Chapter 12 BREAKING POINT
She was holding the pregnancy test results-the very ones I brought back from the hospital-her eyes wide with shock, her mouth slightly agape.
Rage shot through me like a flame as I marched up to her and snatched the paper from her hand.
"What on earth is your problem? Why are you snooping through my stuff?!" I barked, my voice shaking with fury.
"You're pregnant..." she said in disbelief, her voice barely a whisper as she looked at me like she didn't know who I was anymore.
"It's none of your business! And stay the hell out of my room!" I snapped. I didn't even know why I was this angry-but the violation, the nerve of her digging through my private things, had pushed me over the edge.
"Sis, how could you be pregnant when Harry's already getting married to someone else?" she pressed, completely ignoring my warning.
Arabella and I were sisters, but we never had the best relationship. Her pushing this boundary wasn't helping.
"I said it's none of your business! Now please leave-I want to be alone," I said coldly as I turned my back to her.
"How long do you plan on hiding it? Sooner or later, Mum's going to find out. And does Harry even know you're carrying his child?" she asked, stepping closer, her voice rising with each word.
I refused to respond. I walked to my wardrobe and started rummaging through it, desperate to ignore her. Her presence was suffocating.
"He deserves to know! No matter what happened between you two, this is his child too," she insisted.
Each word from her mouth felt like a dagger. I didn't need her judgment or her assumptions. All I wanted was peace, even just for a minute.
"If you won't talk to me, then I'll call Harry myself and tell him what you're hiding," Arabella threatened.
And that-
That was all it took for me to snap. The last bit of control I had left shattered.
"What did you just say?" I asked, walking up to her, my anger evident in the way my hands trembled.
"You heard me. I'm going to call him-Harry deserves to know. He's a good guy. I just don't understand why you're doing this," she said, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips.
"A good guy? Are you saying whatever happened between Harry and me was my fault?" I asked, closing the distance between us, my eyes locked on hers. She didn't need to speak. Her silence, her guilty gaze-said it all.
"Why are you so hell-bent on ruining my life? Do you even know what I've had to go through because of you?! Mum probably hates me because of you!
I'm here, pregnant with a child whose father I don't even know, and it's all because of you! Your 'lovely' Harry cheated on me, and guess what? It's all because of you!" I screamed, my words spilling faster than I could stop them.
She stared at me, stunned, her eyes wide with shock.
But before I could even process the words that just left my mouth, the door to my room creaked open-and there stood my mum and dad. One look at Mum's face told me everything. She had heard it all.
"Did you just say you're pregnant-and it's not Harry's?" Mum asked, looking as if she'd just witnessed something unthinkable.
"Mum, I... I..." I stuttered, lost for words. Where was I supposed to begin?
"You what, Nancy? How could you get pregnant by another man when you were already engaged?!" she snapped, her voice shrill with disbelief. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
"I'm sorry, Mum. I was drunk... I wasn't in the right state of mind," I whispered, already feeling my legs go weak. A wave of dizziness swept over me.
"You were drunk? Since when did you start drinking like that-ending up in a stranger's bed?! Why are you so good at breaking me? At making me feel like I failed as a mother?" she shouted, grabbing my arm and shaking me harshly.
Tears flooded my eyes as I looked toward my dad. He stood there silently-no anger, no defense. Just watching.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it almost impossible to speak. Finally, I pulled my arm away from Mum's grip.
"Stop shaking me. I feel like I'm going to pass out," I said in the smallest voice I could manage.
"I know I'm never enough for you, Mum. I know that no matter what I do, I'll never be good enough. But I'm still your child. I may not have some illness or condition that makes me fragile, but I still have feelings!
Every time you shout at me or hit me, it hurts-because I try, Mum. I try so hard, but it's never enough. I get sick too, but no one notices. No one cares. So please... stop looking at me like I'm a mistake.
I already feel like my life is crashing down around me. The last thing I need is for you to make me feel even more worthless. And if you really want to know why Harry broke off the engagement, then why don't you call him and ask?
