After Getting Pregnant, My Boyfriend's True Colors Were Exposed

I stormed out the door with my bag and headed downstairs. It didn’t take long before Lysander caught up with me.

He grabbed my hand and said, “Please don’t be mad. My mom’s been like this since my dad passed. I talked to her and she asked me to apologize.”

I was breathing hard, partly from walking so fast but mostly from how furious I was. I never imagined I’d end up with such a horrible mother-in-law.

Lysander gently shook my hand, trying to calm me down, saying, “Don’t upset our baby. Let’s go back, okay? She won’t act like that again, I promise.”

Part 3

Back at Lysander’s house, Ariana’s expression remained unchanged, but at least she didn’t argue with me.

When Lysander went out to handle some errands in the afternoon, Ariana found another issue. She grabbed my arm and said, “Come with me to the hospital.”

I pulled my arm away, red from her grip and asked, “What’s the hospital for?”

She stuttered and refused to answer until I refused to go with her. Then she said, "Let's see if you have a boy or a girl in your belly."

I frowned and asked, “How can you tell if the baby hasn’t formed yet?”

Ariana grabbed my arm again, pushing me toward the door. “We have a way to check. Just come on!”

Then it hit me and I shoved her away, my face twisting in anger.

“That’s illegal! I’m not going. If you try to drag me again, I’ll call the police,” I replied.

When she heard me mention the police, Ariana finally backed off, muttering insults under her breath. I caught fragments like little and broken shoes as she turned her back to me.

When Lysander came back in the evening, I decided to confront him about the incident.

I asked, “Did your mother really apologize this afternoon? Was she sincere?”

Lysander didn’t answer.

My heart sank; I knew he was lying.

Just as I was about to speak, Lysander cut me off, unusually frustrated, saying, “Elira, can you stop making such a fuss? My mom’s almost in her sixties. Can’t you understand her?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the smoke filling the room and clarified, “You two have argued so much today. My mom has never acted like this before.”

I waved the smoke away, feeling nauseous and countered, “Lysander, isn’t your mother who’s causing all the trouble? And how can you not know that checking on a child is illegal?”

Lysander replied, “When we were dating, I could indulge you, but now that we’re talking about marriage, you need to show respect for my mother.”

I decided to let it go for now. “When we do get married, what about the dowry?”

He surprised me, saying, “$100,000.”

I was shocked and asked, “$100,000?!”

Lysander explained, “We won’t be able to afford a house otherwise. A three-bedroom apartment in Cape Town costs at least $140,000.”

I answered quickly, “No.”

“You wear so many designer brands; you can’t possibly be short of $100,000!” he said firmly.

My instincts told me something was off and I had a strong feeling about it.

Lysander crushed his cigarette and frowned.

“Elira, you’re pregnant now. I’m thinking about our future,” he replied.

“Go talk to your parents,” he added. “Without $100,000, our wedding won’t be easy.”

It felt like he was using marriage as a threat.

Part 4

I didn’t answer him directly and just said I had discussed it with my parents.

Lysander’s sudden shift in attitude sent a chill through me. His words revealed a painful truth.

It became clear that Lysander had pursued me for my money. He had been kind before because he had not yet secured me.

Now that I was pregnant, he felt he had me under his control.

In just one day, his true colors had shown and he was demanding an outrageous dowry.

I couldn’t believe that Ariana could teach someone as seemingly perfect as Lysander had been with me. It made me think he must have had an agenda from the start.

With no buses to Cape Town at night, I lay in bed with my back turned to Lysander, unable to sleep. I just wanted to wake up, get home and tell my parents everything.

I knew I had to break up with Lysander. Someone who could deceive me for three years was too frightening.

The next morning, Ariana brought in a dressed fortune teller. The shaman danced around and if it weren’t for my low blood sugar and fear of getting stranded without food, I would have left immediately.

The fortune teller finally declared, “It’s a girl!”

Ariana’s gaze turned cold as she stared at my belly, her eyes filled with hostility.

Once the shaman left, I ate my meal in a trembling state.

Lysander said he needed to pack his things and asked me to wait for him downstairs.

As I stepped out of the house, I finally felt a sense of relief. But suddenly, a powerful shove sent me stumbling forward.

Lysander’s home was in a residential area and I found myself falling down a long, winding staircase.

The feeling of weightlessness made my heart race. I curled up, trying to protect myself, but the cold, hard steps caused excruciating pain.

From the top of the stairs, Ariana sneered, “No money and pregnant with a worthless child and you still dare to talk back to me!”

My lower body throbbed with intense pain. As I began to lose consciousness, I shakily pulled out my phone and called 911.