Chased Out

“Who is responsible for your pregnancy, Laura?” Jerry Phillips shouted for the third time in a minute. His face was red with anger, and his veins were protruding from his neck as he looked at his second daughter with all the hate and disappointment he was feeling.

“I don’t know, dad; I don’t know,” Laura replied again and again, her eyes filled with tears as she begged her father.

“Shut your mouth, Laura, and quit telling us all the lies; we all know you never wanted to be betrothed to Jared,” Anna Phillips, Laura’s stepmother, said, feigning displeasure for her stepdaughter's predicament.

“I am telling the truth; I swear it; please, someone should believe me,” Laura pleaded again.

“Your father offers you a better life, and all you can do is throw it away,” Anna said again, adding more fuel to the fire and making Jerry angry at his mistake of a daughter.

“Do one thing, Laura, just one thing, so that you don’t end up a shame to this family and you can’t do it,” Jerry said as his anger mounted.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Laura said again. She was as confused as they were; she had no recollection of sleeping with anyone.

“You’re not sorry, you’re just ungrateful,” Anna said, adding, “You are a disgrace to this family; all you have done since your birth is bring shame upon this family. It seems no matter what we do, you just want to end up like your mother.”

Laura’s hands balled into fists at her side at the mention of her mother. She could take all the insults they were going to haul at her, but no one was going to insult the memory of her mother.

Laura looked towards Grace, who was sitting on the sofa beside her mother, Anna, and saw a wicked smile on her face. It was then that it dawned on Laura that there was just one night in her entire life she could not remember, and that was the night of the dinner.

“Grace What did you do to me that night? What did you do?” Laura asked in anger as she rushed over and pulled Grace up by her shirt sleeves.

Anna stepped towards them and pushed Laura away from her daughter. “Don’t you dare touch my daughter like that again, ever,” Anna declared in anger.

“Why would I know? It’s not like you take me wherever you go. I do not know anything about what she is talking about.” Grace replied with fake innocence.

“See, she does not know anything; Grace wouldn’t bring us shame like you have done.” Anna stated, her face expressing her disgust.

Tears streamed down Laura’s face as she moved towards her father. “Dad, Grace knows something; she was there that night,” Laura pleaded.

The sound of a slap echoed through the living room; the sting was felt by Laura, who held her checks in shock. “Dad…dd?” Laura stammered in pain.

“That is for lying against your sister; instead of you telling the truth, you are busy telling lies about your sister.” Jerry shouted at Laura.

“So, you do remember the night you got pregnant, and you have been lying about not remembering anything,” Anna said in mockery.

“I am trying my best so you don’t end up like your mother, so you can marry into a wealthy family, but all you have done is destroy it.” Jerry shouted, his words like hammers, knocking the breath out of Laura with every word.

“I am not my mother." Laura screamed in anger, her voice shaking as she looked straight at her father and added, “You were the one who made the mistake by sleeping with my mother; why do I have to suffer for it?”

Jerry was shocked at the audacity. “You disgrace me, and yet you have the courage to say that,” Jerry said as he moved towards Laura in anger and pushed her to the ground.

“I just knew it; you are just like your mother; after all that your father has done for you, after all that this family has done for you, yet you pay us by disgracing us; you are an ungrateful and selfish soul," Anna said.

A wicked laugh erupted from Laura; she looked possessed as she faced Anna. “Aren’t you the concerned stepmother? Just admit it. Admit that you’re happy I’m pregnant,” Laura shouted.

“She has gone mad, mom, dad. What are we going to do?” Grace asked Jerry, who was looking at Laura in shock too.

“You will not stay here and disgrace me, girl. I am sending you away; you surely have gotten mad,” Jerry said.

A sudden calmness fell on Laura as her eyes welled up with tears, the reality of her predicament becoming real.

"Dad, please don’t send me away; please, dad,” Laura pleaded.

Turning towards her stepmother, Laura begged, “I’m sorry; please don’t let him send me away, Grace; please, I beg of you.”

“That serves you right, Laura; at last we would be rid of you,” Anna replied.

“I’ll look after Jared for you, okay? Don’t worry, I won’t tell him you were chased out of town,” Grace said mockingly.

They were not concerned for her. Laura turned towards her father, who had called in one of the housekeepers.

“Lucy, go up to Laura’s room, pack every item that is important, and bring them down here,” Jerry instructed.

Lucy looked towards Laura with pity before replying, "Okay, sir.”

Turning in Laura’s direction, Jerry said, “I am sending you to a distant relative; she has been requesting that you visit; well, I guess, now’s the best time for you to.” He paused for a minute before adding, “The only difference is that you would not be coming back.”

Laura’s heart stopped when she heard that; her father’s face was set in stone as he said it. Anna and Grace looked so pleased, they didn’t bother to hide it.

Lucy brought down the bags, and they were picked up by the driver, who carried them to the car.

"Dad, please,” Laura pleaded one last time, but Jerry looked away in anger, Anna looked relieved, and Grace looked at her with triumph as Laura was led out to another life.