Exposed At The Altar

Lina's POV The kitchen was as hot as an oven, sweat streaming down my back as I stir the pot on the cooker. Clara had gone to her mom’s and I was left to look after her dad, Daniel, who had sprained his ankle. I had put on little shorts and a slender tank top in order to beat the heat. Just then, my thoughts drifted away to Daniel.He had been so nice since I came to the country as an exchange student- he had opened up his doors to me and made me one of their family. But I had been in love with him years. It was my dirty secret and it made me touch myself at night and imagine his hands rather than mine. "Darm! That man fine." I mumbled.I turned around and there he was, right behind my back and nearer than I had thought. I gagged on a gasp, and a blush crept up my cheeks, and my heart missed a beat. His eyes dropped to my curves, and then they shot up. But my eyes immediately went down there, the bulge in his sweatpants. Fuck, was that a hard-on? For me? No way. I cleared my th

Dinner was heavier than it ought to have been.The table was laid, all the plates in place, knives and forks fitted in their proper places, everything was in its place, except for one thing.The homewrecker.Me!Daniel was seated at the head of the table and his wife, the mother of Clara was seated beside him.He was healthier than he had been a few days ago. Stronger. He was back to his color, his shoulders were set straight, his face was less serious. He nodded when she spoke, answered lowly when she spoke to him, and whenever she smiled he appeared to melt down in his turn.He still loved this woman!It hurt more than I expected.“This is beautiful,” said Helen, the mother of Clara, looking at the dishes, and smiling at Clara. “You both did a great job.”Clara cheered up. “We tried to make it special.”“Not we, me!” Maya, the younger sister of Clara hissed.She sat very stiff in her chair, her arms crossed, her eyes on her plate as though she could burn a hole in it. She hadn’t tou

Lina’s POVClara stared at me with her eyes as though she were reading something on my face.I was able to sense her bewilderment, her anxiety, and the slight suspicion that had come to rest in her eyes. At last, she said, in a low, almost timid voice, “Lina, who was the father?”My stomach twisted. I stood still, struggling to maintain my calm, yet my mind was flying. I might have sworn that I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I opened my mouth but I could not say anything when her phone rang. and she looked at it. “It’s Maya. I’ll just—”“ Take it,” I said to myself, wishing she would go away and leave me to myself a few minutes. I was able to hear her footsteps disappear down the hall and the silence of the room pressed upon me.I glanced at the doctor, and I hardly uttered. “How-how?”He consulted his notes and answered, “I’ll say about six weeks.” He said, answering the question even though I could not complete it.My breath caught. Six weeks. Six weeks ago I had slept wit

Lina’s POVThe days after that felt heavy, like the air itself had weight.I woke up every morning with the same tight feeling in my chest. Before my eyes even opened, reality would rush back in. The pregnancy. The lie. The marriage plans nobody asked me if I wanted. It was like carrying a load on my head from the moment I stepped out of bed.Everyone in the house was suddenly careful around me. Too careful. Clara kept asking if I had eaten. Her mother kept offering me fruits and tea. Even Maya reduced her sharp comments, but her eyes never rested. She watched me like she was waiting for a mistake.Ethan tried his best to act normal.That was the hardest part.He smiled more. Asked questions. Offered help. He touched my arm once when we were in the kitchen, just a light touch, but my body stiffened immediately. He noticed and quickly pulled his hand back.“Sorry,” he said softly. “I just… I’m trying.”I nodded, even though my stomach twisted. I knew he was trying in his own way, but e

Lina’s POVAfter that night Maya spoke to me in the hallway, peace completely left my body.Even when the house was quiet, my mind wasn’t. I started jumping at small sounds. A door closing. Someone calling my name. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart would skip, like maybe someone had finally figured everything out.I became extra careful. Too careful.I watched my words. Watched my steps. Watched my face in the mirror before stepping out of my room, making sure I looked normal. Not guilty. Not scared. Just… fine.But pretending takes energy. And I was running out of it.Ethan came around more often now. He sat beside me during meals. Walked me to my room at night. Sometimes he talked about plans, sometimes he stayed quiet, but his presence was always there.“You don’t talk much anymore,” he said one evening as we sat outside.I shrugged. “I’m tired.”He nodded. “I understand.”But I knew he didn’t. None of them did.Daniel started avoiding me.At first, I thought it was my imaginati