Chapter 4-- DARE TO LIVE

Serena's POV

“I'm going for prenatal with Alicia; make sure you don't cause trouble while I'm gone.”

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“Prenatal?” I snapped, eyes wide.

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“You mentioned surrogacy less than two weeks ago, and Alicia is already pregnant? Is that even how surrogacy works?”

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“You should have just told me that you cheated on me with Alicia. There was no need to…”

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My face went the opposite direction almost immediately.

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Marcus looked down at his hand as though he had merely touched dirt.

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“Look what you made me do.” He complained. “You know very well that I hate hitting women.”

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Now it's my fault?

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He reached for my chin as though he wanted to check how badly he had hurt me, but I stepped away almost too quickly.

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“Keep your fake sympathy to yourself,” I said, tears running down my face as I rushed upstairs to my room.

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For the first time in six years, Marcus laid his hand on me.

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That felt like another level of betrayal entirely.

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I covered up the mark with makeup as I made my way to Westhaven's care home.

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While Tessa prepared the place for the shot, I stepped out for a moment.

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Today we were advertising one of the oldies crochet wears that has been in high demand for quite some time now.

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I gave them a reason to want to live every day, made them embrace their passion, and let them make money to support themselves and the care home. That was the idea for the brand.

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It had nothing to do with making a profit.

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The smile on their faces was enough to keep me going.

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I stood on the balcony for a moment too long, watching everyone go about their lives down below.

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I tried so hard not to think of home. My supposed family, but it was hard not to.

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My hands gently brushed against my cheeks.

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Is this really how I will spend the remaining six months of my life?

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I didn't even know when tears began dropping from my eyes.

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All the hard woman facade slipped completely. I held onto my chest as though I was trying to fix together the pieces of what was left of my heart.

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“You're crying?”

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Those words immediately brought me back to the present.

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I quickly wiped my eyes. “No I'm not.” I defended, refusing to look the elderly woman in her eyes.

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Maya was one of the oldest in the care home, and she had been one of the first people I encouraged when I got here.

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She wheeled herself closer to me.

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“Tell me, child, who hurt you?” Maya said,

I wanted to brush it off. I wanted to tell her that I was fine, like I had always done.

Instead, I burst into tears.

Sobbing so hard I could feel my heart ache.

I knelt down, tears falling so fast that I couldn't control them.

I felt her hands lightly brush my back over and over again.

She let me cry for a long moment, then her hands found my chin.

“Tell me, Serena, why do we dare to live?”

My lips trembled violently as I remembered everything I had been preaching to them all these years.

“Because there is more to life than your pain and disabilities,” I muttered.

“Rise above your limits, dear.” Maya continued, placing her hand on my shoulder.

“Let every day be your best day.”

“And most importantly, give yourself the life no one else gives you.”

It was as though those words which had sounded mere to me for a long while now finally had life in them.

“Life is a beautiful thing, dear; don't let anyone ruin yours for you.”

Her words suddenly felt like fuel in my bones, and before I knew it, I was standing on my feet.

“Thank you so much, Maya,” I said, kneeling as I wrapped my hands around her in a quick hug.

With that, I stormed back into the main room where the shoot was supposed to take place.

Everyone turned to me.

“I was just about to come and call you,” Tessa said the moment I walked in. “We’re done sett…”

“Please handle everything,” I said, handing over my camera to Ryan.

They looked at me with confusion in their eyes.

I quickly picked up my purse. “I need to go now!”  

“What?” Tessa yelled, eyes widening.

“Are you well? Did something happen?”

“Ma’am, is everything alright?” Mrs Andrew asked.

“Serena!” The unmistakable voice of Ryan called.

I burst out the doors without a second thought, hurrying down the stairs like my life depended on this moment.

I could hear Tessa's voice behind me as she rushed down with me. “Serena, please wait!”

“Serena!”

But I didn't stop.

By the time I got into my car, I was already dialling my lawyer's number.

Everyone has made their choices- Lucy, Amanda, Marcus. I guess it was time for me to make mine as well.

The moment Mrs Bennett took the call, I said.

“I’m ready to file for the divorce.”

I had barely finished speaking when I heard a deafening crash.

BANG!

My entire body jerked violently.

Before I could even understand what was happening, my car lifted off the ground.

I screamed.

It was like my whole world was spinning.

My car tumbled.

Again.

And again.

And again.

It happened so fast that I didn't even know what to do.

And when the tumbling stopped, I could feel pain all over my body.

I struggled to speak, but I couldn't even hear myself.

My head was spinning, my vision blurry.

And then I heard the hurried steps of someone outside.

I tried to reach out…

But darkness took over.