Chapter One

Gesare

“Do the test again.” The thin sheet of paper trembles violently in my hands as I stare down at the results, two pink lines

“This can't be right,” I whisper, my voice rising into a desperate shout with a tremor. “I can't be pregnant, This has to be wrong.”

The nurse shifts uncomfortably beside the doctor as her eyes flicker between us before she clears her throat.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” she says softly, almost apologetically. “But the results say otherwise, and blood don't lie, you are pregnant.”

“No.” I shake my head, the room spinning around me. “No, run it again.”

My fingers tighten around the crumpled paper.

“Is this some kind of joke?” My voice trembles as panic begins clawing its way up my chest. “Am I being filmed for some stupid show or something? Because there is no way in hell I am pregnant.”

My throat burns as I struggle to hold back the tears gathering in my eyes.

“I have never even had sex in my life, so how can I be pregnant unless I am Mary the mother of Jesus.”

Silence falls over the small examination room.

The doctor and the nurse exchange a look, the kind of look people give when they think someone is either lying or losing their mind.

Then the doctor turns back to me.

“This must be very shocking for you, Miss Gesare,” he says gently, resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “But blood tests are extremely accurate. They don’t make mistakes, and you are fourteen weeks pregnant.” My stomach drops the more he talks.

“We can guide you through whatever decision you want to make,” he continues calmly. “You should know that you have options.”

“You don’t believe me, do you?” The words slip out before I can stop them, I push the chair back and stand up abruptly.

“You don’t believe that I’m a virgin,” I say, my voice shaking now. “You don’t believe me when I say I have never had sex before.”

The doctor sighs softly.

“We want to believe you miss,” he says carefully. “But scientifically speaking, that would be impossible.”

“I need some air.” I say quietly, before either of them can stop me, I throw the results onto the desk and rush out of the room.

The hospital hallway feels too bright, too loud. My head feels heavy, like it’s stuffed with cotton, and tiny stars dance across my vision as I push through the glass doors and step outside.

The cold air hits my face, but it does nothing to calm the storm raging inside me, Pregnant.

How can I be pregnant? No man has ever touched me, no one has ever even kissed me.

And then it occurs to me that this was just the beginning, my stepmother will kill me when she finds out.

To her, a pregnancy isn’t just a scandal to our family, It’s another mouth to feed, another stain on her perfect family image.

And I am already the stain she tolerates the least.

The fear coils tightly in my stomach as I walk forward, my mind spinning so wildly that I barely notice where my feet are taking me

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

A loud male voice explodes through the chaos in my head and my whole body freezes up as tires screech violently as a sleek black car stops just inches away from me.

“I I’m so sorry, sir,” I stammer quickly, my voice trembling as I step back. “I didn’t see”

“Oh please,” the man cuts me off sharply.

His voice full of irritation.

“Are you one of those people looking for a cheap payoff?” he snaps. “Throwing yourself in front of expensive cars instead of getting a real job like normal people?”

My face burns with humiliation, I can feel people staring at me, judging me.

I keep my eyes fixed firmly on the ground, unable to look at him. The only thing I see are his polished, expensive shoes standing on the asphalt.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble again, shame choking the words and before he can say anything else, I turn and run, I don't stop or look back I just keep running.

It doesn’t take long before the familiar gates of the house come into view, home or at least the closest thing I have ever had to one.

The moment I step inside, Moraa’s voice greets me.

“Where have you been, Gesare?”

My step sister leans lazily against the doorway, scrolling through her phone like she has all the time in the world.

“Mother wants her medicine.”

I nod quickly and rush toward the kitchen.

Within seconds I prepare the tray and carry it upstairs, careful not to spill the glass of water as I enter Kerubo’s room.

She’s lounging on the bed, watching television like a queen on her throne.

“Where were you?” she asks coldly the moment she sees me.

“I went to the hospital, ma’am,” I mumble quietly, placing the glass of water beside her.

Her eyes narrow.

“I told you to go on your own time, not on mine.” she says her voice sharper now, “I let you stay here for free, I feed you, I clothe you. The least you could do is respect my time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I whisper quickly. “It won’t happen again.”

I grab the tray and hurry out of the room before the tears in my eyes betray me.

The moment the door closes behind me, the tears spill over.

I wipe them away quickly and start heading back to my small room when Kerubo’s phone rings behind the door.

I don’t mean to listen but the I hear a single word, 

Pregnant and my entire body freezes, could it be the hospital?

I had written Kerubo’s number down as my emergency contact, but I never thought they would actually call her.

Panic floods my chest as I quickly walk away and rush toward my room.

Minutes later, I hear footsteps, heavy ones.

Kerubo never comes to the servants’ quarters unless it was an emergency. 

But through the small crack near the window, I see her approaching, Moraa walks beside her.

My hands begin to shake before they can knock, I slowly open the door.

Kerubo steps inside immediately, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she glances around my tiny room.

“The hospital just called,” she says coldly.

Her eyes land on me like knives.

“Imagine my shock when they informed me that my dirty housemaid is pregnant.”

“I can explain,” I say desperately, dropping to my knees. “There must be a mistake. Please believe me.”

“You know I cannot keep you here now, Gesare,” she continues, ignoring my pleas. “People will talk. I will become the gossip of this town.”

She gestures toward Moraa.

“And with my daughter about to marry one of the richest billionaires in the city, I cannot afford such disgrace tied to our name.”

“I am not pregnant!” I cry helplessly. “I swear I’m not. Please, I have nowhere else to go.”

Kerubo sighs dramatically.

“I’m sorry, Gesare. I was generous enough to take you in, and this is how you repay me.” Her voice hardens, “Pack your things and be out by noon.”

Then she turns and walks away.

Moraa lingers behind.

“Moraa, please,” I beg her, my voice breaking. “I have nowhere else to go.”

She looks down at me, her eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.

“Well,” she says with a small shrug, “you are going to be a mother now, Gesare.”

A wicked smile spreads across her face.

“Time to learn how to survive on your own, it will be good practice for when you have your baby.” Then she leaves.

It doesn’t take long to pack because I don’t own much.

Kerubo never paid me for the years I spent working in her house, She always said I should be grateful she didn’t charge me rent for staying there and eating her food.

Nine years, Nine years of my life reduced to one small black bag.

I take one last look around the tiny storage room that had also served as my bedroom.

Then I walk out.

Out of the only place I have called home for nearly a decade.

The road stretches endlessly ahead of me.

My bag feels heavier with every step, even though it barely holds anything.

I have no money, no family and no idea where I am going but I just keep walking until I hear tires Screech then something slams into me.

The world spins violently before I hit the ground and my whole body is in pain. 

“Oh my goodness, you hit her!”

“Is she breathing?”

“I think she is dead, she is not moving!”

The sounds grow distant as they fade until everything goes completely dark.