Chapter 4

"Your daughter... she's been in an accident!"

The words slammed into Abigail like a sledgehammer. Her heart felt as though it had been ripped from her chest.

She stared at Julian, her eyes wide with disbelief. But the terror written across the old man's pale face told her everything she needed to know.

This wasn't a nightmare. It was real.

Without another thought, Abigail bolted out of the apartment.

She ignored Derek shouting after her that their business wasn't finished. Nothing mattered except Amora.

"Where is she?!" She ran toward the main road, panic making every breath burn. "Where did they take her?!"

The crowd that had gathered around the accident hadn't completely dispersed yet.

Abigail's frantic eyes searched every face...

Until they landed on the dark stain in the middle of the road. Fresh blood.

A pool of it.

Her knees gave out instantly. She crashed onto the rough pavement so hard that pain shot through both legs, but she barely felt it.

"Oh God..." Her lips trembled uncontrollably. "Amora..."

The name left her in a broken whisper.

Every ounce of strength drained from her body. She felt hollow. Weightless.

As though every bone had been torn from her limbs. The world spun violently around her.

"Abby!" Julian rushed to her side. "Get up!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back to her feet. "I'll take you to the hospital. Come on!"

Standing in the doorway of their family's convenience store, Carmen—Julian's wife—watched Abigail with tear-filled eyes.

Her face was etched with grief and worry.

Abigail climbed into Julian's old car with trembling hands, fumbling several times before she finally managed to fasten her seat belt. The moment she did, Julian slammed his foot on the accelerator.

The aging car lurched forward, racing toward the hospital as fast as the road—and the law—would allow.

"Your daughter is a wonderful child, Abby." Julian tightened his grip on the steering wheel, though his hands were trembling just as badly. "I'm sure God is watching over her. She's going to be okay."

But his words barely registered.

They dissolved into the deafening roar of fear consuming Abigail's mind.

Nothing—Absolutely nothing—Would calm her until she saw Amora with her own eyes.

Until she knew her little girl was still breathing.

The moment Julian's car screeched to a stop outside the Emergency Department, Abigail threw the door open before it had fully stopped moving. She sprinted inside.

"Amora Spencer!" Her frantic voice echoed through the corridor. "She's six years old! She was just brought in after a traffic accident!"

She rushed straight to the emergency reception desk. The nurse on duty looked at her sympathetically.

"Your daughter is receiving emergency treatment right now, ma'am." She offered a gentle smile. "Please wait outside."

Wait? How was she supposed to wait?

Outside the treatment room, Abigail paced back and forth without stopping.

Every step carried the weight of the greatest fear she'd ever known.

"Abby..." Julian approached her carefully. "Please, calm down and sit for a while." He gently reached for her shoulder.

"Amora wouldn't want to see you like this." Abigail shook her head immediately, quietly pulling away.

If she stopped moving...She was afraid the terror inside her would swallow her whole.

A few moments later, hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway.

A woman in a black leather jacket came running toward them, panic written all over her face.

"Abby!" She was nearly out of breath. "I heard Amora was in an accident and brought here!" She grabbed Abigail's arms. "What happened?"

It was Elena. Abigail's closest friend.

"Oh, El..." The moment she saw her, every ounce of strength she'd been clinging to collapsed. She threw herself into Elena's embrace and broke down completely.

"I..." Her sobs stole her breath. "I can't do this, El..."

She buried her face against Elena's shoulder.

"I'm so scared..."

Elena wrapped both arms tightly around her trembling body, gently stroking her hair.

"It's okay." Her voice was soft and steady. "Everything's going to be okay. The doctors are doing everything they can."

She held Abigail a little tighter.

"Amora is a strong little girl." A faint smile touched her lips. "She's going to pull through."

No one knew how much time had passed.

Minutes...

Or hours.

Then, suddenly—The red light above the treatment room switched off.

The heavy door clicked open. The sound echoed sharply through the silent emergency corridor. Abigail's heart nearly stopped.

A doctor in green surgical scrubs stepped outside. As he removed his mask, exhaustion was written all over his sweat-soaked face. Abigail immediately slipped out of Elena's embrace and rushed toward him.

