<b>Chapter </b><b>117 </b>
Elena’s POV:
I stepped out of the doctor’s examination room, the sterile scent of antiseptic clinging to my clothes and hair, and made my way towards the reception deck
Recalling the memories of my earlier unexpected encounter with Seraphina in the office bathroom made my stomach clench with a renewed wave of ansiety and guilt,
She’d asked me point nk, if I was pregnant. The question had caught mepletely off guard, my mind freezing for a split second as I desperately searched for a believable lie. “No,” I’d managed to stammer out, the denial feeling hollow and unconvincing even to my own cars I felt a pang of gult, an undeniable sense of being a terrible person for lying, especially to someone who had looked up to
But then, to my relief, Seraphina had simply nodded, her expression softening with understanding when I’d quickly followed up, attributing my unwell state to simple anxiety and an upset stomach from the unfamiliar city food.
She’d then, with genuine warmth, invited me to join her for lunch the following evening. I had readily epted.
However, the encounter had also served as a reminder of the need to be more careful, to ensure my increasingly obvious symptoms didn’t raise any unwanted questions or <b>cause </b>any potential problems, especially given my decision to keep the pregnancy a secret for now.
That realization had prompted my decision to visit an OB/GYN after work, hoping to find some relied <b>and </b>guidance
Aber being prescribed some anti–nauses pills and being sternly advised by the doctor to get more rest–a piece of advice that felt almostical given my current living situation and the demanding internship–I decided to head out of the clinic and find a cab to take me back to Haruki’s condo.
That’s when my ears perked up, catching a faint sound amidst the general hustle and bustle of the hospital waiting area. I heard muffled sniveling and soft, choked gasps, the distinct sounds of someone trying desperately to suppress their sobs.
I turned around, my pace sweeping across the crowded room, in aer, sitting hunched over on one of the chairs, was <b>a </b>woman with her hands covering her face. Her long, dark hair obscured her features, but there <b>was </b>something about <b>her </b>posture that looked strangely familiar.
1 frowned, a sense of recognition slowly dawning on me<b>, </b>and moved forward, my footsteps <b>quiet </b>on the linoleum floor. “Mielle?” I asked softly. The girl wont rigid at the sound of her name, <b>her </b>shoulders tensing. Then, slowly, hesitantly, <b>she </b>looked up, her face pale and tear–streaked, her eyes red–rimmed and swollen
“Elena?” she spoke, her voice barely <b>a </b>whisper. I immediately sat down on the chair next to her. “Hey. Are you alright, Mielle? What happened?” asked
Her gaze darted around the waiting area, as though she were <b>afraid </b>of being overheard, then she looked back at me, her eyes filled with <b>a </b>raw vulnerability. Instead of answering my question, she asked one of her own, her voice trembling slightly. “What are you doing here, Elena?”
I pursed my lips, momentarily taken aback. I hesitated for a moment before answering “… wasn’t feeling too well, actually I’m in Maxcester City now for the internship, so I just… came here for a quick check up.” I said, hoping my vague exnation would suffice. She nodded slowly.
The atmosphere between us turned tense and silent, the only sound the muffled announcements echoing through the hospital
<b>Finally</b>, after what felt like a long and ufortable moment, she spoke, her voice barely audible. “I’m pregnant. Before I could even fully process the information, she burst into a tresh wave of tears, her body shaking with silent sobrs, and my heart jumped in my chest.
“What?” I asked, the single word escaping my lips in a <b>stunned </b>whisper. Then<b>, </b><b>shaking </b>my head slightly, trying to make sense of her unexpected confession, I blurted out, “<b>No. </b>How?” I instantly regretted my clumsy phrasing as she dissolved into even more heart–wrenching sobs. Without hesitation, Emoved closer, clutching her trembling hand in mine and pulling her gently into aforting hug.
We stayed like that for a long while. Eventually, her sobs subsided into soft sniffles, and gently pulled away, looking at her face, which was now p and drawn. She seemed utterly alone and terrified, a fact that made it painfully obvious that this pregnancy was unwanted
“Mielle, who’s the father of the child!” I asked gently, my voice low and soothing. Her body went still again, <b>as </b>if my simple question had caused her to freeze from the <b>inside </b>out. She then shook her <b>head </b>slowly, her gaze fixed on some unseen point beyond me.
“I don’t know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, the words sending a fresh wave of shock and sadness through ine.
“You… don’t know?” asked again, needing to rify the unbelievable. She nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a profound and heartbreaking uncertainty, making my heart drop further with each silent affamation.
“Melle, can you exin to me exactly what happened?” I asked, my voice gentle but finh. She pursed her lips, her hands trembling in herp, and took a slow, shaky breath before finally beginning to exin, her voice soft and halting,
My stomach clenched slowly, a cold knot of dread tightening within me as I listeried to her speak. She recounted how she’d been invited to a party almost a month and a hall ago, a gathering ostensibly to celebrate Lazar’s birthday. She remembered feeling out of ce amidst the unfamiliar faces and the free–flowing alcohol. And then, the memories became fragmented, hazy She vaguely recalled epting drinks from Dmitri, feeling increasingly lightheaded and disoriented. The next thing she remembered with any rity was being pinned down, the details blurry and terrifying, under the influence of what she suspected was more than just alcohol. There were multiple men involved, including Dimitri.
1 bit my lip hard, a surge of anger and nausea rising within me. I instinctively tightened my grip on her hand, offering silentfort as rubbed her back gently, the gesture feeling utterly inadequate. “Have you… been inside to see a doctor? Did you talk to anyone here about what happened?” I asked.
She shook her head vehemently, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so scared, Elena. I took <b>a </b>pregnancy test at home, and it came out positive. What will I do if it really is the case? What will my family say?”
“Mielle… what happened to you… that wasn’t <b>consensual</b><b>, </b>right?” I asked, the question feeling sickening even <b>as </b>it left my ps, the sheer possibility of it making my blood run cold.
She frowned, shaking her head don’t remember anything much clearly, except that Dmitri kept handing me some drinks. I was so nervous being at that party, surrounded by people I didn’t know, so I didn’t even stop and kept taking them… I’m not…I’m not the type to do such a thing on a whim. haven’t slept with anyone before<b>, </b>Elena.” Her voice broke on thest word, and that <b>single</b>, heartbreaking admission made the anger churning within intensify tenfold.
She was a virgin then? And she had to endure <b>all </b>of this? Dmitri. Oh <b>God</b>, fucking hell that asshole. How… how in the world had I ever loved someone so callous, so monstrous? Even now I was having a hard time believing he’d do such a thing
I took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to tamp down the burning rage that threatened to consume me. Then, I gently pulled her up from the ufortable <b>chair</b>. “Come on, Mielle,”
She looked at me, startled, her eyes wide and questioning. “What? Where are we going?” she asked, her voiceced with confusion and a lingering fear. I squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Let’s get you properly checked up first. Don’t worry, Mielle. I’m here for you, okay?”
AD