Chapter 5
My mom's tears slipped down her cheeks, silent and unspoken.
My dad said nothing, his expression grave.
From the very start, this baby was never someone his father hoped for.
On that island with barely any medical help, through all my breakdowns and Richard's cold shoulder, the fact that he made it this far was nothing short of a miracle.
I rested my hand on my stomach, remembering the tiny stirrings of life that used to be there. But lately, I couldn't feel them at all.
Was keeping him here really love, or was I just hurting him?
Was I just giving myself something to hold onto, or was I trying to use a child who might never be healthy to tie myself to a relationship with Richard that had already fallen apart?
No.
I didn't want this.
I didn't want my child to be a reminder of my broken marriage, and I refused to let him live with the shadow of a father who never wanted him and a mother who once doubted.
I looked up at Lewis, my eyes filled with icy resolve. There wasn't a hint of hesitation.
"Dr. Lewis, please schedule an abortion," I said, my voice steady.
"Natalie!" my mom cried out, her voice trembling. "Please, think about this again..."
"Mom," I interrupted her, my voice quiet but firm. "This child was never meant to be here. His father is not someone I can build a future with. And I... I need a real new beginning."
I needed a fresh start with absolutely nothing left tying me to Richard.
My dad looked at me for a long moment and then nodded to Lewis. "Do as she says. Just make sure she gets the best care and keep the risks as low as possible."
The abortion was set for the next morning.
They put me under, and I didn't feel a thing. It was over in no time.
When I came to, everything was finished.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming the room. It was quiet, except for the steady ticking of the monitors.
There was a faint, empty ache in my lower belly, a silent reminder of what used to be there.
But it wasn't the heart-wrenching pain I'd imagined.
Instead, it was a kind of relief, one I couldn't even put into words.
It felt as though I had finally put down a weight that was never mine to carry.
Everything built on duty, sacrifice, and false affection, along with what never should have tied me there in the first place, was left behind.
My mom, her eyes red, helped me drink some water. My dad sat on the couch nearby, working on some papers, but every so often he'd glance up to make sure I was okay.
That quiet, wordless care meant more to me than any words ever could.
I pulled out my phone. The screen was flooded with missed calls. There were dozens of them, all from Richard.
There were also a few messages.
Richard: [Natalie, are you home yet? How's the baby?]
Richard: [Pick up! We need to talk!]
Richard: [Could you be more reasonable? Once you calm down, let's talk it out.]
[The signal on the island is terrible. Just saw your message. Are you still upset?]
Checking the time, I saw the last one had been sent half an hour ago.
He probably still thought I was just upset, and once I "cooled off," I'd reach out to him like I always did before.
I cleared the notifications without bothering to read them.
Then, without pausing, I blocked him everywhere, on my phone and across every social platform, and deleted everything.
It was clean and final, not a shred of nostalgia or second thoughts.
After cutting all ties, I set my phone aside and gazed out the window.
The sky was a brilliant blue, with clouds drifting freely across it.
From this moment on, my new life truly began.