"Doctor!" Her voice shook violently. "How's my daughter?"

She could barely breathe.

"Amora...She's okay, isn't she?"

The doctor looked at her with deep sympathy. That single expression made Abigail's blood run cold.

"Are you Amora Spencer's mother?" he asked quietly.

"Yes!" She nodded frantically. "I'm her mother!" Her voice rose into a desperate cry.

"Please tell me my daughter is alive!"

Before she could lose control completely, Elena placed a steadying hand around her shoulders, silently trying to keep her standing.

The doctor tightened his grip on the surgical mask in his hand. Breaking news like this was never easy.

"We've managed to stop the major bleeding for now, and your daughter's condition is currently stable..." He paused. The unfinished sentence hung in the air like a death sentence. "...But your daughter is far from being out of danger, ma'am."

The world tilted beneath Abigail's feet. Her knees buckled. Julian and Elena caught her before she collapsed completely.

"W-What do you mean?" Elena's trembling voice spoke for Abigail, who stood frozen, her lips drained of all color.

"The impact of the accident caused severe blunt-force trauma to several of her internal organs," the doctor explained gravely.

"She's suffering from ongoing internal bleeding that is now life-threatening." His expression darkened. "And unfortunately..."

He lowered his eyes for a brief moment.

"Our hospital doesn't have the facilities required to perform a surgery this complex."

Abigail stared at him in disbelief.

"W-What are you talking about?" Her voice cracked. "This is a hospital!"

"It is," the doctor replied, guilt evident in his voice. "But we're not equipped with the specialized surgical equipment or the pediatric trauma team needed for a case this critical."

He looked directly at her.

"Your daughter needs to be transferred immediately to a tertiary referral hospital. The facilities there are far more advanced, and they'll have the specialists necessary to perform the operation."

Every word that followed landed like another blow to Abigail's heart.

"Your daughter must undergo surgery within the next twenty-four hours." He spoke slowly, making sure she understood the urgency. "If the transfer or the operation is delayed..."

"...the internal bleeding will continue damaging her vital organs."

His voice became almost a whisper.

"And your daughter..."

"No!" Abigail shook her head violently. "My daughter is going to be okay."

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

"She has to survive." She repeated the words over and over, as though saying them enough times could make them true. "Then transfer her!" She grabbed the doctor's sleeve with both hands. "Please..."

"Transfer her now! Save my daughter!"

The doctor winced.

"We'll prepare an ICU ambulance immediately." His voice remained calm despite her desperation. "But before we can proceed..."

"...you'll need to complete the transfer paperwork."

He nodded toward one of the nurses who had accompanied him.

"Please assist Mrs. Spencer with the admission process."

***

"There's... a f*e?"

Abigail stared blankly at the administrative officer. Her throat had gone completely dry.

"The referral hospital is an international medical center, Mrs. Spencer." The administrator spoke gently, though her words offered no comfort. "In order for them to accept the transfer and reserve an emergency operating room immediately..."

"...an advance deposit is required."

Abigail froze.

A deposit?

How could she possibly come up with that kind of money in just a few hours?

“Abby...?”

“How much do I have to pay?”

Standing at the admissions desk, she listened numbly as the administrator explained the required referral deposit and the estimated cost of surgery at the internationally renowned medical center.

The figure was so astronomical that it felt like a luxury she could never hope to touch—not in her entire lifetime, let alone within a matter of hours.

Her knees gave out beneath her.

She collapsed onto the cold porcelain floor of the emergency department, clutching at her chest as though she could somehow hold together the heart that was shattering under the crushing weight of despair.

This was no longer about debt collectors, loan sharks, or the last scraps of her pride.

This was about her little girl's life.

And time was running out.

There was only one path left.

The forbidden offer she had rejected without a second thought.

A mad proposition that demanded she stake both her womb and her future to save Amora's life.

Abigail squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears spilling onto the icy floor as the darkest decision of her life slowly took shape within her heart.

For my daughter...

In the end, Abigail chose the path she had once believed was the most degrading of all.

She would become a surrogate mother.