He froze for a moment, disbelief flickering in his eyes. Then, anger, very raw and violent, flooded his expression. He grabbed my wrist, his grip iron-tight. In one motion, he shoved me backward. My hip hit the counter edge, and pain shot through me. I winced but held my ground.

He didn’t care. It's not about me, and it's not about the baby growing inside me. Even knowing it might be his, he didn’t stop. What kind of man had he become?

“I won’t let you and my father mock me like this!” he hissed. His chest heaved with every breath. “This ends now!”

I steadied myself, exhaling through the...