Zuria
I stood frozen, my mind struggling to process Adelaide's words.
"What do you mean?" I forced a dry laugh, though my stomach twisted in dread. "I'm confused."
Adelaide hesitated, her voice softer this time. "You're pregnant, Zuria."
The floor beneath me felt like it was tilting. My knees buckled, and I barely managed to catch myself on the edge of the bed before sinking onto it.
"Ada, don't play games with me right now. I'm really not in the mood."
"I'm not playing games," she said gently. "That's why I've been so quiet lately. I was trying to find the best way to tell you."
My fingers curled into the sheets as my breath came out in shallow gasps.
"How—" My voice cracked. "How did this happen?"
Tears burned the back of my eyes. The thought had never even crossed my mind—not once since I left the Blue Moon Pack. And yet, here it was. The worst news of my life.
Arien had already ruined me. He had taken everything—my dignity, my home, my heart. And now, he had left me with this?
Adelaide sighed. "Zuria… you slept with Arien more than three times. This was bound to happen."
My head jerked up. "Wait… what?"
"You're carrying Arien's babies."
My entire body went still.
"Babies?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"Yes, Zuria. Three babies."
The words crashed into me like a tidal wave, pulling me under. Three. Not one. Not two. Three.
Whatever fragile strength I had been clinging to crumbled.
"No." I shook my head violently, pressing my hands to my stomach as if I could will away the truth. "This can't be happening."
I slid off the bed and onto the floor, my fingers tangling in my hair as a scream tore from my lips.
Why was life so unfair to me?
Hadn't I suffered enough? Hadn't I lost enough?
"Zuria, you need to calm down," Adelaide said. "Crying and screaming won't change anything."
"You can say that because you're not the one suffering!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "You're not the one who has to carry these children alone! Their father abandoned me, and now I have to pay for his mistakes!"
Adelaide didn't respond right away.
Then, softly, she said, "Arien was my mate too, Zuria. But we have to move forward. We have to take care of our babies."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Whose babies?" I spat. "These children aren't mine. I won't accept them."
A cold, empty feeling settled in my chest.
"I'll give them up for adoption when they're born."
Silence.
Then, Adelaide whispered, "Zuria…"
But I wasn't listening anymore. I was too consumed by the storm raging inside me.
Arien. Even when he wasn't here, he was still ruining my life. I hated him. Hated him with everything in me.
I curled up on the floor, letting the tears fall freely. I had no one. No family. No friends. No one to turn to.
I was completely, utterly alone.
And I hated it.
********
When I woke up the next morning, the sunlight filtering through the window made my head pound. My body ached from sleeping on the floor, but I forced myself to my feet.
Then, as the events of last night came rushing back, a fresh wave of nausea rolled over me.
Pregnant. With triplets.
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and checked the time.
Shit.
I was late for work.
I rushed through my morning routine, barely pausing to glance at my reflection. My eyes were swollen, my hair a tangled mess, but I didn't have time to care. I had bigger problems to deal with.
By the time I arrived at the restaurant, Mr. Connor was already barking orders at the staff.
I tried to slip past him unnoticed, but his sharp voice cut through the kitchen.
"Zuria!"
I winced.
"It's your second day, and you're already late," he said, folding his short arms over his protruding belly. His face twisted into something between annoyance and smugness. "And you look like hell."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Connor," I said quickly. "I wasn't feeling well last night, so I overslept."
He studied me for a long moment before sighing. "Fine. But meet me in my office during your break."
A strange feeling crept up my spine.
"Y-Yes, sir."
I hurried past him into the kitchen, eager to avoid further conversation.
I was halfway through my shift when someone approached me.
"Hey."
I turned to see a young man standing beside me. He had tousled brown hair, bright blue eyes, and an easy smile.
"Hi," I replied cautiously.
"I'm Danny," he said, extending a hand. "I saw you yesterday but didn't want to overwhelm you. So… here I am today."
Despite everything, I found myself smiling. "Zuria. But I guess you already know that."
Danny chuckled. "Yeah. Nice to officially meet you."
He seemed genuine. The first person to be genuinely kind to me in this place.
After he walked away, I exhaled. But the relief was short-lived.
Because as my break rolled around, I remembered that I had to go to Mr. Connor's office.
I knocked on his door hesitantly.
"Come in."
I stepped inside, standing stiffly in front of his desk.
"You asked to see me?"
"Yes." He gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit."
I hesitated before lowering myself into the seat.
Mr. Connor leaned back, his beady eyes scanning me.
"I hear you're staying in a motel."
I tensed. "Yes."
He stood, slowly rounding the desk until he was beside me.
"You know, I gave you this job because I felt bad for you."
My body went rigid.
"And I was thinking…" His stubby fingers reached out, brushing along my cheek. I jerked away, but he only smirked.
"If you do things for me, I can help you."
My stomach churned. "What… kind of things?"
He chuckled, his eyes dropping to my chest.
"We could do business," he murmured. "I could… buy what you're selling."
Ice shot through my veins.
"I don't understand," I said, even though I did.
"Oh, come on," he scoffed, his fingers trailing down my arm. "You've got assets. I'd be a very good and loyal customer."
A sickening smile spread across his face.
I shot to my feet.
"I'm not that kind of girl," I snapped, my voice trembling with fury.
Mr. Connor's smile vanished.
"Think carefully, Zuria," he said, voice low and threatening. "You don't have a lot of options. You need a job. You need a place to stay."
My fists clenched.
"I'd rather starve than let you touch me."
His face darkened. "We'll see about that."
I stormed out, my heart hammering.
I had to get out of here. I had to find another way.
Because there was no way in hell I was letting some disgusting man like Mr. Connor take advantage of me.
Never.
