The Unwanted Bride

CHAPTER 2: The Breaking Point

“Get over here, you disgrace of a daughter!”

The thunderous voice stopped her in her tracks. One foot hung in the air as she was about to climb the stairs, her fingers tightening around the stair handle. She had barely made it past the living room, her heels clicking against the floor, her head held high, determined to avoid any confrontation.

The sharp scent of alcohol and nightclub smoke clung to her like an unwanted shadow, a lingering trace of the environment she had left, though she hadn’t touched a single drink or cigarette herself.

Her mother sat rigid on the couch, hands folded in her lap. Her father, however, sat upright beside his wife, his eyes burning with anger. They could smell the smoke and alcohol on her, but for once, they didn’t comment. It was a familiar enough scent, one they had long grown tired of addressing. Yet tonight, after so long without it, they noticed. But this time, they had a far bigger issue at hand.

Slowly, she turned, gripping the strap of her handbag as if it could shield her. “Yes, Father?” Her voice was steady, but her racing heartbeat gave her away.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pointed to the coffee table, where a plain envelope lay between them like a ticking time bomb.

“Open it,” he ordered. “Read what’s inside.”

She stepped forward, each movement heavy with the weight of what was coming. The sharp look in her father's eyes sent a chill through her.

Without a word, she reached for the envelope on the table, her fingers trembling slightly as she tore it open. A sharp breath came from the couch—her mother, exhaling like she had been holding it in for too long.

Then she saw it.

The paper in her hands wasn’t unfamiliar. No, she knew it too well. It was hers. The same one she had hidden away, thinking it was safe. The proof of a secret she wasn’t ready to share. The pregnancy report.

Her grip tightened as she lifted the paper into the air. “How did you find this?” Her voice wavered, a mix of shock and anger.

Her father’s expression darkened. “It doesn’t matter how I found it. What matters is that you dared to hide such shame under my roof, thinking I wouldn’t know.” His voice was cold, cutting. “You’ve always told us to trust you, always asked for our faith. Is this what you meant?”

“Who’s responsible for this pregnancy?”

The question cut through the thick silence like a knife. Her mother’s eyes bore into her, demanding an answer.

She swallowed hard. “It was… someone from the club.”

A sharp inhale. “Does he know? Is he taking responsibility?”

She shook her head. No.

Her father let out a bitter laugh, his fists clenching. “And you say it so shamelessly. You’ve disgraced yourself.” His voice dropped, cold and final. “You’ll get rid of the pregnancy. And then, you will marry the Brooks' son.”

Her head snapped up. “I will never marry some stranger! I don’t know him, I don’t know his family, and I don’t care about whatever arrangement you’ve made behind my back!”

Before she could react, a stinging slap sent her head to the side. Pain exploded across her cheek.

Her mother shot up, grabbing his wrist before he could strike again. “Enough!” she pleaded, her voice trembling.

Helena pressed a hand to her burning face, her vision blurred with unshed tears.

Her father yanked his arm away. “This is not up for debate. You will obey. I’ve spoken.” His voice dripped with disappointment. “Why can’t you be more like Georgina? Obedient, Well mannered and decent. Instead, you choose to follow that wretched friend of yours ‘Alice’, the one who fills your head with nothing but bad living.”

“My love, please, calm down,” her mother pleaded, gently lowering his raised hand and placing a soothing palm on his chest. “You know you’re on medication. You can’t let this get worse.”

He let out a frustrated breath but allowed her to guide him back into his couch.“Then talk to her,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I have no idea where she got this stubbornness.”

A dry chuckle escaped her lips as she settled beside him. “Oh, she got it from you,” she said lightly. “I’m the calm one, remember?”

She turned her gaze toward their daughter. “Sit down.”

With reluctance, Helena lowered herself onto a separate couch, putting as much distance as she could between them.

“Sweetheart, listen to me,” her mother said, her voice softer now but heavy with urgency. “We don’t hate you. We love you, and we only want what’s best for you.” She paused, casting a glance at her husband before continuing. “Your father wants you to marry the Brooks’ son. I know you don’t know him, but that doesn’t matter right now.”

She took a deep breath. “Your father’s business is sinking. If it collapses completely, we’ll lose everything including our home, our security. We’ll be out on the streets. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation, yet you keep refusing without even trying to get to know this young man.” Her gaze hardened. “Do you really want this disaster to fall on our family?”

The weight of those words settled in the air.

“No, Mom,” she admitted, gripping the folded test result in her hand. “But I’ve told you before that if someone has to marry him, let it be Georgina. She’s older, and I’m not ready for marriage.”

Her mother sighed, shaking her head. “Everyone has their time, and right now, it’s yours. Don’t throw away this opportunity, it’s better to marry into wealth than to struggle for the rest of your life.” She hesitated before adding, “Besides, Georgina might already have someone else in mind. I asked her once.”

Then came the final blow.

“You have no choice. You will get rid of this pregnancy.”

“I need time to think,” Helena said, her voice strained.

Her mother scoffed. “Time for what? Are you planning to keep the child? You know you can’t marry another man while carrying someone else’s baby. The world isn’t kind to single mothers. You’ll act tough, but deep down, you’ll still crave love no matter how much you pretend you don’t need anyone.”

Before she could say more, her father cut in, his voice dripping with impatience. “Time? How much time? A day? A week? Should we buy you forever?”

Something inside her snapped.

“Both of you, shut the hell up!” Her voice shook with fury. “It’s my life!, my body! I decide how it runs, not you! I could walk out right now and never come back. Maybe that’s what I should do, I'll disappear and end this nightmare of being your daughter.”

She clutched her handbag tighter, standing up and turning toward the exit side of the living room. Right now, she just wants to go to her room to sleep.

“You’re not leaving this house,” her father growled. “Not under my watch.”

She stormed out of the living room, her heart pounding with frustration, and made her way up the stairs. Just as she reached the first few steps, movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention.

The bedroom door next to hers shut in a hurry.

Georgina.

So, she had been listening.

It all clicked in an instant, the missing report, the sudden betrayal. She was the one who had searched through her things, the one who handed the pregnancy results to their father.

Anger boiled inside her as she opened her mouth to call out her cousin’s name, but before the words could leave her lips…

A sharp, desperate cry echoed from the living room.

Her mother.

Then came the sound of something heavy collapsing to the ground.

A chill ran down her spine. She turned, eyes wide, feet already moving before her mind could process what was happening. She bolted down the stairs, heart hammering.

And then she saw him.

Her father sprawled on the floor, his face twisted in pain.

Her mother knelt beside him, shaking, screaming his name.

The world blurred.

Her chest tightened.

No matter how much they fought, no matter how much he pushed her to the edge, she never wanted this.

Not like this.

But was she already too late?