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" Let me just see her please," Mr. Kings said, his voice low.
"No, we don’t need you," Alison snapped.
"At least don’t act like you're doing us a favor. Look, Charlie..you go back in there and continue with your engagement day. We’re going to take Ana home. And you're going to stay the f**k away from her."
His voice cracked slightly. "No matter how much I like you… no matter how much you're my friend… Ana is like a sister to me. Do you really think I can stand here and watch you hurt her like this over and over again? And think it’s fine? You think it’s fucking fine?"
Mr. Kings flinched as Alison’s words hit hard.
"At least let me expl..."
"No, don’t." Joyce cut him off.
"You don’t get to explain. You married Fatima. Ana was there. You let her watch it all unfold and didn’t do a damn thing. Don’t pretend like there’s a version of this where you're the victim."
Mr Kings looked down, jaw clenched, unable to deny it.
Joyce stepped forward, her voice trembling.
"She’s breaking, Charlie. She’s in love with you. And she can’t take this anymore."
She wiped her tears roughly. “You know what… I’m wasting my time. Alison, can we just take her to the hospital?”
Alison nodded firmly.
They all turned as Ryan said from beside the car,
“She’s waking up.”
Alison rushed over. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah… almost there,” Ryan replied.
Just then, Anna gasped for air, her eyes fluttering open.
Joyce let out a soft cry, smiling through her tears, and rushed to hug her.
“Ana, you okay? You scared me… You really scared me,” Joyce whispered, holding her tightly.
Ana blinked, confused, then glanced up her eyes catching Mr. King, who stood at a distance.
Her breath hitched.
His presence made her ache.
Mr. Kings looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
Guilt was written all over his face.
“I want to go home,” Ana said softly.
“I have a headache. I just want to rest.”
Joyce nodded. “Ryan, can you lift her?”
Ryan nodded silently, giving a quick glance toward Mr. King before gently picking Anna up in his arms and carrying her to the car.
Joyce followed and got inside.
They drove off, leaving Mr. King frozen on the spot, his expression a mix of grief, anger, and deep regret.
“F**k,” he muttered under his breath and kicked the side of a nearby car.
At that moment, Clara walked out and spotted him.
“Brother?” she called out, approaching carefully.
“Not now, Clara,” Mr. King said, his voice hoarse.
A tear slid down his face before he could stop it.
Clara saw it. “Are you crying?”
“No. F**k...I'm not,” he snapped, looking up at the sky, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
She stepped closer.
“Then why are your eyes wet?”
He didn’t answer.
Clara sighed. “Why did you marry Fatima when you knew you loved Ana?”
“Clara...don’t.”
“How are we supposed to help you if you won’t talk?” she pressed gently.
“You’re hurting. I saw you looking at her just now. You’re breaking.”
He stayed silent, eyes dark.
Clara moved to him, grabbed his hand, and looked into his eyes.
For the first time, she saw her brother completely broken..the same Charlie who had shattered when Juliet broke his heart years ago… except this time, it was worse.
She hugged him tightly.
“You don’t have to hide what you feel, brother,” she whispered.
“Go to her. Ana loves you. I’m sure she won’t shut you out.”
Mr. Kings's throat tightened, his voice hoarse.
“She’s never gonna let me see her again… She fucking hates me now, Clara. I hurt her. I hurt her so much..she’s never gonna forgive me.”
“I know, I know, brother, okay?” Clara said softly.
“But when you love someone, you can’t be angry with them forever. You just have to go and explain. Tell her why you did what you did. She deserves to hear it from you. Then maybe she’ll understand. Maybe she’ll forgive you.”
She pulled back from the hug and cupped his cheek with both hands.
“I love you, brother. And I never want to see you like this again. Whatever your reasons were, I’m not mad anymore. I just want you to go talk to Ana. Maybe… maybe this has something to do with Mom. I know how much you love her. I know you never want to hurt her. But sometimes, you have to choose yourself, Charlie. You can’t always choose other people.”
