Chapter 19 Chapter 19
Two days later, Savannah was discharged from the hospital. She walked out slowly, her steps weak, her hand resting on her stomach. Adrian was beside her, carrying the small bag of clothes she had. He had insisted on driving her home.
Savannah kept quiet the whole ride. She didn’t want him to see where she stayed. Shame burned in her chest. But she also knew she could not lie to him forever.
The car stopped in front of an old building, the walls cracked, paint fading. Savannah lowered her eyes, wishing he would just drop her and leave.
“This is the place?” Adrian asked, his brows lifting.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He didn’t speak again. He followed her up the stairs. The steps creaked under their weight. Finally, she reached her small room and pushed the door open.
The smell hit them first. Damp, musty air mixed with the sour scent of old wood. Adrian stepped inside behind her. His eyes swept across the room, and his face froze.
The bed was small, the mattress torn at the edges. Rats scurried in the corner, disappearing through a hole. Cockroaches crawled across the wall. The roof leaked in one place, leaving a damp patch on the floor.
Adrian turned slowly, his eyes wide. “Is this where you live, Savannah?” His voice was heavy, almost angry.
Savannah stood there, her shoulders shaking. She nodded. “Yes… this is all I could afford. I didn’t have anywhere else.”
Adrian’s chest rose and fell. He stared at her with disbelief. “And you’re pregnant? Living here? With rats and cockroaches running around?” His voice was sharper now.
She lowered her head, tears threatening again. “I had no choice. He left me with nothing. I just wanted a roof over my head.”
Adrian took a deep breath, then shook his head firmly. “No. I can’t allow this. You can’t stay here, Savannah. Not like this. Not with a child inside you.”
She looked up at him quickly, her eyes wide with fear. “But where do I go? I don’t want to be a burden to anyone. You’ve already done too much for me.”
Adrian’s eyes softened, but his tone stayed firm. “Savannah, listen to me. You are not a burden. What your husband did to you is evil, but you are not trash. You deserve better than this place.” He pointed at the corner where another rat ran out. “This is not safe. I won’t let you stay here again.”
Savannah pressed her lips together, shaking her head. “Adrian, please. You don’t understand. I have nowhere else. If I leave here, then what? At least here, nobody knows me. I can hide.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Hiding won’t save you. Look at this room. Look at yourself. You fainted at work because you are carrying all this weight alone. If you keep living like this, you and the baby will not survive.”
Savannah’s tears fell, one after another. She hugged her stomach as if holding the child inside. “This baby… is all I have left. I can’t lose it.”
Adrian placed his hand gently on her shoulder. “Then trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you or your baby. You are not staying here another night. That’s final.”
Savannah blinked at him, shocked by the firmness in his voice. No one had ever spoken for her like that before. Not even Nathaniel.
She whispered, “Why… why are you helping me? You don’t even know me.”
Adrian looked at her, his eyes steady. “Because I can’t watch and pretend I don’t see your pain. Sometimes, strangers care more than those we love.”
Her lips trembled. She wanted to argue, but the truth of his words cut deep. She had loved Nathaniel with all her heart, and he had thrown her away like garbage. Yet here was Adrian, a man she barely knew, standing in her ruined room, refusing to leave her in misery.
For the first time, a small warmth spread through her chest. Not hope, not yet — but something close.
Adrian turned back toward the door. “Pack your things. We’re leaving.”
Savannah froze. “Leaving? To where?”
He looked over his shoulder, his eyes firm. “Anywhere better than this. I’ll make sure of it.”