I peed on the stick, anxiously waiting — praying, hoping, begging it wasn't what I thought it was.
My heart thudded so loudly I swore the sound echoed off the bathroom tiles.
One line meant safe. Two lines meant chaos.
I stared at it for what felt like hours.
Then… there it was.
Two lines.
For a second, everything inside me went still.
No air. No sound. Just the two red lines staring back at me, mocking me.
I blinked once. Twice. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe…
"A false positive," I muttered under my breath, voice trembling. "Yeah, maybe it's just that. It happens, right?"
Behind me, Chloe sighed, her voice cutting through the silence. "There's nothing like a false positive, Ash. A false negative, maybe. But two lines? That's real."
I turned to her slowly. Her expression was caught somewhere between concern and curiosity — like she wanted to comfort me, but the drama was too juicy to resist.
"This can't be happening," I whispered. My knees felt weak. "My fiancé—Richard—is flying back to the country in four months. My wedding is in less than a year, Chloe. Less than a damn year!"
She raised her brows, lips curling into that familiar, half-sarcastic smirk. "Well… congrats? You're early."
"Don't joke about this!" My voice cracked. "What will I tell him? What the hell do I tell Richard?"
Chloe threw her hands up. "Okay, okay. Calm down. Just—let's think. You're panicking, and when you panic, you stop thinking straight."
"How do you expect me to think straight when—" I gestured helplessly at the test in my hand "—this just happened?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're not the first girl to get knocked up by the wrong guy, you know."
"Chloe!"
"What? I'm being honest!" she said, folding her arms. "You want a solution or a sermon?"
I bit my lip, pacing. "There's no solution to this."
"Sure there is." Her tone turned suddenly thoughtful. "You could fly over to Richard."
I blinked. "What?"
"Fly over to Richard," she repeated. "You two could be intimate before he comes home. That way, if you start showing, he'll assume it's his."
"Chloe, we're being celibate," I said sharply. "That's literally the foundation of our relationship!"
She snorted. "Well, yet here you are with a baby."
I stared at her in disbelief. "You are unbelievable."
She shrugged. "I'm just saying. Celibate or not, you broke the vow the night you—"
"Don't."
She paused, tilting her head. "Still can't even say his name, huh?"
I didn't answer. I didn't need to. The silence between us said enough.
Chloe sighed, finally softening. "Look… I'm not judging you, okay? It's just… you need to figure out your next move before this gets out. Because if Richard finds out, that perfect life you've built? Gone. And your father? Don't even get me started."
I sank onto the bed, staring at the stick again. "My father will kill me. Not figuratively, Chloe — literally."
"I know," she murmured.
My hands trembled as I placed the test down. I could feel my throat closing up, panic rising fast and sharp. I wanted to cry, scream, rewind time — anything but sit here in this room with two red lines sealing my fate.
Chloe sat beside me, rubbing my shoulder. "Just breathe. We'll find a solution."
"Find a solution?" I let out a bitter laugh. "You make it sound like we're fixing a printer."
"Well, would you rather sit here and cry?" she asked, genuinely.
I didn't answer. My eyes burned. "I can't tell Richard."
"Then don't."
"I can't hide it either."
"Then… maybe you tell your sister."
I looked up at her. "Tessa?"
She nodded. "She's practical. Not emotional like you. She'll help you figure out what to do without running to your dad."
I hesitated. "Maybe you're right."
"I'm always right," Chloe said, crossing her legs. "Well—except when it comes to men. Clearly, you've outdone me there."
"Chloe!"
She smiled faintly. "Too soon?"
I exhaled shakily, then reached for my phone.
Tessa answered on the second ring. "Ash? It's late. What's wrong?"
Her voice was calm, steady — the kind of steady I needed right now.
"Tessa…" My voice cracked. "I need to tell you something. But you can't freak out."
"That's never a good opening," she muttered. "What did you do?"
"I—I'm pregnant."
Silence.
Then, "You're what?"
"I took a test. Two lines."
"Oh my God."
"Please, don't yell," I begged. "I can't handle yelling right now."
"Who's the father?"
My throat tightened. "It's… complicated."
"Ashley."
I whispered so Chloe wouldn't hear. "Alan."
"Alan Jean?"
I closed my eyes. "Yes."
Tessa didn't respond immediately. I could practically hear her processing it.
Then, quietly: "Ashley, are you insane? His family hates us. Dad hates him. Do you realize what you've done?"
"I know, I know," I said quickly, tears threatening. "I didn't plan this, Tessa. It just… happened."
Her voice softened, though frustration still lingered. "You have to calm down. Stress isn't good for you right now. We'll figure something out."
I swallowed hard. "Chloe suggested I—"
"Please don't finish that sentence," Tessa said sharply. "You're not going to lie your way through this by flying to another country to stage a baby timeline."
"Then what do I do?"
There was a pause, then she said, "You wait. You don't make any rash decisions tonight. I'll come over in the morning. We'll talk."
"Tessa…"
"Yes?"
"I'm scared."
"I know." Her voice softened again. "But you're not alone, okay? I'll handle this with you. Just… try to sleep."
The call ended.
I set the phone down and curled up on the bed, the weight of everything pressing against my chest.
Across the room, Chloe was scrolling through her phone like none of this was real.
"Hey," she said after a while, not looking up. "You know what's crazy?"
"What?"
She smirked faintly. "Of all the men you could've picked to ruin your life, you went for him. The masked guy, someone you know nothing about. I mean… go big or go home, right?"
I threw a pillow at her. She dodged it easily, laughing.
"Don't worry," she said, grinning. "We'll survive this. Somehow."
But as I lay there, staring at the ceiling, her words faded into the background.
Because deep down, I wasn't sure I would.