#saw this influencer going to Bali and how she had Bali belly - KNEW it was a thing and the measures to prevent it

[asmallcafethatslove]

white influencers will literally be the worst kind of tourists ever like what is with this bali belly thing going on…. Like you know what causes Bali belly and how you can prevent it yet it seems like they’re going to Bali just to get food poisoning on PURPOSE…. literally dumbest people alive

[donnabroadway]

The wedding

Jenaiah almost didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror. She was wearing a long-sleeved, mermaid-style dress with a sheer collar adorned with pearls and diamonds. It was this or a princess dress, but something about this one spoke to Jenaiah It was simple yet elegant, exactly how she wanted her new life to be. She was done with Hollywood, done with celebrity, done with influencing. She wanted to raise her son in a normal life, with a normal man, in a normal neighborhood, and have a normal marriage. Jenaiah was ready for normal. She needed normal.

Ms. Priscilla fluffed Jenaiah's dress. Over time, their relationship had evolved from an icy alliance to something mother-daughter-like. When Ms. P found out Jenaiah was engaged, she immediately put together a binder and started picking out colors. She and Mr. Terrance practically paid for the wedding, even though Jenaiah could afford it. They insisted, and she didn’t mind. Ms. P was the closest thing she had to a mother and the closest thing her son would have to a grandmother. Why not let them help?

Priscilla smiled warmly. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Jenaiah replied, trying to smile but feeling an unexpected tightness in her chest.

Deep down, Jenaiah wanted this to be a movie. She wanted the love of her life to realize his mistake and come crashing through the door to stop the wedding. But she knew that would only happen if someone wrote it that way. If seven years of living and working together, plus a child, hadn’t made Jacob choose her, he wasn’t going to burst in to save her now. Ms. P was right—this was her best option. Jeremy was strong, God-fearing, hardworking, and didn’t care about her money. He loved her son, and he loved her. Jenaiah liked him.

Did she love him? That was a more complicated question. She thought she loved Jacob once, and that didn’t end well. Love was the icing on the cake, not the cake itself. Jenaiah could learn to love Jeremy, but for now, she liked him. She enjoyed his presence, his company, their time together. That was enough. She couldn’t let her feelings stand in the way of the happiness and family she might never have again.

Jacob was married now. He had a life with Karina, a life that didn’t include her. He barely made time to see Jo, though the $55,000 check hit her account every month. Everyone assumed Janaiah got pregnant because the likes were dwindling, and, truthfully, she would be lying if she didn’t admit the money was a nice cushion. She didn’t need it, but deep down, Janaiah still hoped Jacob would choose her, would do right by her. When she saw the photo of him proposing to Karina— who was wearing her best surprised face only days after Janaiah had found out she was pregnant—Janaiah knew it was over.

She packed a bag and went to Bali for a few days to clear her head, to prepare for an abortion. Surely, she would be crazy to keep a baby by a man who saw her only as an outlet. But when she saw the little dot and heard the heartbeat, she knew she couldn’t go through with it. She kept the pregnancy to herself, holding it together as Jacob and Karinaa held hands at the gala, waves of nausea from more than just the baby sweeping over her. Janaiah fulfilled her contractual obligations, went dark on social media, downsized her house to something more manageable, and decided to keep everything to herself. Baggy shirts, oversized dresses, mocktails, constantly drinking water, she never went out and if she did, she made sure she was never in pictures of that the angles were just right. Of course some people immediately knew what it was but most of her fans argued the observant ones in the comments stating she was beautiful or she had the right to gain weight. If only they knew.

Then Phillip saw her at the pier, belly and all, and next thing she knew Jacob was at her door, but he didn’t understand what she had done for him. She had freed him. He didn’t owe her or her son anything anymore. Janaiah could take care of them both.

The hairstylist carefully placed the veil on Janaiah's head and smoothed out a few flyaways. The makeup artist applied a final touch of neutral lip gloss, a stark contrast to the berry red she usually wore. It was different, but Janaiah liked it.

"You cannot marry a man who you love more than he loves you," a voice echoed in her mind.

Janaiah sat on the ottoman, playing with one of her curls. She was really doing this. Was she really getting married?