THAT MAN IS MY REAL DADDY!

LYNN

I laid on the bed, restless and confused. My whole body burned from inside like something boiled beneath my skin. I blamed the beer at first, but this heat felt strange.

My mouth felt dry, my head heavy, and a tingling sensation crawled across my skin like tiny sparks.

I kicked off the blanket, desperate for some cool air. Sweat soaked through my clothes, sticking them to my skin. I peeled off my shirt and pushed down my shorts, thinking it would help. It didn’t. The itch only grew stronger, especially between my thighs. My body twisted on the bed, chasing some sort of relief, but it only made the heat worse.

My eyelids grew heavy, my sight blurry. The soft creak of the door reached my ears, and I barely managed to turn my head. Faint light spilled through the open doorway, outlining a few tall figures.

One of them spoke in a cold voice, “That’s her?”

“Yes, young master,” another answered.

My weak mind struggled to make sense of their words. Young master? I thought about Fern, but he never sounded like that. Before I could think more, the door closed, plunging the room into darkness again.

I heard footsteps getting closer. My limbs felt like they weighed tons. The bed dipped beside me. I flinched when cold fingers brushed my burning skin. The chill felt like heaven, and before I knew it, I reached out.

My body pressed against his without hesitation, greedy for the comfort his cool touch gave me.

My fingers traced along his hard chest, my legs locked around him. I held him close, needing him like air. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me tighter before his mouth crashed onto mine. His lips felt cold and rough but tasted strangely sweet. I kissed him back, my fevered body crying out for more.

His weight pressed down on me as his hips settled between my thighs. I felt my body react on its own, wrapping around him, pulling him closer. I gasped when he entered me in one deep thrust, pain shooting through me. I arched off the bed, my shaky voice slipping out, “Fern… don’t leave me… please…”

The man went stiff above me. His muscles tightened. He didn’t speak, just pushed deeper like my words meant nothing. That was when it hit me. His body was too big, too firm, too cold. This wasn’t Fern. Fern left me… Fern’s gone… my head screamed in warning.

I pressed my hands against his chest, weakly trying to push him away. “Who… who are you?” I croaked out.

He grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head. His movements quickened, harsh and unstoppable. I felt the pain shift into something else, something that made my body tremble against my will. My head spun, tears slipped down my cheeks, but my body refused to fight. I hated it.

“Shhh… it’ll feel better soon,” he whispered close to my ear, his cold breath brushing my skin.

I bit my lip, the last bit of resistance crumbling inside me. My mind begged to stop, but my body clung to him, helpless in the flood of sensations.

We stayed like that, moving together, feeling every little touch. My body relaxed, my heart calmed, and for the first time in a long while, I felt safe. When dawn came, I stayed tucked in his arms, my head on his chest, my worries far away.

And then... I woke up.

Jolting with a loud gasp, my heart beat fast like it wanted to break out of my chest. Sweat covered my body and my shirt stuck to my back. I sat up and wiped my face, but the bad feeling stayed.

That dream came again. I could still hear his deep voice. I could feel his cold chest pressing against me and see his sharp eyes staring down at me. The smell of mint stayed stuck in my head. My body refused to forget it.

I hated this feeling. No matter how hard I tried, I could not forget what happened that night.

It happened after I caught my boyfriend with my best friend. I got so angry and sad that I ran to the bar. I drank to feel better but after a few sips, my head felt heavy. Someone put something in my drink.

I woke up in a big hotel room. I did not know where I was. A tall man was there. He took my first time when I could not fight back.

My stomach twisted. I felt sick and angry at the same time. My hands shook as I rubbed my arms. The shame made my skin crawl.

I got out of bed and changed my clothes. I needed to get out and forget this feeling.

***

I sat in the lab, struggling to finish my report. My head felt heavy and my stomach churned. I blamed the lack of sleep until my classmate dropped a tuna sandwich right beside me.

The smell hit me like a slap. I jumped to my feet, shoved my chair back, and sprinted to the restroom. My stomach twisted, and I knelt in front of the toilet, throwing up everything I ate.

My classmate followed me and waited outside. “Lynn? Are you pregnant or something? You’ve been acting weird.”

