Chapter 4 | The World Fades

Marinette Sinclair

When I wake up it’s like everything is blurry and even has a reddish tint to it. I blink trying to make it go away whenever I start noticing every little sound. The beeping of the heart monitor, the sound of the nurses outside, the sound of several heartbeats of the people on this floor…

My eyebrows furrow, I’ve always had exceptional hearing, but this seems a bit excessive.

I look around my room and notice that the bassinet is empty, and I look down and see my belly is flatter. I have given birth even if my stomach still bulges out a little.

I look around as I feel insatiably hungry, but I feel lost.

The door opens and my eyes snap up to see a nurse. She stays by the door and says, “Ms. Sinclair, we know what you are.”

I don’t know what she’s talking about.

She sighs as she places a cup on a rolling cart and pushes it near my bed as she says, “Drink this, it will help you feel normal.”

I don’t ask questions right now; I just need something to soothe this hunger. I take the cup and drink it, moaning from the taste and feeling of being satisfied. She comes closer to me and places another two cups on my tray. I down them quickly and then look at her and she looks down at me smiling and asks, “Do you feel any better?”

I nod, I feel like a new person. I ask, “What did you mean by you know what I am? And what was in those cups, I’ve never felt this way after eating.”

She sighs as she looks at me with a puzzled expression on her face and she says, “Ms. Sinclair.”

I tell her, “Call me Marinette.”

She nods, “Marinette. You’re a hybrid.”

My eyebrows knit together as I ask, “What does that mean?”

She chuckles, “Well, what do you think you are?”

“I’m a human? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her eyes widen in surprise, and she says, “Marinette… you’re not a human. If you’re trying to keep it a secret, don’t worry about it. We have plenty of others like you that work here, including me. We’re just here to help you.”

I cock my head to the side as I ask, “What are you talking about?”

She answers, “Your half vampire and half werewolf.”

I can’t help the laugh that comes out of me. It hurts to laugh, and I notice then the intense pain at my lower stomach and I wince. She comes closer to me as she says, “Hold a pillow against your stomach if you need to laugh, cough, or sneeze. Even with your healing abilities it will still take some time to full recover from a c-section.”

I ask feeling completely bewildered, “What healing abilities?”

She looks at me with squinted eyes and asks, “Did you really believe I was joking?”

“Um, yeah, vampires and werewolves don’t exist.”

Her lips press together and there’s a knock at the door. I look up and see my dad walk in along with one of his advisors. My eyebrows furrow in confusion as he stands with his arms crossed at the end of my bed. He says to the nurse, “Could you give us some privacy?”

She nods and looks at me and says, “I’m going to change the baby and then I’ll bring it in.”

I nod in agreement and once the door clicks shut, I look to my dad. He looks tired, drained, and honestly a little dead in the eyes. He seems upset but I don’t understand why.

Surely, he isn’t mad at me for going into labor at the gala, right?

He doesn’t come any closer and instead looks over at his advisor as he waits for him to speak. His advisor says, “Marinette Sinclair, it has come to Mr. Sinclair’s attention that you might not be his biological daughter.”

My jaw drops as I look at him, but he stares at his feet, refusing to meet my gaze. His advisor continues, “While we continue to wait for medical testing, Mr. Sinclair has requested for you to leave the home and to stay away until further notice.”

Tears blur my vision, my dad is kicking me out. I have nothing without him. I have no way to provide for this new child!

I look up and the advisor says, “He knows your financial situation and has put money on this debit card. It has enough money for you to be able to find a place to live and survive with everything you need for roughly six months. At that point he will decide whether or not to reinstate your relationship including financial privileges or to cut off the relationship.”

My voice comes out broken as I say, “Daddy?”

His advisor puts a piece of paper in front of me with a pen and says, “Sign here stating that you understand that you will be provided for for the next six months and that you understand the potential of being on your own financially after that.”

I stare at my father, willing for him to tell me that this is some kind of sick joke. But he doesn’t. I press my lips together as I sign my name and his advisor collects the papers and the two of them leave me alone.

How could he do this to me?

Even if I wasn’t biologically his, he’s still the man who raised me. He’s the only father I’ve ever known.

The nurse comes back in the room, and I quickly wipe my eyes. She smiles at me as she brings me this little bundle and says, “Marinette, this is your daughter.”

My eyes widen as I look at the perfect little bundle. Aiden, her dad, always talked about us having a little girl. I smile as I say, “Hi there, Marigold.”

She wiggles a little and I stare in awe at her perfect face. My nurse sets two cups on my tray and shows me the button on the remote for me to call her if I need anything. But right now, the world has fully faded away. All I can and all I will focus on is Marigold.