Clara’s voice trembled with emotion.
“Go talk to Anna. She loves you. I know she does. Just don’t be a jerk..tell her everything. Be honest. She’ll forgive you.”
Fatima, Samantha, Juliet, and Kelvin walked over from the house.
Fatima's eyes narrowed when she saw Mr. Kings’s expression..tired, broken, almost distant.
She swallowed hard, something inside her twisting.
“What’s going on?” Samantha asked.
“You just left the engagement celebration. For what, exactly?”
Mr. Kings ignored her as he turned, walking away from Clara.
“I have to go,” he muttered.
Fatima rushed to him and grabbed his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Charlie, our wedding is tomorrow! Today was our engagement! We’re supposed to be celebrating,and you’re saying you have to go? Where do you think you’re going?!”
Mr. Kings ran a hand down his face, his patience snapping.
“What the fuck do you want from me, Fatima? I fucking married you, didn’t I? That’s what you wanted. I put a damn ring on your finger. That means I’m your fucking husband now. So stop acting like you’re my mom and let me go!”
His voice was sharp, low, and dangerous.
Fatima flinched, stumbling back slightly, stunned by the cold fury in his tone.
“Charlie… you don’t have to talk to her like that. That was so rude,” Samantha said cautiously.
“You better shut up,” Mr. Kings said, turning toward her and pointing a finger.
“Don’t interfere. This is between me and my fiancée. Stay the fuck out of it. You understand?”
Samantha blinked, visibly shaken.
What was wrong with him?
“I have to go,” Mr. Kings said again, walking toward the car.
Kelvin stepped forward. “I’m driving. You’re not in a state to drive.”
“I don’t need your help, Kelvin.”
“I know,” Kelvin said quietly.
“But maybe today… you do. So I’m coming with you. No more arguing.”
He turned to Juliet.
“Let’s go, baby.”
Juliet shook her head. “No. I’m following after you guys.”
Kelvin nodded, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then followed Mr. Kings to the car.
Fatima stood in shock, staring at them.
“What’s going on? Where is he going? Do you have any idea?” she asked Clara bitterly.
“Maybe you should ask yourself that. Or better yet..ask your conscience,” Clara said flatly.
Samantha look at Fatima “I told you this was a bad idea. Marrying him because of Mom? That was never going to end well.”
She scoffed and turned away, walking back into the house.
Fatima a wiped away a tear and looked at Clara.
“What’s happening? Can you explain?”
“I don’t have the strength to explain anything to you right now,” Clara replied.
“I’m going back inside. I have to go see Mom tomorrow. You guys… you’re full of drama.”
She walked off,.
Fatima looked up at the sky, desperate and lost, then turned to where Juliet stood, arms crossed.
Juliet smirked, her voice low and cold.
“I told you, Tima. Charlie can never love you. Keep throwing yourself at a man who’s never going to see you. Stop wasting your time, baby girl.”
With that, she turned and strutted to her car, leaving Fatima standing there, hollow and alone.
********
Joyce's House
“Joy, I promise I’m fine, okay? You don’t have to worry about me. You should go to sleep,”
Anna said, her voice low as she tucked herself deeper into the blanket.
“I don’t care, okay?”
Joyce snapped softly.
“I don’t care that you say you’re fine. I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’m not leaving you.”
“Joy, you have to sleep too. I’m not cutting you off, but you can’t keep taking care of me forever. Please... go sleep, okay? I’m sorry for worrying you. I’ll never do that again.”
“And if you do, if you ever scare me like that again, you might as well just say you want me dead,” Joyce said, her voice shaking.
“Because that’s what it felt like.”
Ana stayed quiet.
“The doctor’s coming soon.”
“Doctor? For what? I told you I’m fine now. I promise.”
“No. The doctor needs to check you. Maybe there’s something we don’t know yet. He’s going to make sure you’re really okay.”