Chapter Eight: The Worst News
The words that had just come out of Adelaide's mouth took a while to register. My body stiffened, and I frowned.
"What do you mean? I'm confused." I let out a dry laugh, trying to dismiss the absurdity of her statement.
"You're pregnant, Zuria."
I stumbled. My hands shot out, gripping the edge of my bed as I slowly sat down. My pulse roared in my ears.
"Ada, don't joke about something like this. I'm really not in the mood."
"I'm not joking." Her voice was gentle but firm. "This is why I've been quiet lately. I've been thinking of how to break the news to you."
A cold wave of nausea rolled over me. My limbs felt heavy, my breaths shallow.
"How did this happen?" My voice trembled as tears filled my eyes.
From the moment I had left the Blue Moon Pack, the thought of pregnancy had never once crossed my mind. And yet, here I was. The worst possible news. Arien had not only rejected me and forced me to leave my home—he had now cursed me with this.
"You slept with Arien more than three times, Zuria. It was bound to happen sooner or later. You're carrying Arien's babies."
I froze.
"Babies?" The word barely escaped my lips.
"Yes, Zuria." Adelaide's voice softened. "Three babies."
A shudder ran through me. My already crumbling life had just collapsed into dust.
"How… how did I end up like this?" My voice cracked as I lowered myself to the floor, my back pressing against the hard wooden frame of the bed.
Arien. This was all Arien's fault. If only I had never met him. If only he had never cheated on me. If only I hadn't believed his lies and stupid promises.
I dug my fingers into my hair, gripping it as though I could somehow rip away the despair consuming me. A strangled scream tore from my throat as I grabbed the bag beside me and hurled it across the room.
"Why does life have to be so unfair to me?"
The Moon Goddess had cursed me, and now she was laughing at my suffering.
"Zuria, you have to calm down. Crying and screaming won't change anything."
I lifted my head, my bloodshot eyes narrowing.
"Easy for you to say!" My voice rose, shaking with fury. "You're not the one who has to suffer through this! You're not the one who has to carry three babies whose father abandoned her!"
Silence.
Then, Adelaide sighed. "I understand, Zuria. Arien was my mate too, remember? But we have to move forward. Our babies will need us. We need to focus on them."
"Whose babies?" My lips curled in disgust. "These are not my babies. I refuse to accept them. I will give them up for adoption as soon as they are born."
Adelaide flinched but said nothing.
Arien had ruined my life. And now, even after leaving him, I would have to live with his mark forever? No. I refused.
Tears blurred my vision. I curled into myself, my body trembling as silent sobs wracked through me. If my parents were still alive, maybe I would have had someone to turn to. Someone who could tell me what to do. But they were gone. I had no one.
"I'm sorry this happened to you," Adelaide whispered before retreating into silence.
I stayed on the floor, my tears soaking into the wood, drowning in pain, regret, and anger until darkness finally took me.
---
Sunlight poured in through the window, its warmth burning against my swollen eyelids. I groaned, my stiff body protesting as I sat up.
And then, the memories of last night slammed into me.
I inhaled sharply, forcing my emotions down. There was no time for self-pity. I had work.
Rushing into the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, staring at my reflection. Red-rimmed eyes. Pale cheeks. Messy hair. I looked like a wreck.
With no time to fix it, I brushed my teeth, threw on my uniform, and ran out the door, using my fingers as a makeshift comb.
By the time I reached the restaurant, I was panting. I slowed my steps, composing myself before pushing the door open.
"It's just your second day, Zuria, and you're already late."
I froze as Mr. Connor's voice boomed across the restaurant.
I turned slowly to see him standing with his arms crossed over his large belly, his face twisted into mock seriousness.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Connor. I wasn't feeling well last night, so I overslept."
His eyes narrowed as he studied me. Then, unexpectedly, he sighed.
"Fine. But meet me in my office during your break."
I frowned.
"Yes, sir."
What did he want? And why was he letting me off so easily?
Shaking off the uneasy feeling, I hurried into the kitchen. After storing my bag in my locker, I tied my apron and got to work.
"Hey."
I turned to see a young man smiling at me. He looked about my age, with friendly blue eyes.
"Hi."
"I see you're new here."
I nodded.
"Well, I'm Danny. Nice to meet you." He grinned. "I wanted to introduce myself yesterday, but I didn't want to overwhelm you. So… here I am."
A small smile broke through my gloom.
"Thank you, Danny. I'm Zuria, but I guess you already know that."
He chuckled. "I did. Well, nice meeting you, Zuria. See you around."
As he walked away, I scoffed. He was the only genuinely nice person I had met so far.
I returned to work, but my mind refused to stay focused. The weight of Adelaide's words still pressed against my chest.
Was I too harsh on her last night? It wasn't her fault.
And yet, what was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to fix this mess?
Break time came sooner than expected. After finishing my meal, I remembered Mr. Connor's request.
Knocking on his office door, I heard a loud "Come in!" before stepping inside.
I approached his desk hesitantly. "You asked for me?"
"Yes, yes. Take a seat." He gestured to the chair in front of him.
I sat down.
"So, I noticed you're new to the city and living in a motel." He leaned forward. "I also gave you this job because I pitied you."
I stiffened.
He stood, walking around his desk until he was next to me.
"I was thinking… if you do things for me, I can help you out."
A cold shiver ran down my spine as his stubby fingers traced along my cheek.
I swallowed. "What do you mean?"
A sickening smirk curled on his lips.
"What I'm saying is… we could do business. I could buy what you're selling. I would be a very good and loyal customer. And I'm sure your assets…" His eyes roamed shamelessly down my body. "…would be very appealing."
My breath caught in my throat. My hands clenched into fists.
What the hell was this man trying to do?
I prayed I was wrong. But deep down, I knew exactly what he meant.