The day I found out I was pregnant

The day I found out I was pregnant, my mom posted a picture of her baby bump on social media. [At 49, still spoiled and loved, I’m finally having another child!] In the photo, she was wearing a sexy outfit that showed off her stretch-marked belly, snuggling up to a man as they took a selfie. The guy was gently rubbing her stomach while holding the heart-shaped lunch I had made for him. I liked the post, and just seconds later, Gabriel Hawthorne called me, practically yelling through the phone. “Are you seriously jealous of your own mother? What, are you panicking now? “You’ve been married for ages and still can’t get pregnant, but your mom? How is she pregnant already?” A few minutes later, my mom posted another one. [What should I do? My daughter is jealous because I’m pregnant.] Gabriel commented right away, trying to comfort her. I rolled my eyes and decided I was done. I’d head back to the hospital and schedule surgery to get rid of the baby. ***** I took a deep breath and stepped into the house I’d lived in for four years. The place was buzzing with excitement. Mom was lounging on the sofa, letting Gabriel massage her shoulders. When Gabriel saw me, he immediately started scolding me. “It’s six o’clock! Why haven’t you made dinner yet? Clary is starving!” Clary, of course, was my mom, Clara Lockwood. Noticing my blank expression, Gabriel frowned. “Still not pregnant?” I didn’t say anything and just stuffed the pregnancy test results in my pocket. Gabriel scoffed, “Seriously, how many times have you been to the gynecologist this month? Your mom’s pregnant and you’re still not? “I don’t want to feed a barren hen.” I gripped my canvas bag tighter, ready to speak, but my mom sweetly interrupted, “Gabe, don’t say that about my daughter!” She snuggled into his arms and pouted, looking almost too cute for a woman with so many wrinkles. But Gabriel was eating it up. He leaned down and continued massaging her temples. “Alright, alright, Clary. Don’t be upset. Ariana is lucky to have such a great mom. Too bad she didn’t inherit anything from you.” My mom sighed and shot me a glance. “Maybe it’s her father’s genes. Your genes are definitely better.” Gabriel took this to heart, clearly pleased by the compliment. At 37, Gabriel still hadn’t fathered a child. He worked as a foreman at a construction site, where the men all had kids by their twenties. The workers used to joke that Gabriel must have some kind of problem, whether it was impotence or infertility. Before long, the nickname “One-Minute Man” started circulating at the site. Gabriel was obsessed with proving them wrong and was determined to make me pregnant. He always said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl. You’ve got to be pregnant this year.” Without responding, I just slipped off my shoes and walked past him. “Why the long face? When you’re done changing, remember to wash your hands and make some chicken soup for Clary.” He got up as if my mom was some kind of treasure, treating her like royalty. Mom had been so lively yesterday, but today, she was lying on the couch, acting all fragile and in pain, while Gabriel fussed over her, practically in tears. I decided to stir the pot a bit, dragging my words out. “Mom, who is the father? Could it be some guy on the street?” Mom’s face turned pale, and then she gave me a tearful glare. “You don’t have a heart, do you? Isn’t it a good thing that I’m giving you a little brother at my age? “Plus, you still haven’t gotten pregnant. I’m worried too. Just pretend this child is yours and Gabe’s.” She skirted around it, never once mentioning who the father really was. Gabriel was so moved by her words that he didn’t even wait for me to get up and cook. “You’re not cooking today. Since your mom’s pregnant, we’re going out to eat something nice.” He carefully helped my mom up, even putting on her socks with a smile. Gabriel nudged me aside and gave me a quick once-over, his eyes landing on my stomach. “You stay home and clean up. Don’t come with us to dinner.” Seeing my face fall, Gabriel softened his tone. “After all, she’s your mom. Helping her is the least you can do. “Plus, you’re not pregnant yet. You should be taking care of your mom.” I could feel my blood boiling. “Yeah, you’re so busy ‘taking care of her’. People are going to think you’re sleeping with her.” Gabriel’s eyes went wide, and before I could blink, he slapped me across the face. “Don’t you dare slander me and Clary! I’m doing all this for you. If she was anyone else’s mom, I’d have kicked her out already!” The slap made my head spin, and my heart was racing. My mom, standing off to the side, was barely holding back a laugh, looking totally smug. Before I could say another word, the two of them stormed out, slamming the door behind them. I slumped down on the couch, covering my face. On the table in front of me was my mom’s pregnancy test result. She was already three months pregnant, a full month ahead of me. Gabriel wasn’t infertile at all. In fact, he could even knock up his mother-in-law.