“Joy...” Anna sighed. “I don’t need a doctor. I promise. I’m not crazy. It’s just... things. They’re just heavy. But they’re not in my head.”
Ana fell silent again, then slowly nodded.
Joyce sat beside her, nodding as well, trying to hold herself together.
“You scared me, Ana,” she whispered.
“You really scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll never do that again,” Ana whispered, her eyes stinging.
A silence settled between them.
Then Joyce “You know... You really loved Charlie. Imagine having a panic attack just because he’s marrying someone else.”
Ana swallowed hard.
“I guess I have a bad track record when it comes to love. First, it was Milton he cheated on me. And now… the man I love is marrying someone else right in front of me.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“It’s just… hurt. Watching someone you love choose someone else.”
Joyce reached over and gently held Anna’s hand, her grip steady.
Neither said anything for a while.
"I'm so sorry he had hurt you like this , Ana. I just wish... maybe if he could explain what’s going on, we’d be able to understand," Joyce said softly.
Anna stayed quiet, staring down at her lap.
"I don't know, Joyce. Maybe I should just move on," she whispered.
"I have to admit... I’m not so lucky in love anyway. I thought maybe, one day, I’d find someone who could love me without conditions. I always knew there’d be *some*, but I never thought I’d end up like this. Crying. Watching the man I love marry someone else. I don’t know what else to say."
Joyce nodded and pulled her into a warm hug.
At the same time, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Joyce called.
Alison walked in with a doctor following behind him.
“The doctor’s here,” he said.
Joyce stood up and walked to Alison.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead gently.
“You have to go to sleep now,” he said.
“Once the doctor tells us Ana’s okay.”
“I’m fine, Joyce,” Ana said, trying to smile.
“Alison is right. You should go get some rest. I just have a headache, but I’ll be okay, I promise.”
“Okay... But after the doctor finishes,” Joyce said.
Ana greeted the doctor politely.
“Miss Evans,” the doctor began,
“I’m just going to check on you. I heard you had a panic attack.”
Ana bit her lip and looked down.
“Maybe I was just really scared... but I’m fine now.”
“Well,” the doctor said kindly,
“we just want to make sure everything’s okay so it doesn’t happen again. Panic attacks can sometimes be triggered by other underlying things. So I’m going to give you something to check yourself, just in case.”
“What do you mean?” Ana asked, frowning.
“Well... as a precaution, I’d suggest you take a pregnancy test.”
Ana looked over at Joyce in shock.
Joyce simply shrugged and started humming, avoiding eye contact.
“I don’t need to take a pregnancy test,” Ana said quietly.
Then she looked at Alison.
Joyce kissed Alison on the lips and gently nudged him out of the room so they could talk.
“Ana,” Joyce said gently,
“I just want you to take the test. So we know. That’s all.”
“And what if I am, Joyce? Then what? I told you, I’m not. I’m not pregnant, okay?” Ana said, her voice rising slightly.
“Okay, I get it. I’m not trying to force you. But if you’re not, that’s fine. I just want to be sure.”
“And if I am...what are you going to do, huh?"
"Tell Charlie?”
“We’re not telling him. Even if I’m pregnant, he’s unot going to know. Do you understand me?” Ana said firmly, her eyes hard.
Joyce sighed. “Okay, fine. But at least take the test. Please. Just so we know what we’re dealing with.”
Anna nodded slowly. “Fine. But *no one* is going to find out. Not until I say so.”
Joyce nodded and handed her the small test kit from the doctor’s bag.
“Go ahead,” she said softly.
“I’m right here.”
Ana stepped into the bathroom, her hands shaking slightly as she closed the door behind her.
She stared at the test in her palm, heart pounding in her chest.
She took a deep breath and followed the instructions, then set it down on the sink, staring at it like it might bite her.
Minutes felt like hours.
When the result finally appeared, her breath caught in her throat.
