Chapter 13

For the sake of staying alive, Meredith used all the strength left in her to get up from the floor, but no matter how much she tried, she remained on the floor.

Just when she was about to give up on all hope, she heard someone opening the door, followed by Qira's anxious voice. "Edith, don't worry! I'm here to save you!"

"Qira…I'm here…" Meredith cried as she was relieved. "Hurry up…go get help!"

Qira though did not leave Meredith alone, instead, she barged into the woodshed that was burning.

"No…don't come in!" Meredith yelled.

"Edith, I'm here to save you and the baby," said Qira, who was clueless. As Qira was mentally unstable, she did not have any idea of how dangerous the situation was.

By the time she appeared in front of Meredith, Qira was gasping for air due to the heavy smoke.

However, she still tried her best to pull Meredith who was lying on the floor.

"Qira, I can't hold it any longer…my stomach is really painful, go please, leave me and save yourself…"

"No! I have to save you and the baby, I…I must…save you and the baby!"

With Qira's support, Meredith finally got up on her feet. Holding on to each other, Qira and Meredith dragged themselves toward the front door.

Just when Meredith stepped out from the woodshed, she suddenly realized that Qira was not by her side.

A huge wood log had fallen and blocked Qira's path, and Qira had dropped onto the floor.

"Qira!" Meredith shouted as she ran back into the woodshed anxiously.

However, Meredith was already weak and injured to the extent that she was not able to support herself anymore, let alone saving Qira.

With the fire and smoke spreading rampantly, Meredith fell onto the ground and her face landed on a wood that was burning.

"Ah - !" Meredith shrieked in pain.

She almost passed out from the amount of pain she felt. However, she continued dragging herself across the floor to save Qira.

All she could think of was saving Qira.

People at the front yard finally noticed a fire had broken out and the staff had rushed over to the scene.

Meredith was dragged out of the woodshed.

"Let me go! Let me go…" cried Meredith as she struggled and wept, "Qira is still inside, I need to save her…I have to save her…"

"You crazy woman! Can't you see that the woodshed is already covered in flames?" A staff member who was holding her back scolded.

Meredith of course noticed how the fire had swallowed the entire woodshed.

She also saw how Qira was slowly being swallowed by the raging fire.

Qira was still in the woodshed.

"Qira - !" Meredith shouted out in despair.

She then finally passed out.

Meredith passed out because of devastation but woke up in an agonizing pain.

The burning pain on her face and the excruciating pain in her stomach was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling in her heart.

She opened her eyes slightly and in a hoarse voice, she asked, "Did we save Qira?"

Pouring a bucket of cold water over Meredith, Ysabelle sneered, "You're finally awake huh? I was about to use salt water if you haven't woken up."

Closing her eyes, Meredith finally realized that she was woken up by the bucket of cold water.

"Qira…"

All she could think about was how she had dragged poor Qira into her miserable situation.

It was as if she had forgotten all about the burn wound on her face and the excruciating pain in her stomach.

Ysabelle who had no intentions of wasting another minute on Meredith called out to Miss Linda hastily, "Get that baby out of her and throw it into the fire."

She then turned around and left.

Meredith finally realized why she was feeling a churning pain in her lower belly.

Qira was burnt to death, there was no way that she would let her child be burnt to death.

There was no way!

"No! Please, I'm begging you, please don't hurt my baby!" With tears blurring her eyesight, she pleaded with Miss Linda and Miss Rosa. "My child is only six months old, please don't hurt my child…"

"Miss Meredith, the baby was already hurt when you were in the fire earlier. I'm afraid that you will have a premature birth. The baby will die either way if we don't get it out," explained Miss Linda.

"No! It's impossible! My child will not die!" Meredith yelled as tears came running down her face.

Meredith knew that her baby was malnourished and it was only six months old. It would be dangerous for the baby if she was to deliver the baby now.

But the waves of cramps that she was experiencing were telling her that the baby could not stay in her any longer.

"Miss Meredith, please cooperate with us and push harder," Miss Linda urged as she placed her hands on Meredith's lower belly. She then reminded her coldly, "Don't come blaming me when the child dies in your belly."

Meredith did not want to give birth yet but the cramps she was feeling were getting stronger as time went by.

Meredith who was gnawing on her lips to hold back the urge to scream, finally let out a painful cry.

It was too painful for her to hold it in. It was excruciatingly painful as if she was being torn into pieces.

She did not expect herself to be giving birth under such circumstances.

"Save me, Joe! Help me - !" Meredith shrieked in pain. She was actually calling the name of the man that she despised and resented the most.

Her dignity and her pride came crashing down on her at that moment.

"Joe! Help me -!" Meredith cried out again and again.

However, in the meantime, Josiah was sitting in front of Yena's bed and he had his eyes glued on her pale face.

Josiah's mind started wandering.

He suddenly heard a desperate call for help. “Joe, save me!”

Josiah shivered and came back to his senses immediately.

'Was it Meredith who was crying for help? Shouldn't it be Yena? It's her who had almost lost her life, isn't it?' Josiah wondered to himself.

Feeling frustrated, Josiah suddenly got up onto his feet and started pacing around the room. Finally, he made a call to his secretary, Mister Yoseph, and said, "Is Meredith up to no good again?"