This article was originally published on ParentMood
A Reason to Celebrate
Two sisters falling pregnant at the same time is rare enough, let alone four sisters! That amazing occurrence alone was reason to celebrate, and the Scarcella family did, at first. The four women discovered their pregnancies, shared the news with their parents and each other, and began planning the rest of their lives. They were even scheduled to all give birth within three months of each other, making the new cousins very close in age.
However, this picture-perfect family dream was shattered when one of the sisters discovered something strange about the father of her child. The fallout was definitely not what any of the sisters could have expected.
Miraculous Conception
Marya, Sasha, Hailey, and Kelly Scarcella were just four sisters who’d grown up fantasizing about their futures. They were all incredibly close, thanks to their upbringings, so finding out that they were all pregnant at the same time was a dream come true! All aged 28, the sisters were ready to take this next exciting step together, knowing that they’d have plenty of support. Their proud parents were also thrilled to be involved.
But could such a miraculous event happen more than once? The sisters soon discovered that it could, and the consequences had the potential to change their lives forever.
Dreams Come True
But before it all blew up, the Scarcella sisters were on cloud nine. They’d all dreamed of becoming mothers, and now those dreams had come true at the same time! Four new lives were going to be born into their family. The sisters hoped that they’d all grow up as best friends, playing and spending lots of time with each other. Each sister could barely wait to become a mother.
With all this excitement going on, it seemed that nothing could throw the sisters off course. They were closer than ever, all eagerly anticipating their future families, and felt they had nothing to worry about.
Hailey’s Chance at Happiness
The story began with the third sister, Hailey. Like her sisters, she’d never really experienced the feeling of true love, though it was something she’d been searching for. With pressure from their eager mother to find husbands and start families, all four women were waiting for that special moment. For Hailey, it happened during a trip abroad. Her chance at happiness came in the form of a professional mountain climber.
Falling in love is one of the most amazing feelings, so when Hailey felt a connection, she pursued it. And it helped that the man in question was quick to return her affections.
Too Good to Be True
Hailey had traveled far from her home in Mississippi, eager to see more of the world. It was in Tibet that she met Chase, and he seemed too good to be true. He was a professional mountain climber, so he had plenty of amazing experiences to share with Hailey. And the more time they spent together, the more she found herself wanting to share new experiences with him. After all, what could be more exciting than a holiday romance?
Had Chase not been working his way through Asia to conquer the Himalayas, they would never have met. Hailey seized this stroke of luck and it became a different kind of adventure.
Whirlwind Romance
Anybody would be swept off their feet by a whirlwind romance. Chase was a fun and interesting person, sharing his stories with Hailey and making her laugh. She felt at ease around him and couldn’t stop smiling as they continued their trips together. Was this the man she’d been searching for? It certainly seemed like it. The longer it went on, the more those feelings grew, until being apart seemed impossible.
If only she had known then how drastically things would change. But for the moment, Hailey was happy with Chase, and they were both subconsciously looking to the future.
Taking the Plunge
Though they’d only spent a short amount of time together, Hailey and Chase quickly grew close. It was a connection like nothing Hailey had felt before, and she knew that Chase was someone special. Though she’d planned her own route through Tibet, she changed her plans to align with Chase’s rigorous schedule. Throughout the course of her three weeks in Asia, she also accompanied him to the Himalayas, where they hiked to the peak together.
At one of the highest summits in the world, Chase got down on one knee and proposed to Hailey. Though it was all very fast, Hailey decided to take the plunge and say yes.
A Magical Moment
In that moment, it’s no wonder that Hailey agreed to marry Chase, despite having only just met him. They had just conquered an amazing challenge together, made it to the summit, and were surrounded by untouched white snow. It was simply magical. At twenty-seven years old, Hailey had decided to go traveling and see more of the world, and she’d found her future husband along the way. Nobody could have predicted that!
When they descended the mountain together, they were walking towards a new shared future. At the time, everything seemed perfect. They didn’t know what would happen next.
Back to Reality
Despite being newly-engaged, Hailey and Chase soon realized they were facing a big problem: the distance between them. Hailey’s vacation ended and she returned home to Natchez, Mississippi, but Chase resumed his work as a professional mountain climber. Though he visited whenever he could, it wasn’t enough, and Hailey began to doubt if their relationship would survive. However, she pushed those doubts outside because she loved Chase and wanted things to work out between them.
Chase was Hailey’s first long-term relationship, and she had been swept up in the romance of his sudden proposal. Now that she was back to reality, the cracks were beginning to form.
Hailey’s Heartache
Before long, Hailey’s heartache at being separated from Chase, coupled with his nonchalant attitude towards the situation, grew too strong to ignore. She had fallen in love with him, spent months traveling with him, and now she had no connection whatsoever. Chase was thousands of miles away, seemingly living his best life, while his lover was miserable back at home. Hailey called Chase and told him how she felt, but he insisted that he needed to concentrate on his career.
