PREGNANT HIGH SCHOOLER II

Ava's senior year in high school had been the worst memory she had while living with her adoptive family. At seventeen, nearly an adult with her birthday just two months away, she was accused of being pregnant and having an abortion.

Apparently, Claudia's friend, a doctor at the local hospital, claimed that a young girl had checked in for the procedure using Ava's name. Whether it was a clerical error or a malicious act of sabotage, Ava never found out. What she did know was that the doctor wasted no time reporting the so-called "incident" to Claudia.

Ava's denial had fallen on deaf ears. The Lanes didn't even want to hear anything she had to say. It was like they had been looking for an opportunity like this to punish her. The punishments were swift and merciless.

Aside taking away all her savings from her numerous part time jobs, Claudia had locked her up for days without food and water in their rusty barn that didn't have a roof, justifying her action by accusing Ava of sneaking out of the house at night, and deliberately getting pregnant to soil their family name. Patrick had backed up his wife's accusations.

Simon had throughly beaten her to the point where she lost consciousness. And Emily... Emily had been the worst. She spread the rumor in school, and called her a slut whenever they crossed path, telling her to think twice before spreading her legs for men in the future.

After all of these humiliation, Ava had found out a year before she was reborn that Emily had been the one who was pregnant and had an abortion, and all her family knew. They delibrately pinned it on her to avoid scandal in the neighborhood, and who else was a scapegoat other than their naive adopted daughter?

Ava's lips twitched into a humorless laugh as she caught glimpses of the guests whose gazes flicked between her and Claudia, already casting silent verdicts based on the lies they'd just heard. Some even murmured amongst themselves as they recognized her.

"Do you know what's funny, Claudia?" Ava began. "How a whole family are nothing more than liars and cowards."

Claudia's face dropped.

"You want to talk about ruining the family name?" Ava continued, "Let's talk about how you locked a seventeen-year-old girl in a barn for days without food or water, because of a lie. Or how your precious golden boy Simon beat me unconscious because it made him feel powerful. Or..."

Her eyes landed on Emily, "...how your perfect little angel spread rumors about me at school, calling me a slut, all while she was the one who actually got pregnant."

The guests that looked at Ava judgementally, now focused on the Lanes.

"Shut up!" Emily shrieked with panic. She stepped forward, pointing a shaking finger at Ava. "You're lying! Don't believe her! She's trying to make us look bad because--because--"

"Because what, Emily?" Ava cut her off. "Should I bring out the proof? Cause unlike you, I now have resources. Do you want to test me?!"

Emily opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Patrick's face turned red, and his fists balled as he barked. "How dare you?! After all we've done for you--"

"Shut up, Patrick!" Ava said sternly. "You keep saying 'how dare I?' but who gave you the right to interrupt me when I'm speaking, huh?"

"You all knew the truth, yet you come into my home, my family's estate, humiliating me, and demanding for what? A compensation? For what exactly? For every penny you took from me? Or for stripping me of every dignity I had because it was more convenient to blame me for your daughter's mistakes? What's easier than making the adopted daughter the scapegoat, right?!"

The silence that followed between the Lanes were deafening.

Inhaling softly despite her hands that trembled slightly from the anger she tried to control, Ava locked eyes with Claudia. "Don't ever show your face in this mansion ever again," she warned. "If anything, you all deserve to rot in jail for what you did to me."

Claudia's jaw clenched, Patrick's face turned grim in anger, while Emily's wide, tear-filled eyes darted to the guests that looked at her judgementally.

Taking one final look at their faces, Ava exhaled weakly. She was already feeling a little exhausted from everything. She turned away to take her leave but was blindsided.

Claudia shoved Ava with all the strength her fury could muster. The timing was so perfect that Ava didn't have enough time to even protect her face from the fall. Just as she almost crashed, a strong hand held her waist, stopping her mid air.