She Was Thrown Out at 14 for Getting Pregnant—What She Did Next Left Everyone in Tears (2 of 4)

“Eight weeks,” Lily murmured, barely audible.

Her stepfather, Rick, hovered in the hallway. Her mom didn’t even look at him before saying, “You’re not keeping it.”

Lily blinked. “What?”

“You heard me,” her mom snapped. “And don’t think for a second you’ll keep living here while dragging this family’s name through the gutter.”

Rick muttered something about consequences. Lily didn’t argue. What would’ve been the point?

By dusk, the porch light was the only thing left on—until that clicked off too.

She texted her best friend Sofia. No response. School night. Parents probably took her phone.

So she walked.

Past the park where she used to meet Nate, the boy who had no idea he was about to be a father. Past the corner library where she once Googled “Can you be pregnant and not know it?” Her feet blistered. Her stomach twisted. Her heart? Numb.

She didn’t cry. Not then.

The shelter was five miles away, a place she’d only ever seen on a school poster: No judgment. No questions. Just safety. At the door, she pressed the buzzer with shaking hands.