I sighed and said, "Mom, I'm telling the truth. That was just a prop for a shoot, and the stagehand messed up the name."
I showed her the chat logs with the stagehand to prove it. My mom finally believed me, and her worried expression cleared instantly. She huffed, "It's a good thing you're not pregnant. Otherwise, I'd have broken your legs."
Hearing our conversation, my dad chuckled, "Aria, that stagehand really is your lucky star. If it weren't for this mix-up, we might have fallen into their trap and ended up with a real mess."
My mom added, "Exactly. Especially with a child from someone like that. If you keep it, it could really take a toll on your health, and if you don't, we'd be taking a life. It's better to avoid the whole situation if possible."
I had to admit, my parents had a point. If Ryan's true colors hadn't shown, I might have been seriously taken advantage of.
My dad was right about one thing: Ryan had been good to me these past couple of years, at least in terms of emotional support.
Ryan and I were college classmates. We met during our senior year, and he began pursuing me aggressively.