Anne can’t wait to find out if her baby is a boy or a girl. Surrounded by close friends and family, she pops the balloon her husband offers her, only to find a deeply disturbing message hidden inside.
John grinned as he held out a black balloon and playfully bumped it against his wife Anne’s baby bump. The words ‘boy or girl?’ were printed on the side of the balloon in white. Anne grinned back as she stared into his eyes. She could barely contain her excitement as she raised the pin to burst the balloon.
All of the young couple’s close friends and family were gathered on the deck of John’s parents’ home to celebrate the baby’s gender reveal. The sun shone brightly on the estate’s verdant lawn and well-manicured garden. Bunches of pink and blue balloons decorated the deck, and paper lanterns dangled from the beams.
When Anne burst the black balloon, a spray of white confetti added to the festive decorations. The guests clapped and cheered, but a frown wrinkled Anne’s brow as she spotted a larger slip of paper among the confetti. She placed one hand against her belly and bent over to pick it up.
Anne stared at the three words written on the slip of paper. They didn’t make any sense. It was definitely John’s handwriting—she recognized the way he curled the top branch of his ‘f’ and the flattened shape of his ‘r’—but none of that explained why he’d write such a thing.
“‘I am infertile,'” Anne read the words out loud and stared at her husband. “What is this, some kind of sick joke?”
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Hushed exclamations of surprise passed among the guests. All eyes were on John as his expression darkened to a fierce glare.
“I did a test and found out that I can’t have kids.” John pulled a paper from his pocket and held it out to Anne. “So your little brat is not mine!”
Anne stared in shock at John’s sperm count results. The paper shook in her fingers as her mind struggled to make sense of the shocking turn her gender reveal party had taken. This couldn’t be happening; Anne refused to accept it!
“The party is over!” John declared as he stormed inside through the sliding door. “All of you can leave now.”
“John!” Anne called after her husband. “What’s happening? Is this a prank or something?”
Anne started forward to follow John. A storm of confusion clouded her thoughts, but in her heart, she was confident that if she and John sat down together and spoke, all this madness would go away. She just needed to get him alone for a few minutes.
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“No, it’s not a prank.” Anne’s best friend, Julie, came up beside Anne and put a hand on her arm, preventing her from following her husband. “John’s parents are furious. Anne, what did you do? I’m your best friend. You must know that you can tell me anything; I won’t judge you.”
Anne stared at Julie in shock. She wanted to set her friend straight, but nothing came out when she tried to speak. Anne glanced around at the guests in search of… something, a sign that somebody there was on her side or could at least explain why this was happening to her.
But the few guests that weren’t standing around looking as baffled as Anne felt were leaving. Many shot her a look of disgust as they strode toward the sliding door. Anne spotted John’s parents slipping inside among the guests and rushed toward them.
“Mr. Campbell, where are the people going?” Anne stepped in front of her in-laws. “Please, you have to stop them! Tell them to stay.”
“Why?” Mr. Campbell looked at her incredulously. “Give me one reason why I should prevent these people from leaving. Do you want to make fun of us now? Haven’t you hurt us enough by bringing such complete and utter disgrace to our family?”
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“But I haven’t done anything wrong! I-I don’t understand how this is possible,” she waved the page containing the fertility results, “but I swear, this baby is John’s child. Why would I lie about that?”
Mrs. Campbell peered over her older husband’s shoulder with a fierce glint in her eye. “My guess is that the man, or men, you were having an affair with abandoned you when he found out you were pregnant. You were afraid that we’d kick you out of our home if we found out the child wasn’t John’s, leaving you broke and destitute.”
“And you were right,” Mr. Campbell said. “We can tolerate a lot of things in our family, but not cruelty. And it is certainly cruel to cover up your affair by passing off another man’s child as our grandchild. I’ll ask Clarissa to pack up your things.”
“But I haven’t—” Anne started to speak, but Mr. Campbell cut her off.
“That’s all,” Mr Campbell said curtly.
Anne’s heart broke as she watched her in-laws turn their backs on her and walk away. She and John had moved into his family home after they got married several months earlier. Since then, she’d come to see her in-laws as true family. Their rejection and lack of faith in her cut Anne to the quick.
