"You ungrateful slut, you dare pay us back like this?" Mother spat derisively, waving the paper which in it was written my fate.
"But mother I don't know how it happened, I promise." I was in tears on my knees. "I promise."
"You are telling us that you don't know how the child you are carrying is not for our son." For the first time, father spoke, his voice a smooth baritone that commanded attention. "Do you think we are fools, Grace?" He raised his voice making me flinch before he took the paper from his wife and tossed it at me. I picked it up reading it hoping its contents would change.
I looked up again "Father please listen, I am begging you I don't know how it happened." I was already feeling lightheaded. "I have been completely faithful to Zach."
"Bullshit!" Courtney Wills, my husband's sister interjected. "How dare you even claim that?" She had always had some kind of enmity towards me but never spoke about it. Today she was not going to hold back her harsh words.
"Didn't I tell you she was an whore." She said to the man beside her, my husband. Zach kept quiet as he had his hands in his pocket not even saying a word. His tall frame possessed an unmatched calmness even in this situation. He had been quiet since he got back from the hospital. At least he would believe me. He knew me. I knew him.
I moved towards him still on my knees but as I got closer Courtney grabbed a fist full of my hair and yanked my head backwards and looked straight at me. "He won't help a bitch like you."
I looked at him as best as I could but all he gave back was an empty gaze before talking but not to me but the security.
"Get this woman out of my house." An eerie silence followed before I heard them reply.
"Yes sir."
I was utterly speechless as Courtney let go of my hair and stepped away from me to her brother's side again.
I heard footsteps behind but again I took a chance and got up and ran to him. I got close enough but before I could even muster anything. A slap landed on my tear-stained face knocking the wind out of me. I fell back and bruised my butt on the floor. I looked up to see Courtney's shocked face.
She didn't slap me. I looked at Zach to see his expression had changed. On his chiselled face anger and disgust had exposed themselves. He was disgusted by me. He didn't believe me.
"Don't. Touch. Me." He said to me and I felt my world crumble. He had been my last hope. I was done for. The men grabbed each of my arms and dragged me out, but I didn't protest instead I looked at the people who had treated me like family for the past seven years of my life. I deserved it for I had betrayed them without even knowing how it happened.
The men left me right outside the gates of the estate. I stayed there numb and unable to cry. I stood there as the rain began to fall. I felt a bit of hope as I saw Zach turn on the light in our room. He would see and pity me. He would tell his men to bring me back in. He still loved me. He only slapped me out of love. He always slaps me out of love.
"ZACH!" I screamed as the rain got heavy. The rain would not stop me unless I let it do so. "ZACH!" I yelled again but he neither came to the window nor opened the blinds instead he turned off the lights.
****
My feet felt heavy as I dragged them along in the pouring rain. My head spun and my right hand clenched a sheet of paper that in which my misfortune was written. I had been walking with no destination for probably close to an hour. No cars in sight only the street light of the secluded community I lived in lit my way.
My mind replayed the episode that had occurred that led to my current pitiful situation. Every word they had spat at me like acid, had left holes which my will to live was presently seeping out.
I was wearing my lavender silk nightgown. The one that Tyler loved to see me in. I had planned to surprise him but today went more than wary.
"You ungrateful slut!" mother had chastised me.
Zach, Oh my dear Zach had just looked on. Until he could not take any longer. His face distorted with emotions that made me apprehensive.
I was useless as they had said because even I could not explain the contents of the letter which now I held in my hand. I deserved where I was now. No friends, no family and no love. My life would soon join the list; for I would pay for the sins I had committed.
I clutched my stomach not out of love for the life that lived within but out of scorn. The life within was not worthy of Zach's love neither was it of mine.
The parasite had crawled into me. Feeding and thriving on something that wasn't its own. It was not Zach's child but a curse whose only mission was to destroy our happy life.
I heard an oncoming car but I had no interest in asking for help. I had to pay for my crime. Yet I wondered what a car would be doing passing through this serene neighbour at night in the pouring rain. An overwhelming sense of dread washed over me. I quickened my strides clutching my shoulder as though I could outrun a car.
It came closer and closer as I gulped and felt it zoom past me. My relief was short-lived as the car stopped a couple of yards ahead of me. I stopped and held my breath. The door of the black car I couldn't recognize opened as I made my move. Dashing in the opposite direction. I heard the footsteps as they were probably getting out of the car and suddenly I heard them sprint.
They were after me. For a split second, I hoped that maybe just maybe it was Zach who had sent his men but I knew every one of his cars like the back of my palm. I felt hands on me; I was not fast enough. I struggled against an unknown number of men but of course, I was no match. The last thing I remember was a cloth pressed unto my face before I fell into darkness's open arms.
