Chapter 6
816words
As I looked at the pregnancy test she handed me, I couldn't help but realize just how good I was at jinxing things. Whatever I said actually came true.
"What are you going to do now?" I asked.
If word got out, people would drown her with their vicious remarks about how unruly it was to get pregnant before marriage. However, she didn't seem to care in the slightest. If anything, she looked excited.
"I've decided to drop out of college and focus on having this baby," she said.
I couldn't entirely call her stupid. After all, she proved herself to be the opposite when it came to setting me up. But calling her smart wouldn't make sense either, as she could barely think straight for herself.
And who did she expect to be the father? Fred? What a joke.
"Chloe, could you tell Mr. Walmsley to meet me tonight? I want to tell him this good news in person," Sydney said excitedly.
What was I? Their little errand girl?
She looked away guiltily. "He hasn't been replying to any of my texts lately. I'm afraid that if I ask him myself, he won't come."
So, that was what it was. It looked like Felicia had finally started pushing back.
"Fine. I'll help you out."
Sydney squealed, jumping onto me. "You're the best, Chloe! I promise you'll be the godmother of my child!"
No, thank you. I wouldn't want to be related to a child whose father was still unknown at this point.
"Alright. Wait for my news," I said.
Now, this was going to be interesting.
…
Before meeting Felicia, I picked up a test report, an analysis of the medication she had taken last time. When I read the results, everything finally clicked as to why she hadn't been able to get pregnant all these years.
She hadn't been taking any kind of health supplement. It was all birth control. Had she done it on purpose, or did she not even know?
With that in mind, I quickened my pace toward her place.
By the time I arrived, she was already waiting for me. She sat there quietly, her features cool and distant, as if she didn't quite belong in this place at all.
Felicia smiled weakly. "You're here."
Even then, I couldn't be sure myself. Had I been too blinded by my paranoia, or was human nature truly that wicked?
"She's pregnant," I revealed casually, as if I were talking about the weather, without softening the blow with small talk.
Felicia's expression stiffened. "Pregnant? Y-You mean… Sydney?"
She tried to stay calm, but the slight tremor in her hands betrayed her.
"That's right. It's her."
The polite smile on her face vanished the moment I confirmed it. "Didn't you say you wouldn't let her get pregnant?"
Each word was a direct accusation, and the tears in her eyes left no doubt about the pain she was feeling.
"I can keep her in check, but I couldn't do the same for your husband."
Her fingers froze in midair, and she didn't speak for a long time. By then, I could already anticipate how much my next words would hit her, but there was no way around it.
"Do you know what the medication you've been taking actually is?"
She wiped her tears, staring at me blankly. "Yeah. Fred specifically got it for me from abroad. He said it'd help me get my body back in shape. I thought he cared about me, which is why I kept forgiving him again and again."
At least I realized now what set Felicia and me apart. I wasn't as much of a hopeless romantic as she was.
"The truth is… You've been taking birth control all this time. They're never healthy supplements, to begin with."
Afraid she might accuse me of lying, I quickly handed her the test report. She carefully read every word, which ended up stabbing her heart instead.
"How could he do this to me?" Felicia murmured. "All I ever wanted was to have my very own child. How could he do this to me?"
Ultimately, she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Every trace of her earlier composure vanished. After she cried herself out and calmed down, I slowly piped up. "What are you going to do now?"
The same question felt different depending on who I asked.
"What will I do?"
Felicia narrowed her eyes, suddenly reminding me of the first time I had met her. She looked sharp and calculating. "He just gave me all the reasons to strike back."
At that point, I was confident we were on the same team.
"Tonight, at 8:00 pm, I'll wait for you outside Room 403, Hotel Solace," I told her. "You'll find everything you need there."
After hiding away for so long, it was time to step into the light, Sydney.