“Annie, come with me.” Julie put her arms around Anne’s shoulders and led her away.
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Julie led Anne to the closest bathroom. Anne broke down as the weight of what had just happened hit her. Tears ran freely down her face as she struggled to understand it all. John was the love of her life! There was no possibility that this child was not his. The fertility results had to be wrong.
Once her emotions were spent, Anne splashed cool water on her face and leaned back against the sleek counter beside the basin. She needed to find a way to prove John was the father of her baby.
“What are you going to do now?” Julie asked, interrupting Anne’s troubled thoughts. “Will you go to see the real father?”
“Real father?” Anne stared at her friend in disbelief. “John is the father of my baby! My God, Julie, how could you think I’m lying about this? I’m married to John, and I would never be unfaithful to him.”
Julie frowned, but before she could reply, there was a knock at the door. Clarissa, the maid, peeped inside and held out a glass of water. Julie quickly collected it, thanked her with a smile, and shut the door.
“Here.” Julie handed the glass to Anne.
Anne stared down into the glass. She didn’t much feel like drinking anything, but it was nice and cool against her palm. She raised it to her lips just as Julie started speaking.
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“Annie, you and I have been friends since high school. You can tell me if you fell in love with somebody else…I won’t judge you.”
“I’m telling you the truth!” Anne cried. “Julie, I’ve never been with anyone other than John. You know this! These test results…”
Anne looked at the paper, still clutched in her hand, and shook her head. “Maybe the doctor made a mistake or mixed up the results with another patient,” she continued, “or something else happened to give a false result. I don’t know how they messed up but they did!”
Julie turned away with a frown. Anne reached out to her and stared into her eyes.
“Julie, please, you’re the last person I have left. You have to believe me. John is the father of my baby. I’ve never been intimate with another man so it’s impossible—”
“Annie, stop. I believe you, but John’s family never will.” Julie inhaled deeply and stepped closer. She glanced down at Annie’s baby bump. “Maybe it’s not too late to…you know…get rid of the baby.”
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“What did you say?” Anne stared at Julie as she placed her hands protectively over her belly. “This is my baby…”
“Yeah, I understand that, but you were kicked out of the house, Annie. What choice do you have? Raising a baby on the street without a dime—”
“Will still be better than living the rest of my life with the shame and guilt of what I did.” Anne leaned forward to stare at Julie. “I’m nearly six months pregnant, Julie… six months! It’s far too late to consider that option, even if I wanted to. And I don’t!”
Julie raised her hands. “Okay, I shouldn’t have suggested it, but you still can’t raise this baby on the streets! Maybe adoption—”
“No! I’m keeping the baby, Julie.”
Anne crossly wiped away the tears flowing down her face as she stormed out of the bathroom. Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life, but instead, it had turned into a nightmare.
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Confusion and a deep sense of betrayal swirled through Julie’s heart as she watched her best friend walk away. This wasn’t how today’s gender reveal party was meant to play out at all!
Slowly, Julie’s mixed-up feelings turned to anger. She strode from the bathroom, determined to find answers. She found the one person who could give them to her standing on the deck.
Julie shoved John to one side of the deck, into a corner where they wouldn’t be seen.
“Wow, so much passion!” John exclaimed as he grinned at Julie. He glanced into the house, then grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close. “Careful, my little firecracker. Somebody could see us.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Julie snapped. She stepped back to create some distance between them.
“Why?” John smirked at her. “Anne is finally out of the way so we’re free to be together.”
“But you told me the baby wasn’t yours!” Julie clenched her jaw. “You lied to me, John.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: YouTube/DramatizeMe
“Mine, not mine, what difference does it make?” John gave her a saucy smile as he pulled her in close again.
“A huge one!” Julie shoved her hands against John’s shoulders. “I spoke to her and she swears that you’re the only man she’s been with.”
“Oh, come on! And you believed her?” John, who had maintained his smile all this time, now looked away and laughed. “I could just as easily swear that she’s the only one I’ve been with but both of us know that’s not true.”
