Chapter 6 Lost Life

“No Nathaniel, do not give her the attention she is craving for. Wake up from your delusional dream, Daphne. THIS IS REALITY!!! Not a movie where a miracle will happen overnight. ”

There was nothing I could do but shake my head at the scene unfolding before me. Where was my Nate, and what had they done to him? My Nate was always a man of his word; he was not someone anyone could just mess with. Yet here he was, swayed by Claire’s manipulation and dismissing my reality without a second thought.

He nods his head at her words and knowing him, I knew he was exactly thinking about what she said. What are the odds right? After undergoing several tests from well respectable hospitals and standardized, capable doctors. How can I say I am pregnant overnight? But what hurt me is that he took the words of a stranger over mine.

“Fucking sign the papers before I lose my control Daphne. Always the same lying C*nt. You disgust me.” I disgust him? Me, Daphne? I internally shook my head. It's not his fault, it is mine for always relying on people for the sake of validation and not fighting my own battles myself.

With trembling hands, I grip the pen and press it onto the paper where my signature would sever our bond, erase every memory, and end all that we once shared. But when I tried to sign, the ink wouldn’t flow, as if even the pen itself hesitated, refusing to let me erase the connection that had meant everything.

He barks, "What the hell are you still waiting for?"

My voice broke as I replied, "The ink—it’s not coming out." I saw a trace of remorse in his eyes as he took the pen from me. He inspected it, realizing it was broken and the ink was indeed blocked. With a sigh, he decided to go get another pen, giving me a moment to brace myself for the final act of separation.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Claire’s demeanor shifted. She advanced toward me, her face twisted into a cruel smile. “You think you’re so righteous right,” she smirks. “Let’s see how you handle this.”

Before I could react, she kicked me violently, her boot connecting with my stomach. The pain was blinding, a searing agony that made me gasp and double over. I could feel the blood rush to my face, a hot wave of pain and terror. It was as if my body was being torn apart from the inside.

I fell to the floor, clutching my stomach, trying to keep the screams from escaping my lips. My vision blurred with tears, and I could barely make out Claire’s satisfied expression as she watched me struggle. The pain was unbearable, a relentless torment that left me gasping for breath.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, every second a cruel reminder of my suffering. My thoughts were a chaotic jumble, but one thing was clear: I had to hold on for my baby.

"You will pay for your sins," I hissed through clenched teeth, the words trembling with barely restrained outrage.

Claire's expression twisted into a smirk, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "Excuse me?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. "I didn't quite catch that." She leaned in closer, her ear dangerously close to my lips.

In that moment, my anger erupted uncontrollably and I did what any sane person would do out of raw instinct. I bit down on her ear with all my strength, my teeth sinking deeply into her flesh, refusing to let go.

Claire’s reaction was immediate and visceral, she retaliated with a series of harsh blows, striking my face and nose repeatedly.

Despite the stinging pain and the warm trickle of blood from my nose, I clung to her ear, refusing to let go.

I held on until my head spun with dizziness and the world around me swayed away, only then did I let go. But that wasn't enough for her, she targeted my stomach as I doubled trying to shield it from her kicks.

But that wasn't enough for her, she kicked my stomach repeatedly, each blow coming in severe waves. The sharp pain in my lower abdomen was excruciating, a searing agony that made me cry out in torment. My scream was piercing and desperate, filling the room with its intensity.

Nate burst through the door, the sound of it slamming against the wall cutting through my haze of pain. His eyes widened in horror as he took in the scene before him.

He locked onto my legs with panic. I followed his frantic gaze and saw the blood streaming from my legs. Horror surged through me as I realized the extent of my injury, and I shouted, “No, my baby!”

Nate, his face a mask of disbelief and dread, sank to his knees His voice trembled as he stammered, “You ARE with a baby!”

As his words echoed around me, the world began to fade.As the darkness enveloped me, my thoughts became a haze of resignation and bittersweet acceptance. Despite my deep desire for my child to have a fresh start, a selfish part of me found solace in the thought that if I could not survive, at least my baby would not face this cruel world alone.

I took comfort in the notion that, if I had to go, I could take my child with me, shielding them from a world filled with harshness and pain.

It wouldn't have to be alone in this wicked world, alone with its mother and most especially….

….Alone as a lost life.