The Lost Twin '' I Own The Pregnancy ''

It was a chilly Saturday morning, and Debbie woke up with a big yawn, stretching her arms above her head.

For a split second, she forgot where she was, still feeling groggy from sleep.

Then, it hit her, she wasn't in her parents' house. "Where am I?" She thought, quickly looking around.

She wasn't in her small room with the beautiful pink curtains that had decorated her room. No, she was at Ma'am Margarita's place.

"OMG! She exclaimed. holding her hand over her mouth.

Fear shot through her like a cold wind. She jolted upright, as her heart began to beat.

"Oh no, I overslept," she whispered to herself, the panic rising in her chest.

She threw the thin blanket off and glanced at the clock on the wall and started thinking,making her throat suddenly dry.

"If Ma'am Margarita caught her in bed at this time, she'd be in serious trouble."

Ma'am Margarita is their guardian and wife to the fisherman who had helped Debbie and Daniel when they had almost drowned in the ocean.

Ever since Mr Fred brought them to the house, Ma'am Margarita hasn't made life easy for Debbie and Daniel.

She didn't take kindly to laziness, especially from someone like Debbie and Daniel, who she thought were already lucky to live under her roof.

Without thinking twice, Debbie shook Daniel, who was still fast asleep beside her as they shared the same room.

"Daniel, wake up! Get up, now!" She said, in a voice barely above a whisper, not wanting Ma'am Margarita to hear her.

"Leave me alone, Deb. I want to sleep,"

He groaned in his sleep, while burying his face in the pillow. Debbie shook him harder.

"Daniel, seriously, you have to get up!" her voice was urgent now, fear making her hands tremble.

Daniel mumbled something, turning over, but he didn't seem fully awake.

"Daniel!" She whispered again, this time pulling the blanket off him completely.

He stood up this time and looked at her, with his eyes still half closed. "What...what time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up slowly.

"Later than it should be," she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. "If Ma'am Margarita catches us still in bed, we're done for." she reminded him.

At that time, Daniel's eyes widened, and he suddenly moved, jumping out of bed so fast you'd think it was on fire.

He stumbled a bit, pulling on his pants, he knew the consequences. "I didn't mean to sleep this late," he muttered, rushing to grab his shirt off the floor.

His movements were hurried and clumsy, like Debbie. Fear had a way of making them move faster than they wanted to. They both knew the rules in the house. There was no room for mistakes.

Debbie had to get up and start her house chores the moment the sun came up. That's how things worked around here.

And Daniel...well, he wasn't even supposed to be here this late into the morning.

She glanced at him, biting her lip, hoping they could make it out of the room before Ma'am Margarita noticed. She quickly grabbed her nighties jacket from the corner of the room, tossed them on and tied her hair back in a rush.

The house was quiet, too quiet, which only made the ticking clock on the wall seem louder and more threatening.

Debbie tiptoed toward the door, motioning for Daniel to follow. They couldn't make any noise, not if they wanted to avoid trouble.

Daniel followed closely behind her, his steps were as light as her's.

She opened the door slowly and peeked. The hallway was empty. Relief washed over her for a second.

Maybe they were safe. Maybe Ma'am Margarita was still in her room. She thought. So she stepped out fully motioning for Daniel to do the same.

They both crept down the hallway and made it to the small kitchen. The dishes from last night's dinner were still piled up in the sink, and she was more scared at the thought of having to clean them before Ma'am Margarita noticed.

She grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counters, trying to look busy.

Daniel, still a bit disorganized from being woken up so suddenly, began helping too, picking up some of the dishes to dry.

Just as they started, they heard footsteps approaching. Her heart leaped into her throat.

She exchanged a panicked look with Daniel. They both knew who it was. Ma'am Margarita.

Her footsteps were loud and deliberate due to her fat body, the kind that made them feel like they were being watched even when they weren't.

"Debbie? Daniel?" her voice called from the hallway, They could hear her coming closer.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, in an angry tone. Debbie forced a smile and wiped her hands on the rag, pretending she hadn't been caught off guard.

"Good morning, Ma'am. We were just finishing up in the kitchen," she said quickly, hoping her voice sounded calm and casual.

Daniel nodded beside her, avoiding her gaze. Ma'am Margarita stood in the doorway, narrowing her eyes at the both of them.

"Finishing up?" she repeated, in a cold tone. She looked around the kitchen, noticing the dishes still in the sink.

Her expression didn't change, but she knew what was coming. "You're late, both of you." She was about to spark.

Debbie swallowed hard, knowing there was no point in arguing. "Yes, Ma'am," she said quietly, lowering her head. Daniel did the same.

"Late is the same as being lazy in my book," she continued, stepping into the kitchen. Her presence felt like a heavy weight, making it hard to breathe.

"I expected this kitchen to be spotless by the time I get back. Understood?" She warned.

"Yes, Ma'am," they both mumbled in unison, their voices barely above whispers.

She stared at them for a long moment, then turned and walked out, leaving them confused and curious.

As soon as she was out of sight, they both let out the breath they'd been holding. Daniel looked at Debbie, with a pale face.

"We need to hurry," he whispered. Debbie nodded, and they both set to work, scrubbing, cleaning, and wiping everything down as fast as they could.

Every time they heard footsteps, they would jump, worried Ma'am Margarita would come back and find something out of place.

The morning continued with fear, each minute felt longer than the last, then suddenly, someone came in as this time it wasn't Ma'am Margarita but trouble 'herself'.