Chapter 3

I thought that without my help, Melanie would just settle down, make an honest living, and take care of her kid.

But I never expected her to go this far.

One day, while I was chilling at home, my mom called me.

"Ella, how are you feeling? Melanie called me and told me you're pregnant and too scared to tell us. But don't worry. Your dad and I won't blame you. If you're in love, you can get married; if not, just get rid of it. And if you're short on cash, just let us know. Don't carry it all alone," she said.

A bad feeling crept over me before I asked, "What else did she say?"

My mom replied, "Nothing much. She just asked for 1,000 dollars, said it was for taking care of you."

I was speechless. This was just insane.

After hanging up, I let out a sigh. Seriously, this main character buff was way too strong.

All it took was one call from Melanie, and my mom bought her story without hesitation. She didn't even bother to check in with me to see if it was real.

I opened the window and glanced toward the corner of our complex.

There was Melanie, all lively and upbeat, lugging a bag of cat food and giving herself a pep talk, playfully shaking her fist at the stray cats.

My temples throbbed as I called her up. "Why did you scam my mom for cash? And why did you tell her I got accidentally pregnant?"

Melanie picked up, crouched down, and absently started petting a little stray.

"Ella, I only did that because I felt sorry for these hungry stray cats. So, I joked with your mom; it wasn't serious. We're besties—you'll forgive me, right? Seriously, look how adorable they are. Hey, sweetheart, stop messing around. Be good. Don't rub against me—" Melanie mumbled, half talking to me, half distracted by the kittens.

I hung up stone-faced, not even bothering with a reply. If she had no shame, then I was definitely not playing nice.

I had her parents' contact info, too.

I pulled out my backup phone and launched a voice changer app.

For the first time, I actually dialed up Melanie's mom.

I said, "Hello, is this Melanie's mom? This is someone who's really into your daughter. Listen, nothing urgent, but I thought you should know. Melanie's gotten herself accidentally pregnant. She has no clue who the father is, but she's determined to keep the baby anyway. I tried talking sense into her, but hey, who am I? You should come over and sort this out. The address is—"

Back in my previous life, I knew Melanie's home life was a total disaster.

Her family treated her horribly. She was always dreaming of breaking free, desperate to leave them behind and never look back.

This time around, I was absolutely set on making things messy for her.

The next night, Melanie's parents came knocking for her.

I made sure all the lights were off, doing my best to make it seem like I wasn't home.

Things next door were getting pretty heated.

Smack. Suddenly, there was a sharp slap, and Melanie started quietly sobbing.

Right after, angry voices filled the air.

"I busted my ass to put you through school, and as soon as you graduate, you take off. Now you're pregnant with some bastard's kid? I ought to beat you within an inch of your life," her father bellowed.

"Get rid of the baby ASAP. I've already found you a partner, Ernest, the carpenter from the next town. He's got a trade. You won't go hungry with him," her mom snapped.

"No, I'm not marrying some lame guy, no way. The baby's innocent; he's your grandson. How can you be so heartless?" Melanie's voice broke.

"A bastard with no father? And you dare call him innocent? Unless you rat out the dad and pay back the money I took, you're not having that kid," her father barked.

"I'm not marrying anyone. Having this baby is my choice; it has nothing to do with the father," Melanie protested.

"I've already taken Ernest's money. What, you think I can just give it back? Like hell, you're getting married, whether you want to or not," her father snapped.

"Listen to your dad, Melanie. Ernest may be in his fifties, but older men treat their wives better. You won't suffer with him," her mom coaxed.

By midnight, Melanie had gotten beaten so many times she could barely catch a break.

The next morning, she was forced downstairs, her face so swollen and battered she looked nothing like herself.

But just as they'd gotten to the entrance of the complex, something crazy happened.

A blond punk named Owen showed up, backed by a bunch of burly, tattooed dudes, and stopped the whole family in their tracks.

Next thing, everyone was shouting and shoving, turning the entrance into a total circus.

Finally, Owen just handed over a fat wad of cash, and Melanie's parents snatched it up before hightailing it out of there.

Melanie clung to Owen's waist, acting all lovey-dovey with him.

I was absolutely floored by what I was witnessing.

Melanie really lived up to her bar girl reputation; her connections stretched everywhere, mixing with all sorts of people.

But in my previous life, she kept that side of herself tightly under wraps.

Everyone around her only ever saw her pure and kind-hearted face.