Chapter 1 Pregnant for a stranger.

~ Isabella ~

I woke up from a dream I have always had, one where I saw myself being awarded my doctorate in clinical psychology. It never ceased to make my morning and always made me look forward to the grind of the day.

I'd just lifted my eyes when I froze... the room felt unfamiliar. I tried to start up but froze on realizing how bare I was under the blanket.

My legs felt heavy and every part of me ached. I looked down at myself from under the sheets, and I froze.

What the fuck...?!!!

How did I get here and why?

And then... the memory started rushing back, one at a time from the very beginning.

It has been Zach's and my two-year dating anniversary, and we'd planned to celebrate it in one of the pricey restaurants here in Melbourne.

My best friend, Junie, had done a great job in helping me get ready for the day, and by the time she was done, I was ever ready to capture the hearts of not just Zach, but everyone else I came across.

Just that, I only succeeded in making a fool out of myself when I got stood up by Zach and became a victim of pitiful gazes.

Pissed at being so insulted, I'd taken a cab to Zach's apartment complex... and in his room I had caught him and my twin sister, Emily, making love like the entire world didn't exist.

I'd tried to skip away silently, but a flower vase that I hadn't noticed on my way in fell to the ground, attracting their attention.

They tried to beg me to wait, but I couldn't be stopped.

One way or another... I found myself at a bar, where an overly nice bartender had offered me drinks to help me soothe my heartache.

Only that, I passed out not long after, and now?

I looked towards the side, and as expected... it was warm. Just then, I heard the sound of the shower and froze.

Whoever the stranger I had just had a one-night stand with was, he was still here, and I couldn't let him see me.

I managed to get dressed in spite of the throbbing pain in between my legs. I grabbed my handbag and was about to leave the room when the blood-stained patch on the bed caused me to freeze.

My virginity.

The one I had planned to give to my husband as a gift on our wedding night was snatched in one night by a stranger.

.....

I didn't know how I managed to get to the bus stop until I received a call from my Bestie.

"Bell! Where the hell are you?" I had to distance my phone from my ear to avoid having an ear blockage. I could only imagine how worried she must have been, being unable to contact me. She was the only close friend I had in this still foreign city, and besides, Zach no longer counts. She was one of the few persons I knew cared about my well-being the most.

"I'm on my way." I said simply before hanging up and focused on flagging down a cab back to my hostel.

....

"So... what happened?" Junie hovered over me as soon as I got settled. I was thankful she at least gave me five minutes of alone time before confronting me.

"I got drunk and ended up waking up in a strange bed."

"You had a one-night stand?" Her gaze was filled with horror as she asked.

I nodded.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry, Bell." I was immediately engulfed in her embrace and broke down in tears. Zach's betrayal had hurt, but not as much as the realization... that I had lost my virginity to a stranger whom I might never even get to know.

"But... how did you end up in a bar when you were meant to meet up with Zach at Skyline's restaurant?" She finally asked, minutes after I had finally calmed down.

"He stood me up and...." I took a deep breath as I recounted all that happened to her. She listened quietly, not interrupting until I was done.

"I'm really sorry, Bess...very sorry." She embraced me tightly and began apologizing for not being there for me when I needed her.

But she didn't have to.

This wasn't any of her fault.

It wasn't her fault that my life is so messed up and my mom and twin sister hated me so much that I sometimes wondered if I had done anything more than being born with a high IQ and having been doted on immensely by my late father.

.....

"Aren't you going to be attending the celebratory dinner?" Junie asked two weeks later, batting her eyes at me. The celebratory dinner was something we'd all been waiting for. Though our college graduation was still in about a week's time. The graduation dinner was more like a final get-together before the big day.

"I'll pass on it. I don't feel that well." I replied honestly.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be fine," I say, forcing a smile. "You don't need to stay with me and miss the celebratory dinner." I added, reading her mind.

"You sure?"

"I am, Junie. You'd waited five whole years for this moment. Don't let me be the reason why you'd be missing tonight's dinner." I pleaded, gazing at her white and black A-lined dress, which best depicted the course she'd spent the last five years studying.

"Okay then. Do call me if you need anything."

"I will, Mom." I faked a chuckle so I could sound even more convincing. She nodded and stepped out of the room, leaving me to myself.

....

Hours later,

I stared at the used pregnancy test in my hand and silently prayed it wasn't what I was thinking while waiting.

I'd become more nauseous and exhausted than usual. Though I never managed to fake a vomit to save my life.

Courtesy of my unique genes, women mostly showed signs of pregnancy through fainting rather than vomiting.

Not sure if that was a good or a bad thing, though.

I turned over the test and froze at the sight of the two red lines.

I'm pregnant?!!!

...for a stranger?