John leaned in close as he tightened his grasp on Julie’s hips. She thought for a moment he might be daring enough to kiss her right there, so she pushed against him. Julie couldn’t believe he was taking this all so lightly, even laughing about it.
“You can’t do this, Johnny. Anne will be kicked out onto the street with your kid!” Julie hissed.
For illustration purposes only | Source: YouTube/DramatizeMe
“Oh, come on!” John rolled his eyes. “You’re such a bleeding heart, Julie. I don’t care about that kid. It’s not the first, nor will it be the last.”
Julie felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over her head. “What do you mean, it’s not the first?”
“No, nothing,” John licked his lips and looked away, “I just meant, uh… it’s a figure of speech, you know? Uh…” he chuckled guiltily, “I mean, I had a lot of fun in college, so, hey, who knows? Maybe I do have other kids out there.”
Julie stared in horror at John as he finished that shocking statement with laughter. He’d never been the sort of person who took life too seriously—that was what had drawn her to him in the first place. Sure, he could be passionate, but she’d always admired the way he went with the flow.
Now, she was starting to wonder if she’d been wrong about John. Maybe that easygoing approach to life was really just a severe lack of empathy and caring. Considering everything she’d risked thus far to be with him, she couldn’t take the chance that their relationship would turn out to be a colossal mistake.
Julie gathered her courage and stared up at John as she asked him a life-changing question.
For illustration purposes only | Source: YouTube/DramatizeMe
“That’s not… is that really how you feel about your children?” Julie asked. “Is it that easy for you to throw away your own flesh and blood?”
John grabbed Julie’s arms and held her tightly as he hissed: “Look, if Anne has my son, then she’ll be entitled to demand at least half of my money in the divorce. Then, there’ll be child support payments, alimony… do you want you and me to start our lives together flat broke?”
“I don’t care,” Julie replied. “All that matters is that we’ll be together. We can always make more money, John.”
“I don’t think so,” John sneered at her like she was an idiot. “Let’s be honest. Without a penny to our name, our love won’t last very long.”
It felt like everything Julie had thought she knew about John and her relationship with him, the love they’d shared, had just come crashing down around her. Yet, amidst the heartbreak, she found a startling sense of clarity, like she was seeing things clearly, at last.
“So,” Julie said carefully, “between the three of us—me, Annie, and money—you love the money most?”
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“I’m just being honest with myself and you.” John rubbed the back of his head.
“Is putting your pregnant wife out on the street honest, too?” Julie asked.
John snapped. He grabbed Julie’s arms, spun her around, and shoved her up against the wall.
“It’s a little too late for you to grow a conscience,” he snarled. “You knew the whole plan, Julie! You knew about the balloon, the fake fertility report, you knew everything and you didn’t say a word.”
Julie pressed herself back against the wall as John aggressively got more and more in her face. He was scaring her… which was likely his intention. Julie put on a brave face and resolved to ride this thing out. His anger would blow over sooner or later, and it wasn’t like he’d ever actually hurt her.
“You’re right, but that’s because I honestly thought the baby wasn’t yours. You told me she was cheating on you, that you hadn’t touched her in weeks. You liar!”
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A few months earlier
Julie stepped out onto the Campbells’ deck and hugged herself. The cool night air did little to erase the embarrassed blush warming her cheeks.
“That was so stupid,” she whispered. “What possessed me to tell my best friend’s husband that I find him attractive?”
“Well, sometimes we bottle up our feelings for so long that the pressure of keeping them contained gets too much,” John replied from behind her.
Julie whirled around and waved him off. “Please, John, don’t. I shouldn’t have said what I said… I shouldn’t have come here at all, drunk as I am, and I definitely shouldn’t have stayed when you told me Annie wasn’t here. I’m just going to get some fresh air, then I’m leaving.”
“Please, don’t.” John moved closer, and a sad look covered his face. “I-I don’t want to be alone. Not when I know…”
John sighed and sank down onto one of the deck chairs. Julie frowned as he hid his face in his hands.
“Are you…crying?” Julie stumbled toward John and put a hand on his shoulder. “What is going on, John?”