Two lines.
Positive.
Her fingers trembled as she picked it up again to make sure she wasn't imagining it.
She wasn’t.
Ana stumbled back and sat on the edge of the bathtub, her hand flying over her mouth as her chest tightened.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t cry.
She was too stunned, too numb.
A soft knock came on the door.
"Ana?" Joyce’s voice was gentle, hesitant.
"Are you okay?"
Ana didn’t answer at first.
Then slowly, her voice cracked, barely above a whisper.
"I'm pregnant."
Joyce opened the door carefully and stepped inside.
When she saw the test in Ana's hand, she froze.
“Oh my God…” she breathed out.
Ana looked up at her, eyes wide, lips trembling.
“What am I going to do, Joyce?”
Joyce rushed to her and knelt down, taking her hands.
“It’s okay. We’re going to figure it out.”
“No, it’s not okay.” Ana’s voice cracked.
“Joyce, it’s his. It’s Charlie’s. And he just got engaged to someone else tonight.”
Joyce bit her lip, fighting back her own emotions.
“I know. But this changes things.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Anna shook her head.
“He’s gone. He made his choice. This baby… this baby is mine now. Just mine.”
Joyce pulled her into a hug as tears finally spilled from Ana’s eyes.
“You’re not alone, okay? I’m here. Alison’s here. We’re going to help you. But you need to tell him.”
“I can’t. He’ll leave her. He’ll hate me. Everyone will blame me. I don’t want him to come because he feels obligated, Joyce. I wanted him to choose me… not because of a child.”
Joyce held her tighter.
“Maybe this is the wake-up call he needs. Maybe this is.fate.”
Ana shook her head slowly.
“This is a secret. For now. Please. Don’t tell anyone.”
Joyce sighed. “Okay. I promise. But you have to think about what comes next. Because this baby… this baby deserves truth. And so do you.”
Ana closed her eyes, still shaking. “I just… I just need time.”
T.....B....C
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" Let me just see her please," Mr. Kings said, his voice low.
"No, we don’t need you," Alison snapped.
"At least don’t act like you're doing us a favor. Look, Charlie..you go back in there and continue with your engagement day. We’re going to take Ana home. And you're going to stay the f**k away from her."
His voice cracked slightly. "No matter how much I like you… no matter how much you're my friend… Ana is like a sister to me. Do you really think I can stand here and watch you hurt her like this over and over again? And think it’s fine? You think it’s fucking fine?"
Mr. Kings flinched as Alison’s words hit hard.
"At least let me expl..."
"No, don’t." Joyce cut him off.
"You don’t get to explain. You married Fatima. Ana was there. You let her watch it all unfold and didn’t do a damn thing. Don’t pretend like there’s a version of this where you're the victim."
Mr Kings looked down, jaw clenched, unable to deny it.
Joyce stepped forward, her voice trembling.
"She’s breaking, Charlie. She’s in love with you. And she can’t take this anymore."
She wiped her tears roughly. “You know what… I’m wasting my time. Alison, can we just take her to the hospital?”
Alison nodded firmly.
They all turned as Ryan said from beside the car,
“She’s waking up.”
Alison rushed over. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah… almost there,” Ryan replied.
Just then, Anna gasped for air, her eyes fluttering open.
Joyce let out a soft cry, smiling through her tears, and rushed to hug her.
“Ana, you okay? You scared me… You really scared me,” Joyce whispered, holding her tightly.
Ana blinked, confused, then glanced up her eyes catching Mr. King, who stood at a distance.
Her breath hitched.
His presence made her ache.
Mr. Kings looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
Guilt was written all over his face.
“I want to go home,” Ana said softly.
“I have a headache. I just want to rest.”
Joyce nodded. “Ryan, can you lift her?”
Ryan nodded silently, giving a quick glance toward Mr. King before gently picking Anna up in his arms and carrying her to the car.
Joyce followed and got inside.
