UNJUSTIFIED HATRED {completed} (wattys 2015)

CHAPTER 24- reunited

It was the beginning of September and two months of being married to Ash but still no progress. He still treated Emily like a nuisance and still continued to ignore her and her pregnancy. Emily with her busy schedule refused to bother herself with him. She was not as bored as she used to be anymore. With working at the charity organization and learning how to drive, she didn’t see Ash that much anymore.

On one of the Saturdays she wasn’t busy with her driving lessons, she decided to go shopping for some maternity clothes since most to all of her clothes didn't fit her anymore. With the money she had saved up and her pay from the organization, she could afford to buy herself a whole new wardrobe especially professional wears since she didn’t have a lot of those. It was a good thing her place of work was not concern about office wear as long as the job was done.

Despite Ash being home she still called Tim to drive her to the plaza. She knew he would not take her or even want to be seen out with her. Each day she stayed married to him, her insecurity seemed to increase. She knew she wasn’t an ugly person since she had been told her whole childhood she was beautiful. But then again those men were perverts who will say anything to get in her pants so how true were their words?  

She stopped at target first. In there, she bought five dresses that could serve as professional wear as well as casual outing; the weather was still hot so dresses were appropriate. She also bought a couple of cardigans just in case it got chilly

She stopped at peas in a pod where she purchased two maternity jeans and three blouses. She decided while she was out, she should buy some small baby things. She still didn't know the sex yet, so she bought a couple of bibs, onesies and towels in unisex colors.

Looking around the baby section, she realized she needed to start working on the nursery. She still hadn't bought important baby gears like car seat, crib and strollers and time was flying by very fast.

She heard her name when she picked up a cute pink baby outfit.

She turned her head to the voice and she couldn’t believe her eyes at the sight.

"Oh my God Emily, It is you" the voice added. Emily’s face lite up when she saw her friend Cindy walking towards her. She never thought she would see her friend anymore, let alone in the baby section of a department store.

"Cindy? Wow. It’s been a while". She hugged her friend when she was close.

Cindy pushed her back looking down at her burgeoning tummy.

"Whoa. You are pregnant" Cindy stated the obvious with a dumbfounded look on her face as she continued to stare at the bump.  

Emily rubbed her tummy "Yep" Emily knew her friend was shocked seeing her very pregnant after a mere year from the last time she saw her so she wasn’t surprised at the reaction; anyone who knew Emily would be shocked too.

"Wow. I didn’t expect you to be knocked up" Cindy said still looking shocked.

Emily giggled "Yea. It was unexpected" unexpected was an understatement. In all her widest imagination, Emily never thought she would be pregnant at 19 years old or worst be married to someone that couldn’t even stand her, let alone love her.

"Please tell that old man that is not responsible"

Emily laughed at that. That would not even be possible since Mr. Hurley was an honorable man. She felt a twinge of guilt remembering how she had labelled him a pedophile when he was very far from it and to think she was afraid of him. Of all the Hurley’s, he turned out to be the only decent one.

“No its not” she assured her friend. Cindy nodded but remained confused. Emily knew she wanted to know more and was waiting for her to elaborate.