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“Anne. She’s, uh…Anne’s cheating on me.” John sniffed. He looked up at Julie with tears in his eyes. “She told me she was going out to meet with some women she’d made friends with in her ‘young mommies’ group, but I saw the message on her phone before she left…some guy saying he can’t wait to be with her again.”
Julie stared at John in horror as his words sank in. “But that’s insane! Anne would never cheat on you, she—”
“I saw it with my own eyes!” John leaped to his feet so suddenly that Julie, who was more than a little inebriated, lost her balance.
John lunged forward and caught Julie before she fell. She hated the warm flush of emotion and desire that tingled through her body as she looked up into John’s beautiful blue eyes.
“I really should go,” Julie whispered.
John shook his head and tightened his grip on her. “Don’t. I can’t bear to be alone right now, Julie.”
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“But I can’t bear to be near you!” Julie placed her palm against John’s cheek.
“Don’t fight your feelings, Julie, and I won’t fight mine either.” John turned his head to press a gentle kiss on her wrist. “I’m clearly nothing more than a meal ticket to Anne, but this…if what I’m feeling now isn’t love, then I don’t know what is.”
Julie’s heart soared, and her resistance crumbled. Slowly, she leaned into John’s embrace and rose onto her tiptoes to kiss him.
Every nerve in her body felt like a firework as he passionately returned her kiss. This moment was everything she’d never dared to hope for, but there was no denying it was real when she could feel his heart beating as wildly as hers was.
John lifted her in his arms and carried her inside. The way he whispered in Julie’s ear that he loved her when he laid her down on his bed would replay in her mind for weeks to come.
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The present…
John’s rage glittered in his eyes like hot coals. He raised his hand as though he planned to throttle her, and Julie shut her eyes. She’d never seen John act this way before. All her previous confidence that he wouldn’t hurt her vanished in a flash.
“The truth doesn’t matter anymore! You made your decision and right now, you’re on the bad guy’s side,” John spat out. “You can’t change that.”
Clarissa walked out onto the deck, interrupting John at the perfect time. Although the maid did nothing more than glance in their direction before she started vacuuming the confetti, Julie felt like she’d just been saved.
John stomped back inside. Julie shared a glance with Clarissa but then quickly looked away. She felt humiliated at what had just happened and couldn’t believe John had treated her that way.
Tears stung Julie’s eyes as wave after wave of leftover fear and shock crashed over her. Her breath came quick and sharp, not giving her nearly enough air.
She’d trusted John when he confided in her that Anne had been cheating on him and the baby wasn’t his. She’d even helped him set up this sham of a gender reveal party. Julie had done all those things because she loved John, and she’d been sure he shared those feelings. Now, she realized she was nothing more than a plaything to him.
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“You did the right thing, son.”
Mrs. Campbell’s voice carried down the hallway as Anne approached the sitting room. Julie was just a few steps behind her, and Clarissa brought up the rear. The maid had insisted on wheeling her luggage out. Although she didn’t say anything, Anne was certain she caught a hint of regret in Clarissa’s eyes when she looked at her.
“Cruelty has no place in our family,” Mr. Campbell added. “After all, cruelty is one of the only things in this world born out of a choice to hurt other people.”
Anne entered the room, and immediately, her gaze found John. A thousand times in a thousand different rooms, she always locked onto John. This time was different, however, since it might prove to be the last time she saw him.
John’s jaw tightened. He glared at her as he lowered his drink. Immediately, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell turned to face her.
“John, I don’t know what’s gotten into you,” Anne said to her husband, “but you still have a chance to make things right. It’s not too late.”
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“Get out of here, you fraud!” John snapped. He leaped from his seat and went to stand in the doorway.
Anne glanced away. She’d hoped John might have a change of heart… deep down, he must know she’d never been unfaithful, no matter what the results said. But it seemed he wasn’t willing to give her a chance to prove herself to him.
Anne turned to her in-laws. “Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Campbell, I’m very sorry about everything that’s happened today. I know you don’t believe this child is John’s, but… I’m not mad at you, and I hope you’re not mad at me either.”