I reached out to Elise Westbrook, the daughter of Darren Westbrook next door. She’d just gotten divorced, so it seemed like the perfect time to ask her about it. Elise walked in without hesitation, immediately glancing around. “Are you making chicken soup? It smells amazing. So, what’s up? Did you call me over for something good?” I gave her a quick look. “Good? It’s about my divorce!” Elise froze for a second, then rushed over to sit next to me, grabbing my hand. “You’re serious about this? “Gabriel seemed like a nice guy, though. He was walking with your mom yesterday, right? It’s rare to find someone that thoughtful. “He’s got some money and doesn’t cheat. All he wants is to have a kid with you! Honestly, even if it’s for your mom, you should really think about it.” I stayed silent. Gabriel had indeed taken good care of my mom, and they had slept together. But that was a family issue, and I wasn’t about to air it out. “Elise, stop asking so much. I’ve made up my mind. This marriage is over!” Elise thought for a moment, then said, “If you go through with the divorce, Gabriel probably won’t agree. Plus, there’s the whole cooling-off period. “If it comes to that, you might have to move out. But how are you going to handle your mom?” I sighed, feeling lost. I didn’t have much education. My dad passed away early, and I started working with my mom right after middle school. No one around us even went to college. Gabriel was introduced to me by my mom’s friends. I didn’t feel much for him as our relationship was arranged. But I never expected he’d get involved with my mom. Before I could think it through, a message popped up on my phone. It was from my mom, with several texts in a row. [Gabe’s been losing weight. Can you make some beef soup tomorrow and take it to him at the construction site?] The photo she sent showed her and Gabriel holding hands. [Why is Gabe’s back so dirty? You didn’t help him wash when he took a shower?] Another photo showed Gabriel’s dirty back. [When I come home tonight, my feet are sore. Don’t forget to rub them. Gabe’s working, you know.] The picture showed Gabriel massaging my mom’s feet, and there was even a bystander in the background holding their nose. I felt my stomach churn and quickly turned off my phone. I could practically smell her feet through the screen. Without getting a reply, my mom sent more messages, desperate for attention. In the past, I would have rushed over to confront Gabriel. But now, I honestly didn’t care anymore. At first, I wanted to have a child because Gabriel provided me with stability. But now that my mom was pregnant, I didn’t need to worry about it anymore. Gabriel just wanted a kid, so I decided to give them what they wanted. Elise noticed me staring at my phone without saying anything. “What did your mom say?” I shook my head. “Nothing important. I think you’re right. I’ll just move out.” Elise’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re really doing this? Don’t let Gabriel think this was my idea! It’s just about getting pregnant. Try harder, and maybe you’ll be pregnant in no time.” She started pacing, her eyes darting around until she saw the pregnancy test report on the table. “You’re pregnant?” She reached for it, but I quickly grabbed it from her. “Are you showing off by calling me over here?” Elise sighed in relief while I crumpled the report in my hands. “It’s nothing. Just leave. It’s none of your business.” Elise stood up and headed for the door. “Wow, you really got me there! I thought you were serious. Alright, I’m out.” I followed her to the door, and just then, I saw Gabriel walking back with my mom in his arms. My mom was pretending to be all shy, hiding her face against his chest. Elise didn’t recognize her at all. “Oh my god!” When she heard Elise, my mom tried to peek out, but by the time she did, Elise had already darted away. My mom didn’t catch a glimpse of her. “Elise’s always in such a rush. I was just about to ask Darren how things are going with him!” A message popped up on my phone. [Ariana, I feel so bad for you. Gabriel is such a jerk. He even brought his mistress home.] [Leave him! You have to get out of there!] I didn’t respond. If Elise knew the truth, she’d probably be shocked for a while.

