Chapter 5 Love dead!
“Miss… Miss, can you hear me?”
The voice sounded distant, like it was coming from underwater. Nia’s lashes fluttered, her head pounding as a sharp, rhythmic beeping echoed beside her. She groaned softly, trying to move, but even that small effort sent pain shooting through her body.
“Take it easy,” the voice said again, closer now. “You’re in the hospital.”
Hospital?
Her eyes opened slowly, the bright white ceiling blurring before coming into focus. The smell of antiseptic filled her nose. Machines surrounded her bed, wires attached to her arms. The beeping sound came from a monitor beside her.
Her chest tightened.
The memories rushed back all at once.
Rachel’s hands in her hair.
The stairs.
The sickening tumble.
The pain.
Anthony’s cold eyes.
His arms lifting Rachel, not her.
The door closed behind them while she bled on the floor.
Tears welled up instantly, sliding down her temples into her hair.
“No… no…” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
The nurse quickly hurried out to probably get the doctor.
Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach. The moment her fingers touched it, a sharp, unbearable pain shot through her abdomen, forcing a cry from her lips.
The door to the hospital room burst open.
“Nia.”
Sophia rushed in, a small food bag dangling forgotten from her hand as she dropped it on the chair and ran straight to the bed. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying for days.
“Oh my God, you’re awake,” Sophia said breathlessly. “You scared me. You scared me so much.”
Sophia grabbed her hand gently, careful not to hurt her. “You’re okay,” she said quickly. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”
Nia’s lips trembled. “Sophia…”
“I’m here,” Sophia repeated softly, brushing Nia’s hair away from her face. “I just stepped out to get you something to eat because the doctor said you’d be waking up soon. I didn’t want you waking up alone.”
Nia swallowed hard. “How… How long have I been here?”
Sophia hesitated for just a second.
“Three days,” she answered quietly.
“Three days?” Nia whispered, her eyes widening. “I’ve been here for three days?”
Sophia nodded slowly. “You lost a lot of blood, Nia. When I found you, you were unconscious. The doctors said it was a good thing I came when I did.”
Nia’s fingers tightened around Sophia’s hand. Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
“My baby,” she said suddenly, panic flooding her voice. “Sophia, my baby. Is my baby okay?”
Sophia froze.
The room seemed to shrink, the beeping machine growing louder with every second that passed.
“Sophia,” Nia pressed, tears spilling over. “Please. Tell me. How is my baby?”
Sophia swallowed, her eyes filling again. “Let me… let me get the doctor,” she said quickly, standing up. “He’s the best person to explain everything. I’ll be right back, okay?”
Nia shook her head weakly. “Don’t lie to me,” she whispered. “Please.”
Sophia forced a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Just rest. I’ll be right back.”
She hurried out of the room.
Nia lay there staring at the ceiling, her breathing uneven. Her mind raced, dread coiling tightly in her chest.
Anthony.
“Did… did Anthony come?” she asked suddenly when Sophia returned halfway through the door.
Sophia stopped walking.
“What?” she asked quietly.
“Anthony,” Nia repeated, her voice breaking. “Has he been here? Has he called? Has he… asked about me?”
Sophia’s jaw tightened.
“No,” she said flatly.
The single word hit harder than a slap.
“He hasn’t come,” Sophia continued, anger seeping into her voice. “He hasn’t called. He hasn’t even sent a message. Your phone was beside you the whole time. Nothing.”
Nia let out a shaky laugh that turned into a sob.
“What was I expecting?” she murmured. “From a man who left me bleeding on the floor… and walked away with another woman.”
Sophia sat back down beside her, squeezing her hand. “Eat something first,” she said gently. “You need strength.”
Nia shook her head. “No. Not yet. I need to hear it. I need the doctor to tell me.”
Sophia looked torn but nodded. “Okay. He’d be here soon.”
When the doctor walked in minutes later, Nia’s heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst. He was a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a calm voice.
“Mrs. DeLuca,” he said softly. “It’s good to see you awake.”
She nodded faintly. “My baby,” she whispered. “Please.”
The doctor sighed gently and pulled a chair closer.
“You experienced severe trauma from the fall,” he explained carefully. “By the time you were brought in, you had already lost a significant amount of blood. We did everything we could.”
Nia’s fingers dug into the bedsheets.
“I’m sorry,” he continued. “The pregnancy could not be saved.”
The words echoed in her ears.
Could not be saved.
Her world shattered.
A broken sound tore from her throat as she covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. Her shoulders shook as grief ripped through her, raw and unbearable.
“My baby,” she cried. “My baby…”
Sophia wrapped her arms around her, crying with her. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered over and over. “I’m so sorry, Nia.”
The doctor stood quietly, giving them a moment before speaking again. “You’ll be able to have children in the future,” he said gently. “Physically, you will heal.”
But Nia barely heard him.
After the doctor left, the room fell silent except for Nia’s muffled cries.
Minutes passed. Then more.
Finally, Nia’s sobs slowed. Her face was tear-stained, her eyes red and hollow.
“They killed my baby,” she said quietly.
Sophia stiffened. “Nia…”
“They killed my baby,” Nia repeated, her voice steady now, frighteningly calm. “He left me there. He chose her. He chose her over his own child.”
Sophia said nothing.
Nia stared straight ahead. Something inside her shifted. Hardened.
“Whatever love I had for Anthony,” she said slowly, “it died today. Completely.”
Sophia nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Good,” she whispered. “Because he doesn’t deserve even a fragment of you.”
After more tests and checkups, the doctor returned with paperwork.
“You’re stable now,” he said. “You can be discharged later today. Just make sure you rest and avoid stress.”
When he left, Nia turned to Sophia.
“I don’t want to go back there,” she said firmly. “I don’t want to step foot in that house again.”
Sophia didn’t hesitate. “Then you won’t.”
“I want to stay with you,” Nia continued. “Just for a while.”
Sophia smiled through her tears. “As long as you need. You’re not alone anymore.”
Nia exhaled shakily, closing her eyes.
Sophia stood up and picked up the food bag she had dropped earlier.
“Now that all that is sorted,” she said gently, opening the container, “you should have some chicken soup.”
