SHE GOT PREGNANT AT 16 – SEE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!

EPISODE 1

The sound of the school bell echoed through the dusty compound of St. Mary’s Secondary School. Students rushed out of their classrooms, laughing, playing, and chasing each other.

But Adaeze walked slowly, hugging her books tightly to her chest. She was just sixteen, but she carried herself like someone older. Her life at home was not easy. Her father had died when she was little, and her mother struggled every day, selling vegetables at the market just to feed her and her younger brother, Chike.

Adaeze always promised herself she would work hard in school, become a nurse, and take her mother out of poverty. She never wanted to disappoint her.

But fate had a different plan.

That was when Uche entered her life.

Uche was tall, handsome, and popular. He was in SS3, while Adaeze was in SS1. Everyone admired him because he was good at football, always dressed neatly, and spoke with confidence. Girls whispered about him every time he walked past.

One afternoon, as Adaeze bent down to tie her shoelace, a shadow covered her. She looked up and saw Uche smiling.

“Hey, Adaeze,” he said smoothly. “Why do you always walk alone? Pretty girls like you shouldn’t look so serious.”

Adaeze’s heart skipped. No boy had ever spoken to her like that. She tried to walk away, but Uche followed her. From that day, he started giving her attention—helping her carry her books, waiting for her after school, and buying her meat pie and Coke.

At first, Adaeze refused, but soon she started smiling whenever she saw him. She thought, Maybe he really likes me.

Weeks turned into months. Their friendship grew, and Uche began to whisper sweet promises into her ears.

“I’ll take care of you, Ada. One day, I’ll marry you. You’ll never suffer again.”

Those words were like honey in Adaeze’s ears. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to feel loved. She wanted to escape the shame of poverty.

One fateful evening, Uche invited her to his friend’s house after school. He told her, “It’s just for a little while. Nobody will know.”

Adaeze hesitated, but he held her hand and smiled. She followed.

That day, her life changed forever.

Weeks later, Adaeze noticed something strange. She missed her period. At first, she ignored it. But then, her body began to change. She felt tired all the time. Food tasted different. Fear began to crawl inside her heart.

“Maybe it’s nothing,” she whispered to herself. But deep down, she knew.

When she realized she was pregnant, her whole world collapsed.

She cried silently every night, hugging her pillow. She thought about her mother’s suffering, about her dreams of becoming a nurse, and about how the neighbours would laugh.

She wore bigger clothes to hide her stomach. She avoided her friends. She stopped answering questions in class. The once-brilliant girl became quiet and withdrawn.

But truth has a way of coming out.

One Saturday morning, Adaeze’s mother asked her to fetch water. As she tied her wrapper and bent down, her mother’s eyes fell on her swollen belly. The bucket dropped from her hand with a loud thud.

“Adaeze!!!” her mother screamed, her voice trembling. “What is this I’m seeing? Who did this to you?”

Neighbours rushed out. The compound became noisy. Some gasped, some laughed, some shook their heads in pity.

Adaeze froze. Her lips trembled, her hands shook. Tears ran down her face. She wanted to speak, but no words came out. She could only cry.

Her mother held her by the shoulders, shaking her.

“Answer me, Adaeze! Who is responsible for this shame?”

The crowd pressed closer, whispering and pointing fingers. The weight of their eyes crushed Adaeze’s spirit.

Finally, through her sobs, she opened her mouth to speak…

But what she said shocked everyone.

Adaeze’s voice was shaky, her tears falling like rain. The crowd leaned closer, eager to hear the name that would break the silence.

“It… it’s Uche,” she finally whispered.

Gasps filled the compound. Some neighbours clapped their hands in disbelief, others shook their heads as if the world had ended.

“Uche?!” one woman shouted. “That SS3 boy? The football star? Eh! I knew it! These girls will never listen.”

Another man muttered, “So all the time he was smiling and walking with her, it was not ordinary friendship.”

Adaeze’s mother collapsed on a wooden stool, her wrapper loosening at the waist. Her chest rose and fell quickly as though her heart would stop.

“Uche… that boy?” she repeated, her voice breaking. “My Adaeze… you mean… you mean you gave yourself to him?”

“Mama… I didn’t mean to…” Adaeze sobbed. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground. “He promised me, Mama. He said he loved me. He said he would marry me one day.”

Her mother slapped her thigh hard and wailed. “Marry you? At sixteen? Foolish girl! Look at me! Do you think love will buy garri? Do you think sweet words will pay school fees? Eh, Adaeze?!”

The neighbours murmured in agreement.