Marriage by choice

Jael's pov “Kenneth, please don’t… don’t do this,” I stammered, my voice breaking as I watched him shove his clothes into a duffel bag with a determination that tore at my heart. He froze for a moment, then turned to face me, his expression a mix of anger and frustration. “I can’t believe you, Jael,” he said coldly, his words biting into me. “How could you let this happen? How could you get pregnant?” I stared at him, feeling both hurt and helpless. “But… but it’s not my fault,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, unable to believe he would say such a thing. We’d been together for three years, three whole years, and this was the first time I had given myself to him completely, trusting him with everything I had. He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “So, are you saying it’s my fault?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm, as if I was asking something ridiculous. “Don’t forget, it takes two to tango,” I replied, trying to make him see reason, to help him understand that we were in this together. Surely, he could see that. I felt my heart sink as he merely shook his head, unmoved. “Then you could’ve stopped me, like you always have,” he shot back, his tone colder than I’d ever heard. He’d begged me for a year, begging me to let him in, to let us be closer. And now he was acting as though none of it had meant anything to him. My heart ached, and I felt a chill go through me. “You were the one who asked me,” I replied, my voice trembling. “You’re the one who said you wanted this.” I don’t even know why I was still defending myself. “Then you should have said no. I wasn’t in my right mind,” he replied sharply, and I felt as if the floor had dropped out from under me. My throat tightened, and I choked on a sob, realizing he would say anything to make this my fault. “This isn’t the kind, loving Kenneth I thought I knew,” I thought to myself, remembering the gentle, patient man I had fallen for. “Fine, then abort the child,” he said suddenly, his words so casual, so dismissive, that it felt like he had slapped me. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe. The Kenneth I had known—the man who wouldn’t hurt a fly—had somehow vanished, replaced by someone I didn’t recognize. “You’re… you’re serious?” I managed to say, my voice barely a whisper. He didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes said enough. “You see, that’s your problem. You’re too naive for your own good,” he continued, as if lecturing me. I could feel the tears spilling over, running down my cheeks. He continued to pack his things without a hint of remorse, not even glancing in my direction as I stood there, crumbling. “When you’ve thought it over, call me,” he said, zipping up the bag and heading toward the door. I watched him leave, unable to move, feeling a deep sense of shame and betrayal. If only I hadn’t been so stubborn… if only I’d listened to the warnings from friends who had said he didn’t seem genuine. But no—we were both at fault, and I wouldn’t carry this alone. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I stood up, refusing to give up. I followed him out, running after him until I reached the gate. “What about marriage?” I asked desperately, grabbing the hem of his shirt as if holding onto that could somehow stop him from leaving. “What marriage?” he asked, looking at me as if I’d said something absurd. “You… you promised to marry me,” I reminded him, searching his face for a sign that he would step up, that he would take responsibility. “Promises don’t mean anything. It’s just a silly word,” he replied, shrugging, his indifference cutting through me like a knife. I felt as though I might collapse under the weight of his words. “But… what am I supposed to tell my family?” I sobbed, clutching my stomach instinctively. The thought of telling them filled me with dread. “I don’t know. I don’t care. If you’d been more careful, you wouldn’t be pregnant,” he said, giving me a look that was almost disgusted. “Kenneth, please don’t do this,” I cried, struggling to keep my voice steady. “We could get married and forget about everything that happened, start fresh.” He shook his head. “You don’t get it, do you?” he said, sighing as if I were an inconvenience. “I’m not ready to be a father, and I’m not ready to settle down. I have so much ahead of me. Can’t you see that?” His eyes took on a faraway look, and I realized he was imagining a future that didn’t include me. “Please, let’s talk this through,” I begged, feeling myself unraveling. There had to be a way to make him see sense. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he replied, distracted as his phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the caller ID, and then smiled in that boyish way that had first drawn me to him. I felt a pang of foolishness. How could I have been so blind? “Hello, babe,” he answered, glancing away from me as he spoke. My heart stopped, and my blood ran cold. What was happening? “Yeah, I’m almost there, just stuck in traffic,” he said, his voice full of warmth. “Okay, love you. Be right there.” He ended the call, tucking his phone away, oblivious to the hurt and confusion in my face. “Who… who was that?” I asked, jealousy and betrayal written all over my face. “My new girlfriend,” he replied with a smirk, completely unbothered. “Why? Got a problem with that?” “How dare you, Kenneth?” I felt anger bubbling up, but he seemed unaffected, as if my emotions were of no consequence to him. “Sorry, but we can’t be together anymore,” he said in the same tone he might use to comment on the weather. “Why?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure why I even needed to hear his answer. “Because I only date virgins,” he said nonchalantly, his expression smug. In that instant, everything clicked. I realized I wasn’t the first, and I wouldn’t be the last. This was the real Kenneth—the side he’d hidden so well. “If you want to save your family’s reputation, I’d advise you to get rid of that… whatever you call it,” he said, brushing my hand off his shirt as if I were nothing. He turned and walked away, leaving me crumpled on the ground, as a sob escaped my lips. I shivered, feeling my entire world come crashing down. How had I missed all the signs? How had I not seen that everything I thought he was had been a lie?