Something clenched tight around my heart. I genuinely could not understand how we had ended up here.

I shook my head, dizzy, and said nothing. I started walking toward the guest room.

"She's sleeping in the master bedroom with me. You take the guest room."

I stopped mid-step. Pulled my foot back. "Fine."

Two hours later, I'd finished clearing everything out. The moment I sat down, Eleanor appeared.

"Kenneth told me you two have been together thirteen years. Sounds like a long time, I guess."

"But all it took was one night in bed with him, and your thirteen years turned to nothing. Not even worth mentioning."

Gone was the sweet, demure girl from this afternoon. Her eyes glinted with raw ambition.

All that talk about keeping the baby and leaving the father out of it was just talk.

I forced the faintest smile and didn't say a word.

All I wanted now was to leave Kenneth quietly. Leave all of this behind.

Wasting my breath would have been the stupidest thing I could do.

Eleanor tossed out a few more lines. When I gave her nothing in return, she got bored and scurried off to find Kenneth.

I sat on the edge of the bed and dialed.

"Mom, I've thought about your offer."

"I'd like to come to Westford."

Surprise and joy flooded through the line. She laughed, already talking about booking my flight.

"No, no, we'll come get her!"

"Ma'am, we'll pick her up ourselves!"

Those two brothers I'd never met were shouting over each other in the background, voices bright with excitement.

So different from the deathly silence on my end.

The other side of the call was a beautiful chaos.

For a moment, I actually looked forward to a new life.

Ever since I'd come home soaked from the rain, my whole body had felt weak and feverish.

I was crouched in the living room, fighting to stay conscious while digging through drawers for medicine, when Kenneth's voice came from above me.

"What are you looking for?"

"Nothing."

I grabbed the medicine and stood, pushing the drawer shut.

Kenneth frowned and caught my wrist. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

"Why are you making such a fuss over a young girl? She's here to rest during her pregnancy. Obviously she needs the bigger master bedroom."

I looked at him calmly and pulled my hand free. "I'm not making a fuss..."

"I just—"

"Forget it. Go find me some condoms first."

He cut me off, impatient. The words hit me like a slap, a dull throb pulsing between my brows.