Chapter 4
Ever since Mia snapped a photo of my pregnancy checkup report and everyone found out the baby was Jacob's, the class group chat had gone eerily quiet.
But I knew Mia, who'd been picking on me for ages, wasn't about to let me off the hook.
Sure enough, a few days later, I saw Mia and her friends at the Thomas residence.
They were sitting in the living room, talking with Harper.
When Harper saw me come downstairs, her attitude was nothing like before. Instead of her usual warmth, she picked up the phone and told the doctor to come over for an amniocentesis.
"Your classmate says you're always picking up guys at nightclubs. I guess I was too naive, trusting Jacob and not having you tested first," Harper said coldly.
Mia jumped in, "That's right, Mrs. Thomas. Ava's hooked up with almost every guy in our class. She's seriously bad news."
"Mrs. Thomas, you know what? When she was nine, her mom stabbed her dad to death and left her grandma paralyzed. Honestly, what kind of kid could turn out decent from a family like that?" Mia added.
"Don't be fooled by her looks. She's wild. She'll go with anyone for 15 bucks. I heard a bunch of old guys in her village have had their turn with her," Mia sneered.
Mia's words cut deep, hitting me right where it hurt. All those nightmares from my past came rushing back.
I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself to stay calm. I couldn't lose it now.
I had made it through hell before. I was just one step away from everything I had fought for. I couldn't let it all go to waste now.
I kept my head down, struggling to steady my breathing.
I had no idea Jacob was upstairs, taking it all in.
He was coming down the stairs, just about to speak, when the doctor arrived.
Harper told someone to pin my arm down so the doctor could stick a needle in and draw blood.
When the needle pierced my skin, I flinched instinctively.
Not far away, Jacob's gaze grew colder.
Once it was over, Harper shooed me upstairs. "If you dare lie to me, you'll find out what it means to have nowhere left to go."
That was just how the rich were. They couldn't tolerate the slightest imperfection or any insult.
With my tail between my legs, I hurried upstairs, leaving their mocking laughter echoing behind me.
As I passed Jacob, he grabbed my arm. "Why didn't you stand up for yourself?"
I looked at him, tears in my eyes. "What?"
"Why didn't you say anything? Why aren't you mad? Why didn't you snap back?" he pressed.
I let out a bitter laugh. "Mr. Thomas, are you serious? People like me don't get to make a scene."
Not to mention, I depend on the Thomas family for everything, like food, shelter, and even the clothes on my back.
With my own grandma's meds costing over ten grand a month, there's no way I can afford to piss off Harper, the one footing the bill.
It was just a DNA test. I could wait it out. I already knew the answer, so they could play their games, and I was not scared.
Mia looked smug, her laugh sharp and mocking. But the moment she spotted Jacob, her voice turned syrupy sweet. "Jacob, you really are so unlucky, having a shameless woman like her cling to you."
Jacob didn't lose his cool. He glanced at me, then fixed Mia with an icy stare. "Yeah, unlucky. But trust me. One day, I'll get back at you for this."