Chapter 18: Dunce
Abigail's lips parted as she blinked up at Ryan, stunned. Her fingers moved again as she signed quickly.
[Does that mean you're disowning me?] she asked, partially hoping he was going to cut her off.
Ryan exhaled slowly after watching her with narrowed eyes for a minute. "No. You made a mistake, Abi. But it's the first time you've ever disappointed me this way. I'm not going to punish you for it. As long as the father is not in the picture, I'll fix it."
Genevieve stared at him like he had lost his mind. "You can't be serious! What about school? What am I supposed to do while she waddles around pregnant?"
Abigail hurried to sign. [I can manage. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly.]
But Ryan shook his head. "I don't want you to go through that stress. You will defer your admission. Have the baby first. After that, I will have the child taken care of while you go back to school."
Abigail shook her head, and her hands trembled as she signed again. [I can take care of my baby myself. I want to do it myself.]
"You will not," Ryan said firmly. "You're still my daughter, and I won't have you carrying the stigma of being a single mother. If you want to keep this child, you will let me handle things my way. If not, I'll take you to the hospital right now and have it taken care of."
"I say we take her to the hospital right now and get rid of the pregnancy. She's barely eightee..." Genevieve snapped her mouth shut when she realized her slip, and her father glared at her.