4

Emma Whitcomb

Panic exploded in my chest as I struggled, but it was useless.

They were too strong.

Within seconds, I was shoved into the backseat of a car.

The door slammed shut.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

“Who…are you?” My voice cracked into a whisper, pulse quickening, cold sweat forming on my forehead.

“Wh…what do you want?” I stuttered.

“Us?” The one holding a pistol stepped forward and asked just one question, “can't you tell?

Of course, I could tell… I could see danger lurking around me. But who are these people? Are they robbers?

“I…I… Please… please don't hurt me. I'll give you anything. Is it money you want? I'll give you money,” I said, my voice shaky.

“Money?” He scoffed, turning to glance at the others, and as he turned to me, a hot slap landed on my cheeks.

My knees cracked against the tiled floor, a sharp wince tearing through my throat.

Fear gripped me. They weren't here to rob… They came for me.

I scrambled back, body trembling as he approached me, but he didn't stop until my back pressed against the seatback.

He squatted before me, tracing the pistol down my cheek, brushing it against my lips, and stopped right in my neck.

My breath hitched.

“Please… please don't hurt me…” I begged, my voice shaky, lips quivering, tears blurring my vision.

Then a phone rang, and one of them stepped forward to meet the one crouching before me, “boss, she's calling,”

She?

He took the phone and answered the call, but the voice that echoed on the other end made me stiff.

“Hey, sister,”

That was unmistakably Eleanor's voice.

My chest tightened. I couldn't breathe.

“E…Eleanor?” My voice cracked, shocked.

“You got the surprise I prepared for you…” she laughed softly, “tell me, do you like it?”

My chest burned with anger. I always knew she was up to no good, but she crossed the line this time.

“Why, El?” My voice broke. “I already gave you Daniel!”

“Of course, you did. Not that you had a choice anyway… Well, let's just say that I'm protecting what's mine,”

My lips parted, but no words came out. Protecting what's hers, she said?

“You didn't expect me to let you off knowing that you're carrying a child for my man, right?”

I stilled. My pulse quickened. She knew about my baby?

My hand trembled as I lifted it to my stomach.

“H…how—”

“How did I find out? Oh, come on, Emma. Nothing is hidden to me. It takes just a snap of fingers, and I'll get everything I want,”

I swallowed hard. I wanted to cuss her out, but I knew that wasn't smart enough. I need to do something. I can't let her kill my child and me.

“You can’t do this…” My voice shook uncontrollably. “We can talk… we can fix this…”

Silence.

“El… please…”

I swallowed hard, forcing the words out.

“You can have Daniel. I swear. I won’t go back to him. I won’t tell him about the baby. I’ll disappear… I’ll go somewhere far away… you’ll never see me again…”

My voice cracked completely.

“Please… just let me live…”

For a moment—

There was hope.

Then—

“Make sure she leaves no trace.”

Beep.

Everything shattered.

I knew then that my fate had been sealed. They won't spare me or my baby.

He stood, towering over me as he pointed the gun at me.

“Please, listen to me… You can't do this… This is a crime… You're going to be charged with murder, and you'll spend the rest of your life in…” My voice faded into a gasp as the second one stepped forward and plunged a knife right into my stomach without warning.

My hands found their way to his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as he twisted the knife inside me.

He pulled out the knife, and in half a second, plunged it into the same place again, this time, deeper.

The first one pointed the gun at me and said, “charged with murder? Spending the rest of my life in jail? You wish,”

Those were the last words I heard before a bullet flew straight from the barrel, piercing through my stomach.

Everything went quiet.

My hand pressed desperately against my stomach.

Not me.

My baby.

Please…

My fingers trembled as I fumbled for my phone.

Daniel.

He would come.

He had to.

Even if everything was broken… even if he chose her…

He wouldn’t let me die.

Right?

The call rang.

Once.

Twice.

Finally, he picked up, "You know I'm busy, Emma. What do you want now?" Daniel's voice was cold and dismissive.

“Da…niel…” My voice barely existed. “Please… help… I’m…”

Dying.

"What? What are you talking about, Emma?"

“I—I’m hurt… I—”

“Are you doing this again?” he cut in sharply. “Trying to stop the wedding?”

Something inside me froze.

“Daniel…” I begged, my voice shaking apart. “Please…”

Just this once.

Believe me.

Choose me.

Please…

A short, annoyed exhale came from the other end.

“We’ll talk when I get back.”

The line went dead.

My chest tightened... so hard, I couldn't breathe.

The last thread of hope inside me… snapped.

My hand pressed against the wound. I barely felt any pain there. It has become numb... I knew then that it was over. This was the end.

Everyone treated me badly... None of them ever cared about me, but the first people who did this to me was my birth parents. Had they not abandoned me in the orphanage, this wouldn't have happened.

And Daniel... I should never have loved him. I should never have agreed to the engagement.

If there's a life after this one, I promise to make all of them pay for how they treated me... Mom... dad... Daniel... and Eleanor... All of them.

My vision swam, the ceiling above me spinning wildly.

The pain was unbearable at first—burning, tearing through my body—until even that began to fade.

My fingers trembled as they pressed weakly against my stomach. Warmth soaked my hands.

My baby…

My chest tightened violently, each breath harder than the last. Air burned in my lungs, refusing to stay.

So this is how it ends, I thought hazily.

My eyelids grew unbearably heavy.

I’m sorry…

With that final thought, I slowly closed my eyes.

Everything went dark.

******

When I opened my eyes again, there was no pain.

No blood.

No weight.

“What…?”

My breath caught as I looked down.

My body lay on the ground.

Broken.

Motionless.

Soaked in blood.

That was me.

A strangled sound tore from my throat as my knees gave out.

“No… no…”

My knees buckled.

“I’m… dead?”

I reached out instinctively—

My hand passed straight through.

Cold terror wrapped tightly around me.

I was dead, but my soul seemed to still be there.

Then—

BANG!

The door was kicked open.

Heavy footsteps followed—fast, decisive, filled with authority.

“Emma!”

A deep, commanding voice cut through the air.

Who is that?

My eyes flicked to the direction and I saw Mr. Cole. Daniel's uncle.

He stood there like a storm.

Tall. Imposing.

His sharp gaze swept the room—and froze the moment it landed on my body.

For a split second—

Even he stilled.

“Call an ambulance. Now!” His voice dropped, cold and lethal.

I frowned.

Why does he care about me so much?