Accident

**POV: Harper**

My heart raced as I held Ethan close to me, feeling the weight of his stress seep into my skin. It was hard to watch him so burdened, especially when he was usually the one with a bright smile lighting up the room. The gentle rise and fall of his chest beneath my fingers was a brief comfort against the storm brewing in my mind.

I cuddled him in my arms, playing with his hair as he slept peacefully. He looked so sad and stressed out when he arrived. I would have thought that he had so much to do at work, but his countenance said otherwise. And his warning about my visit to Emma said it all.

They were the reason why he was stressed. Emma and her sister were using his guilt against him, making him do things that upset him. I didn’t know what they had done to make him so upset, but I felt so bad that I was the reason why they were angry with him. I should not have investigated his past and unearthed secrets he was trying to keep from me.

Though the light in the room was soft, the atmosphere felt heavy, and I couldn’t shake off the guilt that had settled in my stomach. That guilt came from knowing that part of the trouble stemmed from my own curiosity, my need to unravel the secrets of his past that he had so carefully tried to shield me from.

Every day I saw him battling with his guilt, battling with the desire to make up for all the terrible things he had done to the girls in his past. My heart sank at the realization that I had brought this on us. If only I had ignored Serena and just minded my business, perhaps she would have left us and moved on with her life.

But she didn’t make it any easier for me; she pushed my limits, trying to break me and make me afraid of her in my house. How do I avoid someone who makes me feel inferior, making me look like an intruder in my husband’s home?

Ethan had always been my rock, supporting me in everything, especially now that I was carrying our baby. But his absence, especially during what should have been a joyful milestone in our journey, felt like a dagger twisting in my chest. I glanced at the empty side of the bed where he often lay, and my heart ached with pain. The family we were trying to create, the future we were building together, all seemed to be hanging by a thin thread.

I thought he was lying to me because he was still in love with Emma. But now I knew that he was only trying to protect me from this drama; he just wanted me to be happy with him and not be bothered by his past with Emma and Serena. Too bad I didn’t listen; now I had to deal with it.

The next few days were exhausting. He went to work in the morning, happy as usual. But when he got back home, he was not usually as happy as when he left. I had caught him sitting all alone in the balcony or our bedroom, thinking deeply, lost in thought. He didn’t want to talk about it with me; I guessed he wished to handle it alone. So I let him do as he wished and didn’t ask him about it.

After everything that we had been through, our only wish was to put it all behind us and move on with our lives, diving into this new chapter. We were both trying so hard to keep the love alive and go back to the way we used to be before we fell apart. Yet, here we were—he lost in his own thoughts while I wrestled with my own fears and anxieties.

The day had finally come for my first prenatal examination, and I had woken up bubbling with excitement, ready to share this incredible moment with him, just like we had planned. I was so excited to be having my first prenatal examination; I had been dreaming of this day every night since I found out I was pregnant with our child. More than anything, I wanted to share this experience with Ethan.

I had dreamt of it so many times—how we would hold hands, smile at each other as we listened to the heartbeat of our baby in my womb. It was his desire to be there with me too; he had never stopped talking about this day as we both anticipated our reaction to hearing our baby's heartbeat. Unfortunately, he was called to handle an emergency at the office, and I had to attend my first prenatal examination alone.

I felt disappointed when he told me he wouldn’t be attending my prenatal examination with me. I felt sad as I watched him dash out of the house, promising to do his best to make it to the hospital before my appointment. I had to put away my sadness; I wouldn’t let his absence kill my excitement. I wouldn’t be sad, not when I was about to listen to my baby for the very first time.

I had picked out my favorite baggy jeans and a tank top that hugged my bump just right. I combed out my curls, letting my hair fall on my shoulders as I stepped out of the house, feeling beautiful and hot. I wanted him to see me as radiant with life and love. But then that damned call came, robbing me of my joy, forcing him into work just when I needed him the most.

As the driver pulled away from our home, an unexpected hunger pang hit me. My stomach grumbled, and I recalled that I hadn’t waited to have breakfast at home; I was too excited to digest anything this morning. So I decided to wait until I got to my destination. As we drove on, my stomach grumbled again, and I realized my pregnancy hormones must be kicking in.

I smiled as I sheepishly asked the driver to stop by my favorite café for breakfast. It was a minor detour, one I hoped would allow me to savor the thrill of my impending motherhood experience at the hospital today, even in Ethan's absence. It was just a quick stop for breakfast—that was what I had in mind. But fate had other plans.

I asked the driver to stop and get me my favorite coffee and snacks, urging him to get something for himself as well. I waited in the car while he went in to get it for me; I couldn’t stand the scent of the café this early in the morning when it was probably filled with people waiting for their orders. While I was still waiting in the car, I noticed a truck speeding toward us.

In a flash, chaos erupted. The screeching metal of the truck's tires tore through the air, and my thoughts vanished in an instant. I couldn’t move; I couldn’t even think straight. I just sat there, frozen, my eyes fixed on the speeding truck as if I could miraculously stop it with my gaze.

The truck lost control and charged right toward me, hitting the car and causing it to somersault a couple of times before stopping. I felt the impact as it crashed into our car, sending it spinning like a toy caught in a gust of wind. The world turned upside down, and I gripped my seat instinctively, powerless as the weight and shock of the moment engulfed me.

The last coherent thought I had before darkness swept me away was of my husband and my baby. I was desperate to reach out to Ethan, to hear his voice and know he was there. But all I caught were fleeting moments that twisted in and out of focus, my cries drowned by nothingness as the world faded away. I could only hope that he would hear me before it was too late.

Before I got lost in darkness, I caught sight of my phone and reached for it. I tried to call Ethan, but no one answered; he wasn’t picking up my calls. I tried shouting for help, but my voice was inaudible because of the accident. I could hear loud screams as people came rushing to the scene to save me, but I couldn’t see anyone; I could only hear their panicked shouts.

The scent of blood filled my nostrils, making me want to gag. I thought I was choking on my own blood, I thought I was dying. I managed to reach my phone and tried to call Ethan one more time. This time, it rang a few times, and just as he picked up my call, I lost consciousness and passed out.