Chapter 1

Brasil.

8:58pm,

For the first time in her life, the sky seemed to dangle more lonely in the sky. The fresh orange sky just a few hours ago was now turning dark, an epitome of a storm, and was soon going to be consumed with rain. 

A drop of rain fell onto Zelda's thick dark hair trickling down to the papers estranged in her arms. Just a few more steps, and she would face doom.

Maybe it was rigged up, she tried to convince herself, and then she took another look at the paper. 'Pregnant.' It was definitely not rigged up.

Earlier, She had brought a cheap five dollar pregnancy test, which proved positive, then, she thought. It was probably rigged, and maybe wasn't functioning, but now, she was holding the certain hospital test results from her pregnancy test, and it proved positive.

She tried to think, holy goodness, how could she be pregnant? She was nearly in her final year of college, and now, she was pregnant, with no boyfriend, nagging parents who would probably throw her out once they found out.

She tried thinking about that night, but it was blank, her friends had forced her to have more alcohol, but she hadn't wanted to. She was thrown into a room, meeting the stranger. His hair was carefully tucked behind his ears, and his eyes. They had lingered on her every passing second. Freak, it had happened.

She tried to think of what she would tell her parents when she got home, her mother would definitely send her packing, her father would look at her with those nasty eyes and call her, 'Useless.'

She hadn't even known when she had reached the door, the firm door stood between her way of either doom or pleasure, and she had to find the answer to that. 

Taking in a deep yet sophisticated breath, she pushed the metal door open. Her parents were just averagely doing well, they nearly afforded meals, but at least. 

She was facing the TV, though it was on, she wasn't paying attention to that, she was reading the New York daily times. Everyday, non stop, she had been fuming on traveling to New York, getting positioned in the thriving city.

"Mom." She called out, even though her own voice sounded like vomit, a hint of tiredness  flashed in her eyes, and her eyelids puckered tiredly.

"Zelda?" Her mother flipped across the newspaper, arranging her glasses.  Shouldn't you be in college studying culinary?" Nasty, it spits at her woefully.

That was Zelda lives, having to study what her parents didn't want from her.

'You could have been a doctor. Or even an engineer, or even a lawyer, but instead you decided to go for cooking, now tell me, how can cooking land you money?' 

They had been ashamed of her for even studying culinary, but Zelda had studied hard every single day just to please them, she was their only daughter, the only daughter of Brazilian parents.

"I have some news." Spit formed in the corner of her throat, but she jabbed it back in, her palms growing sweaty, and her forehead brewing hot.

Her mother, Gia snapped her eyelids at her, those dark flashes of lashes staring at her deeply, she tucked with the newspapers and placed them on the table. "What happened Zelda?" Worry appeared on her forehead, Zelda swallowed hard, maybe she wasn't ready after all, maybe, she should just go and tell them another day.

But, she was late, not with her father already walking towards her in haste, not with her mother's intense glare, not with... Oh. She needed help.

"I am pregnant." The words came out slow, and it took nearly a second before the word processed into their mind.

Surprise flashed in their eyes. Then hate, then deep resentment, then deep disgrace, all for her, she flinched slowly, her hands jabbing towards one another in panic.

"Get rid of it." Her mother turned towards the TV, she had said it, like it was something so casual.

Zelda's eyes bulged slightly, and her stomach churned. "What?!" Her hands moved towards her stomach, and she held it protectively, her mother's eyes shined with disgust when she did that.

"You are nearly in your final year, if you can't get rid of it. Then forget about us being your parents." Her mother's voice reminded her of how useless she could be.

She stared at her father, hoping he would say something, she lunged her hands forward to him, but he took a gentle step back, and nearly brushed her hands away. "Get out, Zelda. I don't know you."

That was it, a tear, then another, and she stared at her parents, they were kicking her out, because she had decided to keep the baby? 

Flashes of thunder stroked through the curtains, a certain level of wind blowing through the room.

"At least, let me stay tonight, I will leave tomorrow." Her voice came out cracked, they wouldn't probably send her into the rain, right? 

 You wanted to follow your stupid dreams, and now, you are pregnant, you are a shame."

Zelda wanted to say something, she wanted to part her lips apart and say she wasn't ashamed, that she had studied harder than anyone else, she had even got admission to study law and medicine, but she had ignored those letters and studied culinary in one of the prestigious universities, wasn't that enough?

"Get out Zelda." Gia said through grinded teeth, and Zelda widened her eyes in horror. "Get the damn out of my house!"

She blinked not once but twice, before her hands moved hurriedly towards the door handle, she casted a look at the two people she had tried to please all her life. The two people who had always tried to pair her up with people who 'performed' better than her.

Two people who were her parents, and those two people were currently kicking her out of their house.

As she stepped down the porch, she gazed at the house she had been too familiar with. The house she had grown up to, and now, she was leaving, just like that, without a single goodbye.

She clutched her perfectly pale stomach that was covered in a sweater, before she said with teary eyes. "I will protect you, little one."