chapter 4

Serena

The first thing I felt was pain.

Not the physical kind, though my body ached everywhere, but a deeper pain. The kind that lives in your chest and refuses to leave.

My eyes opened slowly, and the bright hospital light blinded me for a second. My throat felt dry. My body ached. Everything felt heavy…

I tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy. Weak. Like I had been fighting a war and lost.

"Easy now," a soft voice said.

I turned my head. A nurse stood beside my bed, adjusting something on a machine next to me.

"Where... where am I?" My voice came out broken. Rough.

"You're at St. Mary's Hospital," she said gently. "You've been unconscious for two days."

Two days?

My heart started beating faster. Memories rushed back. The rain. The blood. Marcus standing in the doorway, watching me die. My heart breaks all over again.

"How did I get here?" I whispered, squeezing my chest to suppress the pain in my heart.

"Someone brought you in," the nurse said. "A man. He paid all your bills too. Didn't leave his name. Just made sure you were taken care of and left."

I knew immediately it wasn’t Marcus. He would rather watch me die than lift a finger.

God, a complete stranger saved my life while my own husband left me to die in the rain.

Tears filled my eyes immediately. I couldn't stop them.

"Thank you," I whispered, even though that person wasn't there. "Thank you so much."

The nurse touched my shoulder gently. "The doctor will be here soon to check on you."

She left, and I was alone again.

Alone with my pain. My shame. My broken heart.

Minutes later, the doctor walked in. He was an older man with kind eyes and a tired smile.

"Mrs. Wellington," he said softly. "I'm glad you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," I whispered. "Everything hurts."

He nodded, pulling a chair closer to my bed. "You went through a lot. Your body is still recovering."

"But I'm okay now?" I asked. "Can leave soon?"

His face changed. The kindness was still there, but something else came with it.

Sadness.

"Physically, you're stable," he said slowly. "But... I'm very sorry, Mrs. Wellington. We did everything we could."

My chest tightened. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated. "You... You lost the baby."

The world stopped.

Baby? What baby?

I was never pregnant.

"What? " I barely heard my own voice. "But, I was not pregnant."

"You were three weeks pregnant," he said gently. "But due to the trauma... the fall, the stress, the cold... we couldn't save the baby. I'm so sorry."

What?

I'm three weeks… and I didn’t even know.

God!!!!

My hand went to my stomach.

Empty.

Gone.

My baby is gone!

"No!!!!!!!" A painful sound escaped my lips, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. Tears poured down uncontrollably.

No.

No, no, no.

"I... I didn't know," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I didn't know I was pregnant."

"It was very early," he said. "Most women wouldn't know in three weeks."

No… no… no…” I cried, shaking my head. “My baby… my...”

The doctor tried to calm me, but the pain was too much.

God… they pushed me.

They threw me into the rain.

They watched me bleed.

They watched me cry for help.

They killed my child.

My unborn child. The one thing that could have been mine. The one thing that could have loved me.

Gone.

My body curled in bed as I cried in agony. My chest hurt so much I thought it would tear apart.

"Mrs. Wellington..." The doctor reached for my hand, but I pulled away.

"They killed my baby," I cried. "They threw me out in the rain... they didn't care... and my baby... oh God, my baby..."

I couldn't stop crying. The pain was too much. Too deep. Too cruel.

The doctor stayed with me, silent, letting me cry. There was nothing he could say. Nothing anyone could say.

After what felt like hours, my tears slowed. My throat was raw. My eyes burned.

But something else grew inside me.

Anger.

Cold. Hard. Burning anger.

They took everything from me.

Now, I will take everything from them.

I will make them suffer. I will take everything that makes them happy. Their money. Their pride. Their peace.

Just like they did to me.

I wiped my face with shaking hands. "I promise," I whispered. "I promise I will make them pay."

The doctor stood up. "Rest now. You need to heal."

But before he could leave, I heard panicked voices outside.