They drove off, leaving Mr. King frozen on the spot, his expression a mix of grief, anger, and deep regret.
“F**k,” he muttered under his breath and kicked the side of a nearby car.
At that moment, Clara walked out and spotted him.
“Brother?” she called out, approaching carefully.
“Not now, Clara,” Mr. King said, his voice hoarse.
A tear slid down his face before he could stop it.
Clara saw it. “Are you crying?”
“No. F**k...I'm not,” he snapped, looking up at the sky, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
She stepped closer.
“Then why are your eyes wet?”
He didn’t answer.
Clara sighed. “Why did you marry Fatima when you knew you loved Ana?”
“Clara...don’t.”
“How are we supposed to help you if you won’t talk?” she pressed gently.
“You’re hurting. I saw you looking at her just now. You’re breaking.”
He stayed silent, eyes dark.
Clara moved to him, grabbed his hand, and looked into his eyes.
For the first time, she saw her brother completely broken..the same Charlie who had shattered when Juliet broke his heart years ago… except this time, it was worse.
She hugged him tightly.
“You don’t have to hide what you feel, brother,” she whispered.
“Go to her. Ana loves you. I’m sure she won’t shut you out.”
Mr. Kings's throat tightened, his voice hoarse.
“She’s never gonna let me see her again… She fucking hates me now, Clara. I hurt her. I hurt her so much..she’s never gonna forgive me.”
“I know, I know, brother, okay?” Clara said softly.
“But when you love someone, you can’t be angry with them forever. You just have to go and explain. Tell her why you did what you did. She deserves to hear it from you. Then maybe she’ll understand. Maybe she’ll forgive you.”
She pulled back from the hug and cupped his cheek with both hands.
“I love you, brother. And I never want to see you like this again. Whatever your reasons were, I’m not mad anymore. I just want you to go talk to Ana. Maybe… maybe this has something to do with Mom. I know how much you love her. I know you never want to hurt her. But sometimes, you have to choose yourself, Charlie. You can’t always choose other people.”
Clara’s voice trembled with emotion.
“Go talk to Anna. She loves you. I know she does. Just don’t be a jerk..tell her everything. Be honest. She’ll forgive you.”
Fatima, Samantha, Juliet, and Kelvin walked over from the house.
Fatima's eyes narrowed when she saw Mr. Kings’s expression..tired, broken, almost distant.
She swallowed hard, something inside her twisting.
“What’s going on?” Samantha asked.
“You just left the engagement celebration. For what, exactly?”
Mr. Kings ignored her as he turned, walking away from Clara.
“I have to go,” he muttered.
Fatima rushed to him and grabbed his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Charlie, our wedding is tomorrow! Today was our engagement! We’re supposed to be celebrating,and you’re saying you have to go? Where do you think you’re going?!”
Mr. Kings ran a hand down his face, his patience snapping.
“What the fuck do you want from me, Fatima? I fucking married you, didn’t I? That’s what you wanted. I put a damn ring on your finger. That means I’m your fucking husband now. So stop acting like you’re my mom and let me go!”
His voice was sharp, low, and dangerous.
Fatima flinched, stumbling back slightly, stunned by the cold fury in his tone.
“Charlie… you don’t have to talk to her like that. That was so rude,” Samantha said cautiously.
“You better shut up,” Mr. Kings said, turning toward her and pointing a finger.
“Don’t interfere. This is between me and my fiancée. Stay the fuck out of it. You understand?”
Samantha blinked, visibly shaken.
What was wrong with him?
“I have to go,” Mr. Kings said again, walking toward the car.
Kelvin stepped forward. “I’m driving. You’re not in a state to drive.”
“I don’t need your help, Kelvin.”
“I know,” Kelvin said quietly.
“But maybe today… you do. So I’m coming with you. No more arguing.”
He turned to Juliet.
“Let’s go, baby.”
Juliet shook her head. “No. I’m following after you guys.”
