Roses And Thorns

Chapter 51

Karen looked at her fiance and swallowed the pain in her throat, she'd gone home with him and he was now sound asleep, she covered him and instructed the maid on his dinner then left.
She drove back home to her apartment because she couldn't face her mother or worse her father.
She turned on her lights and sat on her bed taking off her heels which seemed like they were killing her that afternoon more than ever.
She went for a shower and almost screamed when she saw her mother standing near the window.
"You scared me!".
Kate rolled her eyes, "Who else would be here at this time?".
Karen looked away and put on some clothes while her mother pressed, "Answer me!".
"No one", she said pulling up her pajama bottoms.
Kate shook her head, "I doubt that Karen Moretti".
Karen dried her hair with a towel and paused when she saw her mother's reflection in the mirror shocked, she turned slowly and looked at her, what has she seen?, a hickey, no she has none unless.
"You cut your hair".
Shit!.
"Why?".
Double shit!.
"I...it was becoming too long and I decided to make it short?".
"What?!".
"Mom it's my hair okay, I just thought I'd get a new look".
Kate laughed, a deep humorless laugh that didn't reach her eyes, she looked at her daughter, "You get a new look?".
She bit her lip, did that sound like a lie too much?, "Yes mother".
Kate went to her and held her face as if that would uncover deep secrets from her heart,
"Tell me the truth, you still love him don't you?".
Karen shook her head, "No mom, we had a history and that's all".
"I'm your mother Karen, you can tell me anything, I'm not going to tell anyone".
Karen shook her head, "I swear mom, nothing".
"Did you sleep with him?".
She went on shaking her head like a little girl caught stealing, "Did you Karen?".
Her cheeks wetened, "It was a mistake mom".
"Mistake?, did he force you?".
She wanted to laugh at that comment, force her?, she's the one who forced him!.
"I see you're the one who forced him".

Karen smiled sadly and twisted her fingers on her lap, she raised her head and her face lost color when her mother handed her a pregnancy test.
"Mom I'm not pregnant".
"There's only one way to find out".
Karen looked at the stick, remembering all the hot and steamy sex she had back in Russia, she wanted to run away but she's on pill!.
Pills could go wrong.
She went to the toilet and sat on the toilet seat, she held her head and wished for it to be positive, yes, a baby for Ian, maybe that will save her from the mistake of a marriage she's about to commit, she'll go far away with her baby where no one will ever see her.
She sat there after her test and pulled her hair.
Let it be positive.
Dear God let it be positive!.
She prayed silently, to God and all His angels and saints to hear her prayer.

Five minutes later she looked at the stick and sighed, she went out where her mother was and showed her.
"Negative".
Karen nodded and went to her window, frustrated, why didn't the pill go wrong?.
"Karen are you upset?".
She shook her head, afraid to look at her, the pregnancy was her only ticket to eternal freedom, looks like luck wasn't on her side.
Her mother went to her and patted her shoulder,
"You have to call off the wedding sweetheart".
She wiped off her tears, "I can't break his heart mom".
"So you'd rather break yours?".
"If that will make him happy then so be it, he's a good man mom, and I don't want to hurt him, he doesn't deserve it".
"Karen-".
"I need to be alone, please leave".
Her mother nodded and left, Karen sat on her couch and hugged her pillow as sobs shook her whole body.

Two weeks later Karen was with Naz in a wedding planner's office, she forced a smile to the woman who'd introduced her name as Lorna.
"So, which colour would you two like on your wedding?".
She swallowed the bile in her throat.
"Amore?".
She snapped out of her reverie, "I...um, anything you like".
The woman smiled, "Let me recommend you some", she came with three or four magazines and was showing them some pictures and sample weddings.
"So....which one have you liked amore?".
"I.... they're all pretty".
Naz smiled, "I know, but between blue and green which one would you prefer?".
Blue and green have never crossed her mind as dope wedding colours.
"Um....green?".
"Green it is then", Lorna said, Karen let out a breath knowing the boring session is done, they agreed that they'd plan for the flowers on the weekend, they said goodbye and left.