Anne started to turn away. She’d said what she wanted to say, and, at this point, that was all she could do. She honestly thought they’d built a strong relationship during the time she lived there, but perhaps she was wrong.
It wasn’t that she blamed them for siding with their son, but she didn’t understand how they could turn on her so quickly. They’d accepted those test results without question or doubt. It was like they didn’t know her at all.
“Wait,” Mrs. Campbell called out. “My husband has something to say to you, Anne.”
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“That’s right, I just need a moment, please, Anne.” Mr. Campbell rose from the sofa and circled around to stand before Anne. “You’ve been very close to us over the past few months. We thought of you as part of our family until today. That’s not something my wife and I can easily let go of.”
Hope bloomed anew in Anne’s heart as she looked into Mr. Campbell’s eyes. Maybe she’d been too quick to judge them; after all, it was hard to think clearly in stressful, emotional situations.
“As a gesture of our goodwill, we will pay for the full procedure if you decide to get rid of the baby,” Mr. Campbell said.
The hope in Anne’s heart transformed to biting fury in the time it took for her to draw breath to reply.
“You’re right, Mr. Campbell; we did get close over the past few months, close enough for me to know that you wouldn’t make an offer like that if you didn’t believe this was your son’s baby.”
Anne stepped back, opening enough space for her to stare down Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Campbell, and John at the same time.
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“What is wrong with you people?” Anne asked. “I’m in my second trimester… even if I had any inclination to get rid of this precious child, no doctor would perform that procedure at this stage unless there were serious health risks.” Anne shook her head.
“So, no, thank you, I will not be taking a trip to whatever unethical doctor you think will perform a late-stage termination,” she continued. “I won’t be giving the child up for adoption either. The child is not to blame for any of this, and I won’t be getting rid of it. Goodbye.”
“Stop, Annie! Please. I have something to say,” Julie called out.
Everyone in the room turned to stare at Julie. She stepped back and wrung her hands together as she gazed around the room. It seemed like she was anxious about what she had to say now that she had everyone’s attention.
“This isn’t right.” Julie stared across the room at John. “John is lying. He’s not infertile.”
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John glared daggers at Julie as he lowered his glass. “What nonsense! She’s just trying to protect her frivolous friend. What the hell does she know about my test results or Anne’s baby?”
Julie steeled herself. “I may not know everything about Anne’s baby, but I do know about mine. I’m pregnant with your child, John.”
John’s eyes widened in shock, but only for a moment. Soon, his surprise gave way to a fierce anger. Julie had him cornered now, and with so many people in the room, he surely wouldn’t dare to lash out and hurt her.
“What?” Mr. Campbell turned to stare at his son. “Is this true, John? Did you have an affair with your wife’s best friend?”
“No…no!” John stared wildly around the room. “I don’t know what she’s talking about. What baby?”
“This can’t be true!” Mrs. Campbell smiled as though the revelation that Julie had just dropped on her would vanish if she denied it passionately enough.
Clarissa cleared her throat. “I’m afraid it is true, ma’am. I’ve seen them together quite often. On more than one occasion, it was clear they thought they were alone and nobody would see what they were up to.”
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“I wanted to tell you about the baby in private earlier today,” Julie told John. “But after the things you said to me, your complete lack of feeling towards your children made me realize I’d rather raise a baby alone than expose my child to a creep like you.”
Julie took a deep breath as she turned to face Anne. This was going to be the most challenging part of all.
“Annie, I let you down in the worst way possible. Even worse than that; I helped John set you up. The sperm count results are fake, and—”
“You shut your dirty mouth!” John threw his glass to the floor, where it shattered into thousands of sharp slivers. He lunged forward and reached for Julie with murder in his eyes.
“Son!” Mr. Campbell intercepted John and threw his arm out to block him. “You need to let her talk.”
Julie let out a sigh of relief as she watched John retreat. He was still glaring balefully at her, but at least she now knew his father wouldn’t allow John to hurt her.
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“I’m so sorry, Annie,” Julie continued. “John assured me that you were cheating on him. He convinced me that your baby wasn’t the result of that affair and not his child. I should have had faith in you, my friend, but he convinced me that he was telling the truth.”
