Samantha Survives Scandal by Stasia Diann

Chapter One ...

Driving through northern Kansas was the last leg and most boring part of the drive from Los Angeles to Wellington, Nebraska. The landscape was barren and dreary, and Samantha was tired. She knew she probably shouldn't have driven home from California alone, especially in her condition. Right now, however, she just wanted to get back as quickly as possible and crawl into the bed she hadn't slept in for several months.

When she came to the next stoplight, she glanced down at her swollen stomach. The doctor in Los Angeles had told her that she was in her fifth month of pregnancy. She was at the point where it would be difficult to hide. It was also August, not a time when she could easily hide herself in sweatshirts and thick coats.

Samantha spent the remaining few hours of the drive reveling in the solitude of the open road. She had purposely avoided the big interstate highways for the last few hours of the journey. She'd taken general highways and even a few back roads. She needed time to process everything that had transpired during the last eight months of her life. Two windows down, the warm August wind gushing through her long blonde hair, and her favorite music playing seemed to help her unwind and think more clearly.

When her mom had passed from cancer right before Christmas, Samantha had decided to take a leave of absence from her teaching position at Wellington Elementary. She'd taken off the second semester teaching kindergarten and spent the rest of the winter with her old friend Alex in warm, sunny Los Angeles. This seemed to be just what she needed to recuperate from such a traumatic loss.

At first, she didn't want to leave her dad. He'd been devastated after losing his wife of almost thirty years. The cancer had come on suddenly, and less than two months after the diagnosis, she had passed.

But Samantha's brother, Steven, and his wife, Jessica, would be there in Wellington to support their father. Samantha had been so close to her mother, and being single with no children of her own, she felt she needed a change of scenery. Los Angeles would definitely provide that.

But living in a big city, so far from home, especially after losing her mother at a relatively young age, affected Samantha more than she realized. She was a person of strong Christian faith, but those beliefs and values had faded into the background, and she'd gotten caught up in a life that she knew wasn't for her.

Shop from our affiliate link!

Her first mistake was dating Julian Colby, an attractive model and aspiring actor. She'd told herself that she'd just go out with him a few times and that nothing serious would come of it. He lived in the same apartment building as her friend Alex. The first time they'd met, she'd accidentally run into him in the lobby while collecting her mail. After that, she seemed to see him everywhere: in the lobby, the laundry room, and the little coffee shop across the street from the apartment complex.

Casual conversation while picking up coffee had turned into romantic walks along the beach and lunches on the boardwalk. He'd been so charming, and she'd been lonely for male affection. She soon found herself doing things and living a life she never thought she would. Once Julian found out there was a baby on the way, he pretty much disappeared. Alex was as supportive as she could be, but she had a job and a busy life of her own.

Now that her leave of absence was over and school would be starting in a few weeks, it was time to come back to Wellington, Nebraska – and reality. On top of recently losing her mother and finding out she was pregnant, she'd also learned a few weeks earlier that her best friend in Wellington was moving out of town at the same time she was returning.

Kate had been her best friend since high school, and they'd even attended the same college. Her husband was getting transferred to Indianapolis. Indy was almost a ten-hour drive from Wellington, and there were no direct flights from the closest airport in Lincoln.

When Samantha had left town, she'd wanted a complete change of scenery and a different life. She'd definitely got that, and more than she'd bargained for. Now that she was coming home, her life here would be very different as well.

Samantha pulled off the highway and stopped at the nearest convenience store. After filling the tank, she picked up a soda, a bag of chips, and a candy bar. Since finding out she was pregnant, she'd been eating healthy to this point and told herself she'd start again once she was back home.

She tied her hair into a loose ponytail, arranged her snacks so she could easily eat while driving, and headed back out on the highway. A few hours later, she was turning down Main Street and taking in all the familiar sights of her hometown. Tom's Grocery was bustling with traffic this time of day, and the diner across the street was also busy.

Shop from our affiliate link!

Samantha passed her apartment complex and drove straight to her dad's house. She had to start by telling her dad and brother that she was back home – and expecting a baby.

As she drove by the downtown shops, she saw several people she knew on the streets. Pastor Mike and his wife waved excitedly when they saw she was back in town. Samantha waved but didn't slow down. She dreaded telling her pastor about her situation. But he was one of several people who needed to be told before they heard the news from anyone else.

She listed everyone she needed to talk with in her head. There were her dad, brother, and sister-in-law. There was Pastor Mike and her principal, Monica. She wasn't sure which conversation would be the most difficult, but she needed to get through it all and start planning the next phase of her life.

Samantha would soon be going back to her teaching job. Kindergartners were normally not judgmental, but they often said the craziest things. But she was more concerned about how the parents and several of the staff members would react to her pregnancy than a group of rambunctious five-year-olds.

When she crossed Oak Street, she saw Noah Jackson out jogging. He looked so happy and relaxed with his sandy hair blowing in the breeze and his big brown eyes that sparkled whenever he smiled. Noah waved, and Samantha quickly waved back. He was a fifth-grade teacher at the same school where Samantha worked, and during the last few years they had built a solid friendship.

She had occasionally texted Noah while out in California, and he knew a few days earlier that she was on her way home. He didn't, however, know about her pregnancy. He was one more person she needed to tell before he heard it from someone else. Noah was not only a good friend and co-worker but also attended the same church as well. For some reason, she wasn't worried that he'd be judgmental, only disappointed and concerned more than anything else.

Shop from our affiliate link!

She turned the corner and drove into the neighborhood where her dad lived. The first person she saw was Debbie Meyer, out walking her dog. Debbie not only lived a few streets over from Dad; she was also the music teacher at Wellington Elementary. Debbie was usually friendly but always prim and proper. Everything always had to be in perfect order for Debbie, both professionally and in her personal life, or she could be difficult to deal with.

Even though it didn't directly affect her, Samantha had a feeling her unplanned pregnancy would bring out the worst in Debbie. Samantha waved, and Debbie politely waved back.

Debbie, Noah, and the entire town of Wellington, Nebraska, were about to get the news that one of the kindergarten teachers from a good family was back in town, pregnant and unmarried. There hadn't been a scandal this big since Joanna Harper had moved in with her gardener only weeks after her husband passed away.

Samantha almost laughed out loud when thinking of Joanna and the gardener, who was fifteen years younger. Then she thought of her own situation, and suddenly, she wasn't in the mood to laugh. A few months after they'd moved in together, Joanna and her young lover had left town. Samantha never did hear where they were or what happened with them.

A few minutes later, Samantha was pulling into her childhood home. Her dad's car was in the driveway. She'd been hoping he wasn't there and she'd have some time to settle in, maybe make a cup of tea and gather her thoughts before he came home.

She parked and slowly got out of the car. As she stood in the hazy August sun, she arranged the big, sloppy T-shirt she was wearing so it hid her growing stomach. She flung her large handbag over her shoulder and situated it so it would further cover her body.

Samantha could see her dad standing in the kitchen through the front window. She took a deep breath and headed inside to tell him she was home.

Copyright © 2026 by Stasia Diann