CHAPTER 4

Sophia’s POV 

The world around me was dark, heavy, as if I were submerged under water. A sharp, distant beeping cut through the fog, pulling me up from the depths of unconsciousness. I groaned softly, my chest aching with every shallow breath I took.

Where am I?

The sterile scent of disinfectant hit me first, followed by the soft hum of machines. Slowly, my eyes forced open, the harsh fluorescent lights above me blurring into focus. The white walls, the medical equipment, the stiff sheets under my fingers—it all came rushing back. I was in a hospital. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in my chest made me weak .

A man in a white coat stood at the foot of the bed, flipping through my chart. His dark hair was neatly styled, and though his posture was firm, his eyes softened the moment he noticed I was awake. “You’re awake,” he said in a calm, professional tone, his voice low and steady, laced with concern.

“I’m Dr. Seth. How are you feeling Ms….?”

I swallowed my throat dry. “ Sophia, tired….what happened?”

“ You collapsed on the street,” Dr Seth explained gently, placing the clipboard on the edge of the body. “ A man saw you and called for help. You’ve been under significant stress, and it seems your body can't take it anymore.” I closed my eyes and flashes of the argument I had with Ethan,  the overwhelming pressure of everything I’d been dealing with lately flooding back to me. The collapse on the street….the phone call. My breath hitched at the memory, but before I could dwell on it further, the doctor’s voice pulled me back.

“The man who found you, Jacob stayed with you until the ambulance arrived,” the doctor said, his voice calm and even. “He’s been waiting outside ever since you were brought in.”

“Jacob?” I echoed, the name unfamiliar on my tongue. My brows knitted in confusion. I didn't know anyone named Jacob. Before I could ask more, the door creaked open, and a man stepped inside.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, with slightly tousled dark hair that framed a face both rugged and kind. His clothes were simple jeans, a wrinkled t-shirt, and a jacket that looked like it had seen better days. But it was his eyes that held me. Steady. Quiet. As if he had already seen too much, and somehow still cared.

“That’s me,” he said with a small, almost hesitant smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He stepped closer but didn’t rush, hands tucked deep in his pockets like he wasn’t sure if he was welcome.

“You’re the one who… helped me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jacob nodded, looking away briefly before meeting my gaze again. “Yeah. I was passing by when I saw you lying there in the rain. You were unconscious. I called the ambulance and waited until they got there.”

The gratitude in my chest was overwhelming. I didn’t know this man, yet he had stopped everything to help me—a stranger, lying unconscious in the rain. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, thick with emotion.

Jacob shook his head gently, brushing it off, though I saw something sincere flicker behind his tired eyes. “Don’t mention it,” he said. “I just did what anyone should do.”

“Not everyone would’ve,” Dr. Seth interjected softly, offering Jacob a respectful nod before glancing back at me. “You’re lucky he found you when he did. You were severely dehydrated, and your body was under intense stress. We’re keeping you overnight for observation. You need rest.”

I swallowed, the truth of it landing hard. I had collapsed. My body had finally given out—under the pressure, the pain, the heartbreak. The weight of everything I had buried inside me.

Jacob shifted slightly where he stood, his hand brushing the back of his neck. He looked like he wasn’t sure whether to stay or slip out now that I was awake. “I didn’t mean to intrude,” he said, his voice quieter now, more uncertain. “I just… wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“No,” I said quickly, my voice hoarse. “It’s fine. Really. I’m grateful. I don’t even know how to start  thanking you.”

He gave a small shrug, the corner of his mouth lifting in a tired but kind smile. “You don’t have to. Just focus on getting better, okay?” 

There was a quiet pause between us, and I found myself watching him more closely. There was this calmness about Jacob and unspoken steadiness in the way he sat there, like he wasn’t in a rush to leave. It felt oddly comforting, even though we barely knew each other.

Dr. Seth gave me a small nod. “Ms. Sophia, I’ll let you rest now. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to press the call button.” With that, he exited the room, leaving just the two of us.

Jacob glanced at me, his voice soft as he asked, “Do you have anyone you can call? Family, a friend?”

I hesitated, then lowered my eyes to my hands. “No.” My voice came out barely above a whisper. “I don’t have anyone.”

His expression shifted gentle concern flickering in his eyes as he leaned slightly forward, resting his forearms on his knees. For a second, he didn’t say anything. He just looked at me, as if reading between the lines I couldn’t speak aloud.

“No one?” he asked again, softly, but without any judgment.

I shook my head slowly, feeling a heavy ache press against my chest. “Not really… It’s complicated.”

He nodded, not pressing further. I silently thanked him for that. I didn’t have the strength to open those wounds.

Then, after a beat, he said, “Then I’ll stay. At least until they discharge you.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the quiet conviction in his voice. “You don’t have to. You’ve already done enough.”

Jacob shrugged lightly. “It’s no trouble. It just doesn’t feel right leaving you alone here.”

His calm, steady gaze met mine, and for a moment, I felt seen , really seen. I hesitated, my voice low. “Why are you being so kind to me? You don’t even know me.”

He was quiet, then offered a faint smile. “Because I know what it’s like to be alone when you need someone. I don’t want you to feel that way.”

His words hit something deep inside me. I didn’t respond, just nodded slowly, my chest tightening with quiet gratitude.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He gave a small nod. “Rest. I’m right here if you need anything.”

As I lay there, the hum of the machines filling the silence, my mind started racing with everything that had happened in the last few months. The weight of it all settled heavily on my chest, making it hard to breathe again. Jacob had no idea.

He didn't know about the pregnancy. How could he? No one knew. I had barely come to terms with it myself. I hadn't told Ethan before we divorced. I couldn't. Everything between us had crumbled quickly,  one argument after another until there was nothing left but coldness and resentment.

Ethan didn't know I was pregnant when we signed the divorce papers. And now, here I was, alone with a baby growing inside me. The baby he'd never known about.

I glanced at Jacob, still sitting in the chair beside me, his eyes now fixed on the floor, deep in thought. Only if he knew the full story, he might have walked away instead of staying.

The guilt clawed at me as if I bit my lip, trying to push the thoughts away. How much longer could I keep pretending I had things under control when I didn't? How long could I hide this pregnancy from everyone, including myself?

I closed my eyes, desperate for rest, but sleep refused to come. The events of the past months churned in my chest. Ethan's cold betrayal, the lies that piled up like bricks, the sting of that final slap, the silence that followed the divorce... and now, the secret nestled inside me.

It was all too much.

Just as I hovered on the edge of a restless doze, Jacob’s voice broke through the stillness, low and gentle.

“Sophia… are you sure you’re okay?”

His voice carried quiet concern, and I could feel his eyes on me, watching, waiting. It was like he knew maybe not the details, but enough to sense I was unraveling.

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I kept my eyes shut and whispered, “I’m fine.” It was a lie we both heard, but I needed to believe it for just a little longer.

Then it hit me.

A sharp, searing pain tore through my lower abdomen. My eyes snapped open, my breath catching in my throat as I instinctively clutched my stomach.

Jacob was out of his chair in an instant, panic replacing the calm in his expression. “Sophia? What’s wrong?”