"Doctor! Doctor! Mr. Lawrence just collapsed! He's unconscious!"

Lawrence.

My heart stopped.

Lawrence.

That was my father's name.

"Wait!" I tried to sit up, ignoring the pain. "Did you say Lawrence? Like, Richard Lawrence?"

The doctor turned back, surprised. "Yes. Do you know him?"

"That's my father!" I cried. "Where is he? Please, take me to him!"

"You shouldn't move yet..."

"Please!" I begged, tears streaming down again. "Please, I need to see him!"

The doctor hesitated, then nodded. He called the nurse, and together they helped me into a wheelchair.

They took me down the hallway. My heart was pounding. My hands were shaking.

Please, God. Not him. Not now.

When I entered the room… my world fell apart.

My father lay on the bed, pale, weak, tubes around him. He looked like he was fighting for his last breath.

"Daddy..." I whispered, tears filled my eyes.

The nurse wheeled me closer. I reached for his hand. It was cold, thin and weak.

"Daddy, please... wake up..."

His eyes opened slowly. When he saw me, tears filled them immediately.

"Serena..." His voice was so weak and broken.

"Daddy!" I sobbed. "I'm here. I'm here."

He squeezed my hand with what little strength he had. "My baby... my little girl..."

"I'm so sorry," I cried. "I'm so sorry, Daddy. Please forgive me. I was so stupid. So foolish. I didn't listen to you. I married that monster. I left you alone."

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. Tears rolled down his face. "No, my child. I'm sorry. I should never have sent you away. I've been searching for you... every day... I searched..."

"Daddy..." I couldn't stop crying.

"I missed you so much," he said, his voice trembling. "I thought I lost you forever."

His voice was weak, but full of love.

My heart broke again.

God… I left this man. The only man who truly loved me.

I left him for Marcus. For pain and torment.

"You didn't lose me," I whispered, holding his hand tighter. "I'm here now. I'm not leaving you again. I promise."

He smiled weakly. "I'm so happy... so happy to see you..."

But then his breathing became harder. His grip weakened.

"Daddy?" My heart dropped.

He looked at me one last time. "You are strong, Serena. Stronger than you know. Don't let them break you."

"Daddy, don't talk like that. You're going to be fine..."

"Promise me," he said, his voice barely a whisper now. "Promise me you'll take everything that's yours. Everything I built for you."

"Daddy, please..."

He turned his head slightly toward the door. "Guards!"

Two men in black suits rushed in immediately.

"Call my lawyer," my father said weakly. "Now."

"Daddy, you need to rest..."

"No," he said firmly, squeezing my hand one more time. "This can't wait."

Within minutes, an older man in a neat suit arrived. He looked shocked when he saw me.

"Mr. Lawrence..."

"Write this down," my father interrupted. His voice was fading, but his words were clear. "My daughter, Serena Lawrence, has returned. Everything I own, every company, every property, every account goes to her. All of it."

My eyes widened. "Daddy, no... you don't have to...."

"It's yours," he said, looking at me. "It was always yours."

The lawyer nodded and quickly wrote everything down. My father signed with a shaking hand.

Then he looked at me again.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered. "So proud..."

"Daddy..." My voice broke.

His eyes closed slowly. His hand went limp in mine.

"Daddy?" I shook him gently. "Daddy, please... no... no, don't leave me..."

The machines started beeping loudly. Nurses rushed in.

"Sir! Sir!"

"No!" I screamed. "Daddy, please! Wake up! Please!"

But he didn't move. He didn't open his eyes.

God, he's death.

"Daddy!" I collapsed against his bed, sobbing. "No... no... please... not you too... please!!!!!!"

They tried to pull me away, but I couldn't let go.

God, this is too much.

I lost my baby.

Now I lost my father. In just a day, I lost everything that mattered.

Pain ripped through me. I cried until I had no voice left. Until my body gave up.