Now I want everyone to leave my room. Just leave and let me be!" I screamed, my voice echoing around the room like a thunderclap.
Dad, with that same pitiful look he always wore, took Mum's arm and gently pulled her out of the room. But Arabella stood there, unmoving.
"Nancy, I-"
"I said leave me be. Shouldn't you be happy now? Mum knows. So go ahead-be proud. Now leave me alone," I said coldly, turning my back on her.
I stood still until I heard her footsteps fade into the hallway. Only then did my knees finally give out. I collapsed to the floor, clutching my chest as I sobbed uncontrollably.
I knew at that moment that if I was truly going to keep this baby, I needed space-away from all the pressure, the judgment, the chaos. Without thinking, I began packing my clothes. I didn't care where I was going. I just needed out.
I took a taxi straight to Linda's house-because honestly, I had nowhere else to go.
When the driver dropped me off in front of her place, I managed to ring the doorbell. But before she could open the door, the dizziness hit me again-and this time, I couldn't stay standing. I felt myself slipping, falling, giving in to the darkness.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was back at the hospital.
The first person I saw was the same doctor Linda and I met the night before. She was speaking into a phone as I tried to make sense of where I was.
"She's awake," she said before ending the call.
"How are you feeling, Miss Carter?" she asked, walking over as I struggled to sit up.
"Other than the dizziness... and the feeling that I just woke up from a nightmare... I think I'm okay," I said with a weak smile.
"Well, first things first-you need to eat. Second, you're stressing yourself far too much, and it's not good for the baby. Your friend stepped out to get you something to eat, so just rest until she gets back," she said gently.
"How long have I been out?" I asked her quietly.
"All night. That's why you need to rest. I have a patient I need to attend to, but I'll be back shortly," she said before leaving the room.
It wasn't long before Linda walked in, her hands full of takeout containers and a bag of fresh fruits. Just seeing her brought a warmth to my chest. I couldn't help but smile-I was truly lucky to have her in my life.
"You scared the living hell out of me last night," she said, setting everything down. "Do you know how I felt opening the door and seeing you lying there motionless?" Her voice was laced with panic even though she was trying to stay composed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just had to get away from home. It felt like I was being suffocated," I admitted softly as I picked up the spoon and began eating the soup she handed me. The moment it touched my tongue, I realized just how hungry I was.
"Eat slowly or you're going to choke," Linda warned, but the hunger was too overwhelming. I couldn't stop myself-I just wanted to fill the gnawing emptiness inside me.
She watched me for a moment, then handed over a bottle of water.
"Are you planning on going back?" she asked gently.
I took the bottle, drank, then shook my head.
"Then what are you planning to do next?" she asked, still pressing but without judgment.
"I don't know, Linda," I answered truthfully, my voice low and tired. "But I know I'm not going back."
She didn't respond right away, but then her voice firmed.
"I think it's high time you took a break from all of this. First, you're going to apply for leave from work. Then, you're getting out of town. You need a time-out from everything, or else you'll completely burn out. And honestly? Leaving town is your best option."
Her words made me lift my eyes to meet hers. The truth in them hit me hard.
"As much as I want to leave, I don't have anywhere to go," I confessed. My voice trembled, carrying every ounce of the defeat I felt.
Linda reached for my hand.
"Leave that to me. My parents have a villa in Brentmere. It's quiet, peaceful, and away from all this chaos. You can stay there until the baby is born. No questions asked."
The emotion that flooded through me was too much to contain. I didn't even realize I was crying again until I pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you," I whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Later that afternoon, after I was discharged from the hospital, I went straight to the station.
My boss barely asked any questions when I requested time off-he granted my leave without hesitation.
From there, everything happened quickly. I booked a flight to Brentmere and packed the few essentials I could carry.
As the plane took off, I closed my eyes and told myself I wasn't running away-I was pressing pause.
Leaving Hollowmere wasn't an escape.
It was the only chance I had to find myself again... and to start over.
For me-and for my baby.