"You will get plenty of money from me if you carry that child to birth," Vano's mother said coldly, her words dripping with contempt. "But you must stay far away from Vano and from our family. Do not ever show your shameless face in front of us again."
"Madam, is this really the right time for such a question?" Mrs. Lisa cut in, her voice trembling with anger. "Even Marie herself is confused about what has happened."
"It is the perfect time," Vano's mother snapped back. "Your daughter has disgraced herself, and I need to make it clear where she stands. She has been living recklessly behind my son's back."
Mrs. Lisa fell silent, unable to fight the sharp edge of those words. Marie, meanwhile, sat frozen. Deep down, she knew the accusation was true. She was pregnant, carrying a child from a night she wished had never happened — a night with a man she could not even name.
Gathering every bit of courage, Marie finally spoke.
"Must I choose, Madame? Can I not keep my baby and still live with Vano?" she asked, her face lowered.
A sharp crack filled the room.
"You shameless girl!" Vano's mother had struck her across the face. "How dare you suggest such a thing? Do you think you are worthy? Have you grown so bold that you now see yourself as our equal?"
"Mama!" Vano's voice rang out from the doorway. He had arrived just in time to see his mother's hand strike Marie. His eyes blazed with anger.
"Go home, Mama," he said firmly, stepping into the room. "Marie and I will handle this ourselves."
His mother glared, seething at his choice to side with Marie, then stormed out. Mrs. Lisa quietly followed, giving the two young lovers space to face the storm between them.
Vano turned to Marie, who was sitting in tears, her hand pressed to the cheek that still burned from the blow. He crouched down and gently took her hand, pulling it away to see the red mark forming.
"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, a faint smile forced across his lips though his heart was aching. "Wait here, I'll bring something cold for your cheek." He started to rise, but her hand clutched his from behind.
"Vano," Marie whispered, her eyes shining with fresh tears. "Let's end this. Let's end it."
Her calm tone cut deeper than any scream could have. For the first time, she looked at him not as her lover, but as the man she would have to let go.
Like being struck by lightning, Vano was shocked and forced his eyes to open wide.
"What do you mean, honey? How can you make such a stupid request?" asked Vano in a tone that sounded calm and seemed to be still trying to strengthen his heart and himself that was almost broken.
"As your mother said earlier. We must separate and end this relationship. I don't want to be greedy because I want to be with you and keep my child," said Marie again.
"No! I don't agree! Don't talk about stupid words like that, honey!" Vano asked, "Even though to be honest, I'm very disappointed in you because you betrayed me and carried a baby from another man behind my back. But I can still accept you because I love you so much. I can't live without you, Marie. It's still not too late. We are from the beginning again like before," Vano continued to persuade Marie gently.
"But, the reality we face is not as easy and light as you think, Vano! I am pregnant and this child is not yours!" Marie explained, "Sorry. I'm sorry, Vano!" she continued apologizing.
"Marie?" said Vano quietly.
"Even if it's not from your family or yourself, I still can't be with you, Vano. I'm a broken woman who doesn't deserve your love. Let me go, and let's end this relationship. And you can achieve happiness with another better woman," Marie asked.
"Can't you change your mind and stay by my side? I can't live without you, I love you so much, Marie!" Vano persuaded her again.
"I also love you very much. But, I am too dirty to be with you! Also, I will not sacrifice my baby for my happiness. This baby is pure, what is dirty is the work of his parents. So, please, Vano. Leave me and do what your parents want, then you will be happy!" Marie explained that Vano agreed to her wish.
"Is it because you love the father of your baby so much?" Vano asked in a flat tone.
'I wish I knew who the father of my baby, Vano. Then I don't have to lie to you now,' Cherry thought quietly.
"Yeah, think of it that way if it makes it easy for you to leave me!" Marie replied with a firm lie.
Vano was silent and not long after that Vano laughed like a possessed person. It was clear from his forced laughter which contained great pain, hatred, and disappointment and was accompanied by tears that rolled down his face.
"So this is how it ends? I, who loved you for our five years of travel, had to be sidelined and defeated by the bastard who got you pregnant, huh? Fine. I'll go as you wish!"
Vano started walking away from Marie while wiping the tears from his face.
However, right in front of the door, Vano turned to look at Marie again.
"Goodbye, Marie. I hope, when I see you again one day, your life will be better with your choice. Even though I hope for your regret that left me and drove me away from your heart now. Goodbye. I hate you. I hate you, Marie. I hope you live in regret for making me like this," said Vano for the last time before he disappeared and left.
Marie's tears escaped as Vano's image disappeared from her sight.
'If only you knew, Vano. I never changed one bit. I never betrayed our love. I always love you with all my heart. But, what can I do against the fate that God has laid out for us at this time?'
'Be angry, hate me, and curse me, if all your swearing can make you let go of me so easily. I'm not sorry if you left me with all that,'
Marie said in her heart while crying and lamenting her separation from Vano, the man who had been the goal of her life and smiled.
Marie's suffering is complete starting today. She was destined to be a child without a father, and just like the declining karma, now her child will also be born without a father with slanted recognition in the eyes of society.
*
Being pregnant for nine months is not a short and easy time for Marie to live. And after giving birth to her baby, Marie must take responsibility and raise her child as a Single Mom. And maybe, the predicate will continue to stick in her life.
But Marie never thought about aborting the baby and also never hesitated to face all the problems.
Marie continues to try to prepare everything and change herself to be responsible for a new life in her womb due to the mistakes she made herself.
Although the path that Marie took was a tough decision, the future is clearly illustrated in Marie's figure. What's that? Yes, Marie confirmed his future as a great mother figure in the future.
"Inhale… hold it, then release it slowly! Come on, be more energetic and strong again!"
The encouragement in the instructions given by the obstetrician who treats Marie continues to echo in the delivery room of a small hospital in the city where Marie lives.
Yes, tonight Marie is being treated by medical experts to help the process of giving birth.
Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. Her breathing began to regularize while her facial expression occasionally grimaced from the pain and heartburn that felt heartbreaking.
The pain was unlike anything Marie had ever known. Her body trembled as she screamed, pushing with every ounce of strength she had left. Then, at last, the cries of a newborn filled the room.
The baby was here.
Marie collapsed back onto the bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Relief washed over her, replacing the agony with an overwhelming sense of peace. Her son had arrived.
"Welcome to the world, my darling," she whispered, pressing a kiss onto the soft hair of her baby boy. She named him Keanu Lawson.
As she held him close, memories of her past came flooding back. The choices she had made, the moments of heartbreak, the cruel whispers, the tears she had shed — all of it seemed far away now. None of it mattered as much as the small life she cradled in her arms.
"I never knew what my future would look like," she thought. "But today, I know. My future is yours."
Her heart filled with gratitude for her mother. Mrs. Lisa had never once turned her away, even when the world judged her harshly. Marie realized how much strength her mother had carried alone, raising a daughter without a partner. Now, Marie had stepped into the same role, carrying the same weight.
"I will make you proud, Mama," she whispered silently in her heart. "Just as you raised me, I will raise Keanu with love and courage. I will never let anyone's insults define us. You gave me life and never let go, and now it is my turn to be strong for him. I love you."
Time passed, and life began to change. Motherhood gave Marie a new spirit. She became tougher, more determined, willing to work hard and carry responsibilities she had once feared. With Keanu in her arms and her mother by her side, she knew she had found her purpose. She was no longer the same fragile girl.
She had been reborn, this time as a mother.