. (No, I just have something to tell and ask you.) "Do we need to book a room to talk? I want to—oops, I mean I'm free." He teased playfully, though he was serious in his mind, as his long legs descended the stairs with a cheerful demeanor. Seeing Carter keep joking, Amanda quickly got to the point. (No, I want to ask you if you used a condom that night?) As soon as she finished speaking, the handsome face that was full of smiles faded away. Inside his head, he wondered why she suddenly asked, even though it happened a while ago. Carter wondered if something was up with Amanda, so he asked to clear his doubts, avoiding answering her question. "Why are you asking?" (Just answer whether you did or didn't.) "It was a long time ago. Why bring it up now?" (I'm pregnant.) When Carter kept dodging the question, Amanda stated the situation directly, leaving Carter speechless, his Adam's apple bobbing. He thought back to that night when he didn't wear a condom the second time because he wanted to feel it raw with her, thinking he had never been with a virgin, and wanted to try it. But he was confident he pulled out in time, so Carter responded indifferently. "Why are you telling me this?" (Because you got me pregnant. Who else should I tell?) "Are you sure it's mine? Aren't you a night worker?" Amanda was quite shocked, her small hand balled into a fist, her jaw clenched in anger. Even though she had somewhat prepared herself, hearing such insulting and selfish words from him made her unable to contain her anger, so she snapped back. (So that means you didn't use a condom.) "Yeah, I didn't, but I'm sure I pulled out in time." (If you pulled out in time, I wouldn't be pregnant.) "Are you pregnant with someone else's child and trying to pin it on me? You see, I'm handsome and rich, so you want to trap me? Just say it straight, no need for melodrama." (I swear, did those words really come out of a real man's mouth?) Amanda could barely stand Carter's words, but she tried to stay as calm as possible, even though she slipped a bit. "I'm sure it's not my kid, so deal with it yourself. And remember, if you want a one-night stand with someone, know how to protect yourself. There are pills you can take. If you get pregnant, you won't have to struggle to find someone to take responsibility like this." (Then why didn't you tell me you weren't wearing a condom that day? Was your mouth full of crap? Because if you had told me, I wouldn't be pregnant like this.) What started as a call to clear her doubts and seek his help turned into something else when she realized Carter's selfishness. Amanda couldn't stand it anymore. She would drag him to take responsibility because this was entirely his fault. Even though she could raise the child herself, why should she let someone like him live comfortably while she struggles alone? Since they both were involved, they should both take responsibility. Moreover, she didn't want herself or her child to return to the point she had been before. She knew all too well how terrifying poverty and hardship could be. Getting through that was not easy at all... So she would never let her child face the same fate... "You made your own mess, now deal with it." With that, Carter hung up, stuffing the phone back into his pocket with irritation. He thought he would get another chance with Amanda, but instead, she gave him a headache. He chose to ignore it, thinking the whole situation had nothing to do with him. Then he prepared to head to his luxury car to go out drinking with friends, but... "Who did you get pregnant, Carter?"