Chapter 1: The Question

She must’ve thought she was clever, flying under the radar with a burner account, but even a throwaway handle can’t hide everything. The question glared at me from my laptop, the cursor blinking like it knew my secrets. The headline was blunt:

"If I had an abortion before, would it show up on a premarital health check?"

I just sat there, stunned.

We’d always been careful—used protection every time, never even a close call.

The world seemed to tilt beneath me as I blinked at the screen. My hands shook so badly I almost spilled my coffee. Was this really her? Or was I losing my mind? Outside, a neighbor’s dog barked, oblivious to the thunderbolt that had just hit my life. For a long minute, I could only stare, replaying every late-night pharmacy run, every serious talk about being safe and responsible. My stomach churned; the coffee I’d just finished turned to acid.