As soon as I walked in, I saw my mom’s eyes go red, and she pushed Gabriel aside, huddling into the corner of the sofa. “What’s going on, Clary?” Gabriel rushed over, still wearing his shoes, clearly panicked. I froze, my stomach tightening as I peered over. My mom was staring at the pregnancy report I’d crumpled up, quietly sobbing. “Ariana! Are you serious?” Gabriel followed her gaze, saw the crumpled report, and, fuming, dragged me over to the sofa. “You’re really gonna be this petty? You can’t even deal with your own mom? “So what if she’s pregnant?” He yanked me so hard my shoulder screamed in pain. “Yeah, what’s the big deal? It’s just your kid, right?” I sneered and tried to push back, but he threw me onto the sofa with a grunt. I braced myself and grabbed something on the sofa to steady myself. What I pulled out made my stomach churn. It was a pair of loose thongs, stained with yellowish liquid. The smell hit me immediately, disgusting and rancid. “Ugh, no wonder this place stinks.” My mom had been watching quietly, but at that, her face turned crimson, and she lunged to grab the underwear from me. “Don’t say anything else!” Gabriel, seeing her embarrassment, suddenly lost his anger. “Hey! Let me explain!” I glared at him. “Explain what? You and my mom are having sex on the sofa, and you didn’t even use a condom?” For a second, Gabriel sounded guilty, but then he snapped back. “Is this my fault? It’s your fault! If you could have a baby, would I need to be doing this? “Ariana, I don’t owe you anything! If it weren’t for your mom, I would’ve left you a long time ago!” My mom, seeing it was getting out of hand, clung to Gabriel’s arm. “Gabe! We promised not to talk about this!” I felt a wave of nausea. “Sweetheart, is it really necessary to blow this up? I’m doing this for our family. “I’m having your child, and Gabe’s sticking around. Isn’t that enough for you? “Why do you want to ruin everything?” My mom was acting like she was heartbroken, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that her foot was still wrapped around Gabriel’s leg. I sighed, defeated. “Fine. Do whatever you want. Just divorce me. I’m cool with you two being together.” Without missing a beat, they both spoke in unison, “That’s not happening!” Gabriel gently laid my mom back on the couch, then turned to me with a serious face. “If you keep this up, you’re going to ruin my reputation. When Clary has the baby, we’ll just say it’s yours. If I marry a 50-year-old woman, what would people say about me? “You’ve got to trust me. Clary and I both love you!” My mom nodded along, clearly agreeing. I didn’t want to stick around any longer. I walked out, leaving behind Gabriel’s angry shout. “Do you really think you’ll find anyone else out there who’ll treat you like we do?” I slammed the door shut and started walking, only to see Elise peeking her head out from next door. She mimed with her lips. “Had a fight?” I nodded, pressing the button for the elevator. She raised an eyebrow. “Want to crash at my place?” “Nah, too awkward. I’ll see if I can find a site that needs a cook. I’ll figure it out.” I didn’t wait for her reply, heading straight for the elevator. I had a few thousand dollars saved up from selling fast food at the construction site before. I booked a hotel for the night, got some good rest, and the next day, I found a construction site that was hiring. They offered food and lodging, plus four thousand dollars a month. I took the job right away. I didn’t think about home, just focused on cooking at the site and getting through the day. But, of course, it didn’t take long for Gabriel to track me down. He pulled up on his motorbike, frowning when he saw me handing out food. “Really? You’re out here cooking instead of taking care of your mom?” My mom was right behind him, holding a new pregnancy test in her hand. “Honey, I really need you. I’m three and a half months pregnant, and I can’t eat anyone else’s cooking. I want you to make food for me.” I didn’t even look up and just waved the ladle. “Move aside. Don’t disturb them.” The workers, who were hungry from working all morning, crowded Gabriel out of the way. “Ugh! What an ungrateful little brat!” I heard my mom’s voice from far off, cursing under her breath. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. After about an hour, I had a moment to check my phone. There were a couple of messages from my mom and one from the hospital. [Sweetie, have I done something wrong? Why are you ignoring me like this?] [My 50th birthday is coming up. Can we talk?] [Next Wednesday, Gabe will host a party for my birthday at Golden Restaurant. You better show up.] [Love, Mom.] [Ms. Hawthorne, your scheduled abortion is tomorrow at 10 AM. Please arrive on time.] I wiped my hands, took a deep breath, and called my boss. “Hey, can I take a week off? I’ve got something urgent to deal with. Thanks!”   