Prequel

Hope sat in her car and stared blankly at the house she'd practically called a second home for the last 10 months. Today was the day she had to leave for college and she came to say her farewell to her boyfriend and his siblings before she went. Tears slowly filled her eyes as the happy memories flooded her mind, movie nights with both their family, morning walks at the park, helping his with her school work, holding his hand as she walked home from school, all the nights they'd snuck out to the lake. How would she ever be able to leave Derek behind? Her heart clenched just thinking about it. 10 months ago she'd knocked on Derek's door with no intentions but tutoring his younger sister, Delilah, in English. Neither of them expected the whirlwind romance that proceeded.

Derek was a generous, faithful, kind soul with sparkling green eyes, short black hair, a chiseled jaw-line and a smile that can sweep any girl off her feet. His parents had died shortly before he was suppose to start college. His mother in a car accident and his father committed suicide shortly afterwards. Afterwards, Derek gave up his scholarships and dreams of law school to stay in this small town and help his younger brother and sister finish school. They were able to keep their childhood home because Derek got a job at a hardware store and did handyman jobs on the side.

When Hope walked into his life, 2 years after his parents death, it was like a gentle, warm reminder that God hadn't taken all the happiness out of his world and he told her this often. He cherished Hope with all that he had, even though most people in his town disapproved of their relationship. Hope was of a much higher class. She lived in a gated community, her mother was from a wealthy family and her father was a famous judge. Hope was destined for greatness and everyone thought he would end up holding her back. But that was never his plan. He feared his time with her would be short-lived and eventually she would see as lowly compared to everything she had but he was grateful for the opportunity to feel this overwhelming happiness and would hold on to her as long as she wanted him.

As Hope sat in her car, embraced in the loving memories she shared with all the Hueghs, she heard a car pull up beside her and watched as her best friend, Chloe, calmly strode into Derek's house without knocking. Hope looked on with curiosity.

"That's strange," she thought, "I didn't realize they were that close. Why is Chloe here? She knew I was coming over here before the goodbye party later. Maybe something came up and she wanted to say goodbye here."

With that thought she watched through the windows, in confusion, as she saw Chloe throw her arms around Derek and kiss him passionately. Hope immediately closed her eyes as she felt her whole world crashing around her.

How could they do this to her? What was going on?

She slowly and cautiously opened her car door and stepped out, as if she were afraid the ground would break if she stepped too hard. As she fell against the car door, closing it with her back, she watched as the two figures in the window spoke animatedly to each other. Suddenly, Derek's eyes met hers through the window and she was snapped out of frozen state. She began walking in the direction of the house, every step laced with pain and confusion. She breathed deeply trying to hold the flood of emotions back. She wanted to talk with them first before she freaking out. Maybe she saw wrong. Derek would never embarrass or betray her like that.

Her mind was so busy whirling and turning as she tired to come up with different conclusions other than what she saw, that she didn't realize the duo had come out the house and met her on the front porch until she heard Chloe blurt our, "I'm pregnant."

Hopes defenses shattered as she processed those words. She huffed trying to steady her breathing.

"I'm sorry, you're pregnant? When?"

"Aren't you going to congratulate us, Hope? After all, your leaving is what caused Derry here to get completely wasted a few weeks ago at the bar," accused Chloe.

Derek just looked at Hope with a pained expression, not offering any solutions or contradictions.

"Is this true," Hope commanded as she let the tears freely fall. Screw pride, she wanted them to know and see just how hurt and betrayed she felt by both of them. More than that, she wanted them feel what she was feeling. She'd trusted both of them with all her heart and she wasn't a person to trust easily.

"How could you do this to me? I loved you, I gave you everything I had, Derek. Say something! I came here today to tell you goodbye. I could have been spending this time with my family or my real friends. People who actually care about me and instead I'm here, blubbering in front of you two! Did you ever care about me? Why would you do this?"

Derek wanted so badly to hold her, to say something in his defense but he was stuck in his place. Still shocked from the news himself, he tried to remember that night. He remembered seeing Chloe there as she was the bar tender. He remembered ordering drinks once from her and the rest were ordered by his buddies. He did get plastered that night but he was celebrating the start of his buddy's flooring business not drowning in his sorrow. He woke up the next day in his home and his younger brother, Cole, had informed him that he had picked him up from the bar after he called him in a drunken stupor. He was almost certain nothing happened between him and Chloe.

"Chloe stop this. It's her last day here. I wanted to spend it with her. Couldn't you have waited until tomorrow. I barely remember you that night and Cole said he picked me up directly from the bar. There's no way I slept with you," Derek finally regained a portion of his senses and moved to hug Hope but she pushed him away as she waited for Chloe's response. Apparently, she'd taken his silence as guilt judging from the glaring hatred on her face.

"Really? So you don't remember telling me that you wanted to break up with her anyway because there was no way you were going to have a long distance relationship while there were so many girls around you now while we were kissing in the storage room?"

Derek stood still. He really had intended to end things with her but only because he didn't want her to lose focus on her school work but eventually he decided that he could not live without her. He would've packed up and move his whole household if he needed to, just to give them a fighting chance at happiness. In his heart, he knew it was a selfish decision but he also knew that she'd move back here for him too and he didn't want that. Looking at Hope's face, seeing the mix of shock and hurt on her face, he knew it was over. He tried and failed to explain. Tears fought hard to spill out as his stomach spasmed with the fear of losing her, especially like this. He wanted to puke. He stroked her long brown hair and looked into her rich brown doe eyes as he spoke.

