Chapter 2
A fresh wave of nausea crashed over me, and I bolted for the bathroom.
I didn't know how long I had been in there, but when I finally came out, leaning against the wall for support, the place was a total mess.
The living room was empty. Richard and Emily were gone, and Richard didn't come home at all that night.
At first, I didn't really care about the consequences Richard warned me about.
After all, we'd been together for eight years, and I was pregnant with his child.
But the next day, after I got home from my consultation for the abortion procedure, everyone around me was staring with ridicule and disdain in their eyes.
One of my neighbors messaged me, sounding frantic. [Grace, you need to check out what's trending right now.]
That was when I found out: Richard had posted some explicit photos of me online, all for Emily's sake.
He didn't even bother to blur anything out.
He accused me of cheating on him while I was seven months pregnant, calling me shameless and unfaithful.
The comments section was buzzing with mocking, blaming, and nasty remarks.
The supposed affair video was going viral all over the internet.
I felt ice-cold all over, my hands shaking as I kept calling Richard over and over.
After the tenth call went unanswered, I rushed straight to Richard's office.
Ignoring everyone who tried to stop me, I burst into Richard's office, my voice trembling as I demanded, "Richard, was it you who started that trending topic online?"
Richard didn't even flinch. He just nodded and admitted it, completely unfazed.
"Yes, that was me," he said.
He let out a sigh.
"Grace, you're just so stubborn. You did something wrong and still refuse to apologize. What if the kid ends up picking up your attitude?" he said.
"I had to do this so you'd finally learn," he added.
I was trembling, feeling like I barely even knew this man anymore.
"Get that trending topic taken down" I said.
"Alright," Richard replied, not even hesitating.
"But since you made Emily apologize to you last time, now you have to apologize to her," he said.
People outside the door were gossiping in hushed voices.
Meanwhile, Emily was standing off to the side, watching the drama unfold with a smug look on her face.
"Richard!" I shouted, my voice trembling with emotion. "Don't push it!
"If you want out, just divorce me. Why do you have to embarrass me like this?"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my stomach.
I winced, clutching my belly in agony.
I could feel something warm and wet trickling down between my legs.
"My stomach, it hurts so much," I gasped, my voice trembling.
Panic flashed in Richard's eyes, and he shot to his feet.
But Emily grabbed his arm, holding him back.
Her eyes were rimmed with tears.
"Grace, if you don't want to apologize to me, you don't have to give Mr. Grant a hard time. I'm just an orphan. Even if you take it out on me, I won't hold it against you," Emily said.
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead as I gripped the table, unable to get a single word out.
Richard probably thought I was just guilty and trying to avoid the issue.
The panic in his eyes vanished, replaced by pure disgust.
"Grace, when did you get so scheming?
"You're the one being petty and making mistakes, and now you're just acting like the victim.
"You're already this late in your pregnancy. What could possibly happen?" he said.
With that, he took Emily and headed out to her favorite restaurant.
By its very name, it was an apology made for me.
He only left behind a few words, "No one is allowed to help her. Let her keep pretending here forever.
"I'll only take down that trending topic when you apologize to Emily.
"This is just a lesson for you. I made sure they blurred everything out, so there's really nothing for you to stress about."
No one outside dared to make a move. They were all scared that if Richard got pissed, he'd have them fired on the spot.
Suddenly, Richard's phone rang. It was his parents calling.
I couldn't hear what they were saying on the other end.
He replied in a perfunctory tone, "She's fine. The baby's fine too. She's just been a bit moody because of the pregnancy...
"Honestly, I've treated her well. She's about to give birth. What trouble could there possibly be?
"You're coming back the day after tomorrow? Alright, I'll come pick you up then."
I forced myself to stay conscious, grabbed my phone from the table, and called 911.
Emily, who hadn't gone far, turned back and waved my phone at me, with a smug look in her eyes.
"Grace, Mr. Grant said you need to think about what you've done, so I'll keep your phone for you," she said.
The baby inside me was kicking and thrashing in distress.
The pain was so overwhelming that I passed out.