Joyous Celebration
This was supposed to be a monumental occasion. Four sisters getting pregnant at the same time isn't something you see every day. It couldn't have been more thrilling for them to be scheduled to give birth only three months apart from one another.
Suddenly, everything fell apart when one of them discovered something unusual about the father of her child. As a result of what she discovered, the four sisters were torn apart.
Talk Of The Town
When Marya, Sasha, Hailey, and Kelly Scarcella found that they had all fallen pregnant, they were twenty-eight years old. The four Mississippi sisters were ecstatic at the news that they were all sharing a term.
The four had always done everything together, from binge-watching TV to making their parents extravagant dinners to starting a variety of clubs. They had all grown inseparable over the years but never imagined that their relationship would be put to the ultimate test one day.
Parenting
Raising a family is something that most of us spend our lives working towards. It is fulfilling to be a guardian of a life that relies on you, whether it be a child, a pet, or even a plant.
This had always been a dream of the Scarcella sisters. It was always their dream to have kids at the same time so they could raise them together, as best friends and cousins. Their fate was unknown to them.
Miss Scarcella
A professional mountain climber fell deeply in love with Hailey, the third sister. True love was something neither she nor her sisters had ever before experienced.
Over the past few months, their mom had constantly been nagging them about their love lives. According to her, they were almost thirty and had no husbands to bring home. As she pursued him, Hailey merely wanted to put her mind at ease. It was for all the wrong reasons.
Well Deserved Rest
While touring across Tibet on vacation, she met Chase and found his company to be wildly refreshing and exciting.
Among those lean, professional mountain climbers, was Chase, eager to stake a claim on one of Asia's most remote peaks. Hailey met him by chance as he was traveling into the Himalayas, on route to his next great adventure.
Inseparable
He intrigued her with his story, and she became naturally drawn towards him. In addition to being hilarious and knowledgeable, he always kept her smiling whenever he was around.
It was at this moment Hailey realized she liked Chase more than she had realized. Whenever he was away, she thought of him near constantly. What a nightmare it would turn out to be. If only she could have prepared for what lay ahead.
A Sudden Change Of Heart
Her friendship with Chase grew rapidly over the days she traveled through Tibet. Even her schedules and routes were changed, following his instead of her own, tirelessly planned itinerary.
Her three-week stay in Asia ended with her accompanying him high into the Himalayas, where his goal was achieved. He proposed to her at one of the highest summits in the world.
Breathtaking Place
Even though Hailey was twenty-seven at the time, the request made her feel like a teenager again. In the white snow, she shyly agreed.
There were blue skies above them and fluffy clouds below them with a trail of gray mountain peaks. When in such a magical location, she could not refuse a special request.
What Followed
In the months that followed, Hailey could not get enough of her newfound lover. As her vacation was over, she returned home to the all too familiar Natchez, Mississippi.
Chase, a professional mountain climber, was only able to visit on a handful of occasions. It was Hailey's first long-term relationship. She was disillusioned by Chase's love that they would be able to make this work in the long term. Soon, everything would begin crumbling around her.
The Issue At Hand
It all began with that crippling loneliness we all suffer when our significant other lives thousands of miles away. Due to this, Hailey gathered the courage to finally speak to Chase about it.
As the conversation progressed, chaos ensued. Chase has never been home, Hailey claimed, with a heavy heart. His mind was always elsewhere whenever he visited. Conversely, Chase regarded himself as at the height of his career. His only wish was for her to have patience.
The End
But time waits for no man, and Hailey had had enough. Although he begged her not to go through with it, she broke up with Chase. It was agonizing yet necessary.
Her three sisters each came to comfort her, taking a week from their various jobs to help her return to reality. None of them knew that Chase already had his eyes on each of them and was planning to turn their world upside down.
His Side
Unknown to Hailey, Chase had been thinking about taking her to the altar and building a life with her. He'd never met someone with as much soul as her.
He was initially infatuated with her, then fascinated by how her mind worked. By the end, he'd fallen irrevocably in love with her and couldn't wait to retire from his career so he could give her everything she ever wanted. You can imagine his pain when she chose to end things with him.
A Dark Secret
Even though she didn’t know about Chase’s plans to marry her. There was more to it than that. She thought she knew everything about the man she had just ending things with, but that barely scratched the surface.
Chase was hiding a dark secret that wouldn’t only implicate her but all of her sisters as well. It would all end in tragedy.
Be Patient
Hailey had broken up with Chase because his career wouldn't allow him to be home with her. She couldn’t afford to stay home and worry about him the entire time. Not to mention the air of mystery he had that was slowly getting to her.
She lamented about having to raise their kids alone, worrying about a mountain crevice swallowing him whole or a boulder crushing him into a pulp. But things would only go downhill from here.
Something She Didn’t Know
What she didn't know and failed to hear when Chase explained was that he was in the last three years of his career. Why couldn't she be patient?
