“Melody, what happened?” she asked, pulling me inside.
“It’s Eric. He’s… he’s not who I thought he was,” I stammered, collapsing onto her couch.
I poured out the whole story, from Maria’s warning to the envelope under the mattress. Andrea’s eyes widened with every word.
“I knew he was too good to be true,” she muttered. “But this… this is insane, Melody. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I left him, but I don’t know what to do next. I think I need to talk to a lawyer,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Andrea nodded. “Absolutely. You need to protect yourself. We’ll find you a good lawyer. You can stay here as long as you need.”
For the next few days, I stayed with Andrea and got in touch with a lawyer. We discussed my options, from seeking a restraining order to exposing Eric’s manipulative behavior publicly.
It was overwhelming, but I knew I had to do something to stop him from hurting anyone else.
And then came the biggest shock of all.
I had been feeling off for a while, chalking it up to stress. But when I finally took a pregnancy test, my world tilted on its axis. It was positive. I was pregnant with Eric’s child.
Panic set in. How could I raise a child on my own? The thought of going back to Eric made my skin crawl, but how could I give my child the life they deserved without his support?
I ran to Andrea’s room, clutching the test in my hand, tears streaming down my face. “Andrea, I’m pregnant.”
Andrea’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh, Melody…”
“I don’t know what to do. I can’t raise this child alone. I have to go back to Eric, but I can’t!”
Andrea hugged me tightly. “You can’t go back to him, Melody. He’s dangerous. We don’t know what he’s capable of. You and your baby deserve better.”
“But how? How can I do this without him?” I sobbed.
“You have me. We’ll figure it out together. I’ll help you with the baby. You don’t need him to give your child a good life,” she said firmly.
I nodded, tears still streaming down my face. “You’re right. It’s too risky to tell Eric about the pregnancy. But accepting your help… I just feel so uncertain.”
Andrea squeezed my hand. “You’re not alone, Melody. We’ll get through this. One step at a time.”
So here I am, pouring my heart out to you all. What do you think I should do? Should I risk telling Eric about the baby, hoping he might change?
Or should I stay with Andrea, trying to build a life without him? I’m torn, and I could really use some advice.
Share
ADVERTISEMENT
