𝙼𝚞𝚖 𝙰𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

05

𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭

One morning, I was in the kitchen with Claudia, who was lazily asking me to make breakfast for her because mom had overslept again. I was only 5 weeks pregnant and still getting used to the idea of it all. As I was flipping her bacon and eggs on the pan, I suddenly heard a knock on the kitchen door. It was strange, as no one ever knocked there except for me and my family.

"Get the door, Audie," I instructed Claudia, trying to focus on cooking while my mind raced with curiosity. When she opened the door, she confidently asked, "And what brings you here?" Claudia always had a way of talking to anyone with ease, and I couldn't help but wonder how she did it.

"Who's that?" I asked Audie after I finished cooking, making my way over to the door where she was eyeing none other than Jake. What the heck was he doing here?

He flashed a smile, but I could tell it was fake. "Bridgette, babe, I want to talk to you," he said. I watched as Claudia sneered at him.

"Don't 'babe' me, Jake," I retorted, placing my hands on my waist as Audie went back inside to eat her food. I was stuck with Jake. "Mind if I come in?" he asked, but I blocked his path. "We can talk here," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Fine," he sighed, clearly annoyed by my refusal to let him in. I could see the frustration in his eyes as he tried to come up with the right words to say. I crossed my arms, waiting for him to speak.

"I know I messed up, Bridgette. I know I hurt you," he began, his voice softening slightly. But come on, like I'm really going to believe him now? A few weeks ago, he made it clear he didn't want anything to do with me unless I aborted the baby. And now he's suddenly coming to apologize? Yeah, right.

"You think a few words are going to fix everything, Jake?" I snapped, feeling the anger bubbling up inside me. "You can't just waltz back into my life whenever you feel like it."

He looked down, his expression filled with regret. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I had to try. I miss you, Bridgette. I miss us."

I felt my resolve weakening as I looked into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability hidden behind his tough exterior. But I couldn't let myself fall for his charms again. Not after everything he had put me through.

"I need time, Jake," I said finally, my voice wavering slightly. "I need time to figure things out, to figure out if I can trust you again."

He nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I'll give you all the time you need, Bridgette. Just know that I'll always be here, waiting for you."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing at the door, torn between the love I still felt for him and the pain he had caused me.

I stormed up to my room, slamming the door behind me. I flopped down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling, torn between forgiving Jake and giving our relationship another shot, or cutting him out of my life for good. But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was just using me, and that made my blood boil. I needed to make a decision, and fast.

"Absolutely not!" Ariana's voice came through loud and clear over the phone as I explained about Jake apologizing to me and me considering giving him a second chance. "He's betrayed you not once, but twice! Don't even think about dating him again. Kick him to the curb," Ariana advised firmly.

"I guess I will, but what if he's sincere? I really liked him," I hesitated.

"Oh, please, Bridgette, you're smarter than this. Jake's a player!" Ariana scolded me.

"Fine, sheesh, you're not my mom," I retorted, but deep down I knew she was just looking out for me.

After my chat with Ariana, a few hours later I heard the doorbell ring. I couldn't be bothered to sprint downstairs because I was still wiped out. Then, I heard my mom calling my name, "Bridgette! Grandma's here!" I froze in my tracks.

Grandma was no joke - she was as strict as they come. She had been tough on my mom growing up, but somehow, my mom turned out to be a wild card. If Grandma found out I was pregnant, I'd be in for a world of hurt. I silently prayed for strength before making my way downstairs.

I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched Grandma envelop Claudia and Ethan in a tight hug. They both looked like they were about to pass out from lack of oxygen. Mom stood by, grinning from ear to ear.

"Um... Hi, Grandma," I finally managed to squeak out.

"Bridgette! Come on, don't just stand there, give me a hug!" Grandma exclaimed, her arms outstretched.

I took a deep breath and reluctantly embraced her. As I sat down across from Grandma, there was a brief moment of silence.

"Isn't there anything new you want to tell Grandma?" Mom prodded, breaking the quiet.

I rolled my eyes at mom's not-so-subtle hint. Like, seriously, could she be any more obvious?

I clammed up, trying to find the perfect words, but Mom jumped in, deciding I was taking too long. "Bridgette is pregnant," she blurted out.

I could see the fire in Grandma's eyes as she exclaimed, "What?! Is this for real?" She turned to me, and my face must have given it all away. I braced myself for the lecture, but instead, Grandma turned on Mom.

"I can't believe you've been so careless that your own daughter ended up pregnant! All those years I spent trying to teach you, and this is what happens!" I couldn't help but feel sorry for Mom.

As I stood there, watching my mom take the heat meant for me, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. "But I didn't tell her to get drunk and sleep with her boyfriend!" my mom shot back, trying to defend herself.

The pity I had for her quickly faded as she tried to drag me back into the argument. "If you're always around and forget that deadbeat husband of yours, you would've advised her!" my grandma yelled back, escalating the tension. What the heck?

Claudia and Ethan had already left by that time, probably tired of being dragged into my drama. In that moment, I felt like my life was completely falling apart.

First, I find out I have a freaking baby, my relationship and reputation are practically in shambles, and now my mom and grandma are at each other's throats? I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Stupid baby!" I thought angrily. "Can't you just stop causing all this drama?!" I yelled, my voice cracking as hot tears streamed down my cheeks. "Why do you even care? It's my fault! I let a jerk into my life! Why are you all making such a big deal out of it?"

With that, I stormed off to my room, not caring if they tried to stop me.

I was so over trying to adjust to this messed-up life. Like, seriously, why did I have to end up pregnant by Jake of all people? I wish I never crossed paths with him in the first place.

├┬┴┬┴ αυтнσяѕ ησтє┬┴┬┴┤

Hey, everyone! Hope you're all loving this chapter as much as I do! What do you reckon is gonna go down in the next few chapters? How do you think Bridgette's gonna handle everything? Don't forget to show some love by hitting that little star down there and drop your thoughts in the comments. Sending love to all of you, and have an awesome day!