Chapter 4

***Luna's POV***

(Flash Forward)

The sharp scent of chlorine hit my nose the moment I stepped into the hospital corridor, making my stomach twist unpleasantly.

I pressed my lips together and swallowed hard as another wave of nausea rolled through me. Lately, everything seemed capable of making me sick.

The smell of food.

Perfume.

Cleaning products.

Even my favorite lily-scented shampoo now turned my stomach.

It felt as though my own body had suddenly become my enemy.

Taking a slow breath, I forced myself to keep walking.

The hospital hallway stretched endlessly beneath bright fluorescent lights while nurses moved quietly from one room to another. Distant voices echoed softly through the building, blending with the faint squeak of shoes against the polished floor.

My hands felt clammy, and my heart beat faster with every step.

I was heading toward Room 12.

The Gynecology Department.

Even though I had already taken three pregnancy tests at home and every single one had shown positive results, a small part of me still refused to believe it.

Maybe the tests were wrong.

Maybe there had been some kind of mistake.

Maybe this was all just a misunderstanding.

I clung desperately to that tiny bit of hope.

Until a doctor confirmed it, I refused to accept anything as certain.

I walked past several doors before finally turning down another hallway. My eyes immediately landed on the sign hanging above one of the rooms.

ROOM 12.

My footsteps slowed.

This was it.

Only two women waited outside the office, which felt unusual since hospitals were normally crowded.

One woman stood near the door with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She had dark curly hair and held a file against her body while impatiently staring at the closed office door.

The second woman sat nearby on one of the metal chairs.

Her round baby bump was impossible to miss.

I walked over quietly and sat beside her.

She smiled warmly at me.

I returned the smile politely.

The woman glanced at me curiously before lowering her eyes toward my stomach.

“Hi,” she greeted cheerfully.

“Hello,” I replied softly.

“Which month?”

For a moment, I stared at her blankly before realizing what she meant.

My fingers tightened nervously around the strap of my purse.

Actually, I was not even fully sure I was pregnant yet.

“I’m here for a confirmation checkup,” I admitted awkwardly.

Understanding immediately crossed her face.

“Oh,” she said gently.

I nodded quietly.

Trying to move the attention away from myself, I glanced toward her stomach.

“What about you? Which month are you in?”

Her entire face lit up instantly.

“I’m seven months pregnant,” she answered proudly.

I found myself staring at her for a second.

She looked happy.

Not just happy.

Radiant.

There was a glow surrounding her that made it seem as though she carried sunlight beneath her skin.

A painful feeling twisted inside me.

Of course she looked happy.

She probably had everything I did not.

A stable life.

A loving husband.

A family waiting excitedly for the baby’s arrival.

My eyes drifted toward the silver wedding ring resting on her finger.

That alone told me enough.

“Your boyfriend didn’t come with you?” she asked suddenly.

The question made my shoulders tense immediately.

Whenever people mentioned my boyfriend, discomfort settled heavily inside me.

There were too many painful emotions attached to that subject now.

I did not particularly want to discuss it with a stranger, but ignoring the question completely would have seemed rude.

So I simply shook my head.

“No.”

“Why? Is he busy?”

I nearly frowned.

That felt like none of her business.

Instead of answering, I glanced around deliberately.

“Where’s your husband?” I asked instead. “Didn’t he come with you?”

The woman smiled instantly.

“He went to a nearby store to buy me vanilla ice cream.”

The affection in her voice was impossible to miss.

Before I could respond, the curly-haired woman near the door was finally called inside.

The office door opened, and another couple stepped out together.

Both looked delighted.

The man had his arm wrapped around the woman while matching smiles rested on their faces.

Watching them somehow made me feel worse.

The pregnant woman beside me remained quiet for a moment before speaking again.

“You know,” she began softly, “I got pregnant with my daughter when I was eighteen.”

I looked at her in surprise.

She continued while gently rubbing her stomach.

“My boyfriend left me the moment he found out.”

The smile on her face faded slightly.

“My parents kicked me out because they were ashamed.”

My chest tightened painfully as I listened.

Life clearly had not been kind to her.

“I had nowhere to go,” she continued quietly. “Everything became difficult. At one point, I even considered getting an abortion because I thought my life was over.”

Her voice softened further.

“But I couldn’t do it.”

She looked down at her stomach again, and a gentle smile slowly returned to her lips.

“Something stopped me. It sounds silly, but it felt like my daughter was already talking to me somehow. I know she wasn’t really talking, but that’s what it felt like.”

She laughed softly.

“I just couldn’t let her go.”

Silence settled briefly between us.

Then she continued.

“I thought keeping her would ruin my life, but she became the best thing that ever happened to me.”

I did not know what to say.

Instead, I reached over and gently squeezed her hand.

She smiled and squeezed mine back.

Her story lingered heavily in my mind.

Before coming to the hospital today, I had already convinced myself what I would do if the pregnancy turned out to be real.

