Chapter1: Excitedly anticipating school
It had been three long years since I left senior school, and honestly, life at home was bleak. My parents were super strict—no outings, no hanging with friends, nothing. Even phone calls were rare and spotty. Slowly, my friends drifted away, making new friends while I was stuck in isolation.
But Ella… she was still around. She'd joined the same school a year before me and already had her own circle. I nervously applied for a program, fingers crossed, and somehow I got in. I was over the moon 😆.
The first day in campus town was electric. I dropped my bag at my tiny apartment and headed straight to Ella's.
She opened the door and smiled. "Sophia, it's really nice to see you after such a long time."
I grinned. "I've really missed you, my friend."
"Did you just arrive?" she asked.
"Yes, but I had to drop my bags first. I wanted you to be the first person I see," I replied.
She chuckled. "Sophia, you look good—you've added weight since the last time I saw you."
I laughed. "You too! And your space is nice."
That night, I crashed at her place. We talked until we dozed off, rekindling our friendship. Ella was in her second year; I was the new girl, full of excitement and nerves.
The next day, I got swamped with academic clearance. We couldn't meet much, but we kept in touch through texts.
A week later came the matriculation ceremony. Ella invited me to a newbie party at her hostel. That night became the second time I stayed over. Honestly, I had never been to a party like that—music, games, dancing… it was unforgettable.
It was also my first time getting high. I experienced something I didn't understand, and by the next morning, I found myself in Ella's room, feeling pain and noticing blood stains on me. I cried, looking at her for answers.
"How did this happen?" I asked.
To my shock, she scolded me. "Oh, come on, Sophia. This was just a game. You'll be fine. You're in college now—it's not a big deal."
I was furious. How could someone I trusted, someone who knew me, brush off what had happened? I expected protection, not betrayal. I dressed and left her house, refusing to take her calls later that day. My heart was heavy, and I tried to push through, focusing on my academics.
Months later, the truth hit me—I was pregnant. I reached out to Ella, desperate.
"Ella, you've ruined my life," I cried.
Her response stunned me. "Sophia, we haven't been in touch for a while. I already apologized. How have I ruined your life?"
"I'm pregnant," I said.
She seemed unconcerned. "Sophia, you know how these things work. How did you allow yourself to get pregnant? Didn't you take post-pill after what happened?"
I couldn't hold back my tears. "Ella, how was I supposed to know? It was my first time! You've ruined my life! I just got admission—how am I supposed to go on now?"
She scolded me. "Calm down. Let me think. I'll stop by your house later." And then she hung up. I cried, feeling lost and betrayed, wondering how I had let this happen.
When she arrived, she told me about someone who could "help" get rid of the pregnancy. After much arguing and confrontation, I felt I had no choice. I was twenty, scared, and unprepared. The decision I made that day changed my life forever.
The next day, I met her at her house. I was given drugs, and the pain was unbearable. Hours of sharp, relentless pain followed, accompanied by heavy bleeding.
Eventually, I resumed lectures, trying to maintain normalcy. I stayed to myself, afraid to make new friends, still traumatized by what had happened.
Two months later, I stopped seeing my period. A scan revealed that my womb was damaged. I wept. My life, my dreams, my body—all scarred by a single night, by someone I once called a close friend. I whispered to myself, "Ella has ruined my life."