CHAPTER 53 - I Think something's wrong

My body trembled, and my vision blurred as I struggled to push myself off the ground. Pain sliced through my chest and radiated downward, sharper and more insistent than anything I had felt before. The wetness beneath me was too much to ignore—too terrifying to contemplate. I could hardly breathe, let alone think.

"Help!" My voice cracked, but I knew there was no time. No one was around to hear me.

Julie had disappeared as quickly as she'd arrived, leaving me on the grass, my heart racing in panic. My hands clutched at the earth beneath me, trying to steady myself as I felt the weight of the world crashing down on me.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Not like this. I wasn’t ready,physically, emotionally, or mentally,for this. My baby. Was it coming now? Was it too soon?

I fought to calm myself as I shakily tried to sit up, but the pain in my lower back made it impossible. The water had definitely broken, but the bleeding—was it something worse? I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it was a battle I was losing.

With what little strength I had, I managed to pull my phone from my pocket. My hands were shaking, too unsteady to hold it properly, but I finally managed to dial the one number I knew I could trust.

“Grace,” I gasped as she answered on the third ring. “I…Julie…my water broke…I think something’s wrong…please, come help me.”

Her voice on the other end of the line was filled with confusion and concern. “Daphne? What happened? Where are you?”

“I’m in the garden, near the gazebo,” I choked out, biting back tears. “Please hurry, Grace. I don’t feel good.”

“I’m coming. Stay calm, okay? Just stay still. Help is on the way. Don’t move.” Her voice was steady, soothing, but it only made the panic inside me intensify.

I couldn’t stay still. I couldn’t just wait, not when I felt so alone. Not when I felt so… helpless. But the pain started to ebb slightly, enough for me to drag myself to my feet. The dizziness that came with the movement sent a wave of nausea through me. Still, I couldn’t stop, couldn’t sit idly by while everything around me felt like it was falling apart.

I stumbled forward, leaning on the edge of the gazebo for support, as I called out again, “Grace... please hurry.”

The minutes seemed to stretch on forever, each second a heavy weight pressing down on my chest, my heartbeat thudding in my ears. My body felt like it was betraying me, my knees buckling under the strain of it all. I couldn’t even trust myself to stand properly..

“Daphne!” Grace’s voice sliced through the tension in the air. She was running toward me, her expression full of panic and concern, some maids and Jeffery was also running towards me.

“I’m here. You’re okay now,” she said, her hands reaching out to steady me. “We’re getting you inside. The hospital…now.”

I didn’t argue. There was no time for anything but survival. Grace didn’t let go of me, her arm supporting my waist as she helped me make my way back toward the house. My vision wavered again, my thoughts fuzzy, but I could hear the panic in her voice. She was telling someone to get the car ready, to drive me to the hospital, but it felt like a distant hum.

By the time we reached the car, I was shaking uncontrollably, clutching my belly, my breaths shallow and labored. I tried to speak, tried to tell Grace how scared I was, but my voice caught, drowned out by the waves of pain that had started to sweep over me again. Was I in labor? Was it too early? Was the baby okay?

“Hold on, Daphne. Please hold on,” Grace whispered, her hand tight on mine. “We’re almost there.”

The ride felt like an eternity. The car seemed to move in slow motion, the seconds stretching into minutes, and then hours. My mind was a haze of fear and exhaustion, and every bump in the road made my body shudder with a new wave of discomfort. I squeezed Grace’s hand as tightly as I could, finding the only semblance of comfort in her presence.

When we arrived at the hospital, the staff rushed to meet us, wheeling me into the emergency room, where nurses and doctors swarmed around, trying to assess the situation. My legs felt weak, my body trembling uncontrollably as they hooked me up to monitors.

“Everything will be fine, Daphne,” Grace whispered, her voice close to my ear as she sat beside me. “Just breathe. You’re not alone.”

The doctors worked swiftly, ordering an ultrasound and other tests. The minutes dragged on, each one more agonizing than the last. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowned out by the overwhelming silence in the room. Was I going to lose my baby? Would I ever hold my child in my arms?

A few moments later, the doctor returned with a grave expression, but his words were not as dire as I feared.

“Your baby is stable, but there are some concerns,” he said gently, his tone calm and reassuring. “The baby’s size is a little smaller than expected for how far along you are, which could lead to some complications. We've stopped the bleeding. We’ll have to keep monitoring, but we need to prepare for the possibility of a preterm birth.”

I nodded, tears pooling in my eyes. I had tried so hard to prepare for this moment, but the reality of it was overwhelming. My child…my little one…wasn’t ready to come into the world. I wasn’t ready either.

“Do you want to call Mr. Horton?” the doctor asked softly.

I froze at the mention of his name. The idea of calling him felt like a betrayal of myself, of everything I had endured. But Grace’s hand on mine gave me the strength to nod.

“I’ll do it,” she said, squeezing my hand. “You just rest.”

The minutes that followed felt like an eternity as Grace made the call, her voice quiet and controlled as she spoke with Jayden. When she hung up, she turned to me with a sad smile.

“He’ll be here soon,” she said softly.

I closed my eyes, letting out a shaky breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. What would Jayden say when he saw me like this? Would he even care? Would he even show up?

The hospital room was too quiet, the sterile air too cold. And all I could think about was my baby, my tiny, fragile child, who I hoped and prayed would survive this ordeal.

The door creaked open, and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Jayden’s footsteps were unmistakable, his presence an unsettling contrast to the sterile environment of the hospital. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze.

He stood at the foot of my bed for a moment, his eyes seemed to be laced with worry, but they were quickly replaced with coldness, before he spoke, his voice low.

“How is the baby?” he asked, his tone almost indifferent.

I wanted to scream at him, to demand that he show some sign of emotion, some hint of care. But instead, I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to break down.

“Smaller than expected,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “But… still alive. I'd be kept here till they deem fit.”

Jayden didn’t respond right away. And when he finally did, his words were just as cold as his eyes.

“Good. That’s good.”