Chapter One

Walking around campus, pregnant, is never any girl's dream. Feeling like your the centre of attention and everyone judges you their own way. With times like this, lunch breaks, murmurs become evident even from your supposedly best friends.

"couldn't they use protection? "

"I would rather abort it, than keep a baby... So awkward"

"Withdrawal is free... Pills aren't expensive "

Now you might be wondering how I got into this situation,'pregnant at school'. For starters, my name is Vanessa Mats, 20. I'm the only child of the great rich Arborist, Mr. Hardy Mats…well now he is not so great that am pregnant. My mom died when I was two leaving me to my forever busy father. He has this big company about forests and wood with different branches allover Uganda. Last year during my highschool vacation, my dad fired one of his forest managers, Stevo for embezzlement. That somehow started this whole pregnancy thing.

"am so disappointed Stevo" said my dad

"I repeat boss, I have no idea what your talking about... I have showed you all my records"

"Enough with the lies!" he banged the table leaving the room then turned to him... "am done with you stevo"

And boom! He was fired. I had tried to ignore the noises from the study with my music but it is hard to ignore my dad's roar. Am startled when someone suddenly bumps into my room. It is the boss.

"Vanessa, your going to have to fill in for Stevo at the farm."

What? Had I heard father right? For a moment I freeze. Truth is I have never, and I mean ever left my home... getting out of the city. Growing up in munyonyo like ever since I wore diapers, I knew nothing of rural areas and I was sure as hell, Stevo was a farm manager in some deep village. I stop blinking!

"are you kidding right now?" I break out

"unfortunately not my dear. Stevo has greatly stole from us..."my dad tries to explain.

"stole from us? Stole from you... It's your damn company "

He remains silent for a moment, because he knows where this conversation is going…trying to convince me that am the only child, the heiress to his everything, so it's definitely our farms,our company.

"you realise am not going anywhere... You have over 2000 employees... Get anyone." I blunt.

"Vanny I need time to get someone I can trust, so in the meantime, your going to be the farm manager."I look at him disapprovingly confused as he attempts to leave the room. He trurns, "and I have given it deep thought, it's final." He reigns.

It was an ultimatum. You don't want to know what could happen if I ever disobeyed. My father is a god, a kingin his empire. He wins every argument and is always right…he never asks but commands.

Leaving the city meant leaving my life, friends, house…my whole life...I wouldn't survive the mosquitoes. I sank into my bed to process my rigorous reality to come.