CHAPTER 2.

Shattered Hopes 

                    Amanda's POV 

"Ryan, what are you talking about? Did I hear you right? You got my sister pregnant?" I asked in utter disbelief.

"When you say it like that, you make me seem like a bad person. Amanda these three years with you have been my worst years, you don't how annoying it had been coming back home everyday to face you. Selene was everything to me, she comforted me everytime, something you could never do."

"You didn't tell me you have problems, Ryan we barely talked, how was i to know there was a problem?"

"You were the problem, Amanda you've always been the problem and right now, I've found someone I want to continue my journey, ours ends here, my lawyer will contact you regarding the divorce proceedings."

Everything didn't make sense, they've been having an affair behind my back the whole time? My husband and my sister, the more I thought about it, the more it broke my heart.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Long enough to result in a pregnancy and an engagement, I'm honestly tired of you two bickering, just settle whatever it is please and let whoever is to leave, leave already." My sister said covering her ears.

"And you." I said turning to her "how could you betray your own sister like this? I came back home everyday seeking for advice on how to make my home better, you sat there listening, the whole time you were having an affair with my husband. Selene I am your sister for Goodness sake, this isn't right." I yelled at her as tears streamed down my face.

"Well, it has already happened and I'm not sorry."

"Leave Selene out of this, it's between you and I, Amanda don't make this difficult, I'm done answering your questions, my decision has already been made, you have to move out so she can come in."

He sounded like a child, like someone who was controlled, I feared for him because with each word, it seemed like the world had gone mad.

"But I'm pregnant with your child, Ryan, I'm carrying your child, you can't possibly throw me out of the house in this condition."

He looked at me and burst into a fit of laughter, I watched him until he was done, he moved closer to me.

"Do you think I'm stupid? 3 years of marriage and you couldn't even carry a child to a complete term, when I decide to send your unproductive self out and move someone else in, you're suddenly claiming to be pregnant. Do I look like a kid to you Amanda?" He asked poking my forehead repeatedly with his middle finger.

"I am really pregnant for you Ryan, I was going to tell you tonight, I prepared all this because I was hoping to celebrate today with this good news." 

"You think a fake pregnancy and some concussions would change my mind? You're delusional."

"Ryan please." I pleaded crutching down to hold his legs "I don't mind staying as a second wife or a concubine, please don't throw me and my unborn child out of the house , please Ryan." I pleaded even more, not wanting to leg go off his legs as he kicked harder.

"My stomach, it hurts." Selene shouted.

We both turned to look at her, she held her stomach in pain, I didn't know if I was to leave my husband to attend to my sister, it felt like I couldn't move any part of my body.

Ryan removed my hands from his legs and moved to her, they talked in whispers, I sat there holding my stomach as the both went outside the room.

He stopped abruptly and turned back to look at me "I don't want to see you when I return."

With that, they both disappeared.

I had been heartbroken over the years, from when I lost my favorite toy to selene, to when I had to leave my crush because my sister liked him too, the pain I had felt then was nothing compared to the one I felt now watching my husband pick my sister over me.

I held my stomach and let the tears out, this was like the end of the world to me, I picked the test result I had wanted to show him and pressed it to my chest, I couldn't imagine the heartbreak my baby must be going through watching her father and aunty destroy her chance of having a full family.

I knew I needed to act fast, I had to save my marriage, if there was anyone Ryan would listen to, it was his mother – Mrs.Veronica.

                            ~•~

"What do you want me to do?" She asked shattering the last bit of hope I had.

"Ma, Ryan is divorcing me for my sister, he claims she's pregnant for him."

"Well, that sounds more like a family problem, it really has nothing to do with me or my son." She said, eyes focused on the magazine on her leg.

I had thought coming here was the best thing to do, but it seemed she had already picked a side 

"Ma, I'm carrying your grandchild, we don't deserve to be pushed out of our home like this." I said, tears threatening to burst out.

"Amanda, you Really think we're fools. It's been three years, three years of watching you enjoy our family name without making any contribution to keep the name and suddenly when my son found someone to give him what you couldn't give him, you're suddenly here with your tricks. Come on girl, your womb isn't conducive to raise babies."

It wasn't the words, it wasn't her expression, it was the way she said it, the way those words came out like she had been dying to spit them to my face, it broke me.

"Ma" I tried to call her, to remind her that I was also someone's child.

"Silence" she said raising her hands to stop me. "I'm doing this because of humanity." She said as she scribbled down something on a piece of paper before throwing it at me.

The paper landed in front of me, a Cheque, she was paying me off.

I came down from the Taxi in front of my parents house,it was hard getting one by this time of the night but I had to pay double the price, they said when everything seemed off, the best place to go was home.

The Taxi driver waved at me as he sped off, I didn't bother to wave back, the weight of what was going on in my life had paralyzed every part of me.

"She just called to say she got there already." I heard my mum saying to my Dad "I hope the pregnancy wouldn't disturb her like mine did."

How did she know I was pregnant? Ryan was supposed to be the first – wait! were they even talking about me?

"I can't believe my little baby girl is carrying her own baby, Selene indeed made me proud." My father said joyfully.

They knew, it broke me.

"Mum, Dad, how could you both watch Selene destroy my family? She is taking what's mine and you both aren't saying anything." I shouted coming out from where I stood.

"Come on, don't be dramatic. You weren't doing anything useful there, you think we were not ashamed? You should be happy your sister is removing the Shame from our faces."

"Mum." I shouted in tears. "Why would you allow that? You make it sound like I'm not your child. You're all letting my sister destroy everything I cherish, from my toys now to my home, don't I deserve to be happy? Am I not your child too?"

"Well , you're not." My mum said nonchalantly.

"What?" I looked from my mother to my father.

"Cassandra, this isn't how we planned to tell her." My father said pulling my mum to sit down.

I watched the both of them in shock and confusion, one moment I'm their favorite girl on my wedding day and today, I am not their child.

"We have to some day." Turning to me, she looked at me with a strange expression "you were adopted, you're not our biological child, we don't even know your parents."

I sank to the floor, my vision becoming blurry.