"Come on, please, don't..."
In the bathroom, Helen Harper clumsily tore open a box of early pregnancy test strips, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead.
This was her first pregnancy test. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her jittery nerves, and started to recall what the pharmacy clerk had told her about how to use the damn thing.
"Okay, one red line means it's all good, but if you see two lines, well, congratulations, you're pregnant."
With that in mind, she went through the motions.
Throughout the test, she couldn't stop shaking like a leaf. As she waited for the results, she nervously bit her lip, silently praying, "Please, don't let me be pregnant. Please!"
Her eyes were glued to the test stick. At first, it showed no signs of change. Then, a red line made its debut, quickly gaining clarity. Finally, a second red line appeared, matching the depth of the first.
Seeing this, her legs turned to jelly, and the next moment, she slumped to the floor, her face drained of color.
In her mind, she was yelling, "Oh my God! Why is this happening?"
She was just nineteen; how the heck could she be pregnant?
It all started a month ago when she flunked her college entrance exam.
Already in a foul mood, her parents learned she didn't make it to university, so they didn't bother with comforting words. Instead, they ordered her to ditch her studies and pitch in at the family store, helping earn money for her brothers' education.
Of course, she said no, she reluctantly had to give up on her education. Her parents had always favored her brothers, and her protests were falling on deaf ears.
At that time, the sadness was overwhelming, and her best friend casme up with an idea. To drown her sorrows, she came to a bar, for the first time of her life.
She had never imagined that her first visit to a bar would attract the attention of a bad man, but luck was on her side, a kind stranger came to her rescue.
But by then, she was already three sheets to the wind. When she woke up, she found herself stark naked on a bed with the stranger.
Terrified, she hastily got dressed and bolted home. She didn't even know the guy's name.
Just a few days ago, she started feeling nauseous and dizzy.
At first, she blamed it on the sweltering weather, she chugged down several bottles of stomach-soothing liquid, but it was no use.
When her best friend got wind of her discomfort, she teased her, suggesting she might be pregnant.
That's when Helen realized something was off. After doing the math, she discovered her period was late. That's when she discreetly bought the pregnancy test...
And, well, the result was a shocker!
It hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mind was in turmoil, and she had no idea how to deal with this pregnancy.
She had just turned nineteen. If her parents found out about her unmarried pregnancy, they'd flip. Thinking of this, she quickly pulled out her phone to check the time; it was already five in the afternoon.
Her parents ran a burger joint called Harper's Burgers, working long hours. Her brothers were still in school, so the house was empty.
But at this hour, her younger brother had probably finished classes.
To avoid any discoveries, she had to clean up the mess pronto.
In a hurry, she stuffed the testing gear into a black plastic bag. After making sure she hadn't left anything behind in the bathroom, she dashed out and went downstairs to dispose of it.
Just as she reached the front door, it swung open unexpectedly. She jolted, her hands trembling, causing the black plastic bag to hit the ground.
"Whoa...Helen, you scared the life outta me!" Her younger brother, Alex, holding keys and stared at her in disbelief. He was like he never expected her to be at the door.
Ignoring her brother, she snatched up the plastic bag from the ground, instinctively hiding it behind her as she tried to make a quick exit.
But Alex sidestepped, blocking her path, and curiously asked, "Hey, what's in that plastic bag?"
"Nothing!"
"You're bluffing. When the bag fell just now, I totally heard something inside. Let me have a peek!" Alex was persistent.
"I said it's nothing. Move over; I need to get out." She clutched the plastic bag even tighter.
"It's gotta be food. If you don't show me, I'm gonna snatch it!"