Kelvin nodded, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then followed Mr. Kings to the car.
Fatima stood in shock, staring at them.
“What’s going on? Where is he going? Do you have any idea?” she asked Clara bitterly.
“Maybe you should ask yourself that. Or better yet..ask your conscience,” Clara said flatly.
Samantha look at Fatima “I told you this was a bad idea. Marrying him because of Mom? That was never going to end well.”
She scoffed and turned away, walking back into the house.
Fatima a wiped away a tear and looked at Clara.
“What’s happening? Can you explain?”
“I don’t have the strength to explain anything to you right now,” Clara replied.
“I’m going back inside. I have to go see Mom tomorrow. You guys… you’re full of drama.”
She walked off,.
Fatima looked up at the sky, desperate and lost, then turned to where Juliet stood, arms crossed.
Juliet smirked, her voice low and cold.
“I told you, Tima. Charlie can never love you. Keep throwing yourself at a man who’s never going to see you. Stop wasting your time, baby girl.”
With that, she turned and strutted to her car, leaving Fatima standing there, hollow and alone.
********
Joyce's House
“Joy, I promise I’m fine, okay? You don’t have to worry about me. You should go to sleep,”
Anna said, her voice low as she tucked herself deeper into the blanket.
“I don’t care, okay?”
Joyce snapped softly.
“I don’t care that you say you’re fine. I just want to make sure you’re okay. I’m not leaving you.”
“Joy, you have to sleep too. I’m not cutting you off, but you can’t keep taking care of me forever. Please... go sleep, okay? I’m sorry for worrying you. I’ll never do that again.”
“And if you do, if you ever scare me like that again, you might as well just say you want me dead,” Joyce said, her voice shaking.
“Because that’s what it felt like.”
Ana stayed quiet.
“The doctor’s coming soon.”
“Doctor? For what? I told you I’m fine now. I promise.”
“No. The doctor needs to check you. Maybe there’s something we don’t know yet. He’s going to make sure you’re really okay.”
“Joy...” Anna sighed. “I don’t need a doctor. I promise. I’m not crazy. It’s just... things. They’re just heavy. But they’re not in my head.”
Ana fell silent again, then slowly nodded.
Joyce sat beside her, nodding as well, trying to hold herself together.
“You scared me, Ana,” she whispered.
“You really scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll never do that again,” Ana whispered, her eyes stinging.
A silence settled between them.
Then Joyce “You know... You really loved Charlie. Imagine having a panic attack just because he’s marrying someone else.”
Ana swallowed hard.
“I guess I have a bad track record when it comes to love. First, it was Milton he cheated on me. And now… the man I love is marrying someone else right in front of me.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“It’s just… hurt. Watching someone you love choose someone else.”
Joyce reached over and gently held Anna’s hand, her grip steady.
Neither said anything for a while.
"I'm so sorry he had hurt you like this , Ana. I just wish... maybe if he could explain what’s going on, we’d be able to understand," Joyce said softly.
Anna stayed quiet, staring down at her lap.
"I don't know, Joyce. Maybe I should just move on," she whispered.
"I have to admit... I’m not so lucky in love anyway. I thought maybe, one day, I’d find someone who could love me without conditions. I always knew there’d be *some*, but I never thought I’d end up like this. Crying. Watching the man I love marry someone else. I don’t know what else to say."
Joyce nodded and pulled her into a warm hug.
At the same time, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Joyce called.
Alison walked in with a doctor following behind him.
“The doctor’s here,” he said.
Joyce stood up and walked to Alison.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead gently.
“You have to go to sleep now,” he said.
“Once the doctor tells us Ana’s okay.”
“I’m fine, Joyce,” Ana said, trying to smile.
“Alison is right. You should go get some rest. I just have a headache, but I’ll be okay, I promise.”
“Okay... But after the doctor finishes,” Joyce said.
Ana greeted the doctor politely.
