Chapter 3 Help Me

The phone slipped from my numb fingers, clattering onto the floor. I turned and ran down the stairs as fast as my legs could carry me until I managed to flag down a taxi.

I sobbed uncontrollably inside the cab. The heartbreak tore through me like a bolt of lightning. I had been so happy just moments after leaving his place, unaware that the moment my back was turned, a betrayal was already taking place.

Screw you, Eros! Fuck you! Go make out with your girl for all I care!

When I arrived home, the house was silent. I slipped into my room and let out all the pain I had been holding in. Damn it all! I thought everything he showed me was real! What a fucking lie!

To: Eros We’re over. Fuck you!

I sent the text and powered off my phone. I wasn't going to use it until I felt strong enough to face him again.

I had given him everything, only to be treated like this. Turns out he preferred a different taste at night. And to do it right in his own condo! I let out a muffled scream, punching my pillow repeatedly. You won't ever see me again, you asshole!

Over the next few weeks, I stopped going to school, using the excuse that I wasn't feeling well. And it was true, lately, I had been plagued by bouts of dizziness and nausea. Weeks passed without me stepping out of the house or attending class. I isolated myself, trying to heal from the pain of Eros's betrayal. I felt like a prisoner in my own home, refusing to venture outside.

My heart leaped into my throat when I heard my mother calling my name from downstairs. A knot of terror formed in my stomach. Everything I had been experiencing over the past few weeks pointed to the classic symptoms of pregnancy. As a pre-med student, I knew the signs all too well.

“You haven't gone to school in weeks, Dana! Do you just want to drop out entirely? We're throwing money away on your tuition!” Mom barked the moment I reached the bottom of the stairs.

As I approached the dining area, a repulsive smell hit my nose, triggering a violent turn in my stomach. I sprinted toward the kitchen sink and threw up, feeling as though my entire insides were coming up. Tears blurred my vision from the intensity of the retching.

“Dana, you’re pregnant!” my sister shrieked, slamming her hand against the dining table so hard I jumped.

I grabbed a tissue beside the sink and wiped my mouth. Mom marched toward me, and before I could even explain, two swift slaps cracked across my face.

“Are you pregnant?!” she screamed in my face.

Without even waiting for confirmation, she had already resorted to violence.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “I don’t know, Mommy...” I sobbed.

Pure fury contorted her features. “Donna, pack her things! Don't leave a single item behind!” she ordered my sister, who immediately rushed to comply.

Mom stepped close, leaning into my ear. “I will not have a disgraced child under my roof! What a waste of everything I spent raising you, Dana! A waste of your tuition! A waste of everything! I told you to stay away from that boy, but you refused to listen! So go ahead, face the consequences! Get out of my house and go live with that boyfriend of yours!” she roared, grabbing a fistful of my hair and shoving me toward the front door.

She dragged me by my hair and threw me out into the dark. Thankfully, it was late at night and the street was deserted. Next came three suitcases and a bag, tossed mercilessly onto the pavement. Behind Mom stood Donna, a triumphant smirk plastered across her face as she relished my downfall.

“Don’t you ever come back! You don’t have a family anymore, Dana!” Mom screamed before slamming the door in my face.

Dad wasn't home. If he were, I probably would have taken a beating from him too. Tears blinded me as I reached for my bag. I still had some money from my savings; hopefully, it would be enough to keep me alive for a while. I trudged out of our gated neighborhood, crying helplessly into the dark, quiet night.

Even without official confirmation, my life was already ruined. Begging at their doorstep wouldn't change a thing; I knew they would never open that door for me again.

I didn't even know what family truly meant. I had never felt it, not since I was a child.

God, help me... I can’t do this alone…

As I walked down the empty road, a sudden wave of severe dizziness washed over me. The world spun out of control. I collapsed onto the curb, trying desperately to clear my vision, but the darkness encroached rapidly until I completely lost consciousness.