The Chaos

"I'm... Uh... Pregnant."

Theodore and Maria Winchester exchanged glances. Confusion colored their expressions.

"Honey, it's not April," Maria said softly. "You don't have to make jokes, and even if it were, they weren't funny at all."

Theodore cupped his wife's hands on the table. He had studied Noreen's face as she spoke and knew that what his only daughter had said had nothing to do with April Fool's Day.

"Noreen, are you serious?" Theodore asked, his voice trembling. "How long has it been?"

"Wait," Maria said nervously. "What, oh my God, Noreen? You're really... Pregnant?"

Noreen clenched the hem of her dress tightly, until her knuckles turned white. Her chest felt tight and her throat dry. She felt her eyes burning with the tears she was holding back.

Preparing herself to say this embarrassing thing was hard enough, but seeing her mother's face turn pale and her father's face contorted in pain was even worse.

Noreen nodded, and as expected, Maria burst into tears. She shook in Theodore's arms. Noreen lowered her head, and a single tear fell onto her skirt, followed by another.

She dug her nails into her thighs, trying to keep her sobs from becoming louder and louder. She couldn't collapse now. This was just the beginning.

"How... no, who is it?" Theodore asked in a low voice. "Do I know him?"

It was a question that haunted Noreen for nights after she learned that life was growing inside her womb.

Noreen shook her head. "I d-don't know h-him. It was... a one-night stand, w-when I went to the club, on Veronica and Thomas's wedding night."

Maria's sobs intensified, while Theodore sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"W-what?" Maria whispered. "Is that true?"

Noreen nodded and  wiped her eyes and wet cheeks.  "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. I am really sorry. I never want to disappoint you. I realize my mistake, and I will take full responsibility. I hope you won't ask me to abort this baby. This baby is innocent. I will give birth and raise this baby."

Theodore could see the determination in Noreen's eyes. His only daughter had always been stubborn since she was little, but she was also resilient and hardworking.

Noreen stood up. "I...will pack my suitcase."

Maria released her hug from Theodore in surprise and stood, taking Noreen's hand.

"Wait! What do you mean you'll pack your suitcase?"

The corner of Noreen's eye twitched. Her mother's tear-stained face made her heart feel like it was being pinched by an invisible hand.

"I-I'll go," Noreen stammered, then lowered her head. "I don't want to burden you with any further embarrassment."

Maria turned to her husband, who remained motionless. "Theo? Really?"

Now, Theodore stood up too. "You're not going anywhere, Noreen. You're staying with us, giving birth to the baby, and raising it with us."

Noreen was stunned. "Dad? B-but..."

Noreen had prepared herself to choose keeping her baby over her parents. She would leave home and find a way to take responsibility for her own carelessness.

But what she heard from her father was completely out of her expectations.

Her parents were well-known in the St. Orvalle neighborhood. Her father was a university professor and her mother was a middle school teacher. Many respected and liked them. Noreen didn't want that to change that because of what was happening to her now.

"There's no arguing," Theodore said. "You're our only daughter, and the baby in your womb is our grandchild, so we'll take care of you and the baby."

This time, Noreen couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Maria pulled her into a hug and patted her back gently.

"We're sorry, honey. If only we hadn't forced you that night..." Maria said, her voice choked.

***

Five weeks ago

"Mom, are you seriously asking me to be that bitch's bridesmaid?" Noreen asked, her eyebrows raised. "What were you thinking, Mom?"

Maria sighed. "Noreen, even though Veronica was guilty, she's already had her punishment. Remember how long she was sick after Lisbeth beat her? Come on, Noreen, she's your cousin, after all."

"I don't want to think of her as a cousin, and I have nothing to lose by losing a cousin as lowly as that bitch," Noreen hissed sharply.

"Enough, Noreen, don't go too far!" Theodore snapped.  "It's important to keep our family together, and your business with Thomas should be over. Now's the time to show your big heart. In three days, you'll be her bridesmaid down the aisle!"

Noreen stared at her parents, angry, disappointed, and confused. How could they force her to be a bridesmaid for Veronica and Thomas, the people who had destroyed her dreams, her trust, and her self-esteem?

She and Thomas had been dating for four years, shortly before they graduated from college. It was Noreen's first relationship, and she loved Thomas sincerely. She believed Thomas felt the same way about her.

How naive.

Shortly after graduation, Noreen landed a decent-paying job in real estate, while Thomas took over the family business.

They started talking about marriage, and Noreen was excited. With the help of her best friend, Lisbeth, she began searching for vendors to organize her dream wedding.

However, two days before Thomas's birthday, when Noreen came to Thomas's office to surprise him with a lunchbox from their favorite restaurant, she was shocked by what she saw.

Thomas and Veronica, her cousin, were making love on Thomas's desk, amidst the scattered stationery and documents.

Noreen nearly vomited at the scene for a full minute, hearing Veronika's seductive moans and Thomas's groans of pleasure, before she snapped back to reality and, with full consciousness, threw the packed lunchbox at Thomas's head.

Two days later, when Veronica and Thomas, accompanied by Veronica's parents, came to Noreen's house to apologize, Lisbeth arrived and beat the cheating couple to a pulp.

No one could resist. Lisbeth was a national Taekwondo champion, and if it hadn't been for Noreen's intervention, Veronica and Thomas would probably be disabled by now.

Veronica and Thomas should have been grateful that Noreen was still motivated to stop Lisbeth, even though they still had to be hospitalized for three days afterward.

The incident strained the relationship between Noreen's parents and Veronica's—their mothers were sisters—until then, seven months later, Aunt Merly announced that Veronica and Thomas were getting married and asked Noreen to be a bridesmaid as a sign of peace.

Noreen couldn't fathom how her parents could accept that as a sign of peace? Had they been bewitched to the point that their logic was completely broken?

"Big heart, my ass!" Noreen snapped angrily. "You wouldn't want me to embarrass you by throwing up in their faces, because that would be too disgusting, would you?"

"NOREEN!" Theodore snapped.

Noreen's eyes lit up and she turned and went into her room. When she came back out, she was carrying a backpack. She walked past Maria and Theodore, saying nothing and even turning deaf when they called out to her.

On the night of Veronica and Thomas's wedding, Noreen put on her best evening gown, her newly purchased perfume, and grabbed her purse, winking at Lisbeth, who was staring at her with a wide smile in the reflection of the full-length mirror.

"Let's party, girl. I guarantee tonight will be the best night of my life!"