Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“Oh god, I know. I don’t know how it happened, but I will take full responsibility…”
Tina cuts me off. “I’ll tell you how this happened. Nobody ever taught you how to act like a lady,” she says, throwing me off.
What the hell…? “I’m not sure…”
“And yes, you will be taking full responsibility for this. We have expedited your arrangement. You’ll be married next week.”
The blood drains from my face. I might faint. I try to hold back the terror. “I don’t understand what that has to do with what happened today.”
My boss is getting increasingly pissed. “Did you skip the day in nursing school when they taught you about human reproduction? You sleep around, you get pregnant. End of story.”
Oh god. She isn’t talking about the agent. But how does she know about the pregnancy already? And how dare she imply that I sleep around.
“I’m so confused right now,” I say, trying to think how she knows this already.
“Your coworker stumbled on your test stick that you left lying around for everyone to see. It was yours, wasn’t it?”
Coworker? Lisa? Shock and sadness rise in my throat, but I fight back tears. No. I won’t let any of them see me cry.
No point in denying the pregnancy test was mine. They will see the bump in about three to four months anyway.
“Yes, it’s mine,” I admit.
Tina shakes her head. “I guess we can take the treasure out of the trash, but we can’t always get the trash out of the treasure.”
“What does that mean?” I try to hold back the bite in my tone, not wanting to dig my grave even deeper.
“It means as a scholarship child from the other side, we expected more from you. But I suppose we should not have expected you to keep your legs together, just like the rest of them.”
Anger replaces the tears in my throat. I don’t even know what to say or where to focus my rage.
Tina continues. “I’ve sent for your things. You’ll be staying in your dorm until the wedding.”
“Do I get to meet him first?” I throw out, not that I want to meet this man anyway.
“Sweetie, you lost that privilege when you let street scum knock you up.”
“This is wrong. I want to marry the father of my baby,” I protest.
I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying more. The anger coursing through me has me clenching my fists in my lap. I’ve never wanted to really punch someone before, but right now I’d love nothing more.
“You know as well as I do that all marriages are subject to approval by the Regime and any marriage between an elite and non-elite is forbidden.”
“I’m not an elite.” Thank god.
“You were chosen to be here. That makes you an elite. A very special kind of elite. You got here on your own merit.”
“I wanted a job. Just like everyone else.” I shake my head. I wanted to learn how to help others. To heal. I’m seeing now that I have to pay a high price for that.
“The good news for you is you get to keep your status once the wedding takes place, and if your husband sees fit, you may even get to keep your job.” Tina leans back in her chair and folds her arms. This is the end of the argument, I know that. “The wedding coordinator will be contacting you soon. And don’t bother trying to go back to your lover. You will be followed and he will be dealt with.”
So that’s it.
I know I can’t go back to Owen. I would be leading The Regime right to the heart of the Insurgence. To the man I love. I won’t let them have him.
After being dismissed I return to the emergency ward. Lisa bumps right into me as I round the corner from the administration offices. I look her straight in the eye and feel the heat of anger in my chest.
“Hi.”
“Hey, Minnie,” she says.
“Where are you going? Got some more dirt about me to throw around?”
Lisa looks confused. “I don’t know who or what you’re talking about.”
“I’ll bet you don’t.” I shoulder check her as I walk past and return to work.
I’m so angry I have to fight my body not to shake. There’s absolutely nobody left for me to trust except Owen, and I’m never going to see him again. I’m starting to feel the rage he was talking about, the thing that makes me think that violence is an acceptable way to fight back. Maybe he was right.
Brad Chalmers had returned from radiology and is speaking on his phone to someone important, but he sounded agitated. I wait a moment at the entrance to his exam room and when I think the conversation is through, I go in, only to be surprised by a flying phone that breezes past me a little too closely.