“Miss Evans,” the doctor began,
“I’m just going to check on you. I heard you had a panic attack.”
Ana bit her lip and looked down.
“Maybe I was just really scared... but I’m fine now.”
“Well,” the doctor said kindly,
“we just want to make sure everything’s okay so it doesn’t happen again. Panic attacks can sometimes be triggered by other underlying things. So I’m going to give you something to check yourself, just in case.”
“What do you mean?” Ana asked, frowning.
“Well... as a precaution, I’d suggest you take a pregnancy test.”
Ana looked over at Joyce in shock.
Joyce simply shrugged and started humming, avoiding eye contact.
“I don’t need to take a pregnancy test,” Ana said quietly.
Then she looked at Alison.
Joyce kissed Alison on the lips and gently nudged him out of the room so they could talk.
“Ana,” Joyce said gently,
“I just want you to take the test. So we know. That’s all.”
“And what if I am, Joyce? Then what? I told you, I’m not. I’m not pregnant, okay?” Ana said, her voice rising slightly.
“Okay, I get it. I’m not trying to force you. But if you’re not, that’s fine. I just want to be sure.”
“And if I am...what are you going to do, huh?"
"Tell Charlie?”
“We’re not telling him. Even if I’m pregnant, he’s unot going to know. Do you understand me?” Ana said firmly, her eyes hard.
Joyce sighed. “Okay, fine. But at least take the test. Please. Just so we know what we’re dealing with.”
Anna nodded slowly. “Fine. But *no one* is going to find out. Not until I say so.”
Joyce nodded and handed her the small test kit from the doctor’s bag.
“Go ahead,” she said softly.
“I’m right here.”
Ana stepped into the bathroom, her hands shaking slightly as she closed the door behind her.
She stared at the test in her palm, heart pounding in her chest.
She took a deep breath and followed the instructions, then set it down on the sink, staring at it like it might bite her.
Minutes felt like hours.
When the result finally appeared, her breath caught in her throat.
Two lines.
Positive.
Her fingers trembled as she picked it up again to make sure she wasn't imagining it.
She wasn’t.
Ana stumbled back and sat on the edge of the bathtub, her hand flying over her mouth as her chest tightened.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn’t cry.
She was too stunned, too numb.
A soft knock came on the door.
"Ana?" Joyce’s voice was gentle, hesitant.
"Are you okay?"
Ana didn’t answer at first.
Then slowly, her voice cracked, barely above a whisper.
"I'm pregnant."
Joyce opened the door carefully and stepped inside.
When she saw the test in Ana's hand, she froze.
“Oh my God…” she breathed out.
Ana looked up at her, eyes wide, lips trembling.
“What am I going to do, Joyce?”
Joyce rushed to her and knelt down, taking her hands.
“It’s okay. We’re going to figure it out.”
“No, it’s not okay.” Ana’s voice cracked.
“Joyce, it’s his. It’s Charlie’s. And he just got engaged to someone else tonight.”
Joyce bit her lip, fighting back her own emotions.
“I know. But this changes things.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Anna shook her head.
“He’s gone. He made his choice. This baby… this baby is mine now. Just mine.”
Joyce pulled her into a hug as tears finally spilled from Ana’s eyes.
“You’re not alone, okay? I’m here. Alison’s here. We’re going to help you. But you need to tell him.”
“I can’t. He’ll leave her. He’ll hate me. Everyone will blame me. I don’t want him to come because he feels obligated, Joyce. I wanted him to choose me… not because of a child.”
Joyce held her tighter.
“Maybe this is the wake-up call he needs. Maybe this is.fate.”
Ana shook her head slowly.
“This is a secret. For now. Please. Don’t tell anyone.”
Joyce sighed. “Okay. I promise. But you have to think about what comes next. Because this baby… this baby deserves truth. And so do you.”
Ana closed her eyes, still shaking. “I just… I just need time.”
T.....B....C
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