The Wrong Woman

Candice hung her head, her voice barely above a whisper as she uttered sadly, "I'm pregnant."

Elio's heart skipped a beat at her revelation; excitement electrified every nerve and fiber of his being.

He sprang up from his seat, almost feeling the urge to jump up and shout at the top of his lungs to release the excitement coursing through him. Yet, he managed to rein in his emotions. Candice was carrying his baby? Was he really going to be the father to Candice's child? It felt surreal, like a dream. He struggled to contain the overwhelming happiness within him.

His reaction startled Candice. She glanced up and noticed his clenched fists, his back turned toward her, and his head tilted upward. She struggled to decipher his emotions.

Was he, like her, grappling with the harshness of reality? Or did he share her sense of being lost and uncertain about the next steps?

Candice had steeled herself for this conversation. Softly, she said, "Don't worry. I'm not here to force any responsibilities on you. I just thought you should know. And if I decide to go through with an abortion, I would like you to be there with me."

Her words struck Elio like a sledgehammer, crashing into him mercilessly. It felt like he had plummeted from the heavens to the earth in a split second.

as he asked with utmost seriousness, "What

diffidently. "Yes, I can't have a

the repercussions if her family discovered her pregnancy before

breathing quickened, his chest heaving as he tightly clenched his hands. His stern voice softened as he said, "Candice, you can't

with widened eyes, her expression one of utter bewilderment. This wasn't the response she had anticipated. She had assumed Elio would want to

hard, his voice hoarse as

together, his breathing labored. He fixed his gaze on Candice as if

before marriage and then proposing because of the baby might be considered unethical, but

brave the wrath of the Morrisons, even if it meant facing the risk of being beaten to death, all for the sake of having Candice by his side. Candice's mind

After collecting herself, she

You and I are distantly related. If my family found

won't deprive a child of its father. They might cripple me at worst, and if that's my punishment, I'll accept it. I can endure it," Elio