Chapter four

Elara’s pov

A guttural scream escaped my throat. The smell of blood engulfing me. The men, horror filled their eyes as they paused.

I was breathing hard before watching Mrs Martha give a curt nod and the men came back to take me.

“Wait,” I managed,”please,” I begged but no one stopped.

And nobody came to my aid.

A warm sticky substance flowed down my legs by the time I was thrown beyond the gates into the street. My bags followed soon after, scattering out all of my belongings across the gravel as my strength began to fail me.

Nobody spared me a glance as the gates were shut against me. I was on the floor, an emptiness engulfing me as all I could no longer differentiate between air or blood.

Tears leaked from my eyes as I circled my stomach with my fingers.

Red liquid stained the tips, pain flowed violently over my pelvis as I stayed down, looking at the moon with a bitterness clouding my heart.

I had given Nathan everything he had asked of me. Including a child and somehow, it hadn’t been enough for him.

I could feel the last bits of my strength ebb away and a certain weakness had over taken me.

I was certain I was going to die and closed my eyes, preparing myself for the void.

At least, my baby and I could have peace. Happiness. Love.

My vision was thinning, black dots at the edges when blinding lights caused me to wince.

“Elara!”

Someone screamed. I couldn’t see his face but I recognized that voice and when he looped his hands with mine, a memory flashed behind my eyes.

“I—I remember,” I gasped out before the world went dark.

A constant beep echoed in my subconscious. I struggled to open my eyes and winced with the brightness when I did.

My vision was blurred, I blinked severally before it slowly focused. My ears picked up only the beep noise and my eyes traced it.

There was a cannula hooked to my arm and a slow panic built.

“You’re awake,” a sultry but familar voice caught my instant attention and my eyes widened.

What was he doing here?

What was I doing here?

I sat up too fast and my head spun, his hand pressed down against my shoulder to stop me but it was already too late.

“What am I doing here?” I asked, shrugging off his touch and the familiarity behind it.

Why couldn’t I recall anything?

His hands went to my stomach briefly and instantly, my hands went to my stomach. A dreadful feeling burst aflame in my chest as I opened my mouth to speak.

“I’ll get the doctor,” Mr Quinn said and walked away without waiting for me.

I could feel a heaviness behind my eyes, gathering liquid. I could feel the dread but I couldn’t name it.

Soon, three people walked into the room. Mr Quinn, a man dressed like a doctor and another in a firm business suit.

My eyes moved confused between them. The air had dropped pressure and my throat had grown tight.

“Doctor…” my voice was broken as he looked at me, his eyes filled with a sorrow I didn’t want to recognize.

“I’m sorry, Mrs Elara,” he began and a tear fell from my eyes.

“No…” I called out, already rejecting whatever he had to say.

“We tried to save both of you but we could only save one,” he finished and something ripped inside of me.

My hands went numb and a deep emptiness engulfed me.

Tears poured down but they weren’t sad. My hands had curled into fists as my memory came back uncontrollably.

“I think that would be all doctor,” Mr Quinn cut him off. The doctor must have left because I didn’t look up from my folded hands.

Hands that were now shaking uncontrollably in my lap. Three years of my life wasted on a man who never even loved me.

Who never chose me as his family.

Now here I was, laying in an unnamed hospital bed with no future.