4.

My eyes flew open just as a gasp tore through my mouth. My breathing was laboured and I winced as the light blinded my eyes for a few seconds, forcing me to close them again as a result of the sting.

I took a few seconds before I let my eyes flutter open again. I felt disoriented and my eyes darted around the room to try to remember where I was and how I got there.

I tried to sit up but ended up falling back against the bed and hissing out as a sharp pain came from my abdomen at the same time realization whipped me harshly.

Images unfolded before me mentally like I was watching a TV screen as I saw myself being hit by a car.

“My baby” I cried out in horror, my hand flying to my stomach to check if I was fine as if my action would magically provide answers for me.

It was also the same time I noticed the needle in my hand which was attached to a drip and the beeping sound of a monitoring machine.

I tried to rip the needle out of my hand but the door opened and a nurse carrying a tray entered the room. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and she quickly dropped the tray on a nearby table and hurried towards me to help me sit up properly.

“Miss, How do you feel? Does anything hurt?” She asked in an accented tone as she fussed over me which made me uncomfortable.

“Where is this place? Who are you? Is my baby okay?” I asked, pushing her hands away from my body.

“I’ll get Mrs Reika and the doctor,” The nurse said quickly before dashing out of the room, leaving my hand hanging midair.

I dropped the hand with a frustrated sigh and attempted to climb down from the bed but I couldn’t. My body felt weak, and I ended up falling back on the bed.

The last thing I remembered was being hit by that car and someone picking me up. Did that person save me? Where was this place? I took in the traditional Asian element implemented into the room’s decor but nothing felt familiar.

The door opened a second time and the nurse returned with a doctor and another older Japanese lady who was probably in her seventies.

The woman became emotional with tears clouding her eyes as she saw me which confused me. She didn't look familiar so I didn't know what to make of her reaction.

“Who are you? What am I doing here?” I asked again but I was ignored. The doctor walked up to me to check my eyes and my pulse before walking back to the woman and whispering something in her ears which made her nod in approval. The doctor left the room with the nurse, leaving me alone with this strange old lady.

“Why won’t anyone answer any of my questions? Who are you? How did I get here? Is my baby okay? I’m pregnant. At least tell me that my baby is fine” My breathing was frantic now as I began to panic.

I was getting desperate, and this woman was just standing there, staring at me with so much sorrow and pity that made me squirm in my seat.

The woman ignored me again and walked to the table at the corner of the room to pour a glass of water. She approached me with the cup and pushed it into my hands.

“Calm down, Child. My name is Reika Ishii” She said at last before taking a seat beside the bed“You were saved by one of my people. I’m also your grandmother”

My brows hitched up in surprise and my eyes trailed the length of her face. “My grandmother? I’m certain you are not my grandma. I’ve met her a couple of times.”

“From your mother’s side. You won’t remember because you haven’t seen me since you were a baby and after your mother died, I couldn’t keep in contact since your father had full custody over you.”

“My mom wasn’t Japanese. I’m sorry and don’t mean to sound racist but she didn’t even look like one. I may have been young when she died but I still have pictures” I argued but began coughing after.

It was a shameful thing but I didn’t know anything about my mom’s family since Dad never spoke about them. He wouldn’t even let me ask questions about her.

“Your throat is parched since you were out for over two weeks. You should drink that glass of water before we continue.” Reika suggested but her last sentence had my eyes bulging out.

“I’ve been out for over two weeks?” I exclaimed but started coughing again. I begrudgingly drank the water and handed the cup over to Reika who placed it back on the drawer beside the bed.

"When we found you, you’ve just been hit by a car. You were lucky since I had someone on you since your mother died. We brought you to Japan the moment you were stable enough to travel six days after you were found.”

“I’m in Japan?” My head was spinning with the amount of new information I was being bombarded with.

“Yes. You are in Tokyo as we speak”

“Why did you bring me here? What if someone was looking for me?”

“I’m sorry but I doubt anyone would be looking for you with the way you were thrown out of the house after your father’s will was read and with the engagement of your husband to your sister.” Reika’s voice was regretful and blunt at the same time as she delivered the blow as lightly as she could but it still hurt.

“My friend, Nova. She would look for me” I insisted, not wanting to give in to the throb in my chest that appeared with her words.

“Your friend is aware that you are here. She was the one who treated you when you got hit but it was too dangerous to leave you there with someone out to hurt you.” Reika explained.

“Nova knows I’m here? Is she okay?”

“She is fine and was in support of you coming here after the series of events that have happened these past few days.”

“You’ve been watching me all this time? Are you sure you are my grandma?” I was having a hard time believing this stranger was related to me but there was no way she would know about the will and the engagement if she hadn’t been watching me.