Her words hit me harder than the nausea. Pregnant? That couldn’t be possible… right?

I didn’t finish my report. I didn’t finish class either. I rushed straight to the hospital and sat there with my hands shaking until they called my name. The doctor did the scan, printed the report, and looked straight at me.

“Congratulations, Miss Boone. You’re ten weeks pregnant. With twins. Both look healthy.”

My ears rang. I blinked several times, but the room spun around me. My knees almost gave out, so I grabbed the wall to stay up. Pregnant? Twins? My brain scrambled for answers. Who was the father? I only had that one stupid night… I couldn’t even remember the man’s face.

I walked out of the doctor’s office, but my legs felt like they dragged heavy chains. I paced back and forth in the hallway, battling my own thoughts. My grades were already slipping. I worked two part-time jobs. I couldn’t even take care of myself, let alone two babies.

But they were mine.

After an hour of torturing myself, I stood up and forced myself back to the doctor’s office.

“Doctor, I… I want to terminate the pregnancy.”

The doctor frowned and placed the report down. “Are you absolutely sure?”

I forced myself not to cry. “I love them already… but I can’t bring them into this world just to suffer with me. I barely have enough money for my rent. Please… I’ve thought about it.”

The doctor finally nodded, though I saw the reluctance in her eyes. She led me to the operating room. I took off my shoes, lay on the table, and closed my eyes. My heart squeezed in pain, but my mind forced me to stay calm.

I rested my hand on my stomach. “I’m sorry… please forgive me.”

Before anything happened, the door crashed open. The loud bang startled me and I turned my head weakly. Several men in black suits stormed inside like a hurricane.

“This is a restricted area!” the doctor shouted.

One of them walked straight to me, pulled out a syringe, and stuck it into my arm before I could even scream. Everything faded so fast I didn’t have time to struggle.

Through blurry eyes, I saw the hospital director rushing in, looking like he had run a marathon.

“You didn’t see anything. This woman was never here,” one of the men said in a low threatening voice.

The director wiped the sweat pouring down his face. “Yes… understood.”

***

I woke up feeling dizzy. My stomach turned, and my head hurt. I sat up slowly and looked around. The bed felt soft under me, but the room looked too fancy. The walls had golden designs, the curtains looked expensive, and the air smelled fresh. This was not my tiny apartment.

Where am I? How did I get here?

The door opened, and a middle-aged man walked in with a tray of food. He smiled like everything was normal.

“Ms. Boon, you are awake. How do you feel now?” he asked kindly.

I stared at him, confused and scared. “Who are you? How do you know my name?” I asked.

He placed the food on a table and looked at me. “I know your name, and I also know your family’s business is close to going bankrupt.”

My heart dropped. I looked at him in shock. “Why did you bring me here? Are you going to lock me up? This is kidnapping! I will call the police!”

The man stayed calm. “Ms. Boon, You are pregnant with our young master’s babies."

What happened that night was a mistake. We arranged a woman for our young master, but somehow, he went into your room. We have been watching you since then. When we heard you went to the hospital, we came to stop you before you made a decision you would regret.”

His voice sounded soft, but it only made me angrier. “Who is your young master?” I asked.

The man looked a little uncomfortable. “You don’t need to know that.”

I glared at him. “Tell your master I won’t listen to him. These are my babies and it’s my body. I will end this pregnancy if I want!”

The man stayed quiet for a second, then handed me a phone. “Maybe you should read this first,” he said.

I didn’t want to take it, but my hands moved on their own. My eyes fell on the news headline. My whole body froze.

“Boon Group was caught using fake materials. Stock price falls fast. Bankruptcy coming?”

No… this couldn’t be true. The company already had problems before. If it went bankrupt now, all the workers would lose their jobs… and father… even if we were not close, I couldn’t watch him lose everything.

I looked up at the man with anger. “Your master did this, didn’t he? He’s the reason the company is crashing!”

The man stayed calm. “Ms. Boon, if you keep the babies, the Boon Group will be saved. You will also get four million dollars. Think about it. The company stays safe, your father keeps his business, you get money, and our master gets his child. Everybody wins. Do you really think you have another choice?”