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CHAPTER 5

After a few weeks since the stormy confrontation with Charlie, Nina's life had settled into an uneasy rhythm. The wounds from his betrayal still lingered, but she was determined not to let them consume her. As she navigated her daily routine, a subtle change began to make itself known.

She woke up one morning with a sense of unease, her stomach a swirling mix of anxiety and anticipation. She had noticed a shift in her body over the past few weeks, subtle signs that whispered of a possibility she had never seriously considered. As she went about her morning routine, the thought gnawed at the back of her mind, refusing to be ignored.

With a deep breath, Nina pulled herself together and headed to the bathroom. The small, white box tucked away in the medicine cabinet seemed to beckon to her, its contents holding the potential to confirm or dispel her growing suspicions.

Nina's fingers trembled slightly as she carefully tore open the box and retrieved the pregnancy test strip. She followed the instructions meticulously, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for the results to appear.

As the minutes ticked by, a wave of anxiety washed over her, threatening to engulf her in a sea of uncertainty. The bathroom felt suffocating, and the anticipation was almost unbearable. Nina's mind raced with thoughts of what the test could reveal—the life-altering implications that hung in the balance.

Finally, the timer on her phone went off, signalling the end of the waiting period. With a shaky hand, Nina picked up the test strip, her heart in her throat as she glanced down at the result.

Positive.

"What?!" She screamed. That night spent with Charlie led to this!

Nina sank to the edge of the bathtub, her hands trembling as she processed the enormity of what lay ahead. She had never imagined herself in this position, and yet here she was, faced with a reality that was both overwhelming and strangely surreal. She could never have thought that that one encounter with Charlie would lead to this.

"I must do something about this!" Nina told herself. She thought of who to confide in as she managed to pick up her phone.

With trembling fingers, she dialled Julie's number with tears streaming down her face. Her heart was heavy with pain, betrayal, and confusion. She needed someone to confide in, someone who would listen without judgment. Julie, her closest friend, was the first person she thought of.

As the phone rang, Nina's anxiety grew, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. When Julie's voice finally filled the line, Nina struggled to find the words to express her turmoil. But her voice cracked, and the floodgates of emotions burst open.

"Julie," Nina managed to say, her voice laced with anguish. "Something terrible happened."

"What is it, Nina? Talk to me." Julie replied, sensing pain and discomfort in Nina's voice.

"I just found out that I'm pregnant..."

"Wow! Congratulations darling. That's incredible! But why will you call that terrorist immediately? Ulie frowned at her end, surprised at Nina's comment."

"No... No... You can't understand, Julie. It's Charlie, Ralph's brother. He slept with me, and... and it led to this."

A gasp escaped Julie's lips, the shock evident in her voice. "Nina, what?! Are you serious? Charlie, your boyfriend's twin? You can't be serious!"

Nina's sobs intensified, making it difficult for her to speak. Waves of pain crashed over her, and she struggled to find the strength to explain what had transpired.

"No, it's not what you think, Julie. He came over to my house in the night and tried to impersonate Ralph, demanding that we have sex. I thought it was Ralph; I tried to discourage it since I know the decision the both of us have made about having sex.

Ralph and I had decided to wait to do the real thing on our wedding night, but when he insisted, I couldn't resist it. I thought it was him. I didn't know it was Charlie, and by the time I realized, it was too late."

Julie smirked at her end since Nina couldn't see her. "Really?"

"Yes, Julie. I need you to help me. I don't know what to do right now."

"Alright. Just calm down, Nina. I'll be coming over to your house right away." Julie promised as she ended the call.

Nina nodded, even though Julie couldn't see her through the phone. The support in her friend's voice offered a glimmer of hope in the darkness that consumed her. She desperately needed someone to lean on, someone to guide her through the storm.

"Bastard!" Julie muttered to herself as she began to prepare to leave the house for Nina's place. The news of Nina's pregnancy presented an opportunity—an opportunity to make things worse for Nina. She hated Nina with passion, and she was glad about the news. This was just an opportunity to disgrace Nina and tear apart her relationship with Ralph.

A malevolent grin tugged at the corners of Julie's lips as she began to hatch a plan.

As soon as Julie arrived at Nina's house, she was met with a different Nina. Her usually vibrant and composed friend was crumbling under the weight of her emotions. Tears streamed down Nina's face, her body trembling with grief and heartbreak.

Julie rushed to her side, enveloping Nina in a tight embrace. "Nina, I'm here for you. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together," Julie whispered, her voice filled with empathy.

Nina's sobs grew louder, her words muffled by her tears. "Julie, I don't know what to do. I can't believe this is happening to me, just in less than two weeks to I and Ralph's wedding."

Julie's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't even taken note that Nina and Ralph's wedding was just in less than two weeks! She knew she needed to act as a real friend now, despite what she had in mind. She held Nina even tighter, offering a comforting presence amid the storm. "Oh, Nina, I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this pain. But we'll find a way through it. We always do."

Nina's voice quivered as she managed to speak through her tears. "What... what should I do, Julie? I can't bear the thought of losing Ralph. If he finds out, that'll mark the end of our relationship. The fact that I slept with his twin brother is a bitter pill to swallow. He'll never trust me again! More so, everyone who hears about it will think I'm a flirt and that I got pregnant by Charlie willingly."

Julie's brow furrowed as she listened to Nina's concerns. She knew that the situation was delicate and that the consequences of revealing the truth could be severe. She looked Nina in the eyes. "Nina, what if I tell you to keep this pregnancy?"

"Don't you get it, Julie?"

"Be patient with me. I'm driving at something. How old is the pregnancy?" Julie asked.

"It shouldn't be more than three weeks old," Nina replied.

"Good! The pregnancy is still young, and no one knows you're pregnant, just the two of us. Or have you told Charlie about it?" Julie squeezed her face, eager to hear Nina's response.

"No, I haven't..."

"Then, that makes it perfect, girl! You could easily seduce Ralph to have sex with you during this period."

"Forget it, Julie. That can never work! He's so disciplined. I should have known that night that it couldn't be him. Of recent, I've tried for him to have sex with me, but he has resisted me vehemently."

"Well, then, that's no problem. Your wedding is in just less than two weeks. You could simply hide the pregnancy from him and everyone else. When you have sex during your honeymoon, it makes up for it! All you need to do is make sure that he doesn't have the slightest hint that you're pregnant until the first month after your wedding. You just need to be smart when playing your tracks, right?" Julie said, chuckling and smiling.

Nina's tear-streaked face mirrored her disapproval. "But Julie, I don't even want to keep the child of that bastard. I feel the need to abort this pregnancy. Don't you think it'll be unfair to Ralph to father a child who's not his? And more so, I'll leave the rest of my life in guilt, knowing that Ralph is not the biological father of the child."

Julie took a deep breath, pretending to be concerned. "Nina, I understand your worries. But think about the potential consequences of abortion. What if you lose your womb or something? Don't be naive, Nina. This is just the solution to this."

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