Chapter 4 Feeling

With a shaky breath, Sarah turned back to Andrew, whose smile was wide and genuine, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside her. His happiness seemed so misplaced, so disconnected from the pain she was feeling. Sarah could hardly bear to look at him, the weight of the wedding pressing down on her like a physical force.

The room fell into an eerie silence as she shifted her gaze back to the priest, her body trembling with emotion. The priest, in turn, gave her an expectant look, waiting for her response.

"I... I..." Her voice faltered, the words hanging in the air, heavy and impossible to speak. Everyone waited with bated breath, their eyes fixed on her, but all Sarah could do was stare back at them in disbelief. She couldn't go through with it, not like this, not when everything inside her screamed for freedom.

"I... I... I can't do this," she finally whispered, her voice trembling as the words slipped out, barely audible, but enough to send shockwaves through the room.

The collective gasp that followed was deafening. Everyone in the room-her father, the mayor, the guests-stared at her in shock, their faces a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

"What?" The room erupted in unison, their voices filled with shock, each person looking at Sarah as if she had just revealed some dark secret.

Mr. Simon, his face now a mixture of frustration and disbelief, quickly stepped forward without hesitation. "Sarah, what's the problem?" he asked, his voice strained, but still holding a semblance of authority. He arched his brow, clearly baffled by her sudden defiance.

"I'm sorry, dad." Sarah's voice cracked as she sobbed, unable to hold back the tears that streamed down her face. She could feel the weight of her father's expectations pressing down on her, but she couldn't go through with this lie any longer.

The mayor, growing impatient and irritated, stormed up to her, his face red with anger. "Look, young woman," he snapped, his voice sharp and commanding, "this wedding must go on. Do you hear me? It's too late for second thoughts!"

But before he could continue, Sarah, her voice shaking but determined, made a shocking revelation. "I'm pregnant with my boyfriend," she blurted out, each word dropping like a bombshell that echoed through the room.

The gasps of disbelief were almost simultaneous, like a wave crashing over everyone present. The air in the room grew thick with tension as everyone tried to process what they had just heard.

"What?" The shock rippled through the guests, their faces frozen in disbelief.

The priest, already on edge, looked up at Sarah with wide eyes. "Oh Lord, have mercy upon your children," he muttered, his face paling before he collapsed in a faint, unable to process the situation further. The room grew chaotic, some guests rushing to check on the priest, while others were still trying to make sense of Sarah's declaration.

Andrew, still standing beside Sarah, was the first to react, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. "She's pregnant!" he asked, his voice loud with disbelief. His body stiffened as the realization hit him, and he turned to face Mr. Simon, his face a mask of frustration and anger. "You are telling me she's pregnant!?" he demanded, his voice rising in a mix of outrage and confusion.

Mr. Simon, flustered and attempting to salvage the situation, quickly responded. "No... no, Mr. Andrew. It isn't what you think," he stammered, his voice low but sharp with a hint of defensiveness. "There must be a mistake. This-this can't be true."

Andrew turned back to Sarah, his eyes narrowing as he processed her words. He stood frozen, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. Pregnant? With her boyfriend? This wasn't part of the plan. This wasn't what he had agreed to. He glared at Mr. Simon, his anger flaring. "Are you people trying to scam me?" he roared, his voice thunderous and full of fury. "This is a disaster!"

"No... no," Mr. Simon replied, his voice tense. He was clearly rattled, his eyes darting between Andrew and Sarah. "This isn't what it seems. There's... there's been some kind of mistake," he added, clearly grasping for any explanation to fix the mess that had unraveled in front of them.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," the mayor interjected, his voice dripping with ridicule as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His tone was dismissive, as if he were merely an observer rather than a participant in this chaotic scene. "We'll find out soon enough." His eyes lingered on Sarah, the same cold smile never quite leaving his face, as if he believed this could all still be salvaged.

The tension in the room hung like a thick cloud, with no one sure of what would come next. It was as if the world had paused, waiting for someone to make a move, for someone to take control of the chaos. But in the silence that followed, one thing was certain: Sarah's life was no longer her own.

Everyone in the room was on edge, their eyes fixed on the doctor as he carefully examined the pregnancy test results. The air was thick with tension, each person awaiting the doctor's verdict.

The mayor, still with his air of authority, looked expectantly at the doctor, his posture rigid. Andrew, too, stood impatiently beside him, his body tense and his hands clenched at his sides. The silence that hung in the room was almost suffocating as the doctor flipped through the results.

"Let's run a pregnancy test," the mayor had said earlier, his words cold and final, as he turned and walked out of the room, with Andrew following closely behind.

Sarah, still sitting on the hospital bed, could only stare blankly at the door as it swung shut behind them. A test? A pregnancy test? The reality of her secret being exposed hit her like a punch to the stomach. She had known this moment would come sooner or later, but that didn't make it any easier.