Chapter 4

It had been pouring all night, and Lila had been kneeling on the ground the whole time. Rain hammered down on her, soaking her completely. Her vision was a blur, and her body had gone from cold, to numb, to completely lifeless. Her head felt like a ton of bricks. She never realized breathing could feel this hard. But she had no energy to care. Her half-shut eyes were filled with worry — her mind consumed by one question: Would Ethan forgive her? Would he agree to help the White family? Thinking of her father still in surgery made her push past the aching pain. She started crawling, trying to get up. Her knees, numb and stiff from hours on the ground, screamed with pain at the slightest movement. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand. But before she could fully straighten up, her vision dimmed, and she collapsed. Passersby saw her lose consciousness and rushed her to the hospital. Ethan woke up and got dressed like any other day. Still, his eyes kept drifting to the window. The spot in front of his house where that woman had been kneeling all night... was empty now. Of course she'd left — she was always good at putting on a show. Ethan clenched his fists. The anger burning inside him felt like it could destroy everything in sight. —— Pain. Every inch of her body screamed in agony. Lila opened her eyes. Where was she? Why was everything so white and cold? The sharp smell of disinfectant snapped her back. No, she couldn’t be here — she had to be with her father! She summoned all her strength and tried to yank out the IV needle in her hand, but the nurse rushed in just in time to stop her. "Hey! Are you nuts? Do you have a death wish? Even if you don’t care about yourself, think about the baby!" "What... what did you say?” Lila went pale, staring at the nurse in disbelief. Baby? Had she heard that right? “You didn’t know you’re pregnant? Seriously? People like you — so reckless! Even if you don’t give a damn about yourself, the kid’s innocent!" The nurse's words barely registered. Her mind was stuck on that one fact — she was pregnant. Normally something joyful. But now... it felt like a cruel joke. “How far along...?” “Three months. Your body is extremely weak — even a small mistake could lead to a miscarriage. Hey! What are you doing?!” Lila ignored the nurse’s shouts and ripped out the needle. Blood started oozing, but she didn’t care. Shaking, she bolted. Baby... I’m sorry. But Mom has to help Grandpa. Tears welled in her eyes. Her head was pounding, her sight blurry. Her body was screaming in pain, but she just clenched her hand to keep herself grounded. Stepping out of the elevator, her phone suddenly rang. Her heart dropped, anxiety crashing over her like a wave. “Where the hell have you been? You happy now? Your dad’s dead!” “...What?” It hit her like lightning — she couldn’t even get a word out. Her dad. The one who loved her most in the world. Dead. No. That couldn’t be true. Mom must be trying to scare her. But then why couldn’t she stop crying? Why did it hurt so bad she could barely breathe? She tried to move, but her legs felt like they were made of lead. No matter how hard she pushed — they just wouldn't budge.