Chase asked Hailey to be patient and wait for him, but this offered her little solace when the distance was causing her such emotional pain. She loved him, but she couldn’t carry on this way.
The End and the Beginning
Though she was still in love with Chase, Hailey knew that things wouldn’t work out if they kept going this way. She broke up with him. Both of them were devastated, and though Chase pleaded with her, Hailey refused to give things another try. She had been struggling with the separation for months and it seemed like Chase refused to hear her side of things. Ripping off the bandaid was painful but necessary for Hailey to move on.
Her sisters, Marya, Sasha, and Kelly, all rushed to comfort Hailey in the aftermath of her breakup. Little did they know that this was the beginning of something that could tear their family apart.
Chase’s Reaction
Despite wanting to focus on his mountain climbing career, Chase had truly loved Hailey. She was a breath of fresh air, and he’d set his mind on building a life with her. Though he’d initially been attracted to her beauty, he quickly got to know her and fell in love with her soul, too. After the time they spent together in Asia, he’d known she was the one for him. Naturally, his reaction was one of heartbreak.
Chase had even decided to retire from his work so that he could devote himself entirely to Hailey. He’d wanted to marry her, have a family, and grow old together, but that dream was gone.
What Was He Hiding?
She hadn’t actually known him for very long, but Hailey’s instant love for Chase had convinced her that she knew everything about him. After all, she wouldn’t have agreed to marry him without feeling sure that he was the perfect man for him. Everything about him just seemed right, which was why she was struggling to get over him. She was sure that she’d never meet anyone like him again, nor experience that immense rush of love for a stranger.
But the reality was that Chase was hiding something. There was a secret that Hailey didn’t know, nor would she ever have guessed, and it would have consequences for all four sisters.
Moving On
Hailey had little choice but to try and push her pain aside to continue with her life. She rationalized the breakup by reminding herself why she’d been forced to end the relationship. The simple fact was that Chase would always put his career first, or so she thought. They’d already spent more time away from each other than together, and she seemed to be the only one who cared. She barely knew where he was from one day to the next.
She couldn’t spend the rest of her life at home alone with their kids, worrying if he’d died while climbing or met someone else. Things were better this way.
The Big Mistake
To Hailey, the breakup was devastating, but it was the right thing to do. Little did she know it was actually a big mistake, and one she would come to regret. If only she’d understood what Chase was saying about his career. At the end of those three years, they could have been happy together and had that future they both desperately wanted. But both the distance and Chase’s air of mystery had made Hailey second-guess her decision to be with him.
This big mistake would soon spiral into something huge for the Scarcella sisters, and none of them saw it coming. Hailey had accidentally started something that couldn’t be stopped.
Seeking Revenge
Chase’s pain soon turned into a desire for revenge. Hailey had broken his heart and he couldn't help but want her to feel the same devastation that he had felt receiving that phone call. He began to plot his revenge, wanting to do something so huge that Hailey would never forget it. After all, Chase had been willing to put everything on the line for Hailey, and he believed she had callously tossed it all away.
If he was successful in his revenge, things would never be the same for Hailey. She’d live to regret the day that she met Chase, and the day that she decided to break up with him.
It Was All to Come
Hailey thought that the worst was over. She’d bitten the bullet, broken up with Chase, and was ready to move forward with her life as if that whole sad situation had never happened. Her three sisters gave her strength, helping her whenever they could. But the worst was yet to come. Marya, Sasha, and Kelly would all unite to protect Hailey in a heartbeat, but the last thing they expected was to become part of Chase’s master plan.
Chase was happy to wait for his plan to come to fruition. He had his eye on the Scarcella sisters, especially Hailey. After all, she had been the one to set events in motion.
A Shock Encounter
Chase’s reason for maintaining distance between himself and Hailey was his career as a professional mountain climber. He was hardly ever in the same place for longer than a few days, and his mind was always preoccupied with his next climb. Hailey believed that he’d had no time for her, so she never expected to see him in the flesh again. However, that exact thing happened one evening, when she was out enjoying herself.
What was he doing here? Just as she’d started to forget him, he’d reappeared and completely upended the progress she’d made getting over the breakup. It was nothing short of shocking.
His Power
Chase had always had power over Hailey. Ever since the day they’d met, she’d been drawn to him. He was ruggedly handsome and had an aura of easy confidence. Try as she might, Hailey had never fully extracted herself from Chase, and this new reunion just proved that. He’d turned up looking good and acting as if nothing had changed between them. Hailey was confused, but she couldn’t sever the connection that had reappeared between them.
