Chapter 2

Abigail's POV

I groaned as I heard the persistent knocking on my door. "Abigail? Open up," my stepmother called out, her voice firm but anxious. I hesitated, wondering what they wanted at a time like this. But when the knocking continued, I reluctantly got up and opened the door.

To my surprise, my stepmother, Nora, stood there with my father, William. His grave expression and furrowed brows told me something was wrong. "Stepmother, Father, this isn't the right time..." I began, but my father cut me off.

"We need to talk to you about an important matter that cannot wait," he said, his voice serious and commanding. I felt a twinge of worry and curiosity.

"What's going on?" I asked, stepping aside to let them in. My father's eyes scanned the room, and his gaze lingered on Zoey and Liam on the couch. I saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"We'll talk inside," Nora said, striding into the house like she owned the place. My father followed, his eyes fixed on Zoey and Liam. I had no choice but to let them in.

As we entered the living room, Nora's eyes widened in shock. "Zoey? What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with disapproval. My father's face darkened, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Zoey, what is the meaning of this?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the room. Zoey cowered, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I...I can explain," she stammered, her voice trembling. Nora's eyes narrowed, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Explain what exactly?" she snapped, her voice dripping with disdain. Zoey hesitated, her eyes darting between Nora and my father.

"I...I..." she stammered, her words trailing off. Nora's face turned red with anger.

"Well, speak up!" she yelled, her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with fury. The room fell silent, the tension palpable.

Zoey tried to speak, but her words caught in her throat. She stood there, trembling in fear, her eyes fixed on the floor. My stepmother's gaze narrowed, her eyes flashing with anger.

When Zoey couldn't answer, my stepmother turned to me. "Abigail? Explain to me what's going on and what's this thing doing here?" She pointed at Liam, her finger jabbing the air like an accusation. Liam's eyes widened, his face pale with shock.

I took a deep breath, my hand raking through my hair as I gathered my thoughts. "Well...I returned home and caught Zoey having sex with my boyfriend." The words hung in the air like a challenge, the room falling silent as everyone struggled to process the news.

My stepmother's face turned red with rage, her eyes bulging. "What?!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the walls. "Zoey, how could you do this? You're supposed to be engaged!" She took a step closer to Zoey, her finger wagging in her face.

Zoey's body shook with sobs, her eyes pleading for mercy. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I just..." she stammered, her words trailing off.

My stepmother's anger boiled over. "You just what?" she demanded, her voice fierce. "You decided to sleep with your sister's boyfriend? Do you have any idea how horrible that is?" She threw up her hands, her expression disgusted.

Zoey looked up at her mother, her eyes begging for understanding. "It's not what it looks like," she protested, her voice weak.

My stepmother's expression turned skeptical. "Oh really...then explain to us what it looks like, Zoey. Because I'm confused right now." She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing.

Zoey took a step back, her eyes darting between her parents. "I...I love you both, but...but..." she stammered, her words hanging in the air.

My father's face darkened, his eyes thunderous. "How dare you bring shame to our family? We raised you better than this!" He took a step closer to Zoey, his voice menacing.

Zoey's eyes filled with tears, her expression pleading. "Please, just listen to me," she begged, her voice cracking. "There's more to it than you think."

Nora crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she raised an eyebrow. "What more could there be?" she asked, her tone dripping with skepticism. She leaned back, her weight shifting onto one leg, her expression daring Zoey to come up with an excuse.

Zoey's eyes dropped, her face bowing low in shame. She stood there, frozen, like a fish caught in a net. Her shoulders trembled, and her lips quivered, but she remained silent.

William's face darkened, his arms folding across his chest. "Zoey, what you've done is disgraceful," he thundered, his voice echoing off the walls.

Zoey's eyes flashed up, a glimmer of defiance in their depths. She took a deep breath, her shoulders squaring. "Mother...I can't marry him...I can't marry Elijah Lester Wright," she declared, her voice firm but trembling.

Nora's brow furrowed, her eyes creasing in confusion. "What do you mean you can't marry Elijah?" she asked, her tone sharp.

Zoey's eyes locked onto hers, her gaze steady. "I'm pregnant with Liam's child," she revealed, her words dropping like a bombshell.

CRASH!

My heart shattered into a million pieces as I heard those words. My parents froze, their faces stunned, their eyes fixed on Zoey in disbelief. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. I couldn't believe that the man I thought loved me had gotten my step-sister pregnant. The room seemed to spin around me, and I felt like I was going to collapse.

I couldn't breathe, my chest constricting as if a heavy weight was crushing me. I grasped at my heart, my fingers digging into my skin as if trying to hold it together.

My head spun, the room whirling around me like a vortex. I stumbled backward, my vision darkening around the edges. I reached out wildly, desperate for something, anything, to steady myself.

But there was nothing. No one rushed to my side, no one offered a comforting word. I was alone, my heart bleeding out in silence.

Nora's voice was low and husky, her words drawn out as if she was trying to process the news.

"You...are...pregnant?"

She took a step back, her eyes fixed on Zoey as if searching for any sign of deception.

Zoey's whisper was barely audible, her voice trembling.

"Yes, Mum." Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, her body shaking with sobs.

William's eyes bored into Zoey, his gaze intense.

"Are...you sure?" he asked, his voice firm but laced with disbelief.

Zoey nodded, her head bobbing up and down. "Yes," she whispered again, her voice cracking.

"I took a test, and it was positive."

The room fell silent, the tension thick and heavy. William turned to Nora, who looked pale and stunned, her eyes fixed on Zoey as if trying to will her to take back the words.

Nora's fingers went to her mouth, her nail biting a habit she only indulged in when she was deep in thought.

William urged her, his voice low and urgent.

"Well...say something, Nora."

But Nora remained silent, her eyes fixed on Zoey, her mind racing with the implications.

Nora's gaze remained fixed on me, her eyes narrowing as if sizing me up. I felt a shiver run down my spine as she stopped biting her fingernail, a telltale sign that she had thought of something. Her eyes locked onto mine, and I knew she was considering me for something. But what?

"I think I have a solution to our problem," she revealed, a sly smirk spreading across her face.

My father's eyes lit up with eagerness, his body leaning forward as if desperate for a solution. "Really? What's the solution?" he asked, his voice laced with hope.

Nora's gaze never left mine, her eyes glinting with a calculating intensity. She pointed at me, her finger jabbing the air like an accusation. "Abigail will get married to Elijah Lester Wright."

My jaw dropped, my eyes wide with shock. "Wait...what?!" I exclaimed, my voice barely above a whisper.

Nora's nod was curt, her expression unyielding. "She's the perfect person for the task."

I stood there, dumbfounded, my mind reeling with the implications. Marriage? To Elijah Lester Wright? It couldn't be. But Nora's gaze remained fixed on me, her eyes daring me to refuse.

And then, just as I was about to protest, she dropped the bombshell: "You'll have to leave for the Wright estate tomorrow, Abigail. Your wedding dress is already waiting for you….