“Your mother didn’t look Japanese because I gave birth to her for an American”

I eyed her sceptically. “Why didn’t you show yourself since? Why now?”

“Because you need me now.”

“You saw me get hit? Was it an accident? No, don’t answer that just yet. Just tell me if my baby is fine. I was pregnant. My dad promised me it was going to last this time.”

Reika’s eyes sank close and there was a faint crack in my chest as I watched with horror, the agony that slowly grew on her face.

The expression on her face was enough to tell me what I didn’t want to know but I was hoping it was going to be one of those cases where my grandmother was trying to scare me before telling me the good news, but I knew it was a big fat lie.

“No” I whispered with a cracked voice “No, don’t say it. My baby is fine. My baby is all I’ve got left. I can’t lose them. Please” Every tear that dropped felt like a part of my soul being ripped away from my body.

“I’m so sorry. We tried to save your baby but the impact of the car was too much so we couldn’t. I’m so sorry.” Reika apologized as a sob escaped her lips.

Agony ripped through my body, slicing through me from the inside out, making it nearly impossible for me to breathe through the haze of pain constricting my heart.

I was suffocating, and the room felt like a coffin, caging and trapping me in a hell where I couldn’t escape.

“No” I screamed and pushed away from the bed.

I stood up and ripped the needle from my arm, not caring that it caused a wound and I was now bleeding on the expensive carpet.

“Maliah, please calm down. You will hurt yourself” Reika pleaded but my eyes were filled with rage, and I could not think straight.

“What should I protect?” I yelled “What body is worth protecting when I’ve lost it all? My baby is gone. Why should I keep living?” I snarled.

“It’s not your fault, my child. Your father would not want you to do this to yourself. Please calm down.”

“But he isn’t here now, is he? He left and now I am alone. If he loved me, then he wouldn’t have given everything to them. He wouldn’t have left me alone at the mercy of his wife, but I guess it was a farce. He never truly cared.”

The words were not true, but I was hurt. Every word I spat dripped with venom as I tried to vent my anger and show how much I was torn by everything.

I felt like using my nails to open up my chest to show Reika how empty and how hurt I was. Words were not enough to explain how I felt.

“I know you don’t mean that. You know your father loved you more than anything. I know there is more to what happened to you. Everything happened so fast and almost too perfect. I promise I will help you get to the truth of what happened but please, calm down first. You are still too weak to be on your feet”

“I can’t do this anymore, Reika. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’ve lost too much to keep on going and I’m tired. I need my baby” Every word felt like a stab to me and soon I began laughing sardonically.

I fisted my hands and smacked it against my chest. I felt like I was suffocating and was going to fall apart.

I slid to the floor and wrapped my hand around myself, but it didn’t do anything but make me feel worse.

Reika moved to stand in front of me. She didn’t know how I felt but her eyes watered.

“Come on, child. Let’s get you to the bed.” Reika bent down to pull me to my feet, and she was surprised when I went willingly.

I allowed myself to be pulled to the bed. I had screamed and cried so much that I felt empty and drained. Nothing made sense and I felt nothing. No rage, no pain, nothing.

The door to the room opened and a young man around my age entered the room.

“This is Shiro” Reika gestured to the young man who bowed slightly to me, but I only turned my head away, not wanting to see anyone.

“Shiro had been watching you for the last three years in America. He knows a lot of things, some of which you might not be aware of so you can ask him anything and he will try to help you as much as he can when you are better”

“I’m going to kill them all.” I whispered with so much venom in my voice that Reika almost missed it.

“Those people who took my baby from me, who took my father and my life. I won’t spare any of them. I’ll make sure they pay for hurting me like this. They shouldn’t have taken my baby from me.” I whimpered as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

“My child, I know you are angry and I understand but revenge is not always the best path to go down. You’ll end up hurt again and maybe worse. You don’t even know how dangerous your enemies are” Reika argued.

“I don’t care. The only time I’ll be able to live on is if I get my revenge. I know someone was behind me losing my baby and I will get them back, ten thousand folds worse than what they did to me.”

“If this is what you want, then I will stand by you, child. Shiro is very skilled and smart. His father has worked with me for years and he will be able to help you with anything you need. I just hope you don’t come out of this much worse than you are going in” Reika sighed knowing there was nothing she could do to change my mind.

“I want to be alone” I whispered. I lay back down on the bed and turned so I was with my back towards Reika. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone again.

Reika sighed in disappointment but there was nothing she could do. She allowed Shiro to help her up as they left the room so I could be alone.

“That child has gone through too much. I’ll leave her in your hands, Shiro. Take care of her like your younger sister. Protect her for me” I heard Reika plead and I turned my head slightly to see her grasping both of Shiro’s hands in hers through the slightly opened door.

“I’ll take care of her, I promise.”