CHAPTER 3

Katherine’s Pov

“What? Pregnant?” I questioned. The confusion I felt should have been able to fill up the ocean now, “Dr Mason if this is a joke then you better stop it now, I'm not in the mood for all of this.” I swung my legs over the bed to leave but once again, a sharp pain stabbed at my stomach.

“Katherine, listen very carefully to what I'm about to say and no, this is not a prank that I'm playing on you. Your body is so weak due to the stress that you have been going through and you have narrowly escaped having a miscarriage. Right now your body is so weak that even a push could make you faint again and even harm your baby.” Dr Mason continued and I waited. For him to smile and say that what he was saying wasn't true. For him to tell me that this was just a prank, that he was just pulling my legs. However, his face remained serious, the corner of his lips pulled into a frown.

Realisation settled upon me gradually, “You're not joking.”

“No, Katherine.” Dr Mason shook his head.

“Hahaha… Dr Mason, I have a lot of issues going on in my life right now.” I laughed dryly, the sound hollow even to my own ears, “You think I can afford to bring a child into all this chaos? I can’t even save my brother who has only a few more hours left to live, can’t even protect myself. How am I supposed to have a baby?” My voice cracked at the end.

The realisation that I might never be able to see my brother smile, or see him open his eyes again crashed on me. I could barely keep my life straight, how was I supposed to care for a baby?

Dr. Mason’s expression softened, but his next words made my blood run cold.

“Katherine… there’s something else you need to know. There are some… Complications with your body.”

I blinked, not fully understanding what he was trying to say, “What… what are you saying?”

He met my gaze, his voice firm but gentle, “If you abort this pregnancy now, there is a very high chance that you may never be able to get pregnant. Ever again.”

My heart stopped.

I repeated his words without realizing, “I might never be able to have another baby?”

Dr. Mason nodded, “I’m so sorry. I know this is not the time you wanted to hear something like this, but I have a duty to tell you the truth. It’s your choice, completely yours. But I want you to have all the facts before you decide.”

I sat there in stunned silence, my hands trembling as I stared down at my lap. Everything in my life had spiraled out of control, and now this…

Dr. Mason seemed to sense my internal storm, “You don’t have to make a decision right now.” He said kindly, “But I do suggest… if possible, you speak to the father. At the very least, he deserves to know.”

At that, I let out a bitter laugh, “I don’t even know who he is, Doctor. I don’t have the faintest idea where he is, or if I’ll ever see him again so why should I…” Before I could speak any further, there was a sudden commotion that came from the corridor and a nurse ran into the ward, sweat gathered around her forehead.

Dr Mason frowned, “What is the problem here?”

“Dr… Dr Mason, there's a family here and they are…” She was panting and breathing heavily, “They are here for…”

Just as she was about to speak, the door to the ward was kicked open.

“Katherine!” A shrill, venom-laced voice rang out like nails on a chalkboard, “So this is where you’ve been hiding, you wretched little brat.”

My stepmother.

I barely had time to blink before her hand clamped around my wrist like a claw.

“You disgusting woman, you’ve disgraced this family enough!” She spat, yanking the blanket off my legs and grabbing my arm.

“Wait… What are you doing?! I just…!” I tried to protest, still weak from earlier.

She didn’t care. With alarming strength, she tugged me off the bed. I stumbled, my feet barely catching the ground beneath me as I winced from the sharp pain that shot up my side.

My father stepped into the room right then, his eyes narrowing the moment they landed on me, “So, this is where you’ve been. While the whole family is being dragged through the mud because of you.”

“What… what are you talking about?” I gasped, confused, clutching my side where the pain hadn’t faded.

“You shameless thing.” My father growled, eyes filled with disgust, “We did everything for you, gave you a roof over your head, and this is how you repay us? You’ve made us the laughing stock of the entire town. You think we won’t pay for what you’ve done? First you sleep around like a slut and now this?!”

“I don’t… What are you talking about? What did I do?!”

He marched toward me, fists clenched, “I should sell you off to some old man and be done with this disgrace! That might be the only way to clean this family’s name now.”

“Sell me off?” I choked, stumbling back into the bed, “After everything you are still trying to sell me off? What sort of parent are you?!”

“Shut your mouth!” My father yelled, his eyes blazing, “If your mother hadn't insisted on keeping you and not aborting you like I asked, I would have never gotten a disgrace like you and now, this is how you repay me?!”

From my memories, despite the fact that he wasn't really much of a father to me or to my brother, at least, he never said these kind of harsh words.

The bottom of my lips trembled, “I haven't done anything wrong, you have no right to…”

“Oh, haven’t you?” Emily cut me off, waving her phone in front of me, “Then explain this.”

She tapped on the screen, and a commercial popped up… No, a bounty, on me.

“WANTED: Katherine Winter. Reward: $500,000 to anyone who finds her and brings her to me. Alive.”

My breath caught.

I blinked hard, thinking I must be hallucinating. But there it was, my photo, my name, and a massive cash reward.

“What… What is this?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the ringing in my ears.

My stepmother’s smile was cruel as she crossed her arms, “You’re worth something after all. Not because you’re valuable, but because someone out there clearly wants to get their hands on you. And if you think we’re going to protect you and lose out on half a million, you’re delusional.”

My father didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. His silence was agreement enough. They were going to give me to whoever did this.

So I turned, and ran.