Chap. 3
Lauren was devastated when she found out she was pregnant. She still had a long future ahead of her. There were many dreams that had yet to be realized. Plus she was still very young. She was not ready to be a mother.
What should she do later? And how to tell this news to her mother? Or should she abort the pregnancy? But the fetus in her stomach was innocent. Should she abort it? Meanwhile, Lauren heard the heartbeat of the fetus very clearly.
Under the moonlight and the chill of the night, Lauren deliberately did not turn on the light and opened the window of her room. She deliberately let the wind hit her body. Letting the sadness she was currently experiencing dissolve with the chill of the night.
An hour was enough time for Lauren to drown her sorrows. She rubbed her cheeks that were wet with tears. Her life did not stop here. Her life continued, no matter what trouble came her way.
With her body exhausted, and her eyes puffy from crying, Lauren slowly got up from where she was and headed to the bathroom.
“You can't be weak like this, Lauren,” Lauren said to herself. "There's still Mommy who will understand your situation and forgive you. There's also an innocent baby-to-be in your belly."
As much as possible, Lauren encouraged herself and tried to stay sober. Because there were still many things she was going to do.
The next morning, still very early, Lauren woke up to the strong smell of alley cooking. She immediately ran out of the room to the toilet near the kitchen. Once there, Lauren was raw for no reason. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, which made Maria, who was cooking in the kitchen, stare in surprise at her daughter's behavior.
“Are you okay, honey?” she asked from the kitchen. Maria immediately turned off the stove and approached Lauren. Because Maria heard Lauren vomiting non-stop.
“What's wrong with you Lauren?” Maria was a little surprised to see Lauren's very pale face.
Lauren turned her head, then shook her head at her mom.
"I'm fine, Mom. Maybe it's because I have a cold,” Lauren replied, lying of course. Because Lauren didn't want to worry her mom.
If before, Maria believed whatever Lauren said, but her instinct as a mother could not be lied to.
"You can't lie to Mommy, Lauren. Mommy knows you are hiding something from Mommy. Tell Mommy!” Maria urged Lauren to tell her what really happened.
Lauren was silent. She could not stop the tightness in her chest.
“I have nothing to hide from you, Mom,” said Lauren still lying. She couldn't bear to tell Maria about her pregnancy.
Maria did not believe her. The middle-aged woman then observed Lauren's face. There was a lie and fear in her daughter's eyes.
“Look at Mommy, Lauren!” Maria ordered in a stern tone. Something was wrong with her daughter and Maria did not want Lauren to continue to hide the problems she was facing.
"You don't think of Mommy anymore? Hmm?"
At once Lauren's tears broke out. The pregnant young woman hugged her mommy very tightly. Shedding all the sadness and injustice she was experiencing.
"Tell Mommy, Lauren. Mommy will help you with whatever your problem is." Maria continued to persuade Lauren to tell her problem.
Meanwhile, Lauren sobbed in her mother's arms. Lauren didn't know if her decision was right. However, she also could not continue to hide her pregnancy from her mother. Because gradually her stomach will grow bigger with the increase in the age of her pregnancy.
With one breath, Lauren pulled her face away from Maria. She closed her eyes, before saying something that was very hard for Lauren to express. But on the other hand, she had no better option than this.
“I'm pregnant, Mom,” Lauren said softly and closed her eyes tightly, suppressing the pain she felt in her chest.
Lauren's confession left Maria speechless. The middle-aged woman seemed unresponsive. Until a few seconds later, Maria reconfirmed what she had just heard.
“What did you say?” Maria's voice sounded shaky, and her eyes glazed over. It was as if she was holding back a blow that was so hard from Lauren's confession just now.
From here Maria looked shocked, and this was why Lauren couldn't bear to tell her the reality that was making herself shattered.
“I'm pregnant, Mom,” Lauren repeated in a clearer tone than before. The look in Lauren's eyes began to fade, and gradually the girl fell into her mother's arms.
Maria couldn't say anything else. The woman was quite shocked to hear Lauren's confession just now. Unable to see Lauren crying in her arms, Maria hugged her daughter with a broken heart. What man would have the heart to impregnate his only daughter.
"I'm scared, Mom. I'm scared,” Lauren whispered through her sobs.
"Calm down baby, Mommy is here. You are not alone. We'll face it together,” Maria said, soothing Lauren.
Maria knew that Lauren must be devastated. Moreover, Lauren was still in school. She was definitely not ready to become a mother. It was hard, that's for sure.
“Now tell Mommy, who is the father of the child in your womb right now, Lauren?” asked Maria in a very soft tone so as not to frighten Lauren.
Lauren shook her head. Slowly and in slow motion. “I don't know who he is, Mom.”
“What?” Maria looked very surprised at Lauren's answer. "How can you not know who he is when you're having s*x? Are you crazy, Lauren?" Maria couldn't believe Lauren didn't recognize the man who had impregnated her.
Her mother's words sounded so painful to Lauren. Her mother had never said anything harsh to her. Lauren knew she was stupid, but there was no way she would tell her mother that she sold her body to a man for money.
“Were you raped by someone?” guessed Maria. Maria thought that if Lauren didn't recognize the man she had slept with, there was a good chance that her daughter had been sexually assaulted by an irresponsible man. “We're going to the police right now!” said Lauren, taking action with what her daughter had been through.
“No, Mom!” Lauren refused with a panicked expression. “Don't report the police.” Lauren begged her mother not to report the problem to the police. Because her mom's guess was not right at all.
Maria couldn't understand what Lauren wanted even more.
"Why Lauren?
You have to hold the man who f****d you accountable!” said Maria. There was no way Maria could just stand by and watch her daughter in such big trouble. Lauren still had a long future ahead of her, and there was no way she could ask Lauren to abort. Because after all, the baby was not wrong.
Lauren fell silent, then looked down. Her tongue was so weak when she wanted to tell her mama the truth. But she also couldn't make her mother think anything about the man. Because it wasn't the man's fault that she was pregnant.
“Tell Mommy the truth Lauren!” urged Maria, seeing that there was something Lauren was trying to hide from her.
“Lauren wasn't raped, Mom,” Lauren said as she slowly raised her face to look at Maria.
“Then?”
“Lauren sold herself to get more money for Mommy's hospital bills.”
Deg!
Maria did not expect that Lauren would make such a huge sacrifice just for her recovery.
Maria's body felt weak instantly. Even the woman who had only been discharged from the hospital a few days earlier, fell to the floor. Her heart was torn by Lauren's confession just now. Her daughter was willing to destroy her own future for the sake of her recovery.
Lauren was shocked when she saw her mother fall on the floor and was immediately helpless.
“Mommy!” cried Lauren, who found her mother unconscious.