All Chapters of Exposed At The Altar: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

CLARA’S POV The morning smelled faintly of antiseptic, coffee, and the stale chill of early February. I dragged myself out of bed, hair messy, and shoulders heavier than I remembered, though I was still trying to pretend they weren’t. Every small movement felt like it had weight; every breath reminded me that this wasn’t just fatigue anymore. This was chemotherapy. I tried not to look at the calendar on my wall. Too many dates, too many appointments, too many needles. Each one felt like a countdown I didn’t want to acknowledge. The chemo nurse called it “routine” like saying that would make it easier to swallow. I didn’t swallow. The ride to the hospital was quiet. Daniel drove slower than usual, which I appreciated. He didn’t talk much, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders. I stared out the window, tracing the bare branches of trees, imagining them as the white veins inside me, fragile but still reaching, still holding life. When we got there, the waiting room felt big

The office door clicked shut behind me, but the echo lingered longer than I expected. I leaned against the wall in the corridor, trying to breathe without letting it sound panicked. My hands shook, though I tried to hide it in the folds of my scarf. Daniel’s words, the weight of his concern, the tension in his eyes—they all replayed like a broken film loop. He wasn’t wrong; he never had been. And yet, I could not take this back. Clara’s life was in the balance, and this choice—my choice—was mine to make. I wandered down the hallway almost absentmindedly, letting my fingers graze the cool marble railing. I could feel my pulse thumping in my ears. One moment I was filled with clarity, with conviction, the next I was dizzy, like my determination had a heavy twin weighing it down. I tried to remind myself: I had spoken to the doctors. I knew the risks. I had thought it through a hundred times. And still, I felt every possibility of failure like tiny shards against my ribs. When I reached

Lina’s POVI did not tell anyone.Not Daniel.Not Maya.Not even Clara.Some decisions cannot survive other people’s voices.If I told Daniel, he would stop me.If I told Maya, she would ask questions.If I told Clara, she would refuse the transplant.So the only way this could happen was if no one knew until it was already done.I sat in the car outside the hospital parking lot for almost ten minutes before starting the engine. My phone rested on the passenger seat beside me.Three missed calls from Daniel.I ignored them.He had been calling more since the doctor warned about the pregnancy complications. He was worried. Protective. Constantly asking if I was resting, if the baby was moving, if I needed anything.Every time he spoke about the baby, something inside me twisted.Because he believed that child was safe.And I was about to destroy that belief.I picked up my phone and dialed the number Doctor Menon had written down for me earlier.A different clinic.A different doctor.

Lina’s POVTwo days after leaving the clinic, I returned to the hospital.This time under my real name.The strange thing was how normal everything looked. Nurses walking through the halls, doctors moving between rooms, patients waiting for appointments. No one knew what had happened two days earlier. No one knew what I had done.And that was exactly how it needed to stay.Daniel insisted on coming with me.“You shouldn’t be going through this alone,” he said as we walked toward Doctor Menon’s office.I didn’t argue. I didn’t have the energy.He kept glancing at me like he was afraid I might collapse.“You’re sure you’re strong enough for this?” he asked.“I’m fine.”“You just lost the pregnancy, Lina.”The words felt sharp even though he meant them gently.“I know.”“We can delay this if you need time.”“No,” I said quickly.Clara didn’t have time.Doctor Menon opened the door before Daniel could say anything else.“Come in.”Her eyes moved between us briefly before settling on me.“

Lina’s POVClara came to visit three days after leaving the hospital.Daniel opened the door and stepped aside so she could walk in.“You’re not supposed to be moving around this much,” he said.“I’m fine,” Clara replied.“That’s exactly what Lina says.”Clara looked at me.“See? I’m not the only stubborn one.”“I never denied that,” Daniel said.Clara walked slowly into the living room and sat down.Her movements were still careful, but she looked stronger than she had in weeks.“How are you feeling?” I asked.“Alive,” she replied.“That’s a good start.”She watched me for a moment.“You look tired.”“I’m fine.”“That’s the third time someone has said that today,” Daniel said from the kitchen.“And it will still be true the fourth time,” I replied.Clara leaned back against the couch.“Doctor Menon said the transplant is working exactly how it should.”“That’s good.”“She also said I owe you my life.”“You don’t owe me anything.”“Yes I do.”“No,” I said.“You would have done the sam