Kiara’s POV
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the nurses wheel Eric’s stretcher down the sterile hallways of the hospital. His face was swollen, blood dried on his skin, and for a moment, I forgot everything, the anger, the heartbreak, and the betrayal.
All I could see was the man I had once loved, broken and helpless. Despite all that had passed between us, a part of me couldn’t help but feel worried.
I followed them silently, each step weighed down by the uncertainty of what I was doing. I had moved on. Wilson was in my life now, steady and kind. But Eric… despite everything, he was still connected to me in ways I couldn’t shake.
The ICU doors swung open, and I watched as they settled Eric into a bed, the machines around him beeping steadily. My pulse quickened as the doctor, a tall man with graying hair, approached me. His expression was grim but professional like he had seen this before.
“Are you family?” he asked, glancing at me briefly before his eyes returned to the chart in his hands.
I hesitated, unsure how to answer. Was I family? Not anymore. But then there was the baby, the one I didn’t even know if he was the father or not yet.
“I’m…” The words caught in my throat. What was I supposed to say? Ex-mate? The father of my child? The man who nearly destroyed me? My hesitation must have been obvious because the doctor looked up, waiting.
“He’s the father of my baby,” I finally said, my voice small but certain.
The doctor blinked, his expression shifting in surprise. He closed the chart slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as if something about what I said didn’t sit right with him.
“Father of your baby?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, something that made my stomach tighten with unease.
I nodded, feeling the weight of those words settle over me. “Yes. Is something wrong?”
He motioned for me to follow him. “I think we should talk privately, Miss…?”
“Kiara,” I replied, feeling a chill creep up my spine.
He led me down a narrow hallway and into his office, a small room filled with medical books and the sterile smell of antiseptic.
Once we were inside, he shut the door and gestured for me to take a seat. I sat, my hands fidgeting in my lap, anxiety creeping in like a dark cloud.
“I’ve known Eric for a while,” the doctor began, sitting across from me. “I met him here when he came in some years ago, seeking medical help.”
I frowned, trying to piece together where this conversation was going. What did Eric’s past have to do with anything now?
“He’s been in trouble before,” the doctor continued, his eyes softening slightly. “The reason he’s here now… he was beaten up by some hoodlums. He owed them money.”
I felt a stab of anger and concern. That sounded like the usual Eric now. He’d always been reckless, getting into one mess after another, never thinking about the consequences. I should have known something like this would happen eventually.
The doctor leaned forward, his voice low. “This isn’t the first time. Eric’s been in and out of trouble for years now, but… there’s something you should know. Something important.”
I swallowed hard, feeling a cold dread seep into my bones. “What is it?”
He paused for a moment as if choosing his next words carefully. “Are you sure Eric is the father of your baby?”
His question hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at him, my mouth dry, my heart hammering in my chest. What kind of question was that? I was worried, knowing that I wasn’t so sure of the paternity myself.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
The doctor sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Eric is sterile, Miss Kiara. He will never be able to have children.”
The room tilted, and for a moment, I felt like the air had been sucked out of the space between us. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what he was saying.
Sterile? No. That couldn’t be right. I had never heard anything about this before.
“That… that can’t be true,” I stammered, shaking my head. “We… I got pregnant. Eric’s the father. He has to be.”
“I’m sorry,” the doctor countered gently. “I’ve been his doctor for some time. Eric’s condition has been the same since he was a teenager. He’s infertile. There’s no way he could be the father.”
The words echoed in my head, louder and louder, until they drowned out everything else. How could this be possible? I thought back to the night Eric and I were together, the last time before everything fell apart. I was sure… I was so sure.
My throat tightened, and tears burned at the corners of my eyes. If Eric wasn’t the father… then who was?
Even though I had not been so certain that the baby was Eric’s. Everything about that night, the timing, had seemed to line up somehow. But now, doubt clawed its way into my chest, twisting and turning until it hurt to breathe.
“Are you okay?” the doctor asked, his voice softening further as he saw the confusion written across my face.
I nodded slowly, though I didn’t feel okay. I felt like the ground had just been pulled out from under me. “I need to think,” I whispered, my voice shaky.
“Take your time,” the doctor sighed. “But please, understand that I wouldn’t have brought this up if I weren’t absolutely certain.”
I stood up, my legs trembling beneath me. “I… I have to go.”
The doctor nodded, watching me with concerned eyes as I stumbled out of his office, my mind swirling with too many thoughts to handle. The hallway felt longer than before, stretching endlessly as I made my way back to the ICU.
Eric lay there, unconscious, his face bruised and swollen. For a moment, I just stared at him, a thousand emotions swirling in my chest, anger, sadness, confusion. The man who had once been everything to me was now a stranger in so many ways.
But if Eric wasn’t the father of my child, that left only one possibility.
The man from the bar?