CHAPTER 121: THE SEED OF MISUNDERSTANDING

George burst into the room, breath ragged, after the echo of her scream and the sharp crash of breaking glass. His eyes widened at the sight of Daisy sprawled on the floor, blood smeared along her lower body, her skin deathly pale.

"Daisy?" His voice cracked, panic lacing his tone. "No, no... it wasn’t supposed to—damn it! The pill... it was only meant for the baby, not you!"

He dropped to his knees, reaching for her limp body, desperate to shake her awake. But the moment his hands slid beneath her, Daisy’s eyes snapped open, feral, burning with terror and rage.

Before George could react, she drove a jagged piece of glass upward, burying it deep into his thigh.

"AAARGH!" George screamed, his leg buckling under him as hot blood poured down. His body collapsed sideways, his hand instinctively clutching the wound.

Using his pain as her only chance, Daisy shoved herself up, staggering toward the door, her breath coming out in panicked sobs.

Daisy didn’t look back. Her legs were shaking, every step unsteady, but fear pushed her forward. One hand clutched her stomach, the other scraped along the wall for balance.

She didn’t know where she was. The corridors twisted and turned, all locked doors and shadows. She only knew she had to get out.

Finally, she burst through a side door into the night. Cold air hit her face, sharp and biting. She stumbled across the uneven ground, following what looked like a dirt path.

A road appeared ahead, dark and empty. Maybe it led somewhere bigger. Maybe someone would pass. Maybe... someone would help.

Her stomach throbbed. She pressed her hand harder against it, whispering, "Please... please..."

Behind her, she thought she heard the faint scrape of movement, a low groan carried on the night air, and her heart sank at the thought that George, wounded and bleeding, might still be following her.

She pushed herself harder, stumbling over rocks and puddles, her hand pressing against her stomach as sharp pains radiated through her, every step feeling heavier than the last, but she forced herself to keep going, eyes fixed on the faint glimmer of the road ahead, hoping it would lead her to safety.

"Daisy!"

Daisy was panicking, George screamed and made her legs tremble but she couldn’t stop here, she needed to continue until her eyes landed at the stray light that she believed coming from a car.

She pushed herself harder, ignoring the scream that tore through the night behind her, every step sending a fresh wave of pain through her stomach, her bare feet scraping against the rough ground.

The faint light ahead grew slightly stronger and she forced herself to move faster, hands pressed tightly against her stomach for both pain and protection. When she finally reached the edge of the road, she threw herself onto it, arms raised desperately, shouting at the approaching light with every ounce of strength she had left.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Her voice cracked, raw and shaking, carrying her fear and pleading into the night, hoping the figure in the car would see her before it was too late.

The car’s headlights swept over her, and she blinked against the sudden brightness, raising her arms higher. Her voice trembled as she shouted again, "Please! Help me!"

The engine slowed, tires crunching against the gravel, and for a moment, it felt like hope might actually exist. Daisy’s chest heaved, pain twisting her stomach, but she forced herself to stay standing, bare feet burning on the cold asphalt.

Behind her, the faint echo of George’s scream made her heart spike, and she stumbled forward instinctively.

Desperate, she rushed and knocked on the driver’s window, "Please help me! I am kidnapped, please! Send me to the hospital, I need to save my baby!"

"Get in," the driver, a woman, quickly unlocked the door. Daisy didn’t hesitate, yanking it open and sliding inside, collapsing against the seat.

The driver’s eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. Daisy’s blood-streaked clothes, bare feet scraped and dirty, the panic and raw fear in her wide eyes, the way she clutched her stomach like her life depended on it. "Oh my God... you’re hurt," the driver breathed, her hands moving instinctively to grab the seatbelt. "Hold on, I’ll get you to the hospital. You’re safe now."

Daisy pressed her hand tighter to her stomach, tears spilling freely. "Please... please make sure my baby is okay..." she whispered, voice trembling as the car roared onto the road, carrying her away from George and the nightmare behind her.

"Emergency! We need a stretcher!" a nurse shouted, and two orderly men carefully lifted her onto a gurney. Daisy barely registered the movement, every step of the hallway a blur of pain and fear.

In the emergency room, doctors worked quickly, checking her vitals, scanning her abdomen, and trying to stabilize her. Daisy’s breaths came in ragged gasps, tears streaming down her face, her hands pressed tightly over her stomach.

Outside, Theo had just arrived after receiving the call from the hospital. He looked pale and haggard, pacing back and forth, his anxiety sharp as he waited for the emergency room light to turn off. Every second felt like an eternity.

Finally, the lead doctor stepped out, his expression grave. "Sir... the patient ingested a substance that caused severe complications," he said carefully. "Since the pregnancy was too early and fragile, it could not be saved. We did everything we could to stabilize her, but she lost the baby."

Theo’s stomach dropped. "What... what do you mean ’ingested a substance’? She... she did this to herself?"

The doctor hesitated, choosing his words with caution. "From what we can tell, she took something intending to terminate the pregnancy. We acted quickly, but the effects were too severe. Right now, the focus is on her recovery."

Theo’s heart pounded as a wave of disbelief and anger crashed over him. "No... no, she wouldn’t—she couldn’t—" His mind raced, unable to reconcile the sweet, lovely woman he’d known with the grim words of the doctor.

Daisy, still unconscious inside, had no way to defend herself, and the seed of misunderstanding had already taken root.