‘At least she didn’t stab me,’ he said. Vanessa didn’t know if he was joking or not. She didn’t care enough to ask.

‘As soon as I tell my parents, they’ll insist that we get married when I turn eighteen. I can stay at school until then.’

‘You know I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for you, Vanessa, but this isn’t what I want. I don’t want to be a dad. You don’t want to be a mom either, do you?’ He stared her down, the solution in his eyes.

‘Yes, I do and it’s too late now anyway.’ She held his stare.

He hit the steering wheel. The horn giving out a short beep. ‘I’m telling my parents tonight. You should do the same,’ Vanessa said.

‘I guess I’ll call you soon.’ He was still trying to get out of it.

‘You guess? Tomorrow, Mark. After you’ve spoken to your parents tonight. Call me.’

He frowned at her and pulled out onto the road. She did love him in a way, but she didn’t want him like this. Forced into marriage because of a baby. But this is where they were at and they’d have to make the best of it.

Vanessa didn’t say anything as she hopped out of the van once Mark pulled up outside her house. She slammed the door, hearing it echo down the street. She felt sick about what they’d done to Maggie. She couldn’t get her look of betrayal out of her mind. Maybe she never would. It made her feel more nauseous, and she hung on to the hanging flower pot to keep her balance as her world tilted violently. The pot moved wildly under the grip, making her feel even worse.

Mark drove off in a hurry. Home to share the good news with his parents that they were going to be grandparents? She didn’t exactly want to tell her parents either, as she knew what they’d say: it would be best if she married him, make the best of a bad situation. Vanessa slid the key into the lock, hesitating. She knew that once she said her piece, nothing would even be the same again.

Her parents were in the kitchen when she quietly unlocked the door.

‘Ness, that you?’ her mother’s voice called out.

Gently, Vanessa rubbed her stomach. There was no way she was getting rid of this baby, no matter what anyone said. She resigned herself to marrying Mark.

‘Yeah, Mom,’ she said wearily, her feet dragging as she headed into the kitchen, ‘it’s me.’ It was a wonder that her mom hadn’t noticed her growing frame, the stretched-out school jumper that had seen better days.

‘Come on, dinner’s ready.’ Her mom bustled around the table, putting plates down on the place mats.

Slowly, Vanessa pulled out her chair but hung onto the back of it tightly as her mom sat down. Her parents looked up at her expectantly when they saw she wasn’t sitting.