But little did she know she was dodging a bullet. She was about to learn the truth behind the mystery and danger he perpetuated. She had no idea what she had done when she let him into her life.
Plotting
A devastated Chase started plotting. He wanted to make Hailey feel the pain he was feeling. He concocted a foolproof plan that would leave him with the last laugh.
He was plotting the unthinkable. Hailey was really going to know what it was like to be hurt by another. At the end, she would be in tears as she picked up the pieces of what used to be her life.
A Special Place
Hailey had three sisters, each holding a very special place in her heart. If Chase wanted to get to her, to show her the pain he was going through, he would have to go to them.
It would take some time to pull off his master plan. But Chase was a patient man, unlike Hailey. He would never forgive, and never forget what she did to him.
Back To Reality
The months counted by slowly, and Hailey was thawing back to life. The need to stay in bed with tubs of ice cream no longer screeched in her ears.
She no longer felt the crippling need to scream whenever she heard or saw any material about mountain climbing or the Himalayas.
Returning To Normal
Her life was slowly returning to normal. But she spied a familiar face walking toward her one evening out of the blue.
She had forgotten all about him. What did he want and what were his motives? Hailey felt her stomach flip as she got a bad feeling about the situation in front of her.
He’s Back!
Hailey never thought she'd see Chase again. But that evening, God saw it fit to air-drop him from whatever mountainside he'd been climbing.
She never expected to see the man again, but she was suspicious to say the least. What was he doing back? But when she learned the truth, she’d be in tears.
Rugged
He was brawny and rugged, just as she liked, his wild bronze hair free and beard thick and enticing. Hailey ate back a curse, hating the effect he still had on her.
When she locked eyes with him, she knew it was over. Things were only going to get worse now that he was back. She knew she had hurt him, and now he was going to make her pay.
Parting Gift
Hailey wished she could control herself around him. But she was about to make a mistake that there was no going back from. At the end of the month, everything would be different.
"Hi," he greeted her, his charming smile and deep voice sweltering any semblance of self-control she had left. Before she knew it, she was a month pregnant with him back on his mountain adventures.
Cursed
She cursed again, alone in their Natchez home. Her hands caressed her belly, and her lips curled as she imagined giving birth to a brunette-haired mini Chase with her stubbornness and wit.
She had no idea she wasn't the only one with these thoughts. Something else was about to happen in her family that would raise suspicion between everyone.
Talking To Her SIsters
Before the dinner with their parents, Marya called Hailey to talk to her in private. She told her that she had important news that she wanted to share with her sister.
When they got into the room alone Marya hugged her sister and started telling her what had happened. But when Haily heard what her sister was about to say, she couldn’t believe the coincidence.
Pregnant
“I’m pregnant!” Marya exclaimed before telling her she was nervous about telling their father about it. But Hailey was just staring in disbelief. “You’ll never believe this, sis,” she said.
“I’m pregnant too!” Hailey told her sister. The two jumped for joy. But they had no idea that it wasn’t just them. It seemed that something had happened to the family, but who was responsible?
Marya Goes First
Hailey was home for Christmas when everyone broke the news of their pregnancies. Marya, the first sister, went first, announcing at the table that she was expecting.
Was the news too much for their parents? Either way, it wasn’t over yet. The rest of the daughters had eerilie similar knews that they had to break to them.
More Confessions
Their parents' eyes went wide, the entire table turning quiet. "I am too," Sasha, the second, said. Their mom jumped from her seat and hugged her, reaching a hand to Marya.
It seemed that they were over the moon with the discovery that their children were expecting. She kissed her hand, her eyes wet. Their dad was about to speak when Kelly cut him short.
No Pressure
"This might sound planned, but I am too." Everyone paused again. "Very funny, everyone," their dad said, although the emotion was evident in his eyes.
It was clear that he couldn’t tell if this was just a big joke or not. But unfortunately, it wasn’t. He turned to Hailey, "Let me guess, you're pregnant too." She didn’t know what to say.
Nothing To Joke About
Leaning into his seat, he said, "Girls, having a kid isn't something to joke about. Your mom and I want you to have great lives. Having children is one way to have a great life.”
Their dad continued, “But we don't want that pressure to have you lying at dinner. You can still have a great life without kids." But Haily was about to surprise everyone with the final word.
It’s True
"Actually," said Hailey, her eyes scanning the table from one sister to the next. "I am too. A month in." Her eyes grew wet, and her mom walked to her. "You're serious, aren't you?" Hailey nodded.
Tears filled Hailey’s eyes, she didn’t know what else to say to her parents. She just hoped that there wouldn’t be any judgement due to the strange circumstances surrounding all the pregnancies.
Everyone’s Pregnant
"So are they," she said. She'd noticed how her sisters were clinging to each and every word coming out of their dad's mouth. When he realized they weren't joking, his face fell in disbelief.