“I knew you’d be weak!” John let out a laugh that looked more like a snarl and surveyed the room like a cornered animal. “But now, now you’ll be left with nothing. Nothing! Do you understand?”
“I don’t care!” Julie yelled. “At least I won’t spend the rest of my life living in regret for ruining the lives of my best friend and her baby!” Julie turned to Mr. Campbell. “Please, don’t kick Anne out of your home. She’s carrying your grandchild.”
“Just wait a minute.” Mrs. Campbell stood and went to stand at John’s side. “What are they talking about, John? Did you honestly intend to put your own child out on the street?”
“The kid means nothing to me!” He snapped at his mom. “I’ll just have another one, but I can’t stand to be with Anne any longer! I’m sick of her. I wanted to get rid of her months ago, but then the fool got pregnant.”
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John turned to his father. “Dad, please help me. Pay this foolish woman for her silence and tell her to get lost.”
Julie glanced at Anne before fixing her gaze on Mr. Campbell. He’d always struck her as a stern but kindhearted man, someone who did the right thing no matter what. But now, as she watched his facial muscles tick with unspoken emotion, she wondered if she’d misjudged him.
Mr. Campbell shared a long look with his wife. Eventually, he turned back to John.
“My son, you should remember our household’s golden rule, but let me remind you: our family can tolerate a lot of things, but not cruelty.” His face settled into a fierce frown. “You will have to leave.”
“What?” John stared at Mr. Campbell in shock. “You can’t mean that…”
“You are a disgrace, John.” Mr. Campbell pointed to the front door. “You have to leave.”
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“Get out, now,” Mr. Campbell said.
“What are you talking about? You can’t kick me out, I’m your son!” John said.
“I don’t have a son anymore.” Mr. Campbell’s expression darkened.
“You can’t do this…” John turned to Mrs. Campbell. “Mom, you won’t let him kick me out, right? Please, help me. Tell him it’s not right, it’s not…”
John’s words trailed off as his mother turned away from him, tears filling her eyes.
“What am I going to do!?” John snapped. “How do you expect me to survive on the streets with nothing?”
“You’re an adult man, John, and I’m sure you’ll find it easier to get by than your unborn child and their mother would’ve,” Mr. Campbell said, “now get out of this house before I have you thrown out.”
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“You’re sick!” Jon snapped. He whirled around to glare with hatred at everyone gathered in the sitting room. “Every last one of you is sick; you have issues…” he backed away toward the door. “And don’t think for a minute I’m going to leave it at this.”
John pointed at his parents. “I’ll be back to make you regret this. Mark my words, by the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be begging for my forgiveness.”
A shiver of fear traveled down Julie’s spine as John stormed out of the house. Nobody else in the room seemed to be taking John’s words as anything more than an angry bluster, but she’d seen the darkness in his heart when he pinned her up against the wall earlier.
Mr. Campbell turned to Anne with a pained expression on his face. “Anne, please forgive me,” he said. “I’m very sorry that we didn’t believe you. I know it’s a lot to ask after everything that’s happened, but would you please stay?”
Anne’s gaze flickered from Mr. Campbell to Mrs. Campbell. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She didn’t really need to say what she was feeling, though, since Julie could clearly see the mixture of hope and wariness in her friend’s eyes.
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“You’re a part of our family,” Mr. Campbell continued. He glanced down at Anne’s belly. “You both are.”
Anne let out a sob. “I’m glad the baby can grow up with their Grandma and Grandpa.”
Both Anne and Mrs. Campbell chuckled in relief. Mrs. Campbell drew closer, a bright smile on her face, and the three of them put their arms around each other in a group hug.
“Listen,” Mrs. Campbell said as the hug broke up, “Johnny is our son, but we never thought he could do something this despicable. I’m very sorry, Anne.”
“Nobody knows who is hiding behind the mask,” Anne replied. “I loved him… I thought I knew him heart and soul when we got married, but it turns out that he fooled me too.”