As soon as their eyes met, it was over for Hailey. She was right back on that mountain again, falling in love with Chase. In his presence, she felt helpless, and she didn’t fight her feelings.
No Turning Back
Hailey’s passion for Chase was as strong as it ever had been. When he was around, her self-control went out of the window and she couldn’t think of anything else. He’d walked right up to her, confident as ever, and greeted her with a simple “hi”. That was all she needed to topple over the edge and back into his arms. Whether it was a parting fling or a sign that they’d get back together, it didn’t matter.
But it resulted in something that Hailey couldn’t turn back from. She soon found herself pregnant, and, once again, Chase was back climbing mountains, leaving her more confused than ever.
Meeting Marya
Hailey needed support, and she knew exactly who she could turn to. Her parents had arranged a family dinner, but Hailey was too nervous to go in alone and tell her family what had happened. She could still scarcely believe it herself. So, she turned to one of her fiercest protectors and closest confidants: her eldest sister. However, Marya had her own reason for meeting with Hailey, and it shocked her younger sister to her core.
Marya rushed to hug Hailey and impart her news. The more her sister said, the more stunned Hailey became. It all sounded too familiar to be a complete coincidence.
What Are the Odds?
Marya’s revelation was not what Hailey had been expecting when they’d arranged to meet. Her oldest sister was pregnant! Marya wasn’t sure how the family would react to the news, so she wanted to share it with Hailey first. After she made her revelation, Hailey sat in silence for a moment. Then, she realized that she wasn’t alone and quickly revealed her own pregnancy. The sisters were thrilled, and for the first time in a month, Hailey wasn’t thinking about Chase.
She was going to have a baby! And she’d get to enjoy this journey with her sister. It was perfect. But they’d soon find out that they weren’t the only ones.
A Night to Remember
The family sat down for their Christmas dinner and the two sisters prepared to share their news. They were nervous about what their parents, especially their father, would say, but they knew they had each other’s support. As they ate, Marya stood up and announced that she was pregnant. She didn’t know what to expect, but she was happy with her news. Knowing that Hailey was also pregnant gave her more confidence.
But Hailey wasn’t the next one to speak. After Marya’s revelation, Sasha, the second sister, had a secret of her own to share. What followed certainly made it a night to remember!
A Family Affair
Marya’s revelation had triggered a landslide of confessions. Before the family could react to the news of Marya’s pregnancy, Sasha revealed that she was too! What were the odds that three of the Scarcella sisters could be pregnant at the same time? Hailey was stunned, and she hadn’t even made her own announcement yet. Before she could speak, her delighted mother leapt from her seat and embraced Marya and Sasha, thrilled at becoming a grandmother twice-over.
But it was their father’s reaction that the sisters had been apprehensive about. Would he be happy for them? Just as they were about to find out, the youngest sister, Kelly, spoke up.
Four For Four
Kelly told the table that she was also pregnant. Though Marya and Sasha’s revelations had seemed like a happy coincidence for the family, a third sister announcing the exact same news seemed too strange to be real. It was clear that the Scarcella patriarch thought so, and he seemed conflicted on how to react. Wondering if the entire thing was one big prank, he jokingly asked Hailey, “let me guess, you’re pregnant too?”
Hailey didn’t know what to say. She’d met up with Marya before dinner believing that she was the only pregnant one, and now all three of her sisters had revealed the exact same news.
All Too Real
Hailey told her family in no uncertain terms that she was expecting a baby. Though she was only one month pregnant, the situation was all too real for her and she wanted her family’s acceptance and support. For a moment, nobody said anything. Then, Hailey’s mother got to her feet again and approached her third daughter with tears in her eyes. Realizing that the sisters were all telling the truth, she was clearly overwhelmed, but not unhappy.
It was a lot for everyone to take in, especially at the same time. Hailey had come to dinner hoping for support, and she’d discovered so much more.
Who’s the Daddy?
Their father was the traditional type, so he’d always expected that his daughters would get married before having children. He’d envisioned their future husbands coming to him for permission before proposing, then marrying his daughters in traditional wedding ceremonies. The realization that that hadn’t happened four times over was a lot to take in. He told them that he wanted to meet the four men who had done this and give them a piece of his mind.
All of a sudden, Marya’s worries made sense. Hailey herself had been unsure about making the announcement due to her situation with Chase. But she’d forgotten to consider her mother’s reaction.
Their Mom Became Concerned
She’d initially been over the moon at becoming a grandmother, but the reality of having four grandchildren at once suddenly hit the Scarcella matriarch. The pregnancies had come out of nowhere, and now their family was set to grow by four members in less than a year. It was certainly a lot to come to terms with! But nobody was truly questioning how odd it was for such an unlikely coincidence to happen.
