A surprise


    It’s been a month since the whole thing with Ethan happened. Am I okay? Definitely not. Does it


    still hurt? Fuck yes. Have I moved on? Absolutely not.


    Things haven’t been easy. Every day I find myself drowning further and further in a sea of pain and


    heartache. I thought I was doing okay when I decided to move on with Ethan. I realize now


    that I was probably just lying to myself.


    Ethan’s betrayal has drenched up all the other pains I tried burying. All the hurts I tried


    forgetting. It was like I was now back to square one. Only thing is that I had a few more new scars


    marring my heart and soul.


    I go through the days in a fog. Just living numbly. Time and things pass me by because I wasn’t


    really living. I am just surviving. Taking each day one at a time.


    Everyone seems to have moved on, but I feel like I am just stuck. Stuck in a never ending cycle of


    pain and heartbreak. My world right now is dark and cold and I feel all alone.


    “Miss Sharp, are you okay?” Mark, one of my students asks me.


    Fuck, I hate that name. It serves as a reminded that the people who gave it to me broke me. I


    wanted to change it, but I didn’t know which name to take. I didn’t want to take the Howell’s name


    given I don’t know that much about them. There is also the fact that I haven’t spoken to them


    since that day at my house.


    “Yes, I am…focus on the sswork” I reply to him before looking down at the books on my desk.


    I loved teaching, but nowadays it has be like a chore. Every day Ie to work, I can’t help


    but wish the hours would fly by quickly so that I can go home. I wanted solitude but I wasn’t


    getting enough of that with Letty and Rowan checking up on me every damn time.


    My students have noticed something is wrong. sses aren’t as fun as they used to be. I wasn’t as


    cheery as I was before. I was like a robot. Lifeless. Because of this some of my students have


    started skipping ss. I just don’t know how to bring back the old Ava.


    ‘Instead of trying to bring the old you, why don’t you try to create a new version?‘ an internal voice


    asks.


    Was that even possible? Creating a new version. A version of me that is different from the child,


    teen then woman who has been broken too many times to count.


    Before I can answer that question or think too deeply about it, the bell rings Taking my things, I


    dash out of my ss without saying a single word to my students.


    I keep my head down as I rush to the teacher’s lounge. I just want to breathe a little before I have to go


    to my next ss Luckily, no one stops me in the hallway. I wasn’t really in the mood to talk


    to anyone


    I get to the teacher lounge and freeze up. I was expecting it to be at least somewhat empty, but it


    was damn packed. I release a groan as I walk to the furthest seat.


    My phone rings just as I sit down. Nora’s name shes. I’ve ignored their calls not really sure how


    to handle them. Especially given their rtionship with Ethan I go to hang up, but I press the


    ept button instead


    “Hello, Ava?” she calls out.


    I don’t say anything. Just release the breath I was holding.


    “Please my dear, please don’t shut me out. Don’t shut me and your father out” she whispers her


    voice catching at the end.


    I still don’t say anything. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. My mouth refuses to move. To utter a single


    fucking word.


    “You’re my daughter, Ava and I want to be in your life. I want to be the mother I was supposed to


    be. I know you’re hurting and I want to be there for you. I already lost one child, please don’t makeme


    lose another. Losing you again just after finding you would kill me” she pleads, crying and it


    breaks my heart.


    Tears fill my eyes. Damn it. I’ve been so emotional these past few weeks.


    “I need time” I tell her slowly. Trying to push back my emotions.


    She releases a breath. “I’ll give you time if that’s what you need, but always remember that I love


    you. I’ve always carried you in my heart even when I thought you had died. I hope you can trust


    me and know that I’ll always be here for you if you need me” 1


    Gosh. It feels so good to be wanted, but I don’t know if I can trust them yet. Only time will tell.


    “Okay” I reply before hanging up.


    I get what she’s saying, but I just don’t know. What if she’s just looking for someone to hang on to?


    the gap. That’s what I’m afraid of. Of being used. Of being a second choice just like I was with


    Rowan.


    I wasn’t being cold or anything like that towards them. I was just trying to protect the remaining


    pieces of my heart.


    “Damn girl” Carol says walking towards my table.


    “Fuck” I groan under my breath.


    She was a junior highschool teacher and she had a way of annoying the hell out of people. Mainly


    because she likes to stick her nose in other people’s businesses.


    “All that food” she looks at me in shock. “With the way you’ve been eating and how moody you are


    nowadays, one would think you’re preggo” she finishes with augh. 2


    I know she was joking, but I freeze in my seat. Her words ring in my mind like a broken record.


    Driving fear through every fiber of my body.


    She notices my behavior and frowns. “Are you okay, Ava? You have to know that I was just joking


    right?”


    I quickly stand up as panic starts coursing through my body. Rushing out of the lounge, I blindly ran


    through the hallway till I am out of the school. I immediately jump into my car and speed out


    of the parking lot.


    Shit. This couldn’t be happening. Please don’t let it be happening. 2


    I try to think back. Try to do the math, but my mind is so jumbled that I cannot think straight.


    I drive fast, not caring that I will probably be pulled for over speeding. I needed to confirm that


    Carol was wrong.


    Getting to the store, I park my car and rush out. Unluckily for me, I bump into Emma.


    “Ava?” she calls a bit surprised. Probably because I look like a big fucking mess.


    I ignore her and ran to thedies section. Finding what I need, I take a bunch of them and quickly


    move to the counter. Once I have my purchase, I leave.


    I get into my car and soon I’m at home. I know the drill. So I drink around three sses of water


    and then head to my bathroom and take the test.


    Breaking point


    [Warning. The following chapter contains content that maybe triggering to some]


    No This can’t be happening to me. I can’t be pregnant. Not now and definitely not with Ethan’s


    baby


    “Why God?” I whisper as the tears fall down my face.


    I wait for an answer but nonees. He doesn’t tell me why this was happening to me. He doesn’t


    tell me why he had to make me this unlucky.


    I try to pick myself from the bathroom floor, but I just don’t have the energy. I’mpletely


    drained.


    Was it my lot in life to have unnned pregnancies? First with Noah and now this one. 2


    I stare sightlessly at the tiled floor, thinking back. Ethan and I had unprotected sex once. I was


    supposed to take a morning after pill, but Ipletely forgot. By the time I remembered, a few


    days had already passed.


    I told Ethan about it. I expected him to be angry about it, but he wasn’t. Instead he calmed me


    down. We both reasoned that it was unlikely for me to be pregnant. 1


    I noticed some changes, like my period beingte, but I thought it was due to the stress I was


    under. I never gave much thought to my increase in appetite since I always eat when I’m stressed


    or sad.


    The banging on my door startles me, but I don’t get up. Now more than before, I didn’t want to see


    anybody. When the banging continues, I put my head between my knees and cover my ears. I just


    wanted whoever it is to leave.


    It bes silent for a while. I breathe a sigh of relief but then start to panic when I hear the door


    open and heavy footsteps walking upstairs.


    Before I can do anything, like maybe hide, in case it was an intruder. A shadow fills the door way


    to my bathroom.


    “Ava?” Rowan’s deep voices resonates through the entire room.


    The moment my eyes meet with his, I start crying again. Of all people, why did it have to be him?