He reacted differently now that he knew that they all weren’t joking. As their father, his protective instinct kicked in and he asked the girls the fateful question that would linger in everyone’s mind.
Their Parents’ Reaction
Hailey's dad demanded to meet the men who had done this to his daughters. He hated that none of them had the courtesy to come to him first, to marry his princesses before giving each of them a child.
He was an oldfashioned man and this was the reason why Marya was hesitant and spoke to Hailey about it first. But their mother was reacting in an entirely different manner.
Their Mother
Hailey's mom, on the other hand, went into panic mode. Although she was overjoyed at the prospect of welcoming four new grandkids to her family, she was scared because it was on such short notice.
But this would soon be the least of her problems. The family had no idea that this was no coincidence. It was all part of a darker plan that no one was aware of - least of all innocent Hailey.
A Tidal Wave
Baby fever fell over the Scarcella home like a tidal wave. The four sisters had always been close before, but their pregnancies breathed a new life into their bond.
With them all happening around the same time, they could all plan their pregnancies together. It was a bonding experience to say the least. But they had no idea what was really going on behind the scenes.
Strengthened Their Bond
It strengthened what they had built through their childhood and adulthood years and offered new ways to explore and experience life together.
They'd wished to share this phase of their lives. Here they were, all together and willing to exchange advice or anything each other needed. And they couldn’t do it without the help of their dear mother.
Together
With the help of their mom, they navigated the labyrinth that is pregnancy together, going through the motions as the months passed.
The sisters swore that getting pregnant at the same time wasn't a planned event, even though their dad maintained that it was. But one visit to the doctor would quickly set everything into perspective.
Mountains And Delivery Dates
In the months that Hailey and her sisters were pregnant, Chase was away finalizing his career. There was pretty much radio silence other than the odd communication between the two.
He'd assured Hailey he would be around when she gave birth to their son, saying no mountain would keep him away from such an event.
Sweet And Encouraging
Hailey found his words to be sweet and encouraging. But that was until her sister Sasha shared what her boyfriend told her about their own baby's delivery date.
It would have the entire household in doubt. Was this really the truth? Hailey would be heartbroken at the revelation of the truth, but maybe that was the whole point behind everything.
More Mountains
Sasha's boyfriend worked as an engineer in Germany. He'd told her he couldn't come any sooner because his work schedule wouldn't allow him.
But he'd promised to be by Sasha's side when she went into labor. It was an oddly similar story to the one that Hailey had been fed. But was that just a coincidence? Or was something sinister at play.
Similar Words
In his Deutsch-laced words, no mountain high enough would block him from being with her on that eventful day. This is when Hailey finally started getting suspicious.
Hailey listened carefully, thinking about how similar those words were to what Chase told her. She thought it was all coincidence until she heard Kelly's statement over the same.
Even More Mountains
Kelly's boyfriend, surprise-surprise, was also working outside the country. His mission had taken him deep into the Congo basin, where he led a research team trying to uncover the secrets of some lost civilization.
When she asked him whether or not he'd be around for their kid's birth, his words used the same mountain analogy. The sisters couldn't run fast enough to Marya. They needed to know what they were dealing with.
Going To Marya
The Scarcella sisters huddled around their eldest, hoping whatever was happening was pure coincidence. Marya's boyfriend lived and worked in the country. But he'd traveled to Brazil a few months ago for business purposes.
Marya called him immediately, asking the same questions Sasha, Hailey, and Kelly asked their boyfriends. His answer would send the sisters into a panic.
We Heard You Like Mountains
Marya's boyfriend used the same mountain analogy. In fact, he referenced the Himalayas, saying he wanted to name their child after one of its peaks.
Hailey's heart broke, her eyes smarting as she realized what was happening. She scrambled for her phone, barely thinking straight. Did she and her sisters fall pregnant to the same man?
Deafening Silence
She called Chase, but the call didn't go through. Each of her sisters tried their boyfriends but got no response. They stared at their phones with wide eyes before turning to each other. "I don't like this," Hailey whispered.
Like the rest of her sisters, she spent the day trying to reach the father of her child. But for a week, his line was dead. Hailey sat in guilt and self-loathing. She was the reason all this had happened. She’d doomed herself, her sisters, and the innocent babies growing inside them. But out of nowhere, a knock shook the front door.
A Week Later
The Scarcella family had been stewing in fear and disgust for one-sixty-eight hours before the knock came. Their mom walked to the door, still wondering why someone would be so evil as to do this to her angels. Hailey was sulking in the living room when she heard a familiar voice outside. She lifted her head, her brows drawing close as she craned her neck. That was Chase.
She sped for the door with her sisters after her. Each of them had called out a different name when they heard Chase's voice. But they all braked when they found four identical men standing tall before their mom. "Ah, yes," Hailey's dad intoned from the window. “A glitch in the matrix."