Chapter One

Valerie 

We were all playing card games in my father's living room when Tim stormed in furious, 

“You’re pregnant?” Tim’s voice boomed from across the room, cutting through the music like a blade. My heart stopped as I turned to see him, arm outstretched, holding something in his hand. 

“What?” I asked confused if this was part of a game he was playing. 

But it was not a game, I could see it in his face he was furious. 

He threw it at me. The small plastic stick hit my shoulder and bounced to the floor. I bent to pick it up with trembling fingers, it was a pregnancy stick and it had the two lines, the positive sign. 

“No,” I whispered, already shaking my head. “No. No, that’s not this isn’t mine Tim.” I said confidently. 

“Oh, save it!” Tim yelled, his eyes had turned red. “You cheated on me! You’re standing here, carrying someone else’s child, while planning our wedding? What kind of twisted game are you playing, Valerie?”

The room had suddenly went silent, everyone's eyes on me. 

“I didn’t Tim, I swear I’m a virgin!” I cried, stepping toward him. “You know this. You know I am waiting for our wedding night.”

“You really expect me to believe that?” he spat. “A pregnant virgin? What are you, the Virgin Mary now? I had my doubts, you have been acting so weird lately, the mood swings, the frequent use of the bathroom, the morning sickness” he said, pausing looking at me. He was not lying, I had been experiencing everything he had just mentioned, but that didn't mean I was pregnant. "I decided to taste you just to be sure, I didn't expect it to be positive though." he added. 

Laughter exploded behind him. Not amused laughter ugly, mocking laughter. My stepmother Angela scoffed loudly, her arms crossed, while her daughter Amina stood beside her, lips curled in disdain.

“You disgusting little liar,” my father finally cut in, I turned to him in desperation, but his eyes were cold. “You’ve brought shame to this house. I should have known better than to trust you.” He said, full of anger 

“Dad, please, there must be a mistake” I tried to plead with him. 

“Don’t call me that!” he roared, walking toward me with fury. “You want to live like a whore? Then you’re not my daughter. Not anymore, I want you out..”

I flinched as if I had been slapped. He really didn't mean that did he? I looked around waiting for anyone to atleast speak up, take my side, but everyone was avoiding my eyes, whispering among themselves.

“You’re getting married in three days, and this is what you do?” Angela hissed. “Disgusting little slut.” my step mother said, she seemed to be enjoying every bit of this. 

“ I Should have known she wasn’t as perfect as she pretended to be ,” Amina added smugly.

I dropped to my knees, choking on tears, clutching the test in my hands like I could erase the results if I held it hard enough. “It’s not true,” I gasped. “It’s not true! I didn’t do anything, I haven’t even.. ”

“You’re a disgrace to this family Valerie,” my father cut me off. “Pack your things and get out now.”

“Please”

“Out!” he shouted. “No daughter of mine will embarrass me like this. I don’t ever want to see your face again!”

He grabbed my suitcase from the hall and flung it out the front door. My clothes spilled onto the pavement like dirty secrets. Tim turned his back. My heart shattered. It all felt like a nightmare. Any moment I would wake up, and this would all be gone.

But I didn’t wake up. This was all happening to me in real time. 

I was still kneeling, still crying, when the door slammed shut behind me.

Cold air bit at my skin as I crawled to my clothes, trying to gather them. My body shook, not just from the cold, but from betrayal. Confusion. Terror. How could a test be positive? I hadn’t even kissed anyone, not like that. I was a virgin. I was waiting for Tim. We agreed. And we were getting married in a few days, why would I mess that up? Nothing made sense anymore. 

My hands trembled as I picked up the test again, staring at the two pink lines. There had to be a mistake. A lab error. Maybe someone tampered with it. Maybe.. I heard footsteps and I turned around hoping my dad had changed his mind or maybe Tim had realized he had made a mistake, but it was my step sister Amina. 

Amina stood at the end of the driveway, her arms folded, leaning against the wall like she had all the time in the world. That smug, gleeful look on her face made my blood freeze.

“Why are you smiling?” I whispered, wiping tears from my cheeks.

She stepped closer. “You always thought you were better than everyone. Perfect little virgin bride. Daddy’s golden girl. Tim’s dream girl.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice cracking.

Amina laughed softly. “I can’t believe it actually worked.”

I blinked, confused. “What... worked? What are you talking about?”

She tilted her head, eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. “Remember that pap smear you got a few months ago? You were worried about irregular cycles or something, right? Well... guess what? That wasn’t just a pap smear.”

A pit opened in my stomach. “What do you mean? What did you do Amina?”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, her face full of smug. “I paid the doctor. A few thousand bucks. Told him to inseminate you with donor sperm. Told him you wouldn’t remember anything. And you didn’t. Guess sedation really works, I didn't think it Wil work honestly, but turns out you are really fertile.”

“No,” I breathed, stumbling backward. “No, that’s not legal, no one would..he wouldn’t”

“Oh, but he did,” she said sweetly. “You should’ve seen your face just now. All that sobbing, begging, saying you’re a virgin. It was beautiful.”

I shook my head violently, tears flowing freely again. “You’re lying. This is sick. Why would you do that to me?”

“Because I hate you Valerie and how you pretend to be perfect” she said, the smile dropping. “Ever since you moved into this house, you’ve been treated like royalty. My mom and I? We’re nothing to him. But you? You got everything. And I’m sick of it.”

“I never did anything to you,” I whispered.

“Exactly,” she snarled. “You didn’t have to. Just being you was enough.”

I stared at her in disbelief, My mouth moved, but no sound came. Her words hung in the air, thick and poisonous.

“You ruined my life,” I finally whispered.