Flash Marriage To The Vengeful CEO

Debora's hands shook so violently that the plastic stick tapped against the edge of the porcelain sink.

Two solid pink lines.

The air vanished from her lungs. She sucked in a harsh breath, the smell of cheap bleach and mildew burning her throat. Her left hand flew to her flat stomach, pressing hard against the thin cotton of her t-shirt. Her heart slammed against her ribs, a frantic, erratic rhythm that made her dizzy.

"Debora! Get out of there!" Marlene's shrill voice pierced through the thin wooden door, accompanied by the heavy thud of a fist. "You've been in there for twenty minutes!"

Panic, cold and sharp, spiked in Debora's chest. She fumbled with the pregnancy test, her slick fingers struggling to grip it. She unrolled a long strip of scratchy toilet paper, wrapping the plastic stick over and over until it looked like a thick, white bandage.

She shoved the wrapped bundle deep into the small trash can, burying it under crumpled tissues and empty toothpaste tubes.

She turned on the cold tap, splashed water onto her pale cheeks, and took a shuddering breath. Her fingers were still trembling as she reached for the doorknob and turned it.

Before she could pull the door open, it was violently shoved inward.

Marlene barreled into the cramped bathroom, her heavy frame nearly knocking Debora into the bathtub. Marlene's eyes, lined with smeared black pencil, raked over Debora with pure disgust.

"Worthless," Marlene spat. "A paroled convict living under my roof. You bring nothing but shame to this family."

Debora kept her head down, her jaw clamped shut. She turned her body sideways, trying to squeeze past her foster mother and escape into the hallway.

But Marlene stopped. Her eyes narrowed with malicious suspicion as she noticed Debora's defensive posture. Without warning, Marlene kicked the small trash can with her heavy boot. The plastic bin tipped over, spilling its contents across the scuffed tiles. Amidst the crumpled tissues and empty toothpaste tubes, the thick, white toilet paper bundle rolled out, looking entirely out of place.

Debora's stomach plummeted. She lunged forward, but she was a second too late.

Marlene bent down and snatched the bundle. She ripped the toilet paper away. The two pink lines glared under the flickering bathroom bulb.

The silence in the bathroom was suffocating. Marlene's face morphed from confusion to shock, and then to a deep, ugly shade of red.

A piercing shriek ripped from Marlene's throat. Her hand shot out, her fingers twisting into Debora's hair.

"Ah!" Debora gasped, the sharp pain radiating across her scalp.

Marlene yanked hard, dragging Debora out of the bathroom. Debora stumbled, her knees hitting the scuffed hardwood floor of the hallway. Marlene didn't stop, pulling her all the way into the dimly lit living room and shoving her hard.

Debora crashed to the floor beside the frayed sofa, her shoulder taking the brunt of the impact.

Burt, her foster father, paused the television. He pushed himself out of his recliner, his