Chapter 4- I Want It Out
OLIVIA POV
I blinked as a sharp light hit my eyes.
For a second, I couldn't even move. Everything felt too bright.
Where… am I?
I squinted, trying to sit up. My body was heavy. My eyes burned.
Hospital.
Again.
I let out a shaky breath. My hand drifted to my chest, and for a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. Numb.
This is the second time I've ended up in a hospital… in less than twenty-four hours.
And honestly? This time, I wasn't even sure I wanted to wake up.
The last thing I remembered was sitting on the cold street, soaked in rain a voice.
But everything after that was a blur. Just flashes of light and sound.
Did that person bring me here?
I blinked again, my throat tightening.
If they hadn't shown up when they did… I would've been gone.
A tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it. Then another.
I tried to sit up, but noticed the IV stuck into my arm. I sighed and sank back down into the bed.
I lay there, letting the tears fall.
Then the door creaked open.
I quickly wiped my face with the back of my hand, trying to look like I hadn't just been crying for the past few minutes.
A nurse stepped in with a soft smile on her face. She was holding a clipboard.
"Good morning, Miss Reed," she said.
"Good morning," I mumbled, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
She walked closer and checked the monitors. "How are you feeling?"
I nodded a little, my voice barely coming out. "Fine. Just tired."
She smiled again. "Well, the good news is—you and the baby are both doing okay."
My eyes drifted down to my stomach. A baby.
Still feels like a dream.
"The not-so-good news," she continued, "is that you'll need to stay here for a few more days to rest and recover. Your blood pressure was dangerously low. You were severely dehydrated and emotionally unstable when you came in."
Of course I was. That's what happens when your entire life burns down in one day.
"Okay," I said quietly. I wasn't sure what else to say. I didn't even know what I was supposed to feel anymore. Relief? Shame? Exhaustion? Probably all of it.
My mind flicked back to the one thing I was still unsure of.
"The person that… brought me here. Do you know who it was?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"He left right after dropping you off," she said. "Didn't give a name."
"He?" My voice caught in my throat.
"Tall, I think," she added. "Had an umbrella. Seemed… worried about you."
That's all she said. No more clues.
"Do you… know where he went?"
She shook her head. "No idea. But if he hadn't brought you in when he did…"
Her voice trailed off.
I looked away.
"I don't know whether to say thank you or scream," I said bitterly, a little laugh escaping my lips.
"Well," she said kindly, "whoever he was, he saved your life. And your baby's."
"I can't stay here for days. I don't have money for this," I said suddenly, panic creeping into my voice. "Please… discharge me. I'll sign whatever I need to sign. Just let me leave."
She looked at me with concern. "Miss Reed—"
"Please!" I was crying again, this time full-on sobbing. "I can't afford any of this. I don't have a home. I don't even have clothes that aren't soaked and ruined. Just let me go."
She moved closer and placed a hand gently on my shoulder.
"Hey, hey. Breathe. It's okay," she said softly. "You don't have to worry."
"How can I not worry?" I cried. "I can't pay! I have nothing left!"
She gave me a small, reassuring smile.
"Your bill's been taken care of."
"What?"
"The man who brought you in—he paid for everything. He cleared your bill before leaving."
"He… paid?"
She nodded. "He told us not to let you leave until you were fully recovered."
My lips parted, but no sound came out.
I leaned back against the pillows, overwhelmed. "I really wish I knew who he was. Just to say… thank you. That's all."
And that's when the door swung open again.
I looked up—and my stomach flipped.
Them.
"Who the hell let these bastards in here?" I snapped.
Caroline crossed her arms and raised her chin like she owned the damn place. "Funny. We were just about to ask the same thing."
"You know, for someone who cried and fainted like a weakling, you sure have a lot of energy to run your mouth."
I scoffed. "You don't get to be here. Either of you."
I turned to the nurse, ignoring both of them. "Why are they here?"
The nurse looked slightly uncomfortable. "We called him, Miss Reed. He's listed as your emergency contact."
Rage boiled in my stomach.
He's my what?
"You called him?" I asked, my voice rising. "Are you serious right now?"
"I'm really sorry," she said gently. "We didn't mean to upset you, but we had no choice. We had to call someone, and his number was saved under your file."
I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head. "Well, not anymore."
I turned my face away from them. I didn't want them to see the tears in my eyes again. I'd cried enough for them.
I took a shaky breath and looked back at them.
"You two should be busy planning your perfect little wedding," I said, forcing a cold smile. "You're really wasting your time here with someone you claim to hate."
Caroline didn't even blink. Her lips curled into that same cruel smirk.
"We only came because the hospital said you collapsed. We thought maybe…" She paused, her smile deepening. "That you died. And honestly? We were so happy."
My heart clenched in my chest.
"Then we came and saw you breathing," she added with a mock sigh. "Huge disappointment."
I wanted to scream. Throw something. Break something. Instead, I swallowed it.
There was nothing I could say that would change who they were.
Then Ethan turned to the nurse.
"We want confirmation," he said. "Is she actually pregnant?"
I stared at him, confused. Why does he care?
Did he finally come to his senses? Was he here to take responsibility? Apologize?
But the way he looked at me—the disgust in his eyes—told me everything I needed to know.
"Yes," the nurse said with a small nod. "She's pregnant. Congratulations—you're going to be a father."
She sounded almost hopeful, like maybe that meant something.
Ethan just scoffed.
"How do you even know it's mine?" he asked coldly, still staring at the nurse. "The slut over there could've gotten pregnant by anyone. She probably doesn't even know who the father is."
My fingers dug into the hospital blanket. I kept my mouth shut because I knew if I opened it, I'd either start crying or screaming. Maybe both.
"She's not a slut," the nurse said firmly. "And even if you doubt it, you can request a DNA test after the baby is born."
"I'm not doing any of that," Ethan said quickly. "I just came to confirm the pregnancy. That's it."
He turned to me now. No warmth.
"And since you are pregnant—get rid of it."
I blinked. I didn't understand what he meant at first. It was like my brain refused to hear the words.
"Excuse me?" I whispered.
"I want it terminated," he said, clearer now. "I'm not going to father some bastard child from a woman like you."
The pain that shot through my chest was instant. Like someone stuck a knife right through my heart and twisted it.
"You didn't even wait for me to decide?" I said, my voice cracking.
"You don't get to decide," he snapped. "Poor, pathetic girls like you don't get choices. I'm doing you a favor."
The nurse stepped in quickly.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ethan, but we don't terminate pregnancies without the mother's full and willing consent," she said calmly, but I could see the anger in her eyes.
Ethan rolled his eyes and muttered, "Unbelievable."
A favor?
He thought this was a favor?
He ruined me. Threw me out. Left me to rot. And now he wanted to erase the last part of me that still had any meaning?
The nurse turned back to me gently.
"Miss Reed," she said, "do you want to terminate the pregnancy?"
I stared down at my stomach.
That tiny heartbeat inside me.
The one thing that still tied me to hope. The one thing that hadn't abandoned me. The one part of me that still felt… pure.
But I was broke. Hurt. And tired.
"I…" My voice broke.
"Are you sure?" the nurse asked again, reading the look on my face.
I nodded slowly. "Yes. I want to start fresh."
She hesitated. "I have to warn you. With your current condition, your chances of getting pregnant again after this… are very low. Maybe ten percent."
I looked at her. My eyes were dry now.
"Do it. I want it out."