A mistake, a painful mistake

Chapter 4

STACY’S POV

I cried for two straight days after leaving the hospital.

Not the quiet kind of crying either. The choking type. The kind that steals your breath and makes your chest burn like fire. My eyes were swollen, my head throbbed, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw the doctor’s face smiling as he told me the words that had shattered my life.

You are pregnant.

The word followed me everywhere. It echoed in the walls. It crawled into my dreams. It mocked me when I tried to sleep.

I sat before my laptop on the third morning, the screen glowed softly, but my vision blurred as tears threatened to return.

RealTech. The place where I had given so much. The place where Arnold, the man I trusted with my heart, had betrayed me.

I could not walk back into that office with this secret growing inside me.

“Are you really sure about this?” Hillary asked softly as she placed a steaming cup of coffee beside the laptop.

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes were filled with worry. She had been my shadow since everything collapsed.

“What do you expect me to do, Hill?” I whispered with a cracked voice, as my hand hovered over the keyboard, typing my resignation letter. “Smile at Arnold and tell him I might be carrying his child? Let him pretend to care?”

Silence followed.

“Well… the stranger could also be the father,” she murmured carefully.

The stranger.

The word tasted bitter on my tongue.

That man’s face flashed in my mind again. I pressed my palms to my stomach, struggling to align my mind to the magnitude of the truth.

Even though I didn't want to accept it, Hill was right… It could also be the stranger’s baby.

The thought twisted something painful inside me. Regret poured over me like cold water.

Two men.

One night.

One child.

That thought alone made my chest tighten painfully.

My family depended on me. I had carried their burdens willingly. My sister’s school fees. My parents’ medical bills. Every responsibility rested on my shoulders… and now I had added another life to protect. Now, I had to resign because of my foolishness.

My resignation letter blinked on the screen, waiting for confirmation.

I hereby tender my resignation as secretary to the Sales Manager, effective immediately.

I hit send.

It felt like closing the last door of my old life.

Hillary pulled me into a hug, tight and protective. “You will survive this, Stacy. You are stronger than you think.”

I wanted to believe her. I really did.

My phone buzzed in my palm.

Ceci.

My heart sank. I could not hide this forever.

“Hello, baby sis,” I forced a shaky smile into my voice.

“Stacy, I need to talk to you,” she said. “I need some money for my project, and…”

“I’m pregnant.”

The words fell out before I could stop them.

There was silence on the line. Heavy. Stunned. Cold.

“What?” she finally breathed. “Stacy… Whose is it? Arnold?”

My eyes closed tightly as shame flooded me again. “I don’t even know, Ceci.”

Another silence. Then her breathing sharpened.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

My voice trembled as everything spilled out… The frustrating Arnold and the stranger's story.

“Arnold cheated on me with Lisa,” I finished weakly. “And I… I lost myself.”

“The bitch,” Ceci cursed quietly. “But Stacy… how could you let this happen?”

Her disappointment hurt more than any slap could have.

“I know,” I whispered. “I hate myself for it too.”

“You’re still my sister,” she finally said, softer now. “But don’t tell Mom and Dad yet. Let them breathe first.”

I nodded even though she could not see me, my eyes watering up. “I’ll tell them when I’m ready.”

*****

I sat in the doctor’s office the next day, my hands resting protectively over my stomach. I never knew I could feel love mixed with fear so deeply.

“You need to avoid stress,” the doctor said gently. “This baby is still very delicate.”

Stress. My entire life had become stressful.

When I stepped out into the corridor, lost in my storm of thoughts, my shoulder collided with someone.

“Stacy.”

I froze, my eyes widened when I saw him - The stranger.

My heart lurched painfully in my chest. The same eyes. The same presence. Only now, he was no longer part of the past. He was standing right in front of me… real, breathing, staring at me with something intense written across his face.

“You’re pregnant,” he said quietly. “You’re carrying my baby.”

My stomach twisted.

“How do you even know that?” I snapped, panic mixing with anger.

“My friend is your doctor,” he replied. “He told me. Because I’ve been trying to find you since that night.”

That sentence struck me harder than I expected.

“You were looking for me?” I whispered.

“Yes.” His jaw tightened. “You vanished and I had no information about you. Just your name… your first name. And you didn't even care.”

“Care?” I scoffed bitterly. “You think that night meant something? You said it yourself — it was casual.”

“So did I… until I couldn’t sleep without seeing you,” he admitted. “Until every woman stopped looking like a woman to me.”

His words shook me, but fear overpowered the warmth that tried to bloom again.

“You don’t get to sound sincere now,” I snapped. “This baby could be yours as much as it couldn't.”

His eyes darkened. “What do you mean?”

I swallowed hard. “Never mind.”

He stepped closer. Too close.

“I want to take responsibility,” he said. “I want to be part of this child’s life. Part of your life.”

My heart pounded violently. His voice pulled at something deep inside me… something I told myself I must not feel.

“This is not a love story,” I said, stepping back. “This is a mistake. A painful mistake.”

“Look at me,” he urged.

I refused.

“You ran from me once. Don’t do it again.”

But I did.

I turned and walked away, my legs shaking, tears stinging my eyes. Behind me, I could hear his voice calling my name, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.