I quickly went through the procedure, stuffed the aftercare instructions the doctor gave me into my bag, and left the hospital. I don’t know why, but I felt no sadness at all. Maybe at one point, I had considered keeping the baby, especially with how hard Gabriel had worked for us. I’m not bad-looking, and Gabriel fell for me the moment he saw me. He fought against everyone’s opinions to be with me, a penniless girl. Over the years, there was no love, but I got used to having a man around to lean on. But now my mom was pregnant with his child, and things had gotten way too complicated. I didn’t know if I should call my mom’s baby my sibling or my husband’s illegitimate child. To make matters worse, my mom’s pregnancy was actually further along than mine. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the kind of gossip I’d have to deal with if I had a baby now. In a small town like ours, rumors spread fast, and I didn’t want to be the subject of everyone’s whispers. Just as I got into a cab, my phone rang. It was Gabriel. His tone was a bit hesitant. “Hey, babe, could you pick up some larger-sized underwear on your way back? The ones Clary has right now don’t fit her well.” I blinked in surprise. “Why don’t you just buy them yourself?” Gabriel coughed, a little awkward. “How could a guy like me go to a lingerie store? Clary’s your mom, after all! Can you just help me out?” I couldn’t tell if they were treating me like a part of their little game, but after all, she was my mom, the one who gave birth to me and raised me. With a sigh, I grabbed a few XXL-sized pieces of underwear, paid, and headed home. As soon as I opened the door, a strange smell hit me. “What’s going on here?” Gabriel, wearing an apron, stepped out of the kitchen, his face smeared with yellow and black stains. “Hey, babe, you’re back! I was just cooking for Clary.” Mom, who was Gabriel’s little darling, had even made him go into the kitchen, something he’d never done before. “Ariana, let me see what you bought me!” Mom twirled over in her trendy pink puffball dress. She dug through the bag, pouted, and said, “Honey, you’re only thirty. How do you have such bad taste? “Who’s going to wear these? Why didn’t you get some with lace? Even men would think these are ugly!” Gabriel quickly agreed, “Clary knows best. You should learn from her.” He casually glanced between me and my mom’s chest. I froze, realizing exactly what was going on. I’d never felt at ease in bed, and there were times when Gabriel lost interest halfway through. But I knew deep down, he wanted me to have his child. He kept messaging me during this time, telling me that the thing he looked forward to most was me having his baby. But I couldn’t bring myself to believe him anymore. Mom’s 50th birthday was coming up, and Gabriel had planned a celebration that was even grander than our wedding. He invited over a hundred people, including my mom’s side of the family. It was supposed to be a birthday party, but it looked more like a wedding. Flowers everywhere, and a giant family portrait of the three of us. But if you looked closely, you’d see I was in the corner, half of my face hidden by Mom’s bun, making it look like a newlywed couple with their servant. The moment I arrived, my grandparents rushed over to me. “Ariana, you married a good man! He’s so good to your mom. You’ve got to have a baby with him soon!” “Yeah, make sure to keep him tied down with a kid.” “When you’re older, your face won’t be worth anything!” I stayed silent because, honestly, Mom had already secured him with a baby. Elise and her father showed up too. She shot me a look of disappointment and mouthed, “Are you two back together?” I shook my head. Gabriel hadn’t invited his parents because I wasn’t pregnant yet and it’d be bad if they noticed anything. But my mom was having the time of her life, thrilled by the lavish event after so many years of struggling. She was collecting gifts and basking in compliments from our relatives. That was when Gabriel came up to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Babe, when you get pregnant, I’ll throw you an even bigger birthday party. How’s that sound?” I rolled my eyes and tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let go. Back and forth, my bag dropped to the floor. A piece of paper slipped out, and a child from the crowd picked it up for me. She handed it to me with a curious look. “What’s this, the aftercare instructions for surgery?” Gabriel’s face went pale. He quickly snatched the paper out of my hand. “Babe, what’s this? Are you pregnant?”

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