"Hope, you have always been my ray of sunshine. I never meant to hurt you. I did intend to break up with you bu-"

After hearing him affirm both of the accusations made towards him, Hope violently shoved his hand away, wiped her tears and looked them both in the eyes as she stood up as straight as she could.

"So, Chloe you slept with my boyfriend knowing how much he meant to me. You've always been jealous of me and I can't believe you would go to this extent to get what you want. I guess we were never really friends though. Derek, you slept with my best friend and were planning on breaking up with me on my last day here. You two deserve each other. I hope you raise your baby to be better than you. Good luck. I'm leaving this town and you so far behind me. I can't believe I trusted people like you. Everyone warned me. Everyone told me you were scum and I chose not to believe them. So, I guess this is really my fault."

With that Hope turned and calmly, but stiffly, walked back to her car. There was so much more she wanted to say, so much she want to scream but she wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing her hurting any longer. She felt as if they'd conspired to be this cruel to her. What kind of evil person would derive pleasure from causing someone this much pain. What gain is there?

As Chloe watched her best friend's car pull out and drive off, she smirked. She'd always hated everything about Hope. She hated the way people naturally flocked towards her. She hated the easy life she was provided because of her parents. She hated her perfect grades and positive attitude. But the thing she hated most was that the cold, icy Derek Huegh beamed every time someone mentioned the name of his little girlfriend. Her stomach turned as she thought of all the times she'd seen him look at Hope as if she was the only girl on the planet, all the times she'd watched from behind as he carried her backpack and walked her home. Now it was Chloe's turn to be loved and doted on. She finally got Hope out the picture.

Smugly congratulating herself on her victory, she turned to Derek and was hurt to see the anger on his face. He was suppose to be hers now. She walked up to him and brushed his check with her hand, making him flinch backwards as if he'd been bitten by a snake. She snickered.

"Oh, excuse me, I thought you'd want to be nicer to me since I'm carrying your child. It takes two to tango, you know? I guess if you don't want it though, I can always disappear and just inform our child that it's father never wanted it and tossed it away like trash." She stated sarcastically, taunting him.

He just glared at her and gritted his teeth. In reality he wanted to strangle the life out of her. She'd stolen his last day with Hope. Even if she was pregnant, there was a better way to inform Hope so she wouldn't have been so hurt and angry. He was still doubtful of the truth of her allegations. But in the case Chloe really was pregnant with his child, he wanted to be present in his or her life. He'd always wanted to be a dad. He took a deep breath and stared at the ground intently trying to gather the right words.

"I need time to think. When is your next doctor appointment?"

"I haven't been to a doctor yet."

"Then how do you know you're pregnant?! I really hope you aren't lying to me just to hurt Hope."

"It's called a pregnancy test. And if you dare accuse me of lying again, you'll never see this baby. Do you understand me?"

"Fine, schedule a doctor appointment as soon as possible. I'd like to go with you. I'll take you to eat afterwards so we can talk more. I'm sorry, I really don't remember anything from that night."

Chloe smiled at him and left. Everything went just as she'd hoped it would. Soon she'd have Derek. He'd love her like no one else ever had.

First she just had to get pregnant, or figure out a way to stage a convincing miscarriage. "That might be more effective. Everyone would pity me and Derek would be even more devoted," she thought, excited she wouldn't have to sacrifice her body for this plan. To be frank, she knew she wasn't mother material.

Derek hurried inside and picked up the phone to dial Hopes cell but the call went straight to voicemail and immediately hung up. As he'd feared, she'd blocked him. He called her house number, hoping she'd pick up, just to give him a chance to apologize and explain how much he loved her and how much it hurt him that he hurt her. Mrs. Dawson, Hope's mother answered the phone with her familiar, "Hello!"

Before she could say anything more Derek spat out everything he had to say so fast the poor woman only got half of what he was saying but she could hear the sincerity in his voice and knew if was important. She listened to his speech about everything that happened in utter confusion. As she listened completely shocked her phone lit up with a text from her daughter.

"Mom, Derek lied and cheated. I decided to go to the earlier orientation so I have to leave now. I'm sorry, I love you all but I had to go get out of that town. Please tell everyone I love them and I'm sorry I had to leave early, I need to be anywhere but home right now. I'll call you later. Love you"

The mother knew everything she needed to with that text and did what any good mother would have. She called Derek and ungrateful, spineless pig and hung up the phone in haste. She called her daughter and listened to her cries of anguish over being humiliated and used by people she cared most about. She began crying along with her daughter and wished she was near her sweet girl so she could stroke her hair and comfort her. She couldn't bare not being able to comfort her baby.

But, after a while she heard Hope take a deep, steady breath and say, "It's over mom but I refuse to let those be the best days of my life. I will work hard and find something and someone I love. I have to start the next chapter of my life and I'm still excited about that. I won't let them steal my joy. Will you come help me set up my dorm soon?"

"Of course, baby! I'll be there tomorrow!"

Mrs. Dawson smiled at the thought of her wise, resilient, strong daughter. She'd done a good job raising this one and she knew Hope would be just fine once this sting healed.