With a confused and fearful mind, realizing that something was wrong with the earlier events, I quickly fled from the Moon Glazed Pack. As I emerged from the forest, struggling to navigate, I encountered an elderly couple with a flat tire in the middle of the road. The forest indeed cut through the long stretches of roads across southern West Virginia.
"Are you okay, dear? Calm down, call me Mrs. Richardson. Why are you out here in the middle of this deserted road? Are you with someone?" the bespectacled grandmother held my hand.
"I-I..." I stammered.
"Are you okay?" Mrs. Richardson asked, noticing my inability to respond due to exhaustion. Eventually, she ushered me into their car.
"Where are you from, dear?" Mr. Richardson checked on me, then whispered to Mrs. Richardson a moment later.
Afterward, Mrs. Richardson stroked my hand. "Sweetie, do you remember where you live?"
I fell silent, frozen, and then shook my head. My current intention was to escape and forget everything.
"What if you come with us? We have a spare room; you can stay there temporarily until you remember where your home is," Mrs. Richardson sighed.
I nodded in agreement. "Thank you so much."
They took me to a modest apartment in a residential area. I also sought multiple side jobs to survive after escaping from my unfortunate fate. Leaving Taylor, who rejected me after he cheated with Ennik. Leaving my parents who were surely confused looking for me. But here, I had my own choices.
After saving a bit of money, I decided to find another place to live, not wanting to inconvenience Mr. and Mrs. Richardson. I also enrolled in a fashion design course, pursuing my childhood dream. I tried to forget my past as much as possible, keeping myself busy with worldly affairs. Everything went smoothly for a few months, living with better personal and spiritual development than before.
However, after a few months of being busy with coursework and side jobs, I encountered a slight problem. I hadn't had my period for several months. I also felt frequently fatigued, like someone anemic waking up every morning. Even so, I thought it was just a normal thing because I was so tired and stressed. I ignored it.
I decided to take a day off, one day, planning a small picnic to a lake with Mr. and Mrs. Richardson. I decided to repay their kindness by making food.
"This is delicious lasagna, dear. You're very talented," Mrs. Richardson nodded as she tasted the lasagna I brought specifically for them.
"Indeed, very tasty. The man who will be your husband will surely be happy to have a wife who can cook so well," Mr. Richardson added.
Those words brought my thoughts back to Taylor. I shook my head, trying to erase the memories of Taylor.
After we came back from that small picnic event, I went home with the intention of resting. However, Marley, my course mentor, called and instructed me to go there to complete a task that would be submitted in a competition in a few days. Despite being very tired, I eventually went there.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" I asked, surprised.
"This is an opportunity for you. You can become a famous designer if you win that competition. You'll be contracted by their brand," Marley left me.
I slapped my forehead as I hadn't brought any fabric from the storage room. I searched for some fabric to use in creating a dress.
"Are you sure you'll win the competition without enough experience? You haven't even designed it yet, have you? You can't make a dress without sketching it first," a girl sneered.
"I'm not expecting to." I shrugged.
"Then give up." The girl walked away.
I ignored her and walked to the storage room. Suddenly, I felt a headache that I couldn't explain. I staggered, leaning against some standing fabrics in front of the storage room door.
"Are you okay? If you're not feeling well, you can go home," Marley raised her eyebrows and faced me.
"I'm just a little tired. It's okay." I shook my head.
"Alright. Finish your work." Marley shrugged.
After that, I only completed the sketches late into the night at the course place. The next morning, Marley immediately woke me up and said I had to finish the dress before the day of the competition.
Reluctantly, I worked hard to complete the dress and quickly packed it. I immediately set off to deliver it to the company. After waiting in a fairly long queue, I finally finished my task.
I planned to go for lunch, but as soon as I left the company, a really strong headache made me freeze and stand still. Everything became blurry in my vision.
The only thing I remembered was a woman's ear-piercing scream. I opened my eyes in a room filled with the scent of antiseptic. The throbbing headache persisted, and I felt even more faint. The woman's voice continued to echo in my ears, urging me to confront a truth I was not prepared for.
"Who... who are you?" I managed to stammer, my gaze searching for familiarity.
The woman sighed, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and disappointment. "I'm Dr. Turner, and you're in the hospital. You fainted outside a company building. Do you not remember?"
A wave of confusion swept over me. The events leading to my collapse remained elusive, like fragments of a dream slipping away. I nodded weakly, unsure of how I ended up here or why.
Dr. Turner continued, "You're pregnant, and it seems you didn't know. You should have been more careful, especially considering your condition."
"P-pregnant?"
"Yes, in your first trisemester."
As I grappled with the shocking revelation of a possible pregnancy, questions swirled in my mind like a tempest. Was this the consequence of a night I could barely remember, a choice made in the haze of alcohol and vulnerability? The fear and uncertainty weighed heavily on me.
Did I really have a one-night stand with the mysterious man under the influence of alcohol, and now I'm pregnant?
Pregnant with a stranger's child?