Chapter 4: Deserted
Aira’s POV
“Ah,” I groaned, slowly opening my eyes as I finally woke up from my sleep.
With my right hand, I held onto my head, still feeling a bit dizzy.
I was in pain. My entire body felt like I had been smashed countless times with a hammer and I couldn’t explain why.
The room seemed quite unfamiliar. The walls were painted white which was in contrast to the cream colour that I used on mine.
“Where am I?” I groaned once again, my head throbbing even faster as I attempted to remember.Original from NôvelDrama.Org.
Then the memories began to come back.
I recalled being humiliated by Jace and my twin at his wedding. I remembered going back to my house only to be thrown out. I felt the pain all over again but held back the tears as much as I could.
I remembered getting into my car to sleep and feeling weak immediately after waking up. I remembered…
“The hospital. Yes…”
I recalled that I had gone to the hospital to get help, only to fall to the ground unconscious. But before I did, I heard one of the nurses say something that sounded like pregnancy. I wasn’t quite sure but I believed I heard right. There was only one way to find out.
Reclining on my pillow, I wondered what step I had to take. I had no place to live and the man I loved had turned his back on me because of my twin. Life made little sense to me but I was determined to move on.
“Oh, you’re awake,” a nurse on low cut said as she walked into the room with her face beaming with smiles. “How do you feel?”
I tried to sit up but I couldn’t. All I could mutter was, “Better, I guess.”
She grinned as she got to the bed, placing her hand on my head to check my temperature. “Your body still feels a bit hot,” she noted. “Good thing I have just what you need to feel better.’
She pulled one of the drawers in the wooden table beside the bed and took out a syringe. “You’re going to inject me?* I asked with my eyes wide open with fear.
I was scared of needles. I’d always been scared of them since I was little. One of the ways my mom used to get me to do things was by threatening to call our family nurse who for some reason found delight in giving me injections as opposed to drugs despite my numerous protests.
I felt that as I got older, the fear would go away but it didn’t. It only intensified. Although I felt very embarrassed as the nurse stared at me bemused, I just couldn’t stop my hands from trembling.
“Don’t worry. You won’t even feel a thing,” she assured me and just like she said, it was the least painful injection that I’d ever had.
Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes and rested my head on the pillow as the nurse adjusted the blanket with which I was covered.
“I’m Sarah and I’ll be responsible for you all through your stay in this hospital,” she announced. “And you are?”
“Aira. But I’m sure you already knew that, didn’t you?” I said, almost in a whisper. “My stay in this hospital…. Are you saying that I won’t be leaving here today?”
“Yes. Because of your condition, we can’t let you leave,” she reaffirmed. “We would love to monitor you and your baby, just to be sure that everything is fine. Then we will let you leave.”
“Baby? I’m really pregnant?” I asked aloud, more to myself but it was loud enough for her to hear.
“Yes. Congratulations, ma’am. You’re six weeks pregnant,” she revealed. “It’s a good thing that you came here when you did because that fall could have been dangerous if we didn’t attend to you as quickly as we did. Just hold on. You must be hungry. Let me get you some food.”
When she walked out of the room, I didn’t quite know how to feel. I was delighted to know that I had a baby in me; that in a few months, I’d carry my child in my hands and show her the best care that any child could receive.
But on the other hand, I didn’t know what Jace would say about it. I wondered if he’d accept the child or even suggest that I take it away. I could never abort my child.
I also didn’t know if I wanted to have a child with him or give him the chance to be part of my child’s life or mine. Yet, it was only right for him to know that he was soon going to be a father.
Before the nurse could return, I forced myself up on the bed and slowly pushed myself to the edge.
Then I placed my feet on the ground and after taking a few deep breaths, I managed to stand on my feet.
Slowly, I walked, after picking up my handbag which was on the table. Then I made my way out of the room and headed straight to the reception.
“How much is my bill?” I asked the lady who seemed pretty shocked to see me.
“You’re not supposed to be here, ma’am. You should be resting in your room,” she said but I ignored her, walked over to the counter and placed my hands on it for support.
“How much is my bill?” I asked again, spotting the nurse hurriedly making her way to the counter. She had probably gone to the room with the food only to find me missing.
“I have somewhere to be right now,” I explained. “I cannot stay here. Please, I need to leave now.”
“It’s free,” Sarah voiced with a nod, handing a card over to me. “Please, be careful. Call the number on that card if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Leaving the hospital, I walked into my car and drove straight to my house, hoping to break the news to Jace. As soon as I got to the gate, I honked twice and this time, Briggs opened the gate for me to get in.
I had the urge to ask him why he changed his mind but I didn’t think it was worth it. All I wanted was to have a word with Jace and tell him the truth.
When I got to the door, I saw that it was already open and I heard some giggling sounds inside the sitting room.
I pushed it open and walked inside to find Jace and Ana passionately making out on the sofa.
Clearing my throat, they shuddered, surprised to see me inside the house. “What the hell are you doing here?” Ana asked. “Don’t you know how to knock?”
“I need to have a word with you Jace,” I said, ignoring my sister as she fumed, angered by my intrusion. “I have something to tell you… Alone.”
Jace wasn’t happy to see me either. He scrunched his face at my request and pointed to the sofa by the right so I could sit.
I did.
“Whatever it is you want to tell me, you can always say it here,” he voiced. “Please, make it very snappy. I believe you already saw that we were in the middle of something special.”
“I’m pregnant,” I revealed, much to his shock as his eyes went wide for a minute. “I’m six weeks pregnant.”
Suddenly, the shock on his face disappeared and all that was left was a smirk. “That can’t be true, Aira,” he refuted. “I switched out all of your vitamins for plan b tablets just to make sure you’d never get pregnant for me, you bloody liar!”
Ana shook her head as she gazed disdainfully at me. “You should be ashamed of yourself sister. How desperate could you be?”
“But… But, I’m telling you the truth,” I maintained but they wouldn’t believe me. “I’m just coming from the hospital.”
Jace rose to his feet and harshly pulled me up from my chair. “Leave here immediately or I’ll call the cops on you,” he threatened and in tears, I walked away from the house swearing in my heart to have nothing to do with him again.
Determined to put everything about him behind me, I drove to my bank and walked inside still feeling a bit weak. I had to leave the country and I needed some money to do that.
As usual, the place was crowded as many customers lined up to receive their money. One of the bankers dressed in a shirt, a pair of black trousers and a black tie spotted me as soon as I walked inside and walked straight to me in a hurry.
“How may we help you?” He asked.
“I want to withdraw all of my money,” I revealed as his mouth went ajar. “I need it immediately.”
“Right away.”
He led me away from the crowd to an inner room and there, I filled out the necessary form, handing it over to him.
After a few seconds, he returned with a worried look. “Ma’am, there’s no money in your account,” he revealed and I stood at once in shock. “We can tell from the records that you withdrew everything inside it just a few days ago.”
“But I didn’t. I didn’t withdraw any money. I…”
I opened my bag and searched for my card but it wasn’t there. I knew exactly what had happened. Jace had taken all of my money. Why was he that wicked?
Picking up my phone, I dialled his number and he picked up almost immediately. “Why, Jace? Why would you do this to me?” I cried. “I demand that you return my money, all of it or I swear, I’ll make you pay for it. Give it back and I promise, I’ll never show up in your life again.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d say that,” he chuckled. “Let’s meet up then. I’ll send you a location. Don’t be late.”