Chapter 1

My younger sister got pregnant unexpectedly, but my mother said the baby was innocent and begged her to keep it.

The daughter of my father's mistress wanted to go on a trip. My mother took the money meant to save my little brother's life and used it to sign her up for that tour.

To help someone else pay off their debts, she slipped something into my drink and sent me to some stranger's bed.

I never understood why she did all those things.

It was only after I died that I found out she was the saintly heroine of some story, and we were just the setup before the real plot began.

"Maya, I'm begging you. Please keep this baby. No matter what, the baby didn't do anything wrong. Having a baby is easy." A woman's pleading voice cut through the air as I rushed home.

"That's crap," I shouted.

I burst into the living room, hearing her nonstop begging.

I threw the bedroom door open, and the sight made my head spin with rage.

My little sister, Maya Henderson, sat stiffly on the bed, looking lost. Next to her, my mom, Amelia Henderson, sat on the floor, tears streaking down her face as she pleaded.

Amelia had a tight grip on Maya's hand. With every word Amelia said, Maya's face got paler.

"Maya, don't listen to her," I said.

Maya's panicked face eased a little when she saw me.

I stepped forward and stood in front of Maya, shielding her.

"Are you out of your mind? Look at what she's wearing. It's her school uniform! Are you trying to force a high school student who hasn't even graduated to have a baby?" I shouted, pointing right at Amelia.

Amelia, looking a bit embarrassed by my outburst, stood up awkwardly. "Sienna, what are you doing here all of a sudden?"

"If I hadn't come back, you'd have ruined Maya's life," I retorted.

How could she say all that nonsense about how having a baby was no big deal and how the baby was innocent? Saying stuff like that to a teenage girl, her daughter? I couldn't understand it.

"How can you talk to me like that, Sienna? When would I ever hurt Maya?" Amelia frowned, clearly annoyed. "She's a mom now. She's gotta take responsibility for the baby inside her."

At the mention of "mom" and "responsibility", Maya behind me was afraid.

My heart ached. I turned around and pulled her into my arms. "Maya, don't be scared. Don't listen to Mom's crazy talk. As long as I'm here, no one's gonna hurt you."

Maya's hair was stuck to her face with tears. Under her baggy school uniform, her skinny body trembled slightly.

"Sienna, there's... there's a baby in me. I... I'm gonna be a mom," she whispered, her voice thick with fear and despair, her hand floating weakly over her belly.

I said gently, "Maya, it's just a tiny group of cells right now, not a baby. You're still a kid yourself. You can't be a mom.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to a hospital. We'll take care of this. I know you've been through a lot. Don't be scared. I'll chase away anyone who tries to hurt you."

I held her close, patting her back softly.

At first, Maya was silent. Then, after a moment, she started crying loudly.

This pregnancy was never her choice.

How much psychological pressure did a teenage girl undergo when she was suddenly struck by such an accident and chose to go to a small clinic alone to undergo the operation?

When Amelia suddenly showed up, was Maya scared or hoping for help? Was she scared of the truth coming out or hoping her family would step in?

But in the end, whatever she'd felt, Maya was scared off by Amelia's begging her to keep the baby.

Amelia, standing there awkwardly for a while, was ready to say something, but one glare from me shut her right up.