Chapter 5

Yara.

There was an oppressive weight on my throat, squeezing the life out of me. I tried opening my eyes, but darkness welcomed me, thick and concentrated and surprisingly, inviting.

For a moment, I stopped fighting. I stopped struggling, giving in to the darkness, and the pain stopped. It was more like the darkness was appeased, warmly welcoming me, but deep down, I was unsettled. There was a longing, a burning desire to see the light.... So, I pushed harder, fought harder against the invisible force that was throttling me, cutting the invisible chains that were holding me down, until I saw it.. a small flicker of light, dim, but encouraging.

Then there was a voice, very small, faraway, and yet familiar. I fought harder, panting heavily, with sweat dripping from all over my body until I heard her, Harper.

" Yara?"

" Are you up? Please wake up, Yara. " There was panic and desperation in her voice as she pleaded.

Then slowly, I opened my eyes, the harshness of the bright light blinding me for a second. She stood next to my bed, looking tired, stressed, and frustrated. With streaks of dried and wet tears framing her face.

" You are up." There was relief in her voice as she shrieked, for a moment, startling me.

" Oooh, Yara, you scared the living h*ll out of me." Noticing my disorientation, she approached, cupping my face with her palms. For some reason, the sight of my ever-carefree and emotionless friend weeping tagged a string in my heart, and I became emotional.

" You are sweating. You were having a nightmare, weren't you? No wonder you kept on shouting and wailing in your sleep." She explained, flashing me a pitiful look.

" I am fine, Harper. " I reasured with a forced smile, my voice weak and raspy.

" I will go get the doctors. " She informed, practically bolting from the room. It was more like she was running away, like she was afraid of something or someone.

Seeing her retreating figure, a sense of loss washed over me because I already had an idea of why she was running.

" It's a miracle that you are awake, Miss. "

" Honestly, nobody thought that you would survive, but your friend was very positive. You are lucky to have her."

" You are still weak, but apart from that, you are perfectly fine. We will keep you around for observation, and after a month, you can be discharged. "

I saw the doctor's lips moving up and down. She was talking, but I couldn't hear her; my mind was far away, and I was just physically present.

I was stuck at; We are sorry.

We are sorry, Miss Yara. We couldn't save the baby.

They couldn't save the baby, my baby.

My baby was gone. Andrian was gone, and so was the baby. I was truly alone, wasn't I?

The only string that had been keeping me together and my sanity intact was gone.

Why did I fight so much? Why didn't I just succumb to the darkness earlier?

" Yara? I guess you already know then." Harper's weak voice sounded in the room, and slowly, I turned my face to her. She looked broken, the pain in her eyes reflecting my own.

She had been looking forward to becoming a godmother, and now? That was probably never going to happen.

" The accident was serious, Yara. You have been in a coma for close to three months. " As if reading my mind, my best friend explained. To that, I didn't react. I felt numb all over, from my limbs to my heart, to my very soul. Adrian's betrayal had broken me, but the death of my unborn had totally shattered me. I had nothing to look forward to, no desire to live.

"Speaking of which, there is something about the accident that seemed off. Maybe we should investigate. " Bothered by my silence, Harper went on, probably trying to distract me, trying to pull me out of the haze that I was sinking into.

" The track's driver died on the spot. And after the investigation, the police ruled it out as an accident,, but I..." I knew where the conversation was heading, and honestly, I didn't want to think about it, at least not at the moment.

" Did he come to visit me?" I asked, and from how tense she was, I already got my answer.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Maybe the death of my baby was the last straw.

" How about this? I will switch on the TV. Maybe that will keep you distracted for the time being?" Harper suggested nervously, her movements clumsy as she fumbled with the remote control.

I didn't blame her, though. For a person who was betrayed and heartbroken, it was the lack of reaction from my side that was more worrying than throwing a tantrum.

"Thi...This?" She stuttered, her movements stiffening, and for the first time since I woke up, I smiled.

A cold and detached smile, devoid of any warmth.

It was like fate was toying with me. Harper had just switched on the TV, and guess what we saw first?

A lavish party. An engagement party, to be precise, and Andrian was the man of the show, of course. Next to him stood the otherworldly beautiful heiress, wearing a sunny smile, the happiness within properly captured by the warmth that she was radiating.

And Andrian? He wore a happy smile, he looked happy, probably happier than he had ever been when he was with me.

The happy couple were surrounded by a sea of people, receiving extravagant gifts and well wishes. It was a joyous occasion, to them, to him. He was having the best time of his life while I was there, in a hospital bed, nursing a heartbroken and grieving the loss of our baby.

" Thank you, Harper. " Peeling my gaze from the screen, I uttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Maybe that is the wake-up call that I was waiting for. " With a bitter smile, I explained, pointing towards the screen with my chin, and I just happened to see them exchanging kisses.

" It's been over two months since I was unconscious. It must have been hard on you, Harper. "

" All you need now is some rest." Using everything within me, I forced a smile, trying to reassure her that I was okay, that I was going to be okay.

"But.." She protested, clearly unconvinced.

" I need some alone time. I need to think about everything, Harp."

*******************

" I almost thought that I lost you, Yara." My mentor, the orphanage director, pulled me into a hug, fear evident in his eyes.

It was a month later, after I woke up from the coma. I had fully recovered, at least physically.

Outside the hospital, Harper and my mentor's wife waited for us, their eyes shining with relief upon seeing me back to my feet.

" He has moved on, Yara. "

" You have already lost everything. Maybe it's about time you joined us on the Island. " Upon hearing his words, I froze in place, but I didn't turn to face him. There was no need. I could already picture the disappointment on my mentor's face as he said those words.

"When you got into an accident, we had to postpone our journey. Now that you have recovered, how about saying goodbye to everything, to him ?" He was pleading.

" The flights are already booked. "

" There is nothing for you here, sweetheart. " His wife added,

" No."