Chapter 3

Mira’s POV

 “What are you doing?” I heard a sharp voice behind me and my heart skipped. 

 I turned to see Fiona staring at me with curiosity all over her face and her hands on her hips.

 “Are you spying on dad and Aunty?” 

 “Shh…” I tried to shush her up and that made her furrow her brows.

 “You!” Her voice grew louder at every second that I wanted the ground to just open and swallow me, no matter how I tried to calm her down, she just didn’t shut up.

 “Fiona… listen to me.” I whispered, my eyes and mouth pleading with her. 

 “What are you doing outside Daddy's room?” 

 Just then, the door pulled open. Joseph marched out of the room first before Julie followed. Joseph’s face contoured in anger as he asked,

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, already moving towards me as I stepped backwards.

 Fiona rushed over to my younger sister after seeing her, clinging to her leg as Julie placed a hand around her, bringing her closer.

 My heart tightened at that small gesture that even my own child would prefer another woman to me. 

 “I-I–” I stammered before looking up to Joseph, who looked extremely furious as time went by without me giving him an answer.

 “I'm waiting.” he said, with a frown on his face and I bowed my head, looking at the floor as I began to peel at the skin underneath my nails.

 “I came to inform you all that the food was ready.” I finally got out and everywhere was silent for a while before Joseph spoke.

 “Did you hear anything?” 

 My head whipped up so fast, my neck hurt.

 “Huh? Hear?” I repeated and he moved menacingly closer so that I instinctively took some steps back.

 “I asked if you heard anything. Damnit. Give me a reply!” he yelled and I flinched, shivering slightly.

 “I didn't. I didn't hear anything.” 

 He nodded, looking at Julie “Good.”

 Were they saying something they didn’t want me to hear? I tried to listen but I didn’t hear a thing.

 “Sister, are you sure that you didn't hear anything?” she asked, her voice sounding innocent and calm but I could hear a hint of mockery in it.

 I nodded, not so sure of what else to do.

 Joseph sighed and beckoned Fiona, “Come on, let's go and have beef wellington.”

 “Yehhh!”Fiona swung her hands in the air as she stretched her hands for her dad to pick her up. He did and I watched them walk down the stairs.

 No ‘thank you’.

 No ‘well done’.

 I shifted my gaze to Julie whose gaze never left mine, making me wonder what it was they were actually discussing behind closed doors. After a while, she moved to the side, ready to leave but I held her upper arm

 “Julie, I have been meaning to ask,” I started and she raised a brow. She looked down at my hand that held hers and I let go of her arm. She took steps back to meet my eyes head-on.

 “I don't mean to sound rude but when do you plan to leave?” 

 “Leave?” She asked. Her eyes showed the hurt my question had brought her.

 “I mean, you’ve been here for almost a year now, Julie. Don’t you plan on going back? You came to visit us, right?” I asked

 She paused; her eyes widened as she then dropped her eyes to the ground, twiddling her thumbs. 

 Slowly, her shoulders began to shake and I felt guilty.

 “Julie, I'm sorry, I just--” I placed my hand on her shoulder to stop her from crying but the next second, my hand was slapped away. 

 She raised her head, laughing maniacally like I had said the most hilarious thing in the world.

 “Leave? Oh, my dear sister. You want me to leave? Leave where?”

 The smile on her face had vanished and her eyes were dark and filled with something I couldn't quite place.

 “I'm not going anywhere. But maybe you might be the one going somewhere.”

 She smirked and my eyes widened, as I tried to understand what she meant by that.

 “What do you—” I started to say but stopped abruptly as I felt a force. A heavy push, causing me to fall backwards. I tried to hold myself from falling but couldn’t. 

 “Ahhh!” I screamed as my back hit something really hard and I felt a jolt of pain all over my body. It didn't stop there.

 I hit myself over and over again as I tumbled down and it was till I had reached the end did I realize what had just happened.

 My sister had pushed me down the stairs.

 Looking up with blurry eyes and soaked in my own blood, my body twisted in an awkward position. Pain surge through my entire body.

 Julie walked down the stairs to where I laid. Her face filled with disgust as she murmured,

 “I am here to stay.” she walked away.

 “Help!” I tried to call but my voice was inaudible. I bet no one would hear me. No one was coming to save me.

 Tears trickled down my eyes, mixing with my blood. My baby… No.

 Before I could finally succumb to the darkness, I heard shuffling of feet around me. 

 “Ma. Ma!” 

 I shut my eyes 

 *

 “You will listen to me! I am her husband. I have every right to give permission”

 Joseph's yelling woke me from my unconscious state. I opened my eyes to see his back turned to me and a man in a white robe in front of him with a distressed look on his face.

 The doctor who had discharged me the last time I was in the hospital.

 He seemed to have been trying to explain something to Joseph but he wasn't having it.

 “She is not in the right state to give out blood. Do you want her dead?” The doctor asked.

 “What use is she anyway apart from giving my daughter blood when she needs it?” Joseph shot back.

  I felt a sharp pain. Not in the places that I was visibly wounded but in my heart. How could he have said that?

 Joseph didn't stop there. He continued hurling insults at the doctor for not going ahead with the blood transfusion since he had already signed the consent form.

 “Mr. Darlington, the patient might lose her life.”

 “My daughter’s health is more important. Suck her dry if need be!” Joseph barked. 

 My head spun, eyes got blurry again and I went unconscious.

 When next I woke up, I was in a different room with so many tubes attached to my body. I tried to get up from the bed but I couldn't really do so. I assumed they had transfused blood for Fiona again.

 Every part of me screamed of pain. A nurse came around and gave me an injection and I dozed off again.

 I didn’t know how long I was out but the next time I woke up, the room was empty. A different room again but I could finally get up.

 Just as I did, two nurses walked in, talking amongst themselves till their eyes landed on me and they stopped, looking between each other before looking back at me with a forced smile.

 One of them came to check my vitals, while the other approached me, 

 “How are you feeling now, ma’am?” she asked.

 “How is my baby?” I asked back with a cracked voice.

 The two nurses stared at each other and my heart began to pound in my chest. I swallowed, waiting for a reply. The nurse moved closer to me, looking like she had swallowed nails.

 “Ma’am… I am so sorry.” 

 My face contorted into a frown. Fear enveloped me. My throat tightened as my wide eyes were fixed on the nurse.

 “You… We couldn’t save the baby.”

 I heard a ringing in my ear.

 What?

 I could see their lips moving but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I could feel their sympathy rolling off them in waves but I didn't care to mention that I didn't need it.

 I wanted to talk but I couldn't.

 When they saw that I wasn't responding, they walked out of the room, leaving me to the silence and the demons eating me up from inside.

 I lost another pregnancy again. I was five months gone. She could have survived. She could have been brought to this world.

 I dropped my head into my hands and let out an ear deafening scream that made my lungs hurt as tears fell from my eyes to the white sheets of the hospital bed.

 “My baby!”