True Love's Bite

08 // Uncovered

My ears were ringing as if a bomb had gone off in the room, Ivy was speaking but I could not make out what she was saying.

"Ivy. Ivy, I can't... I can't breathe." I didn't care where I was, I wailed, and it felt as though there was a block of cement sitting in my chest and cutting off the air circulation.

I slapped my chest continuously, resorting to fists when that did not seem to work.

"Yvonne, breathe, please breathe. Can we get some water, please?" Ivy's urgent voice was distant even though she held me in her arms.

I don't remember when we left the lodge or how we got to the car, I only came back to life when I realised that we were going back home.

"No, where are we going? Ivy, we have to turn back around, I have to find them."

Her boyfriend did not stop.

"No, Yvonne. You've had a long day, you need to rest. You can take care of the rest tomorrow," Ivy said. "Besides, we left Angel with mama, you know how she is, she hasn't stopped calling."

I had no energy to argue. She was right, I was exhausted, and it was selfish of me to drag them along knowing they left their baby somewhere. It was almost 4p.m., I'm sure Angel must be hungry wherever she was.

Ivy's boyfriend dropped us off at home, surprisingly, Mama was not in the house.

"That's weird, let me check in the bedroom." Ivy went to her room and returned with a confused look. "Angel is sleeping in her cot." She gestured towards her bedroom. "Well, maybe mama went back to the neighbours, you should get some rest, I'll cook while I still have the chance."

I gave her a small smile. Honestly, I don't know how I would have survived these last few days without her, especially today. "Thanks, Ivy."

I was still trying to process everything that we discovered at the lodge today as I strolled into my room, and all the blood drained from my face when I found my mother sitting on my bed, with the pregnancy test in her hands.

"Mama..."

What was there to say? That I could explain everything? How sorry I was? Where do I begin?

"I knew there was something wrong, I suspected that there was something going on with you these past two weeks, but I did not want to jump into conclusions or think the worst." She looked at me with steely eyes, making me cower in my skin. "Why are you crying?" She placed the test down and stood up, taking calculated steps towards me.

I tried to back away, but my back touched the closed door. There was no way out. "Mama, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." I clasped my hands in front of me, tears pouring down my face.

My mother had her arms on her hips, and I feared that if she let loose, they would land around my neck. "What are you sorry about, Yvonne, hmm? Sneaking out during prayer and using the Lord's name for your nonsense? You are getting married and you go and do something like this? What did you think was going to happen, that I would call the wedding off?" She snickered.

"I-"

"Listen to me very carefully," she said in a stern voice, wiggling her finger in my face, "I don't care who the father of that child is, and I don't ever want to know. If you thought you were going to worm your way out of this then forget it, this wedding will happen. And you are going to make sure that you seduce that boy on your wedding night-"

"Mama, please!" I cried and attempted to go down on my knees, but she held my wrist in a tight grip.

"- and make sure that he believes that you lost your virginity to him. If I ever hear that you whispered this to a single soul, you will know who I am. You are going to take this secret to your grave." She pushed me aside and left my room, but not before passing me a deadly look.