Agony shot through me, and I could feel something terrible happening inside. My hands instinctively went to my stomach, terror flooding my veins as I felt the warmth of blood pooling beneath me. I clutched my belly, the pain overwhelming as I struggled to catch my breath.
Samantha’s expression shifted to one of alarm as she took a step back, her eyes wide with shock. Without a word, she turned and fled, leaving me alone in the rain, crumpled and broken on the ground.
Through the haze of pain, I managed to call out for help. The world was spinning, and my vision blurred as strangers gathered around, their faces a blur of concern and urgency. Voices called for an ambulance, but all I could think about was my child, life growing inside me.
“Please… save my baby,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
But my mind was praying to the moon goddess for my pup's safety.
By the time the paramedics arrived, my consciousness had begun to slip. I could feel myself fading, my body growing weaker as the pain pulsed through every part of me. They lifted me onto a stretcher, the sound of their voices distant, muffled, like they were speaking from miles away.
One of the paramedics handed me my phone, asking for my emergency contact. With trembling hands, I dialed Derrick’s number, praying he’d pick up, that somehow he’d remember the family he’d left behind. The line rang once, twice, and finally, answered; his voice sharp and tensed. He could have been feeling the consequence of the bond severing ritual now.
In the background, I heard Samantha’s voice, light and cheerful, as if nothing in the world could touch them.
The call ended abruptly, leaving me staring at the empty screen. The finality of his choice echoed through me. He had moved on without a backward glance, while I lay there fighting for the life of our child.
My heart pounded as I forced myself to dial again, this time calling my mother. She picked up on the first ring, her voice filled with worry. “Charlotte, is everything alright?”
“I… I’m going into labor,” I managed, fighting back tears as I clung to consciousness. “Mom, I need you.”
“Hold on, sweetheart,” she replied, her voice steady. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just hold on, alright?”
As the ambulance sped toward the hospital, the pain grew unbearable, but I kept repeating my mother’s words, clinging to them like a lifeline. Hold on. Just hold on.