Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2. Liora couldn't remember exactly how she ended up in that small town. All she knew was that she had walked too far, hitched any ride she could find, and then passed out in a village on the outskirts of Vale that wasn't even marked on the city map. The scenery there was simple. Wooden houses lined the streets, trees provided shade, and chickens crowed. It was far from the hustle and bustle of the wealthy families who had once trampled on her pride. Her early days were filled with a sense of alienation. Liora rented a small room in an old house owned by a widow in her sixties. The smell of damp wood, a thin mattress, and the sound of wind creeping through the window cracks became her new companions. However, the small room felt safer than the three-story mansion she had once lived in. Her pregnancy had entered its sixth month, but the pain in her stomach came more often than it should have. Her breath came in gasps every time she got out of bed. Sometimes, she felt a stabbing sensation from within. Every time it happened, her body tensed, and she clutched her stomach with undeniable panic. "Please... stay with me," she whispered to the fetus in her womb. She had no one. No personal doctor. No husband to accompany her to routine checkups. Not even a friend who could touch her shoulder and say that everything would be okay.All she had was herself. And a little child who had never seen the light of day. --- As the pain grew worse, Liora realized: the Vale family wasn't done with her yet. The rumors carried on the market breeze. Whispers from the vegetable seller who happened to recognize the face of the wealthy family's enemy. "Someone came asking about you," the seller said one afternoon. "They brought a photo. They said this woman must be found immediately." When the merchant saw Liora's pale face, he added, "They are not good people. Their eyes... are very sharp." Liora knew who he was referring to. She forced a smile at the merchant, thanked him, then walked home with unsteady steps. In her room, she sat leaning against the wooden wall and held back her tears. "Adrian..." she murmured softly, her voice breaking. "Do you really want me to disappear?" A few nights later, there was a loud knock on the door. The voice was heavy. Frightening. "Ma'am, someone is looking for the person who rented your room!" The woman's voice trembled. "He said... it's important." Liora stared at the small window in the corner of the room. It was only two steps away. Outside, the night was dark like a warning. The trembling in her body was no longer due to pregnancy but fear. The knocking turned into banging. "Ma'am! Open the door!" Liora didn't think twice. She grabbed her small bag, which contained a few clothes and the savings she had collected from odd jobs in the village. She opened the window, feeling the cold night air touch her face. Once again, someone knocked loudly on the door. Liora jumped out the window.She ran. Without shoes. Without direction. The small forest became her path. Wild grass brushed against her calves, small stones pierced the soles of her feet, but Liora kept running because she knew that if she stopped, it would all be over. The pain in her stomach came in waves. Her body was hot. Her breath was labored. Behind her, she heard the voices of several men. "There! I saw her shadow!" Liora stifled a scream as a tree branch scraped her arm. Blood flowed. Her head spun. In her confusion, her foot slipped into a small hole. Her body hit the ground. Her stomach touched the ground first. The pain overwhelmed her consciousness. "Ast—... Ouch!" Liora clutched her stomach tightly, gasping for breath. The world seemed to be spinning. The leaves above her seemed to block her view. "Please... not now... please..." Tears flowed without her realizing it. Amidst the pain, she heard footsteps approaching. She covered her mouth, holding her breath. "He's coming this way!" "Search more carefully! The child must be taken!" The child. It would be a lie to say she didn't know what he meant. Most wealthy families didn't like scandals. If the baby was born and looked like Adrian, their entire rotten scheme would collapse. Liora bit her lip until it tasted salty. Her legs trembled. She knew she had to move before they found her. After a few minutes that felt like a lifetime, the footsteps began to fade. When the night grew quiet again, Liora dragged her body out of the bushes. She didn't have the strength to run fast, but she forced herself to walk as far as she could. The pain in her stomach grew more intense. She was gasping for breath, like someone who was drowning. "Hold on... please..." she whispered to the baby. At the bend in the road, just as she was about to give up, she saw a small light coming from a simple house. It was a wooden house with an oil lamp lighting up the window, and the faint sound of a child's laughter could be heard from inside. Liora knocked on the door with the last of her strength. A man came out, his face shocked at Liora's condition. "My God... What happened to this woman?" She couldn't speak. Her body collapsed. A middle-aged woman appeared from inside, shouting at her husband. "Quick! Bring her inside! She's bleeding!" The voices faded as Liora was carried into the warm house. She smelled potato soup, heard the sound of a child running around frantically, and felt a soft hand holding hers. "Mom... calm down... you're safe... we'll help you..." She wanted to respond. She wanted to say thank you. But her consciousness slipped into darkness. --- When she opened her eyes, she could hear the sound of rain outside. Her stomach felt heavy, and her body was still filled with pain. The woman who had helped her sat beside the bed, holding a wet cloth to press against her forehead. "You had a high fever all night," the woman said softly. "You've been here for four days." "Four... days?" Liora was shocked, then clutched her stomach. "What about... my baby?" The woman smiled faintly. "He's still alive. But you have to take care of yourself. You have too many wounds." Liora bowed her head, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you... I don't know how to repay your kindness." “We don’t need repayment,” the woman replied sincerely. “We just want you to be safe.” In a world that had shattered her heart time and again, this kindness was like a small light that made her realize life wasn’t entirely dark. Several weeks passed, and her body slowly improved. However, her pregnancy grew more fragile. False contractions came more frequently. Sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night because of the pain that made her cry silently. "I have to be strong... for you..." she whispered to her belly. She worked to help the small family: washing dishes, babysitting, drying clothes. Although tired, she felt alive again. She began to find the hope that had been buried all this time. But the night of the birth came without warning. --- The sky rumbled. Rain fell heavily. The wind shook the windows of the house. Liora woke up to the sound of popping in her stomach. Wetness seeped between her thighs. The pain came like a huge wave that hit without mercy. "Ah...!" Liora clutched the edge of the bed. "No... too fast... this is too fast..." The woman who owned the house immediately ran to her room when she heard her scream. "God... her water broke! Quick, sir!" Her husband came carrying a clean towel. There was no hospital nearby. There were no professional midwives. There was no complete medical equipment. Just the three of them. And an overwhelming fear. “Breathe, ma’am… breathe…” the woman said, holding back tears. Liora bit her lip until she tasted blood. “I… I’m scared…” "But you've come this far," replied the woman. "Come on... just a little more..." The next contraction came. Liora screamed, her body tensed, her breath caught. Sweat ran down her face, mixing with tears she couldn't hold back. "Push, ma'am! Now!" "Aaah—!" The pain was indescribable. It felt as if her body was shattering from within. But at the peak of that pain, a small voice pierced through the storm.A baby's cry. Small. Weak. But real. The woman cried as she lifted the tiny baby into Liora's arms. "He's alive... he's alive!" Liora cried so hard that her shoulders shook. "My child... my little child... you're strong... you're so strong..." The baby was born too early, his body small and his skin red, but he fought with an energy Liora had never imagined. Amidst the exhaustion, fear, and relief that nearly overwhelmed her, Liora held her baby tightly. She kissed his little forehead. And the world seemed to stop. "Starting tonight," she whispered, "I am no longer the woman who was kicked out of that mansion. I am your mother. And I will protect you... until my last breath." Outside, the rain was still falling. But in Liora's embrace, a new reason to live was born.