Proof Of A Mistake
826 Words
I froze.
My hand tightened around the phone
"I know what you did that night... and it wasn't Noah."
The words stared back at me like a threat.
Like a warning.
Like a door I wasn't ready to open.
For a long moment, I couldn't move.
The room felt smaller.
The walls felt closer.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Whoever sent this knew something.
Something they shouldn't know.
Something I wasn't even sure I knew myself.
My fingers trembled as I typed a reply.
Who are you?
The message showed as delivered.
Then read.
I waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Thirty.
Nothing.
A knot formed in my stomach.
I tried again.
What do you want?
This time the response came almost immediately.
The truth.
I stared at the screen.
A chill crawled down my spine.
The truth.
Everyone kept talking about the truth.
But every time I got close to it, another secret appeared.
Another lie.
Another piece of my life that didn't make sense.
My phone buzzed again.
You should stop trusting people so easily, Jasmine.
My breath caught.
Who are you?
Tell me who you are!
No reply.
I called the number.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each call went straight to voicemail.
I felt tears gathering in my eyes.
Not because I was scared.
Because I was exhausted.
Every time I thought my life was finally settling down, something happened.
Something always happened.
I looked at the pregnancy test lying on the bed.
Two pink lines.
Two tiny lines that had completely changed my future.
Slowly, I lowered myself onto the edge of the mattress.
My thoughts drifted to Noah.
The way he looked at me.
The way he fought for us.
The way he believed in me even when I didn't deserve it.
And now I was sitting here hiding something that could destroy everything.
A sharp pain settled in my chest.
I loved him.
I really did.
That was what made this hurt so much.
A knock suddenly echoed through the house.
I jumped.
My pulse raced.
Another knock.
Louder this time.
"Jasmine?"
I recognized the voice instantly.
Stacy.
Relief washed over me.
I quickly grabbed the test and shoved it into a drawer before opening the door.
Stacy stood there holding two coffee cups.
The smile on her face faded immediately.
"What happened?"
I forced a smile.
"Nothing."
She rolled her eyes.
"You're a terrible liar."
I looked away.
Stacy walked inside without waiting for permission.
She placed one of the cups on the table and crossed her arms.
"Talk."
"I'm fine."
"Jasmine."
The way she said my name made my defenses crack.
My eyes filled instantly.
And that was enough.
Within seconds, Stacy pulled me into a hug.
The tears came before I could stop them.
I buried my face in her shoulder.
For several moments neither of us spoke.
She simply held me.
When I finally stepped back, she studied my face carefully.
"What happened?"
My throat tightened.
Then I whispered the words.
"I'm pregnant."
The silence that followed felt endless.
Stacy blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"What?"
I nodded slowly.
"I took the test tonight."
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
I looked down at the floor.
"I don't know what to do."
Stacy sat beside me.
For the first time, she looked completely serious.
"Does Noah know?"
I shook my head.
"No."
"And Ethan?"
My stomach twisted.
"I don't know."
The moment the words left my mouth, Stacy's expression changed.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
I swallowed hard.
"I got a message."
"What message?"
I handed her my phone.
She read it.
Then read it again.
The color slowly drained from her face.
"That's not funny."
"I know."
"Who sent this?"
"I don't know."
Stacy stood abruptly.
"This is insane."
"I know."
"You need to tell Noah."
The suggestion felt like a knife to the chest.
My eyes filled again.
"What if I lose him?"
Stacy's expression softened.
"You might lose him if you don't tell him."
The words hurt because they were true.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed again.
Both of us looked down.
Unknown Number.
A new message.
My hands started shaking.
Slowly, I opened it.
There was no text.
Only a photograph.
My blood turned cold.
The picture had clearly been taken from a distance.
It showed a hotel hallway.
The date stamp was from the night everything happened.
My breathing became uneven.
"No way..." Stacy whispered.
I couldn't speak.
Because there, in the photograph, was me.
And beside me was Ethan.
But that wasn't what terrified me.
There was someone else.
Someone standing behind us.
Watching.
Waiting.
A man in a dark coat.
His face was partially hidden.
But I knew that silhouette.
I knew it.
My heart nearly stopped.
Because the man in the photograph wasn't a stranger.
He was Noah's father.
And according to everyone in the family...
He had been out of the country that entire week.
- Writer
