"I need an abortion," I whispered the second he picked up.
Silence. Then, his cold voice.
"That’s not an option, Mia."
Tears burned in my eyes. "Dad, I can’t—"
"You have to. Britney still has amnesia. The marriage needs to hold. And this child will make it stronger."
The line went dead.
I stood there, the weight of my fate crushing me.
I had lied my way into this marriage.
Now, I was trapped by it.
The weight of the doctor’s words clung to me like a suffocating fog.
Pregnant.
With Duke Trayson’s child.
My stomach twisted violently as I stumbled out of the clinic, my legs unsteady beneath me. The cold evening air did little to cool the heat rising in my chest, my fingers trembling as I reached for my phone. The moment my father answered, my voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
"I need an abortion."
Silence.
A long, suffocating silence that made my throat tighten.
Then, my father spoke, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.
"That’s not an option, Mia."
I gripped the phone tighter. "Dad, I can’t—"
"You will," he interrupted, his tone final. "Britney still has amnesia. The marriage needs to hold. And this child will make it stronger."
The line went dead.
I stood there, my entire body numb.