Alice had come to this city from a small town in Iowa. After high school, she didn’t go anywhere because she couldn’t leave her grandmother, who had raised her. Her parents died when Alice was ten.
But Grandma Valerie always believed in her granddaughter. «You’re smart, the city is waiting for you. Study, dear, break out of poverty too.»
And when her grandmother passed away, Alice fulfilled her dream by enrolling in university. She studied brilliantly, receiving a scholarship as an orphan. It seemed like life was starting to get better.
And then, in her junior year, she met him. Nick. Five years older, confident, charismatic, working at a solid company.
He turned her head so quickly that she didn’t even notice how she moved from the dorm to his apartment. Back then, it seemed like the love of her life. Nick said the right things, cared, hugged as if he wanted to protect her from the whole world.
But as soon as she mentioned marriage, he changed the subject: «Why? A piece of paper won’t change anything, only.» Still, Alice believed. Once she got her diploma, they would marry, start a family, be happy.
Then she found out she was pregnant. At first, there was euphoria; now everything would definitely be different. Now he would be with me forever, she thought.
But Nick took the news strangely. «What?» «Pregnancy.» «Well, we need to do something about it.»
«Decide quickly,» he said dryly over the phone, as if it were about choosing pizza for dinner. Alice couldn’t believe her ears. «Nick, I can’t…
I have negative Rh factor; if now, there won’t be children later,» her voice trembled. «But he just shrugged, then decide yourself.» «But I’m not getting involved, only.»
Since then, Nick called rarely. He didn’t ask about the child. Alice still hoped he would come back, change his mind.
«He loved me. How can you just forget everything we had?» She convinced herself. But reality turned out to be cruel.
When Alice was already in her eighth month of pregnancy, Nick’s mother showed up. Irene Reynolds looked at her with such contempt that the girl got scared. «Did you really think my son would marry you? What a naive country bumpkin.
He has a different life now. He’s marrying the boss’s daughter. It’s beneficial.»
«And you, you’re nobody here,» those words sounded like a sentence. Alice didn’t believe it. She called Nick.
«Is it true?» she asked, and heard «yes» in response. «And stop calling me only.» The world collapsed.
That evening, Alice could barely stand from pain and resentment. She ended up in the hospital with a threat of premature birth. The doctors calmed her, and one elderly doctor said, «Why should your child pay for the father’s mistakes?» «It’s not his fault, dear.»
Those words imprinted in her mind. «I’ll survive. I’ll manage.»
For her sake, she decided. And now, standing on the hospital porch, Alice felt just as lost as then. Time passed, but the taxi still wasn’t there….
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