The scars they left ..part 1

Part 3 — The Secret That Changed everything My conversations with Reverend Jeremiah continued to grow deeper. We could spend hours chatting, laughing, flirting, and sharing things we probably shouldn't have been sharing. There was something about the attention he gave me that made me feel special. I enjoyed the way he made me feel wanted, and every time my phone lit up with his name, I couldn't help but smile. Sometimes, our conversations became romantic and heated. We exchanged intimate pictures, sweet words, and fantasies about the next time we would see each other. There were moments when I felt like I was living in a secret little world that belonged only to us. One day, he sent me a s****l video and told me to practice what I saw before we met again. I laughed when I saw the message, but deep down, I was excited. At that point in my life, I had become very curious about s*x and everything that came with it. I didn't realize how quickly I was becoming caught up in a world that would eventually change my life. Choir Practice Fast-forward to choir practice day. I sneaked out to meet Reverend Peter. When I told him that I finally had a phone, his face immediately lit up. "Really? You finally have a phone?" he asked happily. I smiled and nodded. We exchanged contacts, and from that moment, it felt like something new had begun between us. We stood together, talking and laughing. Then we started kissing. At first, it was just a soft kiss. Then another. Before long, we were holding each other close, lost in the warmth of the moment. His affection made me feel desired, and I allowed myself to get carried away. Eventually, we made love. For those few moments, nothing else seemed to matter. I wasn't thinking about choir practice, my mother, or what might happen tomorrow. I was simply living in the moment. But eventually, reality returned. I had to leave and go back for choir practice. As I walked away, I didn't know that another man was waiting for me and calling my phone repeatedly. It was Reverend Jeremiah. "Come and see me. I'm waiting for you," he kept telling me. I knew exactly what he wanted, but I kept postponing it. "Not today," I would tell him. Eventually, I told him I would come on Sunday morning. Sunday Morning Sunday finally came. I woke up with so many thoughts running through my mind. I knew I was supposed to be preparing for church, but another part of me was thinking about Reverend Jeremiah. Eventually, I sneaked out to meet him. When I saw him, everything else seemed to disappear for a while. We talked, laughed, kissed, and held each other close. The affection between us felt intense, and I allowed myself to get lost in the moment. Afterward, I returned to church and tried to behave normally. Then I went home. At that point, I had no idea that something had already happened inside my body that would soon turn my entire world upside down. The Test About six days later, I started feeling unwell. I was cold, weak, and uncomfortable. I told my mother, and she gave me money to buy malaria medicine. I took the medicine, hoping I would feel better. But I didn't. Something still didn't feel right. Eventually, I went to our choir mistress's house and told her what I was experiencing. She listened carefully before suggesting something that immediately made my heart race. "Let's get a pregnancy test." I stared at her. Pregnancy? The thought alone frightened me. We bought the test. When the result appeared, I couldn't believe my eyes. Positive. For a moment, I couldn't speak. My heart sank. Fear rushed through me, and suddenly, every decision I had made over the previous weeks came flooding back into my mind. My choir mistress looked at me. "Who is responsible?" "I don't know," I whispered. She frowned. "What do you mean you don't know?" I hesitated before finally telling her the truth. There were two people. Reverend Jeremiah. And Reverend Peter. Her eyes widened. "What? Reverend Jeremiah too?" I nodded. She looked at me for a long moment before asking the question I had been desperately trying to avoid. "What are you going to do now? Are you ready to keep the baby?" I immediately shook my head. "No. My mother will kill me." She told me to call Reverend Jeremiah and tell him. My hands trembled as I picked up my phone. I called him. When I told him I was pregnant, his reaction was immediate. "What? Oh my God! How did this happen? Didn't you protect yourself?" I told him I didn't know how. He said he was coming to the church, and I went there to meet him. When we spoke, he told me he wasn't ready for a pregnancy and was afraid it would destroy his reputation. He wanted me to end the pregnancy. I was frightened and confused, but I agreed. I told him I didn't know anyone who could help me. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll arrange everything." Those words were supposed to comfort me. Instead, they made my heart beat even faster. I had never been through anything like this before. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I only knew that I didn't want my mother to find out. The Secret After leaving Reverend Jeremiah, I went straight to my choir mistress and told her everything. She listened to me with a worried expression. She warned me that the process could be painful and that hiding it from my mother might not be easy. I asked if I could stay at her house afterward. She looked at me with pity. "Okay," she finally said. "You can stay here. I'll tell your mother that you're coming for rehearsal and that I want to teach you some songs." Relief washed over me. For the first time that day, I felt like I had somewhere safe to go. On Sunday after service, she went to speak with my mother. She greeted her warmly and explained that she wanted me to come to her house the next day for rehearsal. My mother happily agreed. As we walked away, my mother started talking about how happy she was to see me smiling again. She told me that she was happy I had people around me who cared about me. I smiled back at her. But behind that smile was a secret she knew nothing about. She had no idea what I was preparing to face. Monday Morning Monday morning arrived. My phone rang. It was Reverend Jeremiah. "The nurse is already here," he told me. My heart immediately began pounding. I was scared. Very scared. But I felt like I couldn't disappoint him, so I left home. I told my mother that I was going to meet our choir mistress for rehearsal. She smiled and gave me one thousand naira and two bottles of Fanta—one for me and one for our choir mistress. I took them from her. As I walked away, I looked back at my mother. She was smiling. I smiled too. But inside, I was terrified. I went straight to the church, where Reverend Jeremiah and the nurse were waiting. The nurse asked me questions about the pregnancy and then gave me instructions. I followed them because I didn't know what else to do. Afterward, I left immediately and went to my choir mistress's house. A short while later, I became dizzy. I lay down on her bed. Then the pain started. It was intense. I cried and struggled through the pain, wondering when it would finally stop. After some time, the pain suddenly eased. I eventually stood up and went to the toilet. That's when I saw the bleeding. It was much heavier than my normal period, and I passed several large, dark clots. I was frightened. I went back and asked my choir mistress to help me get a maternity pad. That night, the bleeding remained heavy. Later, it became lighter. I felt weak and occasionally light-headed, but there was no severe pain. The following day, however, the bleeding became heavy again, and I passed more clots throughout the day and night. I told my choir mistress. She reassured me that it was a sign that things were progressing. Eventually, the bleeding became lighter and lighter. I decided to go home. Reverend Jeremiah later messaged me, asking how everything had gone. I told him everything. He said he would speak to the nurse. The next morning, he told me to come back to the church. When I arrived, the nurse was there. She listened carefully as I explained what had happened. Then her expression changed. She said the bleeding was expected to be heavy for several days, but she was concerned because mine had become lighter so quickly. Then she said something that made my heart sink. "You may have to do it again." I stared at her. Again? My mind went blank. Then she added that I would first need to have a scan to see what was happening. I walked out of that place with a thousand questions racing through my mind. Would the scan show that everything was over? Or was there still a pregnancy? And if it wasn't over... What would happen to me next? TO BE CONTINUED…