Chapter 4
On her way back to class, Kelly ran into Jude and a few of his friends. Jude was taller than them, and his good looks made him stand out from the rest. They hadn’t noticed her walking a short distance behind them.
“Jude, I heard your little shadow hasn’t talked to you before the semester started.”
“She probably heard you got a girlfriend and had her heart broken.”
“She even spaced out during Professor Butler’s class today. I bet it’s because you and Celeste were sitting right in front of her. she must’ve been so upset.” one of them laughed.
That was when Kelly realized they were talking about her.
She and Jude had always been in the top ten of their grade. She’d genuinely enjoyed studying with him, and she’d sought him out often because she liked him. She had no idea that in his friends’ eyes, she’d been nothing more than a clingy tagalong.
Kelly couldn’t help but feel the sharp sting of irony. If they saw her that way, chances were Jude did too.
But then why hadn’t he ever turned her down? He’d always said yes when she invited him to study with her. They got along well when they worked together. It made her believe she had a chance.
Just then, Jude said, “Don’t bring her up in front of Celeste again. You know she doesn’t like Kelly.”
“Yeah, yeah,” one of his friends responded. “Celeste’s your girlfriend now.”
“I have to say, you’re a lucky guy. You have a gorgeous girlfriend like Celeste and a smart woman like Kelly crushing on you. Why don’t you just date both of them?”
“Shut up.” Jude chuckled. “Kelly’s just a friend.”
“You see her as a friend, but she wants to be your girlfriend.”
“Do you think she still likes Jude? Maybe she’s just keeping it on the down-low, waiting for Jude to break up with Celeste.”
“What if he never does?”
“Then, she’ll just wait for him forever!” His friend laughed.
“What is this, a soap opera?”
“How about we make a bet? How many years do you think Kelly will stay single for Jude?”
“A year? Two years? Five Years?”
“Alright, alright, knock it off,” Jude cut them off. But he didn’t sound all that annoyed. In fact, there was a smirk playing on his lips, like the attention fed his ego—as if a girl staying single for him was a badge of honor.
Their figures gradually faded into the distance, and Kelly unconsciously clenched her fist as she stood frozen in place. Realizing who someone truly was at such a small price wasn’t a bad thing.
The day had already been brutal. First, she’d found out the man she’d slept with was actually her professor. Now, she was hearing her crush mock her behind her back with his friends—confirming that the one-sided love she’d carried for two years had meant nothing.
After class, she asked Melissa to take her books back to the dorm while she went to work at The Sippery.
“You’ve been working part-time every day since you were a freshman, and you skip evening classes… Yet, you still manage to stay in the top ten? Seriously, I admire you,” Melissa said as she watched Kelly pack.
“I don’t have a choice. I need to earn my own living.”
Melissa, having been friends with her for years, knew a bit about her family situation. “Your parents are unbelievable. They completely overlook their incredible daughter but keep trying to help their son, who’s hopeless.”
After saying that, she realized she was insulting Kelly’s family, so she hurriedly added, “I’m sorry, Kelly. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Kelly smiled at her. “It’s fine. I know you meant well. I’m running late, so I have to go!” With that, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out the gate.
The walk to The Sippery was one she’d taken a hundred times over the past year. Every evening, while her classmates were attending evening classes, she was behind a counter taking orders. Her dorm light often stayed on until midnight, long after others had fallen asleep.
Everyone thought she earned her scholarship without breaking a sweat, but only she knew the hardships she had endured to earn it.
When she arrived at The Sippery, she changed into her uniform and took over her coworker’s shift. She might’ve been a part-timer, but after more than a year on the job, she was basically treated like a full-time employee.
It wasn’t a particularly busy night, so after chatting with her coworker, she went to the restroom. As she rose from the toilet, a wave of dizziness hit her. The world spun, and she had to press her hand to the wall to steady herself.
Her heart was racing. And then it hit her. She hadn’t had her period this month.
No way. That was impossible. Kelly was certain that Leon had used a condom that night. If he hadn’t, she never would’ve gone through with it.
Unless… the condom broke? Her heart lurched.
The moment her shift ended, she rushed to a drugstore to buy a pregnancy test. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing her, so she booked a ride to a drugstore that was far from campus.
Kelly held the pregnancy test in her trembling hands, her nerves getting the best of her. As she waited for the result, she crouched in the restroom, her hands clasped tightly as she silently prayed, “Please, don’t let this be true. I promise I won’t do this again. Please, don’t let this happen to me. Dear gods, goddesses, deities, anyone, please help me…”
Kelly silently called upon every higher being she could think of before opening her eyes. When she saw the two red lines on the pregnancy test, she felt like the walls were closing in on her.
This was really happening. She was pregnant. She was absolutely screwed.
