I didn’t understand what Kevin meant at first. What do you mean, gone? He was just with me yesterday. I felt my heart pounding in fear. When Kevin said Brent was gone, there was only one possible reason why he was gone. It’s possible something happened to him, and he didn’t make it to the hospital.
Please, no, my Lord.
“W-what do you mean, Kevin?” I momentarily stopped breathing, waiting for Kevin’s answer. “Speak!”
“I’m not sure what happened, but Michelle mentioned to me earlier that Brent left the country. His flight to America was this early morning,” Kevin said.
“America?”
What would he doing in America, and why was it so sudden? I only remembered later that his mother worked there as a nurse. But even so, I didn’t receive any texts from him.
He just left without saying anything. Did I mean nothing to him? I sobbed in front of their house, not caring if their neighbors were staring at me.
“Kevin, what am I going to do now?” I asked him, confused.
“Jamie, let’s go. We can talk about that guy later. They’re waiting for us at school, and the program is about to start,” Kevin said.
“I don’t want to go there; I’ll stay here for now,” I said, my tears continuously flowing.
How could you do this to me, Brent? You know I love you so much, but why? Why did you suddenly leave and abandon me?
I have so many questions, but no one is answering me.
“Jamie, stop being crazy! Let’s go,” Kevin insisted, pulling me away from Brent’s house.
I felt like a madwoman, not knowing where I was going. If I hadn’t been with Kevin, I might have had an accident on the road. When we reached the school, Kevin brought me to my parents.
“Michelle, what are you doing here?” I heard Kevin call out the girl’s name.
Oh, why was Michelle talking to my parents? And I could tell from their faces that the topic wasn’t a pleasant one because I saw my dad turning red.
“Are you pregnant?” my father’s voice thundered as he asked me, and people around us looked at us.
I suddenly felt cold upon hearing my dad’s question. I shifted my gaze between Kevin and Michelle, but they didn’t say anything.
“D-Dad, it’s just that-”
A loud slap landed on my cheek. It hurt, but I didn’t cry. I saw my mom looking bewildered, not knowing what to do. She wanted to stop my dad from hurting me, and it seemed like she wanted to hurt me too.
“K-Kevin,” I weakly called out his name because I wanted to confront him.
Why did he spread the news about the pregnancy kit he took from me when he came to our house last night? I closed my eyes and let them say hurtful things to me.
“I’m sorry, Jamie,” Kevin apologized, but I just laughed at what he said.
Would his sorry change anything in my situation? In what I was going through? No. No matter how many times he asked for forgiveness, I would never forgive him! He was just like Brent! Untrustworthy! Animals!
Graduation day was supposed to be a day of joy and celebration, a milestone marking the end of my high school journey. But instead, it turned into a day of heartbreak and betrayal that I never saw coming.
My heart was heavy with worry. Brent was nowhere to be found, and my attempts to reach him went unanswered. My mind raced with questions – Why did he suddenly leave? Did something happen to him? Why would he just vanish like this?
“How could this happen?” my father asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Another slap hit me and I winched in pain.
I couldn’t believe what Kevin had done. The audacity to share such a private and sensitive matter with my father was beyond comprehension. My eyes narrowed, and my glare could have burned a hole through him if looks could kill.
“Are you happy now?” I seethed, my voice trembling with anger and hurt.
Kevin’s expression faltered, as if he hadn’t expected me to react this way. “Jamie, I thought your father should know,” he stammered, trying to justify his betrayal.
“You thought? Since when is it your place to decide what my father should know or not know?” I retorted, my voice rising.
He took a step back, realizing the severity of his actions. “I just thought he should be aware of the situation,” he muttered, avoiding my gaze.
“And what about me? Did you ever think about how I would feel?” I snapped, the hurt in my heart fueling my anger.
“It’s for your own good, Jamie. I was trying to protect you,” he said, his voice tinged with regret.
“Protect me? From what? My own life choices?” I scoffed, feeling a mix of frustration and betrayal.
“I know you’re going through a tough time, and I thought your father could help,” Kevin said, attempting to defend himself.
“You had no right, Kevin. None at all,” I said, my voice quivering with emotion. “This was my burden to bear, my decision to make!”
Kevin looked remorseful, but the damage was done. I couldn’t shake off the feeling of betrayal and violation. My trust in him had been shattered once more, and I couldn’t find it in my heart to forgive him easily.
“I’m sorry,” he finally muttered, but his apology felt hollow.
“Sorry doesn’t change what you did,” I replied, my voice cold and distant.
As the weight of his actions settled on me, I realized that Kevin had crossed a line. He had taken away my right to share my own truth with my father, to handle the situation in my own way and time. It was a breach of trust that I couldn’t simply overlook.
My heart sank as I heard the commotion behind me. I turned around to see my father, looking pale and shaken, collapsing to the ground. The weight of what Kevin had shared with him had been too much for him to bear.
“Dad!” I screamed, rushing to his side, pushing aside all the anger and hurt I had been feeling just moments ago. I knelt beside him, panic and guilt consuming me.
“Call an ambulance!” I yelled at someone nearby, my voice trembling with fear. I checked for his pulse, praying that he would be okay.
My mind was a whirlwind of emotions – the anger at Kevin, the regret for not telling my father myself, and the overwhelming concern for my dad’s health. The graduation day that was supposed to be a joyous occasion had turned into a nightmare.
The paramedics arrived quickly, and they took over, assessing my father’s condition and preparing him for transport to the hospital. I clung to his hand as they lifted him onto a stretcher, feeling tears streaming down my face.
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” I whispered, my voice barely audible amidst the chaos around us. “I should have told you myself.”
As they wheeled him away, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Kevin, looking remorseful and guilty. I wanted to push him away, to blame him for all of this, but I couldn’t find the strength.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” he said, his voice breaking.
I turned away, unable to face him. “Just leave me alone, Kevin. I can’t deal with this right now,” I said.
He nodded, taking a step back, knowing that he had caused enough damage. “I’ll be here if you need anything,” he said, but I didn’t respond.
In that moment, all I could think about was my father’s well-being. I had to go to the hospital, be by his side, and face the consequences of my actions.
As I sat in the emergency room, waiting for updates on my father’s condition, the guilt weighed heavily on my heart. I should have been the one to tell him about my pregnancy, to prepare him for the news, and not let someone else take that away from me.
“I’m sorry but he didn’t make it,” the doctor announced after a few minutes later.