There was something going on that even Hailey did not anticipate. It was all part of a master plan to throw the Scarcella family into chaos, testing the strongest of sisterly relationships.
Their Father’s Skepticism
The sisters had all been reticent regarding the fathers of their children, much to their own father’s disapproval. They maintained that they hadn’t planned to all get pregnant at the same time, but their father was the only one really questioning how such a thing had happened. It had to be more than just a coincidence, but the sisters were unbothered. They were more concerned with having healthy pregnancies and raising their children.
But one day, their father’s skepticism would be proven correct. A trip to the doctor would reveal something shocking that none of the sisters, nor their parents, had expected.
Chase’s Involvement
Though Hailey had no idea about the fathers of her sisters’ babies, she knew for sure who hers was. She’d informed Chase of the pregnancy, and though they weren’t together anymore, he’d promised to be there for her. Despite this, communication remained minimal, mostly because Chase was still working as a professional mountain climber. Hailey was as content with the situation as she could be, and she didn’t expect Chase to be overly involved.
She couldn’t have imagined that Chase was actually the one pulling the strings. He’d told her that “no mountain would keep him away”, so surely that had to be the truth?
Something Ominous
To Hailey, that statement was a sweet reference to how she and Chase had first met and fallen in love while climbing a mountain. She had no idea that it was actually an ominous sign that something else was going on. As her pregnancy progressed, all of her time was taken up with planning for the baby’s arrival. She didn’t dwell on Chase’s words and was purely focussed on herself, her baby, and her sisters.
It wasn’t until Sasha shared more about her own baby’s father that Hailey noticed something strange. Could it just be another coincidence? Or had there been too many of those already?
Sasha’s Similar Story
The story went that Sasha was in a relationship with a man working in Germany, which explains why he wasn’t around very much. As an engineer, he would understandably be busy, but he’d informed Sasha that he’d be with her when she gave birth. That sentiment alone didn’t set off any alarm bells for Hailey. In fact, she could relate to Sasha’s situation because she was going through the same thing with Chase.
But it was the wording that made her start to suspect that something was going on. This engineer working in Germany had said something very similar to what Chase had told her.
Mountain or Molehill?
As Sasha repeated the exact wording of what her boyfriend had said, Hailey was shocked. He’d told Sasha that “no mountain was high enough to stop him from being with her”. At first, she dismissed it, but it kept playing on her mind as she compared it with Chase’s almost-identical statement. Sasha hadn’t mentioned having ever climbed a mountain with her boyfriend, so the mountain couldn’t hold the same significance for her as it did for Hailey.
As strange as it was, Hailey couldn’t chalk it up to anything other than a coincidence. But when Kelly shared more about her own child’s father, Hailey couldn’t continue ignoring the similarities.
Mr. Incognito
The father of Kelly’s baby was similarly incognito to the Scarcella family, although she maintained that he would be with her for the birth. Kelly told Hailey that he worked abroad and was currently leading a research team deep in the Congo basin. Like in Hailey and Sasha’s cases, it was difficult to maintain communication with a man who spent so much time working in a remote location. However, he’d also vowed to be there when Kelly went into labor.
When Hailey pressed her about the precise words he’d used, Kelly repeated that same mountain analogy. Now three for three, the sisters had no choice but to consult Marya and hope it wasn’t true.
Confirming Their Fears
Hailey, Sasha, and Kelly were all frantic and could no longer deny that something else was going on. But when they went to Marya, she said something different. The father of her child lived and worked in the country. However, he’d traveled to Brazil on a business trip and been there for several months, so, like the others, his communication was lacking. To confirm their fears for sure, Marya called him and asked if he’d be there for their child’s birth.
That one phone call had the sisters spiraling even further. Hailey had begun to suspect it after that first conversation with Sasha, but she’d held out hope that, somehow, it wasn’t true.
Was It Him?
Not only did Marya’s boyfriend assure her that he’d be there for the birth, but he used the exact same analogy about mountains not being able to stop him. However, he took things a step further and told her that he’d been thinking about naming the baby after one of the peaks of the Himalayas. Remembering Chase down on one knee after they’d reached that peak, Hailey flew into a panic.
She needed to speak to him immediately. If it was true that she and her sisters had all fallen pregnant by Chase, how could they continue to move forward as a family?
The Reveal
The Scarcella sisters and their parents didn’t know what to do or how Chase had managed this. But after one terrifying week, all was revealed. Somebody knocked on the front door, and the sisters remained sitting inside the house while their mother answered it. Hailey’s ears pricked up when she heard a very familiar voice. It was Chase! Confused and angry, she leapt to her feet, as did her sisters, and they all stormed towards the door.
But something even stranger happened. They all called him by a different name, and when they got outside, they found four identical men! What their father dubbed a “glitch in the matrix” had nearly torn the Scarcellas apart!