I would get an abortion.

Simple.

Practical.

Necessary.

At least that was what I kept telling myself.

But now, I was no longer certain.

The woman seemed to notice the conflict written across my face.

“If you’re struggling to make a decision,” she said gently, “listen to your heart.”

I looked at her quietly.

“It usually knows the answer before your mind does.”

A small laugh escaped me despite everything.

“You talk a lot.”

She laughed loudly.

“That’s because my husband says I never know when to stop.”

A few minutes later, the curly-haired woman finally stepped out of the office.

It was now the pregnant woman’s turn.

Before standing, she glanced down the hallway as though searching for someone.

When she did not find whoever she expected, she simply smiled at me and headed inside.

The squeaking sound of her crocs echoed softly through the corridor.

********

“You’ll receive a call tomorrow morning once the blood test results are ready.”

Dr. Emily adjusted her large octagonal glasses while writing something onto a prescription pad.

I sat across from her wearing a hospital gown and tried very hard not to panic.

The examination had already been completed.

She performed both a urine test and a blood test.

The urine test had already come back positive.

That made four positive tests altogether.

Three at home.

One at the hospital.

At this point, denying reality felt almost impossible.

I was pregnant.

Even Dr. Emily admitted she was nearly certain already.

Tomorrow’s blood results would simply remove the final traces of doubt.

“You’ll probably experience nausea frequently,” Dr. Emily explained while tearing the prescription sheet from the pad. “Take these supplements after meals.”

She handed me the paper, and I accepted it quietly.

My hands felt cold.

The room suddenly seemed much smaller than before.

After several moments of silence, I finally forced myself to ask the question that had been haunting me all day.

“What about an abortion?”

Dr. Emily stopped writing and lifted her eyes toward me.

“Once the blood test confirms the pregnancy, we can discuss that properly,” she replied calmly.

I swallowed hard.

She continued speaking gently.

“Abortion is generally safest within the first twelve weeks.”

“What if I wanted it done this week?” I asked nervously.

The words came out faster than I intended.

My fingers twisted together tightly in my lap.

Dr. Emily remained calm and professional.

“If the pregnancy is confirmed, then yes. We can arrange an appointment.”

I nodded slowly.

Part of me felt relieved.

Another part felt horribly guilty.

The truth was simple.

I was not ready for a child.

I could barely take care of myself.

How was I supposed to care for a baby?

The thought alone terrified me.

After leaving the examination room, I changed back into my clothes and headed toward my dorm.

By the time I arrived, exhaustion weighed heavily on my body.

My muscles ached.

My head hurt.

Even standing felt exhausting.

The moment I collapsed onto my bed, a tired groan escaped my lips.

My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I had not eaten properly all day.

I knew I should get up and buy something from the nearby café.

Unfortunately, I could not gather the energy to move.

I remained sprawled across the mattress while staring blankly at the ceiling.

A few minutes later, my phone suddenly rang.

I picked it up lazily and checked the screen.

Amelia.

A small smile tugged at my lips.

“Hey,” I answered softly.

“Hey!” Amelia practically shouted through the phone. “You don’t have plans tonight, right?”

I winced slightly.

Her excitement alone was powerful enough to burst through the speaker.

“Not really. Why?”

A loud squeal followed immediately.

“I got free tickets to the Aphrodite Show!”

I pulled the phone slightly away from my ear.

“We’ve wanted to see it forever, Luna. We’re finally going.”

Normally, I would have been thrilled.

Very thrilled.

But my mind was too tangled up in hospitals, pregnancy tests, and impossible decisions.

I closed my eyes slowly.

“Sorry, Ame. I can’t go tonight.”

A brief silence followed.

“Why?”

“I don’t feel well.”

Concern immediately entered her voice.

“Are you sick?”

“Something like that.”

I hated lying to her.

Amelia was my best friend.

But I still was not ready to tell anyone about the pregnancy.

Not yet.

“Luna,” she said suspiciously, “you’re hiding something.”

I sighed softly.

“I just don’t feel like going.”

“Nope,” she replied stubbornly. “If you don’t come willingly, I’ll personally drag you out of that dorm.”

Despite everything weighing heavily on my chest, a small laugh escaped me.

Only Amelia could threaten me and somehow make me feel comforted at the same time.

“You’re impossible.”

“Exactly.”

I shook my head while smiling faintly.

“Fine.”

“That’s my girl,” she said proudly.

I could practically hear her grin through the phone.

“Be ready by seven.”

“Okay.”

“See you later.”

The call ended shortly afterward.

I placed my phone beside me and stared at the ceiling once more.

The room fell silent again.

But my thoughts remained unbearably loud.

The pregnant woman’s words replayed endlessly inside my mind.

If you’re struggling to make a decision, listen to your heart.

Slowly, I closed my eyes.

Was my heart already trying to tell me something?

Did it already know the answer I was desperately searching for?

And if it did...

Why was I so afraid to hear it?

to be continued...