Isabella leaned forward, her voice soft but steady. “You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not ready to share,” she said. “But you need to stop punishing yourself, Esme. Whoever the father is, whatever happens, you don’t have to carry this burden alone.”
Esmeralda let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she brought them to her face. “You don’t understand. My life is falling apart. And now this… this child… it’s like the universe is punishing me for every bad choice I’ve ever made.”
Esmeralda’s voice broke as she continued, her words filled with despair. “The father won’t even want this child,” she said bitterly. “So it’s best that I just—”
“Stop,” Isabella interrupted sharply, her voice firm but not unkind. She straightened in her chair, her eyes narrowing slightly. “So it’s
