Chapter 4

Our parents sat opposite Mrs. Morris, speaking to her about how I had mental illness and how Erica could do no wrong.

At this point, it felt like the replay of a horror movie for me. I had seen this a thousand times. They always picked Erica. She was their golden child after all.

Erica sat beside me, sobbing and putting up a show as her habit was.

I ignored her completely. All I could think about right now was the s*x tape that everyone would not stop talking about. Once again the embarrassment settled in and I felt my tears built again.

"Sofia suffers from mental issues. I'm sorry for her behaviour," mum apologised.

Of course, Erica could never be wrong. I was always the wrong one.

"I think she should be put in a mental facility before she harms another student then," principal Morris was saying.

I chuckled at my misery. She never saw all the bullying of the other students. Would I be wrong to harm anyone else who bullies me?

My mother laughed heartily like this whole situation was a kind of joke, "Of course she wouldn't. I mean, has she ever? She rarely shows it. She is usually on her own and very quiet. But if she is that much of a bother, we don't mind taking her to another school."

It wasn't like I had a life here. All I had here was my books and I could find other books elsewhere. The thought of everything and being in Mrs. Morris's annoying office was giving me a headache.

"Also, have you both seen this?"

I watched as the principal showed my parents her phone and the colours from their faces drained gradually.

"Oh my goodness. You whore of a daughter!" My mother cried, springing to her feet, disgust and hatred blaring in her eyes as she glared at me. "So this is why you returned home late that Friday last two weeks!"

My dad particularly had a very deep frown on his face as he shook his head in utter disappointment. "You always go about embarrassing our family. Why can't you be like your sister Erica for once in your life and actually make us proud? All you do is soil our names and make us look like mad parents!"

My mother was even more dramatic. "Why would you do this? You couldn't even show an ounce of shame! Look at you obviously seducing and inconveniencing the innocent boy with all that fat of yours!"

Her words cut deep and brought tears to my eyes again but I kept my head down.

"You are grounded for life!" My mother screamed at me.

I could see Erica from the corner of my eyes smiling as usual. My hatred for her increased even more. Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me and I sprung to my feet, dashing outside to empty the contents of my stomach on the nearest toilet.

I could hear my mother still lamenting behind me as I threw up all of the food I had eaten earlier.

"Oh heavens! I'd be damned if you had another human growing inside you. Please tell me Ashton used a condom!" She screamed so loudly that the other girls in the bathroom could hear. Their whispers began again and I sighed.

"I'm not pregnant, mum. Is that even how it works!" I snapped, suddenly scared.

Pregnant? No way could I be pregnant! How did that even happen?

Oh, shoot, I did sleep with Ashton but that didn't mean I was pregnant. Did people even get pregnant on their first time?

Tears welled up in my eyes for the umpteenth time. I didn't plan for this. I didn't want this. This shouldn't have happened.

"You're getting tested immediately. You, this child. You have killed me!" My mother kept crying, pulling me with her to the school's health facility.

"Check her, please. I think she's pregnant!"

My father was silently watching in utter disapproval, shaking his head. "And you ask why I prefer Erica. She doesn't bring me disgrace like you do. Such a mistake of a child."

His words stabbed my heart like a knife but I refused to let it show. I had heard that many times, after all.

The nurse was swift on her tests. She gave me the test kit and asked me to go through all the procedures. The wait for the results felt like I was waiting for my impending letter of doom.

I desperately hoped—prayed that I was negative.

The nurse stepped up to us in the waiting room with a solemn expression that gave nothing away.

"I'm afraid your daughter IS pregnant, Mrs. Johnson," she announced. Her gaze flickered to me with pity. "You'll have to have plenty of rest and be mindful of your health now, miss Sofia. No more cat-fighting or trouble."

The way she said it like I was a serial fighter made my blood boil but I said nothing.

That was my fate now. I had a little one growing inside of me now and that was something to live for. Maybe... Just maybe, life was beginning to look up.

Or maybe not.

"We can't have a pregnant student. This doesn't speak well of us as a school body. Sofia Johnson will have to be expelled."

My heart skipped a beat at the words of Mrs. Morris. Her expression was neutral as she spoke to my father. He didn't bother to argue with her.

"It's fine. We'll figure it out."

But my mum was livid. Towards me or at towards school, I had no idea.

"How can she be expelled?! Oh my God! This is shameful and disgraceful! What do you expect us to do?! God, Erica would never do this!"

I stood in the corner, letting her scream. Students were beginning to eavesdrop and it didn't sit well with me.

"Let's just go, mum."

"You! Just shut up! You've brought me enough shame and reproach as it is. I regret the day I even conceived you! Look at you dragging our family name in a mess. Ugh!"

Without waiting for them, I walked out of the office to avoid any more embarrassment.

Ashton was walking past the hallway, talking with his friends and laughing. Just seeing him, something snapped within me.

He made eye contact with me and I made sure my stare was as hard as ever.

He would never find out about this pregnancy. I didn't care of the rumours flew around. They'd be just rumours.

I'd leave this Godforsaken school and build myself into the person I wanted to become. I would rise from the ashes of this defeat.

This would be the last time he would ever break me. This would be the last time he would ever see me this weak—that I could promise him and every other person who had walked all over me.