He Fumbled a Lifetime
I got into an elite college with my boyfriend, Philip Jewitt—and tossed my acceptance letter in the trash.
His mom was dying. He stood in front of me, eyes red. "Stella, she doesn't have time... If she finds out I dropped out to pay for her treatment, it'll destroy her. Please. Help me. I swear I'll treat you right for the rest of my life."
Philip got four perfect years on campus.
I scraped by, working three jobs.
I paid his tuition. Covered his mom's bills.
After graduation, he needed startup money. I convinced my parents to mortgage our house.
When his company went public, he proposed in front of everyone.
I thought all those years finally meant something.
But then he heard his one-sided love, Winnie Schell, died in a car crash. He got drunk and shoved me to the floor.
"Why wasn't it you? If I didn't feel guilty about you, I would've married her."
I clutched my stomach, pregnant, begging through tears.
He sneered. "You owe Winnie everything. You really think you deserve my kid?"
Then he kicked me—hard—right in the stomach.
Pain ripped through me. Blood pooled between my legs. My vision went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back—one hour before the college application deadline.