Seven Months Pregnant—My Stepsister Called My Baby a Bastard Chapter 05

Seven Months Pregnant—My Stepsister Called My Baby a Bastard Chapter 05

Lightning flashed outside

Thunder followed, each crash louder than the one before.

Denise laughed in disbelief.

“You’ve completely lost your mind. Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

“Talia was only eight when I married Graham’s father.”

“They aren’t related by blood, but they were raised together like brother and sister.”

“We watched them grow up. Keep spreading filthy lies, and I’ll sue you for defamation.”

“Then you’ve spent years refusing to see what was in front of you.”

I lowered myself onto the couch and tossed my phone toward her.

“Read it yourself.”

Graham reached it first and pressed his hand over the screen.

With his back to me, he spoke softly, and I heard a tremor I had never heard before.

“Maren… stop this.”

“Are you hungry? I’ll make something for you.”

I ignored him.

Anger had replaced the burning in my stomach. I could not feel hunger anymore.

My gaze passed over Talia, pale and shrinking into the corner, before settling on her stunned

parents.

“Do you want the messages or the clinic records first?”

Denise’s voice climbed into a shriek.

“That is a disgusting lie!”

“Aren’t you afraid God will punish you for saying something like that?”

“We raised Talia and Graham ourselves They could never…

You’re the ones who deserve punishment!”

I shouted without restraint

The evidence is on that phone. Look at it!”

“You ignored what was obvious for years. Are you going to pretend you’re blind now too?”

Rain battered the windows, setting every nerve on edge.

In the sudden silence, Martin spoke in a low voice.

“Graham, give me the phone.”

Graham did not move.

He stood rigid as a statue, his back straight even as his shoulders collapsed.

Martin tore the phone from his hand and read it with Denise.

The farther they scrolled, the grayer their faces became.

Denise nearly lost her balance, while Martin’s breathing grew harsh.

I leaned against the couch and relived every screenshot as their fingers moved over the screen.

[Talia: I’m dying. My roommate has no idea I’m the one answering her.]

[Talia: She still sends good–morning and good–night messages on schedule. It’s pathetic.]

[Graham:…]

[Talia: Now she’s telling me about her broken family. Please, who asked about her parents‘ divorce?]

[Talia: Does she think acting wounded makes her irresistible?]

[Talia: She looks so innocent, but privately she’s shameless with men.]

[Talia: Graham, if you were really talking to her, would you ever fall for her?]

[Graham: No.]

¡Graham Talia, you know I love you Why do you keep testing me?)

[Graham Why can’t you be brave with me?]

[Graham (ll handle our parents. You only have to say yes.]

[Talia Are you insane? Isn’t what we have now enough?]

(Talia Do you really want to tear this family apart?]

The person I had confided in had been Talia all along.

They had mocked and degraded me privately, then greeted me with smiles to my face.

Talia had linked arms with me, called me her best friend, and affectionately joked that I would

become her sister–in–law.

The memory made me sick.

What had I ever done to deserve this from them?

I remembered crying when Graham first confessed his feelings and wanted to slap my younger

self.

Back then, I thought my devotion had finally moved him and that my hard years had earned

happiness.

I never imagined I was merely the safe substitute he accepted after Talia started dating someone

else.

“Mom!”

Talia called through red eyes, her voice shaking.

“Those are fake screenshots Maren edited. Don’t believe her.”

“She can’t stand seeing me happy.”

Even now, she tried to smear me.

I gave a quiet laugh.

“Talia, you weren’t calling me a liar when you begged me to take you to an abortion clinic.”