Chapter 176: Surprise!

Chapter 176: Surprise!
2 months later.

Carina and some other members of the team gathered around the conference table to discuss the opening of Hughes Foods again, Carina kept stealing glances at Harry till their eyes met. He didn’t smile, he only stared at her for a minute and looked away. Carina looked down at the table to hide her devastation. 

When the meeting was over she tried to go and talk to him but she restrained herself and went back to her car, Claudia was seated on the bonnet of her car in the parking lot waiting for her. 

“Claudia!” she exclaimed when she saw her sister, 
“Hurry. I’m hungry, let’s stop by a restaurant and get some food.” Claudia said hurrying into the car,

Carina got into the driver’s seat and started the engine, Claudia observed as her sister drove them to get some food, she was looking rosy and had regained her glow. There was also something different about her, her breasts had become fuller again.

“Carina…” she said softly,

“Yes?”
“When was the last time you saw your period?” Claudia asked.

Carina stared at her briefly before taking her concentration back to the road,

“It started two days ago,” she replied.
“Let me guess, it was a very light flow right?” Claudia asked.

Carina chuckled, “Is that written on my face or something? Why are you asking me that question?”
“I think you are pregnant again.”

“What? No! I haven’t been intimate with anyone, I swear!” she screeched defensively.
“Are you trying to tell me that when you and Harry were up the mountains nothing happened between you two?” 

Carina cast her mind back to the time they spent together in the cabin, how they made love, and yet Harry wouldn’t get back with her. It was painful that it happened so she pushed it out of her mind and tried to forget about it. But she was safe, she could swear that she was very safe but now that she was replaying the scene in her mind again, her heart began to throb in pain.

She couldn’t afford to do this again, getting pregnant for a man she was no longer with, that was too much stress.
“Oh no, I think I’m just gaining weight because I’m happy,” she replied.

“I’m a midwife, I can tell who’s pregnant by just looking at them, and sis, you are pregnant!”
“No! No!” Carina screamed and slammed on the brakes, Claudia screamed as if the car was going to crash.

“What did you do that for?” Claudia screamed.
“I can’t afford to get pregnant like this again, I just can’t, please tell me it’s not true, oh God!” she screamed.

“I’m so sorry for bringing this up, can you please drive us safely? This is all my fault for turning 20 without a license.” Claudia muttered but Carina wasn’t listening. All she was thinking about was whether Claudia’s claims were true. It drove her crazy as the trauma of being dumped after getting pregnant replayed in her mind all over again.

Was this her fate? To get pregnant while single? She thought.

She quietly drove to the nearest pharmacy bought some test kits and got back into the car,
When she got behind the wheels again Claudia looked at her pitifully,

“So… what are you going to do if it comes out positive?” she asked.

She could see the misery and fear in her sister's eyes and the despair when she shook her head, “I don’t know… honestly.”
The rest of the journey continued in silence,

That night Carina couldn’t go to sleep, she stayed up all night waiting for the right moment to take the test. Sleep finally came for her at midnight but she woke up with a start at about 4am, after sitting on the bed for a while she grabbed all four of the test kits and went to the washroom. 

The first kit she peed on was positive, she held her breath and tried the second one, but it was still positive by the time she tried the third she was panting for breath thinking of what to do next. Then came the last one by that time she was totally broken, and she burst into tears. 

“I can’t do this again.” she wept. She went to Claudia’s room and threw the tests on her bed waking her up from her sleep.
Claudia slowly sat up and had a look at the test kits, then at her sister, 

“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Tell me something… is it painful to get an abortion?” she asked.

“Personally I haven’t done one before but some say it’s painful, some say it’s normal except that the bleeding is insane but you will get over it,” Claudia explained. “Are you planning on getting one?”
“If I had done it the first time I wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“But Carina, you’ve always been against abortions.” Claudia reminded her.
“But I remember what I went through the first time, the stress and the burden. I don’t want to go through it anymore, it’s enough,” she replied.

Claudia didn’t want Carina to get an abortion this time, it was Harry’s baby this time not Deon. But she didn’t let her disapproval show on her face; she only nodded in agreement.

“I understand you, I get how you feel, you want to start on a clean slate with someone else right?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t want to carry the child of a man who no longer wants me.” Carina replied. “I may never get married or find love again, and I’m okay with that, I just don’t want to be pregnant and miserable like the last time,” she explained. “How do I tell the child about their father in the future? I don’t want to explain anything to anyone.”

Claudia nodded again, “I know how it feels, I’m glad you are choosing yourself now, on my morning shirt I will book a section for you so you can come in and have it quietly terminated.”

Carina nodded and hugged her sister.