Chapter 2

Serah's POV

When I finally open my eyes, a blinding white light greets me. The sterile smell in the air, the beeping machines nearby, and the pale blue curtains around me all tell me where I am. I'm in a hospital. My head is pounding with an intense ache, and when I instinctively reach up to touch it, I find it tightly wrapped in bandages. The pressure of the bandage only intensifies the pain, and I quickly lower my hand with a soft groan.

“Ouch,” I whisper, grimacing in discomfort. The pain shoots through my skull, sharp and unforgiving. I know immediately it’ll take time before I fully recover. The injury I sustained wasn’t just a scratch. I had clearly hit my head hard when I fell.

Before I can fully process the situation, I hear a familiar voice.

“Serah, I’m so glad you’re awake now!” Mia rushes to my side, her face flushed with worry and tears brimming in her eyes.

Seeing her like that breaks something inside me. The last thing I ever wanted was to cause her pain or worry. She’d always tried to protect me, to keep me safe, even when I didn’t want to listen. And here I was, lying in a hospital bed, confirming all the fears she had tried to save me from.

“Thanks, sister, for always being here for me,” I manage to say, my voice trembling as tears well up and spill from my eyes.

Mia is the only family I have. Our parents died years ago in a terrible car accident that none of us survived, except for the two of us. Back then, we were just children, fragile and helpless. With no one else to care for us, we were taken to a children’s home. It became our shelter, our training ground for survival. And when we were old enough, we left together, determined to carve out our own lives.

We found a small apartment and jobs at a local hotel. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was manageable. We had each other. And now, seeing the fear and love in her eyes reminds me of that truth. She’s always been by my side.

“You got me so worried, Serah,” Mia says, her voice cracking. “What were you thinking? Where were you coming from so late at night? Please tell me.”

I hesitate. How could I even begin to explain? But I can’t hide the truth anymore, not after everything that’s happened.

“Mia, promise me you won’t get angry,” I say, my tears flowing freely now. “Please…”

“Tell me, Serah,” she says gently, though there’s a firm edge in her voice. “You’re my sister. I won’t get mad. I just need to know how this happened. If you hadn’t texted me... I don’t even want to think about what could’ve happened.”

I take a shaky breath. “I had gone to see Brian,” I whisper. Saying his name makes my stomach twist. “You won’t believe what he did to me…”

Her expression hardens instantly. “What has he done, Serah? Tell me. That foolish man, I knew he was no good from the start. My instincts were right all along.”

I nod, sobbing. “He broke up with me. He told me he found someone else, someone better. He said I was dead to him… and he threw me out of his house. Just like that. Into the cold. It was dark, and I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do. I kept thinking of you and how I should have listened. You were right, Mia. You were always right, and I was too naive to see him for who he really was.”

“Don’t cry, Serah,” she says softly, pulling me into a gentle hug. “You just fell in love with the wrong person, that’s all. But it’s over now. He’s out of your life, and that’s a good thing. You’ll move on from this. You’ll heal.”

“But how do I even begin, Mia?” I sob. “How do I live without Brian? He was my everything. My first love. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop loving him. It hurts so much, I feel like my heart is tearing apart. What did I do wrong? Why did he stop loving me?”

She brushes the tears from my face and kisses my forehead, her own eyes wet with emotion. “You did nothing wrong, Serah. You loved purely, and he didn’t value that. But you are not alone. I’m here. I will never leave your side. I’ll help you heal, help you forget him. You’re too beautiful, too precious, to be broken by a man like Brian. He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

Before I can reply, the door creaks open and the doctor enters, interrupting our heartfelt moment. I quickly wipe the tears from my face and turn to face him, hoping for some good news. I just want to leave this place. Lying here, doing nothing, only reminds me of the heartbreak I’m trying to escape.

“Miss Serah Stone,” the doctor begins with a warm smile, holding a clipboard in hand. “I have some good news for you. We’ve completed all your tests, and the injury to your head isn’t as serious as we initially thought. There’s no internal bleeding or fractures. You’re healing well, and we’ll be discharging you tomorrow morning.”

Relief washes over me. “Thank God,” I whisper. “I don’t know what I would have done if it were something serious.”

“Thank you, doctor. That’s really good news,” Mia says, her voice grateful.

The doctor raises a finger with a smile. “Actually, I haven’t told you the best part yet.”

I blink, confused. “There’s more?”

“Yes,” he replies. “Serah… you’re two weeks pregnant. Congratulations.”

My heart stops. I feel like the air has been knocked out of me. “What?” I ask, almost breathless. “I’m pregnant?”

He nods. “Yes. We confirmed it through the tests. You’re going to be a mother. Now more than ever, you need to take care of yourself for your sake and the baby’s. Rest, eat well, and avoid stress.”

I sit frozen in shock, my mind racing. Pregnant? Me?

As the doctor leaves the room, his words echo in my ears. I stare at Mia, but I can’t speak. I don’t even know what to feel. Joy? Fear? Anguish? Everything feels like a terrible dream one I can’t wake up from.