CHAPTER 4: A MOTHER’S WORST NIGHTMARE

Fred spent the rest of the day searching for Ana. He’d checked his phone for messages or calls, but there was nothing. Not a single clue to where she had gone or who she really was.

His frustration grew. He wanted answers, wanted to know what made her tick, what had drawn him in so completely. There was something magnetic about her, and the fact that he was her first, something that couldn’t be explained by mere attraction. He couldn’t get her out of his mind.

His private investigator had nothing either. No one seemed to know who Ana was or where she had gone. It was as if she had just disappeared.

But Fred didn’t give up. He wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted. And he wanted her.

Days passed, and Ana’s world began to feel smaller, tighter, like the walls were closing in. She managed to find a new job, something more in line with her desire for a fresh start. It wasn’t much, just a small coffee shop, but it was a start.

And yet, even in the midst of her newfound determination, Fred lingered in her thoughts. She couldn’t shake him. She didn’t want to. But she couldn’t go back to that world. It was dangerous. He was dangerous. She couldn’t let herself get lost in it again.

And then, just as she started to settle into her new routine, her body betrayed her.

Ana curled up on the cold bathroom tiles, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her body trembled from the violent retching that had just emptied her stomach, that was the third time she threw up. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, with her head spinning.

This wasn’t the first time. For the past few mornings, she had woken up with this gut sickness, an unbearable nausea, the feeling of throwing up at every thing she percieved, this left her weak and lightheaded. But today, something was different. Today, it hit her all at once. The dizziness, the exhaustion, the nausea and to worsen it, the missed periods.

Ana’s fingers dug into the cold sink as she hoisted herself up, gripping the edges to steady herself. The truth clawed at her, demanding to be faced. Her reflection in the cracked mirror showed a girl she no longer recognized tired, lost, and terrified, she immediately remembered that night, clutching her belly.

A lump formed in her throat.

“No… I can’t be…” The thought alone made her heart slam against her ribs. She pressed a shaking hand against her stomach, as if somehow that would make it less real. But deep down, she already knew she was pregnant.

Before she could fully process the terrifying realization, a sharp voice cut through the thick silence.

“Well, isn’t this just fantastic?” Ana froze. Her blood ran cold. Slowly, she turned to see the one person she feared most, her stepmother, Lena.

The older woman stood at the bathroom doorway, arms crossed, a cruel smirk curling on her lips. Ana hadn’t even heard her enter.

“How long has this been going on?” Lena sneered, stepping forward. Her eyes flickered with a mix of amusement and disgust. “Throwing up like some pathetic little slut?”

Ana’s throat was dry. She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s nothing.”

Lena let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Nothing? You’re shaking like a leaf and looking paler than death itself.” She leaned against the doorway, tilting her head mockingly. “Or maybe… maybe it’s exactly what I think it is.”

Ana’s heart pounded as Lena smirk deepened. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Ana’s silence gave her the answer she needed.

Lena’s expression darkened in an instant. “You filthy little whore.”

Ana flinched. “I didn’t….”

“Shut up!” Irene snapped, stepping closer. “All these years, I kept you in this house out of pity. Your father might’ve been too weak to throw you out, but I won’t be. Not after this.”

Ana’s breath hitched. “Please…”

Lena’s eyes burned with disgust. “Who’s the father? Some broke fool you were messing around with? Or….” she gasped dramatically….“is it one of your customers from that pathetic club you worked at?”

Tears welled up in Ana’s eyes. “I’m done with that life.”

Lena scoffed. “Oh, now you’re done? Now that you’re carrying some bastard inside you?” Her expression twisted with hatred. “You’ve disgraced this house enough, Ana. Pack your things. You’re leaving.”

Ana’s stomach lurched. “No…”

“You heard me,” Lena cut her off, her voice was venomous. “I want you gone. Tonight. With the bastard in you”

“But I have nowhere to go!” Ana’s voice cracked as panic surged through her.

Lena’s lip curled. “Not my problem.”

Tears spilled down Ana’s cheeks. “You can’t just….”

“I can do whatever I want,” Lena snapped. “I should’ve kicked you out years ago. You’re nothing but a burden, another mouth in my house”

Ana’s body shook as she stared at the woman who had tormented her for years. She wanted to fight back, to scream, to tell Lena she wasn’t worthless. But the weight of everything crushed her.

She was alone. Completely, utterly alone.

Without another word, Lena turned and walked away, leaving Ana standing there, broken and shivering.

The cold night air bit at Ana’s skin as she stood outside the house she had once called home. A small, tattered suitcase sat at her feet. Her entire life had been reduced to this, a few clothes, some money she had scraped together, and nothing else.

She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes.

Where could she go? She had no family, no friends who could take her in. The streets were unforgiving, and the idea of going back to the club was out of the question.

Ana’s trembling fingers reached into her pocket, pulling out a slightly crumpled business card. The name stared back at her in bold, elegant letters, Fred Lancaster.

Her pulse quickened.

Would he even remember her? Would he care?

She had walked out on him without a word. She had been nothing more than a mystery in the night. But now… now she had no choice.

With a deep breath, she dialed the number.

It rang once, then three times. Her heart pounded with every second.

Then, finally, someone answered. But it wasn’t Fred. A woman’s voice, soft and elegant, floated through the speaker.

“Hello?” Ana’s breath caught in her throat.

She stared at the phone, her entire body going rigid.

Ana wondered, a woman? Who was she?

Her fingers tightened around the device, her heartbeat deafening in her ears.

And then the woman spoke again, her voice dripping with familiarity.

“Fred’s in the shower right now. Can I take a message?”

The air left Ana’s lungs.