Chapter 6

Ivy's POV

“Ivy!”

The sharp voice cut through the noise of the supermarket, loud enough to turn a few heads. I stiffened immediately, my fingers tightening around the carton of milk I was trying to arrange on the shelf.

Slowly, I turned.

Mrs. Dorsey stood a few steps away, her heels clicking against the tiled floor as she walked toward me with that same expression she always wore, annoyance mixed with disappointment.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.

Her eyes swept over me from head to toe, lingering on my face.

“You look terrible.”

I swallowed. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” she snapped. “You look like you’re about to faint, and I don’t have time for drama today.”

“I won’t cause any trouble,” I said quickly. “I can work.”

She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You people always say that, and then I’m the one cleaning up the mess after. If you’re sick, you should’ve stayed home.”

“I need this job,” I said quietly.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she could hear something deeper in those words, but she quickly brushed it off.

“Then act like it,” she said coldly. “Customers have been complaining that the shelves in aisle three are still half empty. What exactly have you been doing since you resumed your shift?”

“I was just about to…”

“Don’t explain. Just fix it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She turned and walked away, already losing interest.

I exhaled slowly, my shoulders dropping as soon as she was gone.

I bent down to continue arranging the items, but the moment I lowered myself, a wave of dizziness hit me so suddenly that I had to grab the edge of the shelf to steady myself.

Not again.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, breathing slowly.

In… Out… In… Out…

“Please,” I whispered under my breath, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach. “Just let me get through today.”

My baby. The only reason I was still standing. The only reason I refused to fall apart completely.

Another wave of nausea rose, stronger this time. I pressed my lips together, trying to fight it, but it didn’t work. My body felt like it was working against me.

I stood up too quickly and rushed toward the staff restroom, ignoring the curious glances from a few customers.

The moment I pushed the door open, I barely made it to the sink before everything came up.

When it was over, my entire body felt weak, like I had nothing left to give.

I rinsed my mouth slowly, gripping the sink as I stared at my reflection.

God.

I looked like a stranger.

My cheeks were hollow, my eyes dull, my skin pale.

“I’ll be okay,” I whispered, even though the words sounded empty. “I have to be.”

“Ivy!”

I froze.

I closed my eyes briefly before stepping out of the restroom.

Mrs. Dorsey stood there, arms crossed again.

“Let me guess,” she said. “Another break?”

“I was just feeling a little…”

“I don’t care how you feel,” she cut in sharply. “I care about the work. If you can’t handle it, say so now and save me the trouble.”

“I can handle it,” I said, this time more firmly.

Her brow lifted slightly.

“I won't tolerate any other mistakes again.”

I nodded and walked past her before she could say anything else.

I couldn’t lose this job.

The rest of the day dragged on endlessly.

Every hour felt like three.

I forced myself to keep moving, even when my legs felt like they might give out at any second. I smiled when customers spoke to me, apologized when I made small mistakes, and ignored the way my head spun every time I stood up too quickly.

By the time my shift finally ended, I felt like I had run a marathon with no rest.

“Ivy,” Mrs. Dorsey called as I picked up my bag.

I paused. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Don’t be late tomorrow.”

“I won’t.”

“And fix your face,” she added. “You look pale. It’s bad for business.”

I nodded. “Good night.”

I stepped outside before she could say anything else.

The cool evening air hit my skin, and for a moment, I just stood there, breathing.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and started walking.

One step.

Then another.

My small apartment wasn’t too far, but today, even that distance felt like too much.

My legs were heavy, my body was weak, my head was light.

“I just need to get home,” I murmured.

I kept walking. The streetlights flickered on one by one, casting soft light across the road. Cars passed occasionally, their headlights blurring slightly in my vision.

Something wasn’t right. I was feeling too dizzy.

I blinked. “I… I’m fine,” I whispered, even though my voice sounded distant to my own ears.

Another step.

My foot slipped slightly, butI caught myself, my heart racing. My hand moved to my stomach again, fear creeping in.

My breathing became uneven. The world around me tilted slightly.

“I just need to sit down…”

But there was nowhere to sit.

My vision blurred completely this time. The lights stretched into streaks. The sounds faded. My legs gave out.

And then… everything went blank.

********

The next thing I felt wasn’t the ground. I felt warm, strong hands lifting me. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. Because it had been so long since I felt anything like this. My head rested against something solid, and I could faintly hear a steady heartbeat, not mine.

A voice echoed somewhere above me, low and distant.

“…she just collapsed in front of the car—”

Car?

My brows furrowed slightly, but I couldn’t open my eyes.

Another voice spoke. “Move.”

There was something about that voice. Something that cut through the haze in my mind. It wasn’t loud, but it carried an aura.

I tried to move, to say something, but my body refused to respond. All I could do was breathe. Then I felt a shift. The arms holding me adjusted slightly, pulling me closer carefully, as if I might break.

My fingers twitched weakly, brushing against the smooth fabric.

My mind struggled to process it. Who…?

The voice came again, closer this time. “Open the door.”

And then, I felt myself being carried carefully. As if I mattered. My head shifted slightly against his chest, and for a brief second, I caught a faint scent.

Everything felt strange. The world tilted again as I was lowered carefully into something soft.

A car.

The warmth disappeared almost immediately, and for a second, I felt… cold. Like something had been taken away.

I wanted to reach out, and hold onto that warmth. But I couldn't. My body had already given in. Darkness pulled me under again.

And this time, I didn’t fight it.