months

eds, laughing softly while admiring the newborns in their mothers' arms. Some were already

g quietly from my c

ood besid

as alright after the delivery. The little boy sleepin

nly the two of us ag

to admit, but I kept forcing myself to

lanket wrapped around him. How could anyone look at s

their own daughter simply b

tself had near

felt endless. Nobody comforted me. Nobody held my hand through the pain. The midwives barely hid

so humiliated i

eld her hand the entire time while whispering comforting words i

worse than the cont

odline on my shoulders. Ever since childhood, my life had revolved around responsibility. Str

ncy had destro

ad spent years preparing for. Everything changed after that night. It felt as though my entir

ing footsteps pulled

sses. Her expression stayed cold and professional, but the judgment behind it was impossible to miss. Every person in this place looked at me the same way. A young woman

er of my son was no

e father is?" she asked while cli

the blanket wrapped around my baby.

than

ould come after me. I'd already seen his ang

rt of all? He didn'

from an e

fest option. I'd already humiliated my family enough. If Dad ever discovered

over her shoulder before gla

twisted with mockery. "Too bad his mother makes terrible decisio

ed my face aw

ol?" I asked quietly, acting as th

comments like that at me. Every look and every whisper carried

t written on

murmured tiredly. "I'm not a

pted sharply while setting it beside me.

irth because their healing abilities activated almost immediately. But I had never completed my firs

east get some

hunger. Breastfeeding drained what

You were admitted after dinner h

l. Only eight in the evening. An entire nig

e was no point wasting my breath. Nobody in

ke my son and disappear somewhere far from Mountainview City. Somewhere nobody knew my name

away but paused beside t

ed to him?" she asked coldly. "Imagine discovering y

ad thought about that every single

ices too. This wasn't som

lf from crying again. Then I lowered my gaze

e. Amber. There was no do

n a pale shade betw

o sleep. His tiny breathing slowly calmed, and for a moment, I simply held him there while exh

ised my hand

over her shoulders, and she couldn't have been much older than me. For

er and picked

some water? Or maybe

ed from her face

s she pressed the call

ively leaned over to lift him into my arms again. The movement sent

the room. The head nurse d

sharply, as though I wasn't suppo

er to the ward for single mothers," the head

body wen

tain, I heard another patien

ing wrong. Nobody ever came to

nding beside her. Mates, parents, friends. They were surrounded by love and

els beneath my bed and p

hrough the long hospital corridors. The entire thing felt

other curtained area. Without saying a singl

painfully dry. "Could I a

even ackn

a female voice said nea

n slowly p

tood on the other

ew years older than me. The second girl looked much younger, a

a small smile. "I'm Ma

I answere

beside her. "And that's Zhoé," she said. Then her smile faded

of the bed and lowered her voice slightly. "Trust me, the only people y

. "But taking care of us

ays already. My baby's having complications, and they barely check on h

pulled out a cereal bar bef

sted. You shoul

asked while holding my son

nod

oo," she admitted softly. "Looks

hile finishing the cereal bar

nger girl. "Did you have a b

nswered softly.

b

u," I sai

for days." Then she studied me more carefully

fore answering

ghtly. Then she slowly

g else," she murmured. "Everyone in this room has their

after you leave here?" I asked

first. "But the place

"I'm staying with my mo

ed directly at

led in my chest. I s

ed the words out calmly even

for five hundred dollars. It barely ran properly, and most nights were mi

eople looked at us with disgust the second they learned we had children without official mates. But despite all

hared her food with me a

telling the truth.

of the nurses ignored us completely. They barely checked on

ecome invisible the