With You

Chapter - 2

"We can do this," Rosie whispered nervously, her voice barely audible as she leaned closer to Y/N. They sat side by side at the dining table, surrounded by both their families, the soft clinking of silverware and idle chatter filling the room, inside Y/L/N manor. Y/N's heart pounded in her chest, her palms clammy as she clasped Rosie's hand under the table. The warmth of Rosie's touch was the only thing keeping her grounded in the moment.

Y/N nodded, swallowing hard as she felt her throat tighten. Her voice was almost lost when she cleared it loudly, hoping to gather the attention of their families. Slowly, the conversations around the table dwindled, and curious eyes turned toward them, a sudden spotlight they weren't sure they were ready for. Y/N tightened her grip on Rosie's hand beneath the table, seeking reassurance.

"I... I have something to tell you all," Y/N began, her voice wavering, barely managing to suppress the tremor that crept in. She could feel her father's sharp gaze narrowing, the tension in the air thickening.

"What is it?" her father asked, his tone already edged with suspicion, the kind that made Y/N's stomach churn.

Y/N glanced at Rosie, whose gentle squeeze of her hand was the only comfort in the moment. Rosie nodded, her face pale but determined. They had agreed this was the right time, but now, under the weight of everyone's expectant gazes, it felt like the world was closing in.

Y/N took a deep breath, struggling to find her voice again. "Um... Actually..."

Her mother's harsh tone cut through the silence. "We don't have all day. Spit it out already."

Rosie flinched at the coldness of her words, but Y/N braced herself. There was no turning back now. Gulping down the rising lump in her throat, Y/N forced the words out before she could lose her nerve.

"Rosie is pregnant... with my child," Y/N blurted out, her voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough to echo in the sudden, deafening silence that followed.

For what felt like an eternity, no one moved, no one spoke. Y/N could feel the weight of the silence pressing down on them, the fear in Rosie's eyes reflecting her own.

Then, like a storm brewing, Rosie's father suddenly stood up with a ferocity that made the table rattle. His chair screeched against the floor as he lunged forward, grabbing Y/N by the collar. The force of it almost knocked Y/N out of her seat, the air rushing from her lungs as she was yanked upward, face-to-face with the man whose expression was twisted in a rage Y/N had never seen before.

"What did you just say?" Rosie's father snarled, his voice dripping with venom, the veins in his neck bulging as he tightened his grip on Y/N's shirt. His breath was hot, his eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and fury.

"Let her go!" Rosie cried, scrambling to her feet and pleading with her father as her voice broke with desperation. "Please, let her go! Dad, please!"

Y/N's heart raced as she struggled to breathe, fear surging through her veins. She looked helplessly at Rosie, who was now in tears, pulling at her father's arm, trying to pry him away. The room was a whirlwind of chaos, everyone shouting at once, but Y/N couldn't hear anything except the rush of her own blood in her ears.

In that moment, Y/N realized the storm they had feared had only just begun.

Rosie's father, his face contorted with rage, swung his hand with brutal force, the sound of his strike cracking through the tense air as his fist connected with Y/N's face. The blow sent Y/N reeling, her body crumpling to the floor as the room seemed to spin around her. Her head pounded, pain radiating through her skull, but the physical ache paled in comparison to the shame that burned within her.