Chapter 2

The ringing of a phone woke her up. Macy sat up with a whimper, grimacing at the clawing pain that tore at her lower body. She reached for the telephone on the nightstand, struggling not to throw up as she answered the call. “Hello?”

“Macy.” The irate voice of her direct boss that managed the cleaning staff rang out loudly. “Are you still cleaning the rooms? It has been hours! Don’t tell me you’re slacking off!”

Hours? She sat up fully, looking at the bedside clock. About two hours had already passed since she had been brought here.

“You had better get back to you job, or you’ll be fired. And your pay will be docked for this.” Before she could say anything, the lime went dead.

Returning the telephone, she scrambled out of the bed. Fuck, she couldn’t afford to have her pay docked. She was struggling as it was.

Macy flinched at the sight of the man from earlier on the bed. He was sleeping, his back turned to her. Fear and hatred as well as disgust welled up inside her throat. The fact that she had enjoyed it, even though it had been because of the drug, made her want to vomit.

She needed to leave, now.

She spotted her clothes on a chair and she got them. Sharp pain shot down her lower half with every step she took, and Macy struggled not to cry. A few tears slipped out and she dashed them away with a trembling hand.

The space between her thighs felt sticky with something. It was most likely blood or cum, or both. Macy didn’t want to know. Reaching into the pocket of her jumper, she fished out a hanky using it to wipe between her thighs. The coppery scent of blood hit her nose, and instantly she knew she was injured.

Crumpling the cloth in her grip, she stuffed it back into her pocket. Her vision was blurry with tears while she put on her clothes, and she dashed them away. Without a backward glance, Macy left the room.

A short while after Macy left the room, a slim woman wearing a baseball cap entered the room. She looked around, and after confirming that Macy had left the room, departed immediately.

***

About a month later, the incident was still fresh in her mind. Macy still remembered everything, single detail. The tear had long healed, and she no longer felt as sore between her legs. The pain still remained though, a sharp phantom pain that would rip through her while she did the most mundane things.

Lately, Macy found herself eating less and less, unable to keep anything down. She couldn’t look at herself in the mirror without breaking down, and everything night in her dreams, Macy relieved the entire incident again and again. It made her scared to sleep, and most times she ended up staying awake till she passed out from exhaustion.

Macy blinked away the tiredness from her eyes, looking ahead of her to the lecturer teaching on the podium. She hadn’t been able to sleep at all the previous night. Every time she tried, she would see the man above her, pushing himself into her while Macy lay paralyzed and mute, unable to stop him.

She blinked again, trying to focus. The last thing she needed was to lose her scholarship.

After a few minutes of trying and failing, she packed up her things, deciding to leave early. She needed to rest. Hopefully, this time she wouldn’t have the same nightmare again.

The second she rose to her feet, the world tilted off its axis and she fainted dead away. The last thing Macy heard was the alarmed shouts of her coursemates as she dropped to the ground.

She stirred awake much later, only to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Panic suffused her bones before she realized she wasn’t in a hotel room, but in the infirmary. An almost empty drip bag was attached to her arm, and there was no one in sight.

Pulling out the needle from her skin, she left the bed. She felt better than she had in weeks. After putting on her shoes that had been placed close by, Macy left the room. Just as she was about to go, the infirmary doctor stopped her.

“Miss Sands?” She said with a warm smile. “Good to see you’re awake. Can you come with me for a moment?”

“Sure.” Macy rasped, following her into the small room that served as her office.

“Take a seat.” She invited, and Macy sat as she did too. “I’m Doctor Adams, but you can call me Cat.”

“Okay.” Macy replied.

“You passed out while the lecture was ongoing and you were rushed here by your coursemates. After running some tests, it was discovered that you’re dehydrated and malnourished, and your cortisol levels are also high. You haven’t been sleeping well?”

“Yeah.”

“You need to rest, eat well and drink more water.”

“Noted.” Macy muttered. “I will. Anything else?”

“Yes. Are you familiar with the hCG hormone?” Macy shook her head. “It’s a hormone associated with pregnancy. The test showed high levels of it in your system. It’s not completely conclusive, but it’s possible that you’re pregnant. Are you aware of this?”

“No.” Her voice was faint over the roar of blood rushing past her ears. “I had no idea.”

Cat remained silent, before exhaling quietly. “Okay. As per the university’s rules, since you’re under a scholarship you’re obligated to speak to the counselor about this. Do you know where her office is?”

“Yeah.” Macy clenched her palms into fists. Her nails dug painfully into her skin. “I’ll go there now. Thanks.”

Leaving the office, Macy made her way to the counselor’s office. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as the words repeated in her head.

Pregnant. She was pregnant.

She knocked, walking in when she was granted permission. The woman behind her desk motioned for Macy to sit, her expression grave. Trepidation rose in her chest.

Was she going to lose her scholarship?

“Hello Macy, how are you?” She asked, watching her with kind, pitying eyes.

“I’m fine.” Macy whispered.

“I heard you had quite a morning. Let’s talk about it, if you’re okay with that.”

“Sure.” It wasn’t like she had a choice.

“You’re pregnant.” She said baldly, “And while ordinarily, this would be a cause for joy, the circumstances are a bit difficult. You’re an orphan struggling to make ends meet, not to mention a scholarship student on the last year of her schooling, trying to graduate and get a degree. The situation isn’t in the least ideal.”

“Will my scholarship be revoked?” Macy blurted.

“No, I don’t think so. Your sponsor is very lenient. As long as you’re willing to learn, they won’t revoke it.” She paused. “That being said, you would probably be advised to take a year off to get your bearings, if you plan on keeping the baby.”

“I don’t want to take a leave. I’m almost done with school.” Macy declined.

“Having a baby is not easy, Macy. It’s stressful.”

“I can handle stress.” She rejected obstinately.

The counselor sighed. “Think it over before you decide.” She regarded her for a moment. “Do you know who the father is?”

The question was like a punch to the face. The father. The father was a fucking rapist. Macy didn’t know who he was and it would remain that way.

Her silence was all she needed to say. The woman sighed again, before dismissing her. “Before you go, I should let you know that the news has spread a bit because of a blabbermouth lab attendant. They have been penalized, and I apologize on their behalf.”

“So people are talking shit about me?” Macy nodded at her apologetic look. “Thanks for giving me a heads up.”

Macy exited the office, stopping by the infirmary to grab her bag. People looked at her with curious, mocking eyes, openly murmuring about her. Macy tried to let it not get to her, but it was difficult.

The fact was, she was pregnant out of wedlock and everyone knew it. She couldn’t help but worry about what they were saying about her, and the unkind looks cast in Macy’s direction made her feel horrible.

“Is that her?” a blonde haired guy asked his female companion, pointing directly at her.

“Yup. She’s the one.” They snickered as they walked by her, not even attempting to hide the fact that they were gossiping about her.

“Ugh.” Someone else behind Macy scoffed. “If I were her, I’d move far, far away. So embarrassing.”

Macy hated the pinpricks of tears building up at the corner of her eyes. Their comments stung more than she liked, making her feel small and dirty, shameful. It was a relief to exit the building, away from their prying eyes and judgmental comments.

All the way home, her mind whirled. At first Macy decided she was going to get rid of the child. The last thing she wanted was a physical manifestation of the hell she went through.

But by the time she reached her dorm, she found herself rethinking it. Macy had no one in this world to call family. Even though this child had come to her through a terrible avenue, it was still her child. Her only blood relative. Macy was tired of feeling lonely and adrift in this world.

She would keep the baby.