CHAPTER 189

CHAPTER 188
LILY POV

I was sitting on the living room sofa, hands clenched in my lap, my whole body shaking as if I were about to fall apart. Samantha sat beside me, close enough for me to feel her warmth. She held one of my hands firmly, her thumb slowly stroking the back of my skin, trying to calm me.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she whispered for the third time. “I’m here. We’ll face this together.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t speak. My throat was tight. My heart was beating so hard I could feel every pulse in my head, my wrists, and my chest. We had agreed to tell my father everything that night. No more delaying. No more lies. I was pregnant. And Samantha knew. Not only did she know — she was by my side, ready to support me.

The headlights of Doug’s car swept across the living room window. My stomach lurched violently. He was home.

It didn’t take long. The sound of the key in the lock, the door opening, the familiar footsteps in the entrance hall. I held my breath. Samantha squeezed my hand tighter.

Doug appeared in the living room, still wearing his work suit, tie slightly loosened. When he saw us sitting there together, he flashed that big smile — the one that crinkled the corners of his eyes and always made me feel safe. The smile I knew I might never see again after tonight.

“Good evening, my two favorite women!” he said, his voice tired but cheerful. “What are you two doing sitting here looking so serious?”

Samantha gave a small smile, but I could see the tension in her shoulders.

“We need to talk, Doug. Or rather… Lily has something to tell you.”

Doug frowned, still smiling, but now with a hint of confusion. He took off his jacket, tossed it onto the armchair, and sat on the sofa across from us, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

“Go ahead, sweetheart. What happened?”

I looked at Samantha. She gave me a subtle nod of encouragement. My body was shaking so much that I had to clench my hands to try and control it. I opened my mouth several times, but the words wouldn’t come out. How could I say it? How could I destroy the way my father looked at me right now?

“Dad…” I began, my voice failing. “I… I’m pregnant.”

Doug’s smile died slowly. First in his eyes, then on his lips. The silence that followed was so heavy I could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall.

He blinked. Once. Twice.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, my voice lower, almost a whisper.

Doug remained silent for long seconds. Then something changed in his face. Confusion turned to disbelief. Disbelief turned to anger. And the anger became something much worse — deep, cutting disappointment.

“Pregnant?” he repeated, his voice low at first, then rising. “Pregnant?! After everything I’ve done for you, Lily? After I raised you alone? After I gave up my entire life to give you everything? After I guided you, protected you, gave you an education, put you in a good school? You’re going to tell me you got pregnant like some random girl?”

His words hit me like slaps.

“Dad, please…”

“No!” He stood up, his voice loud, echoing through the room. “Don’t give me ‘please’! I raised you to be better than this! I taught you values! I gave you everything I never had! And you’re bringing this shit into our house? Pregnant by who? Some irresponsible kid who won’t even take responsibility?”

I started crying. Samantha tried to intervene, her voice firm:

“Doug, don’t talk to her like that. She’s our daughter.”

Doug turned to Samantha with blazing eyes.

“Our daughter? Our? Lily isn’t our daughter, Samantha. She’s my daughter. I’m the one who raised her alone. I’m the one who changed her diapers, who stayed up all night, who gave up everything for her! And now she brings this shame into our home?”

He turned back to me, pointing his finger in my direction.

“I didn’t raise you to be an irresponsible slut, Lily! I didn’t raise you to spread your legs for the first guy who came along and then come crying to me! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? The shame you’re bringing to this family?”

Samantha stood up.

“Doug, enough! She’s scared, she needs support!”

“Support?” Doug let out a bitter, cruel laugh. “What she needs is some sense! But it’s too late for that. I don’t want to see her face in this house anymore. I don’t want to look at her knowing she destroyed everything I built!”

I sobbed, tears streaming uncontrollably.

“Dad… are you kicking me out?”

Doug stared at me coldly.

“A word to the wise is enough.”

Samantha stepped forward, her voice firm:

“Lily is not leaving this house. This is my house too, Doug. And she is my daughter as much as she is yours.”

Doug looked at us both with contempt, shook his head, and stormed upstairs. I remained seated, crying uncontrollably. Samantha hugged me, rubbing my back.

“Calm down, my love. Calm down. He’s angry right now, but it’ll pass.”

It didn’t.

Minutes later, Doug came back downstairs with a suitcase in his hand. He stopped in the living room, looking at us with a face red with rage.

“Since Lily is staying in YOUR house, then I’m the one who’s leaving.”

“Doug, don’t do this…” Samantha tried.

But he didn’t listen. He opened the front door, walked out, and slammed it hard.

The sound of the door echoed through the house like a gunshot.

I collapsed into Samantha’s arms, crying as if the world had ended.

And in a way, it had.