I sat in my room, panic coursing through me.
How was I going to tell an impotent man that I was miraculously carrying his child?
How could I expect him to believe it was his?
Would he think I'd betrayed him?
Did he despise me enough to believe I'd cheat on him?
Cherish had insisted on cleaning the house and preparing dinner for that day.
She said I needed to rest for the baby's sake.
But when I heard his footsteps that evening as he returned from work, my heart leapt into my throat.
I jumped to my feet, pacing the room in a frenzy.
He walked in, his eyes locking onto mine with a suspicious glare.
He must have noticed something was off, especially after seeing Cherish taking over my duties.
His silence was heavy, as if he was daring me to confirm his worst fears.
With the last shred of courage I could muster, I handed him the pregnancy test.
His grip tightened around it, and his face contorted with rage.
A sarcastic smile twisted his lips. "I suspected it. Of all people at Bower Bound, why would our boss choose you to be his second in command? That says it all. You were sleeping with him!"
The slap came so hard and fast that I didn't see it coming.
I hit the bed, stunned.
Cherish burst into the room, yelling, "Brother, she's carrying your baby!".
He grit his teeth. "She is carrying a bastard! We both know that I can never have a child!".
"When last have you checked again about your current health situation? Definitely something has changed! You have to find out from the doctor again!".
He scoffed. "I don't need to check anything! No impotent man can have a child as far as I am concerned!". He held me hard on my hair and pushed me hard to the floor.
Cherish screamed. "She is a pregnant woman! Don't kill this good woman that has sacrificed so much for you!!!".
He slapped Cherish. "Sacrificed so much? Was that not what she was supposed to do?".
"What about you? Have you ever thought about what you were supposed to do as her husband? Why should she only give a man that has never given her anything but pain, sorrow, misery?I still haven't forgiven you for killing my twin sister and i will never allow you to commit another murder under my watch!". Cherish sobbed.
He punched me hard across the face, and I was too weak to fight back—too weak mentally, almost dead inside.
Cherish tried to pull him off me, but he shoved her aside and kept hitting me, his blows relentless.
Then I felt it—the warm blood flowing from my legs.
In that moment, I knew I had lost the baby.
I had lost my only hope.
He continued to hit me until suddenly, he stopped.
I felt something wet on my face—his blood.
He collapsed behind me, and I realized Cherish had struck him from behind with a flower vase.
He lay there, gasping for breath, struggling to stay conscious.
I forced myself to stand with what little strength I had left, feeling a twisted sense of relief as I watched him struggle.
If I helped him, I knew my life would be consumed by sorrow once more.
I didn't want that anymore.
I looked at Cherish, who was sobbing and panicking, not fully grasping the gravity of what she had done in her attempt to save me.
She hovered over him, trying to help, but I stood there, silently praying that nothing in this world would save him.
And for the first time in my life, God answered my prayer.
***
When I told the court about everything I endured with Richard, everyone found it quite hard to believe me.
My colleagues, my parents, our neighbors, even my boss—they all doubted my words, deceived by the facade Richard had carefully crafted.
He was loving to everyone but me.
After the hearing, my parents came to hug me.
In that moment, I felt like a completely different person.
In less than a year, a toxic marriage had reshaped me, forging someone who had grown through pain.
Outside, Cherish stood with her parents.
They seemed to understand everything I had gone through.
I hugged them, tears streaming down my face.
It wasn't their fault that Richard was the black sheep of the family.
After all, he had taken their child's life.
My heart ached as I watched Cherish, still carrying the guilt over her brother's actions.
I whispered to her, "Even if you hadn't defended me, your brother would have gone to jail and lived with the crushing weight of failure. You helped him avoid committing another crime—for his own sake."
My words seemed to bring her some comfort.
***
I was alone in the house, surrounded by memories—dark, inescapable memories.
Everywhere I looked, I saw myself mopping the floors, wiping the blood from my nose, and panicking as Richard's anger loomed over me.
The house was filled with shadows, and I could still see Richard's clenched teeth and the darkness in his eyes.
With an empty heart, I packed my bags.
My plan was to return to my parents and find a teaching job in a small school nearby.
I needed that space to forget the darkness and embrace the light that children bring.
I had already packed my things and locked the door when I noticed an unfamiliar car parked outside.
To my surprise, it was my boss—and my former best friend, Juliet.
He had driven her here.
Was he coming to persuade me to return to Bower Bound?
That was the last thing I would ever do.
I straightened up and walked toward him."Good morning, sir."
"I'm sorry I wasn't at the court, but I heard everything you went through," he said, his voice heavy with empathy. "I had a feeling something was off when you resigned, but who would have believed it?"
I sighed deeply. "Thank you, sir."
"What are your plans? Where are you headed?"
"To my parents' place. I'm going to start teaching in the area."
He nodded thoughtfully. "I'm glad you have the strength to move forward."
"I need the strength to live," I replied quietly.
He then pressed a large envelope into my hand. "I know you're trying to move on, but you'll need this to get by until you start earning a salary."
I glanced inside the envelope and was shocked by the amount of money. "This is too much, sir."
"I know money isn't what you need most right now, but there will be times when it helps."
"Thank you so much, sir. I appreciate it more than you know."
"You're very welcome, Catarina." He turned toward his car and beckoned to Juliet, who joined him. "Your friend told me where to find you, and she said she'd love to see you off to your parents' place."
I felt a pang of shame, facing Juliet after the fallout between us over my late husband.
We were silent until my boss drove off.
Then, she took my boxes and loaded them into the trunk of my car.
We got in, and as I pulled onto the road, she finally spoke, not looking at me."I am not happy the way you learned the hard way but i definitely know you won't make this mistake again".
I swallowed bitterly. "I valued chemistry over character. I forgot that chemistry fades, and it's character you're left with. My experience was brutal."
Juliet placed a comforting arm around me."Since my place isn't far from the community, why don't you stay with me? You can teach at my sister's school and be more comfortable since she knows you."
"Anabel has a school?"
"Why not?"
"I never knew that. Besides, you never mentioned it."
"I probably forgot. So, are you coming?"
"Separate rooms available?"
"Of course. I know you'll need your space right now. My brother just left for the U.S, so you can stay in my room while I stay in his. It's a bit damp and too close to the road."
In that moment, I realized I had no choice.
Staying with my parents after such a traumatic marriage didn't seem like a good idea.