I told myself he could never find out—but now the truth is kicking inside me.The quiet hum of the car was the only sound between us as we drove home. The headlights cut through the dark road, making long shadows that flickered and danced across the trees. I sat still in the passenger seat, my fingers twisting and untwisting in my lap like they were trying to keep my secret from slipping out.Derrick’s hand rested on the wheel, his eyes focused on the road, but every few minutes, he glanced at me. Just quick, careful looks, like he was waiting for something. Like he could feel there was something wrong, something I wasn’t saying.Once, our eyes met. He gave me a small, soft smile, the kind that used to make my heart flutter. Tonight, it just made me ache.I turned my head to the window again, pretending to look at the passing lights. But all I saw was my own reflection staring back—tired eyes, pale lips, and that tiny bump under my dress, just beginning to show. The lie I had told for
I used to pray I'd never see his face again—now I'm carrying his child.I lay on the bed, arms wrapped tightly around a pillow as if it could shield me from the truth. The ceiling above me was blank, white, and empty—just like my thoughts. I stared at it for what felt like hours, hoping it would whisper answers. It didn’t.My heart ached with a twisted mixture of guilt and fear. How did I end up here? Trapped in the chaos of my own choices. In love with the very man I once despised. Pregnant with a secret that had the power to destroy three lives in one blow.The worst part? I couldn’t go back. I couldn’t undo any of it.The shrill ring of my phone shattered the stillness.I didn’t move.It rang again. Same caller.Jackson.The name alone made my skin prickle. I stared at the screen, unmoving, heart pounding.I didn’t want to hear his voice. I didn’t want to remember how his touch felt, how easily he’d slipped into my world, wrecked it, and walked away like none of it mattered.But I
I never imagined the truth would destroy three lives in a single day.Jackson’s baby was growing inside me, and today, Derrick—my husband—might find out he’s not the father.I gripped the edge of the bathroom sink, knuckles white, my reflection pale and haunted. My hair was tied back, but strands clung to the sweat at my temples. My stomach churned—not from the pregnancy, but from fear.Derrick can’t know.Not today.Not ever.I’d prayed all night, curled on the edge of our marital bed while he slept beside me, unaware. My lips moved silently into the darkness, whispering desperate bargains to a God who stayed silent. I offered anything—my peace, my future, even my body—if only the truth could stay buried a little longer.But nothing changed.When Derrick’s voice called out from the living room, it was like a hammer striking my chest.“Babe, are you ready? The driver’s waiting.”His voice was cheerful, casual. He had no idea the bomb ticking beneath our lives.I walked to the door, my
“I used to fear being alone… until I realized silence is safer than confession.”The garden had become my sanctuary.A small corner of the world where the wind whispered instead of shouting, and the flowers didn’t look at me with suspicion. The roses stood proud, unaware of the mess unraveling inside me. I sat curled on the cold iron bench, hugging my knees to my chest like a child trying to disappear into herself.My chest ached, but not in any way medicine could fix. It was the ache of guilt—thick, suffocating, unrelenting. My fingers trembled slightly as they rested against the still-flat plane of my stomach. There wasn’t much to show yet… but I felt it.Like a secret thumping inside me, pressing louder each day. A heartbeat I never asked for, but now couldn’t ignore.How did I end up here?Married to a good man. Carrying the child of his son.I closed my eyes, the shame curling in my gut. The image of Derick’s kind smile drifted to the front of my mind—and it felt like a blade sli
The moment I saw those two pink lines, my world shattered.My knees buckled, and I sank onto the edge of the bathtub, my trembling fingers clutching the pregnancy test like it was a bomb waiting to explode. My breath hitched, shallow and fast, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't slow it down.This can't be happening. Not now. Not to me.I blinked rapidly, as if the extra lines would vanish if I stared long enough. But they didn't. They only grew sharper, brighter—mocking me.A million thoughts clashed inside my head, loud and ruthless.What if I pin the pregnancy on Derrick? Would he believe me? Could I carry this lie for the rest of my life?What if I tell Jackson? He'd lose control. He might expose us both, destroy everything—our marriage, our family, my sanity.And then—quiet, cold, and cruel—a single thought took shape.Abortion.The word felt like poison on my tongue. But it lingered.Was that the only way to fix this? To erase my mistake? To hit a reset button on this dis
I gripped the edge of the sink, my fingers digging into the cold porcelain until my knuckles turned white. Another wave of nausea rolled through me, sharp and sudden. My knees nearly buckled under the weight of it. I leaned forward and retched, the bitter taste of bile burning the back of my throat as tears sprang to my eyes.My entire body trembled.This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t just food poisoning. This was something else—something worse. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and my mind kept racing toward the same terrifying thought.No. No, it couldn't be.A soft knock followed by footsteps behind me snapped me out of my daze. Derick’s voice was low but concerned. “Are you okay?”I quickly rinsed my mouth, splashing water on my face to mask how pale I had gone. My hands shook as I reached for the towel, drying my face before turning around to meet his gaze. His eyes searched mine, filled with genuine worry.I forced the corners of my mouth to lift into a small, unconvincing smile