Warmth spread through Julie’s chest as she watched Annie and her in-laws reconcile. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’d done the right thing. Now, she could only hope that her choice to reveal John’s deceit might earn her a chance at forgiveness.
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“Annie, I hope you don’t hate me for what I did. It’s the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life, and I wish I could tell you how deeply I regret betraying our friendship,” Julie said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now, but I accept that I deserve whatever troubles might come my way next.”
“No.” Anne shook her head and turned to face Julie. “You made a mistake, and you’ve hurt me deeply, but you realized in time that you did something wrong and then acted to make things right again. That was brave of you, and it means a lot to me.”
Before Julie could thank her, Anne turned away to face her in-laws. “Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Campbell, Julie is also carrying your grandchild,” Anne said. “You’ll help her, won’t you?”
Mr. and Mrs. Cambell exchanged a stern glance. Anne’s kind response was already far more generous than Julie could’ve hoped for, but now she found herself wondering if she was about to find herself on the sidewalk with John.
Mr. Campbell smiled at Julie. “You did indeed do a brave thing today, young lady. We may have lost a son today, but we have gained two grandchildren.”
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Julie was swept up into another group hug and found herself overwhelmed by emotion. Joy, relief, and love all swept through her, but most powerful of all was the gratitude she felt for her friend, Anne, and for Mr. and Mrs. Campbell’s forgiveness.
“Thank you,” Julie murmured as her eyes filled with tears, “thank you all so much!”
The little group smiled at each other.
“I almost forgot,” Julie exclaimed as she turned to Anne. “John let it slip to me earlier today that your baby is a boy. You’re going to have a son!”
“A boy!” Mrs. Campbell exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with joy. “We have to celebrate!” She turned to Mr. Campbell. “We still have an entire cake leftover from the party, all the decorations are still up, and we have a mountain of champagne.” She winked at Anne and Julie. “And at least three bottles are non-alcoholic.”
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Three months later
A slender male figure dressed in dark clothes slipped over the tall wall surrounding the Campbells’ modern-style home. He was visible only a moment in the glow of the security lights positioned atop the wall, but there was nobody awake to see him.
He crept around the house like a shadow until he reached the pantry window. Just as he’d predicted, it was open. The man quietly moved one of the trash cans beneath the window and then stood on top of it. He easily slipped inside.
There wasn’t a sound in the house except for the almost inaudible sound of the man creeping across the dense carpet in the sitting room. The bedroom door hinges didn’t creak at all when he slowly pushed the door open.
Anne lay asleep in the bed they’d once shared, her belly now a mountain beneath the covers. John’s lips curled into a fierce smirk. He’d have his revenge on her, too, but idiotic little Anne was not his priority.
The next room had been turned into a nursery. The sight of the two cribs set up side by side and all the cutesy little toys made him want to hurl. This room was a reminder that his parents had betrayed him for two stupid brats. He couldn’t wait to make them regret that.
For illustration purposes only | Source: YouTube/DramatizeMe
Johnny hit paydirt in the next bedroom. As he peeped around the door, he spotted Julie lying asleep in the bed. Her belly had grown, too, but she wasn’t as massive as Anne yet.
John stepped back from Julie’s bedroom door and looked down the hall to the master bedroom, where his parents slept. Everything was going exactly according to plan. He eased his backpack off his shoulders and removed a bottle of gasoline and a lighter.
It took only a few minutes for John to wedge Anne and his parents’ bedroom doors shut. The gasoline glug-glugged from the can and splashed onto the floor in front of their doors, where it soaked into the carpet.
He saved Julie’s room for last. The rage he felt towards her for daring to betray him was hotter than the inferno this house would soon become. Anne and his parents would wake up, discover they were trapped in a burning house, and eventually succumb to the smoke, but Julie deserved special treatment.
John quietly emptied the last of the gasoline onto the floor surrounding Julie’s bed, leaving a trail to the door. He smiled as he looked at her and flicked his lighter.
Julie sat up in the bed. John got a very satisfying glimpse of the horrified expression on her face just as he let the lighter fall through his fingers. The gas caught fire with a loud whoosh. John slammed the door shut as Julie screamed his name.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
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