Chapter 4 She Had No Right To Give Up

"Really?"

Eric's smile was cold, dripping with scorn.

"So, this is about money, isn't it? Not even a month has passed. What's the hurry? Rest assured, you'll receive your due. Just be patient. Surely, you don't think we'd let you go hungry?"

He paused briefly, his tone becoming terse. "Avoid calling me unless it's urgent. I'll get in touch if there's any need."

With those final words, the conversation abruptly ceased.

Clasping the phone tightly, Hadley's shock was evident.

To such an extent, Eric despised her.

"Absurd."

With a frail chuckle, Hadley's face turned ashen. Requesting money from him had left her feeling profoundly demeaned.

In silence, she lifted her hand to her unchanged stomach, closed her eyes, and allowed tears to escape quietly.

...

Eight months had passed.

Hadley was sleeping peacefully in her modest room, her pregnant belly prominently displayed.

The arrival of her child was approaching. Despite the doctor's recommendation for an early hospitalization due to the baby's backside position, Hadley merely smiled and remained silent.

Her pockets were empty.

Eight months earlier, following that call with Eric, he had spewed nothing but cruelty.

Yet, the financial support he promised never materialized.

Hadley had drained her savings. With no way to afford her apartment anymore, she ended up in a run-down neighborhood.

She never reached out to him for financial help again.

The thought of being labeled a parasite was unbearable.

After moving, Hadley managed to secure some part-time work, balancing it with her studies.

Her earnings were limited, but through careful budgeting, she made enough to sustain herself.

As she drifted in sleep, the night erupted with cries of alarm.

"Fire!"

The shout pierced the air.

"Escape!"

Roused abruptly, Hadley leaped from her bed and threw open her door to a scene of utter chaos. Smoke engulfed the corridor as flames danced violently.

Her complexion drained of color in an instant.

"Hadley!"

Her neighbor, a fellow student, was frantic with worry as he caught sight of her.

"Why haven't you fled? It's a fire! Get out now!"

"Right, got it!"

In a rush, Hadley spun around to snatch her backpack.

She moved to venture deeper into her apartment, but her neighbor's firm grip stopped her. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you heading back in? Leave immediately!"

"I must!"

Hadley's frustration was clear as she stamped her foot.

Inside, her savings lay-every single penny she had painstakingly gathered for her baby's future needs: hospital bills, diapers, and baby formula.

"I need to retrieve it!"

Hadley moved to step further, but at that moment, a flaming beam from the ceiling crashed down in front of her.

"Ah!"

Hadley instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding injury.

The way forward was now obstructed by debris.

"Hadley! Escape now!"

"No!"

With a desperate shake of her head, she couldn't consider leaving. Breaking away, she made a reckless dash into the danger.

"Ah!"

A fierce blast of wind propelled the fire closer to her. Turning swiftly, Hadley felt the flames lick at her lower back, eliciting a sharp wince of pain.

"Hadley!"

Her neighbor reached out and yanked her to safety. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Hadley dismissed his concern with a shake of her head, even as coughs wracked her body, spurred by the engulfing smoke.

"Let's go, now!"

Clutching her arm, her neighbor pleaded, "You can't return inside!"

"But..."

"Consider your child! The smoke alone could kill you both! If you go back, it might cost both your lives. Escape now!"

Led almost forcibly by her neighbor, Hadley managed to flee from the blaze.

At that moment, the flames had already seared Hadley's back, and she had failed to retrieve her savings. Powerless, she watched as her modest home was consumed by fire, crumbling to mere ashes.

What was she to do next?

"Ah!"

A sudden, intense pain struck her, causing Hadley to grasp her abdomen tightly.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?"

A crowd formed around Hadley.

"She's having her baby!"

"Someone call for an ambulance! We need to get her to a hospital now!"

...

"Ah!"

"Stay strong!"

In haste, Hadley was transported to the hospital and positioned on a delivery table. She withstood a harrowing and dangerous labor for more than ten hours.

Eventually, she delivered her child.

A nurse tenderly placed the newborn in her arms, and tears welled up in Hadley's eyes as she beamed with joy.

Here was her child...

Her own family...

She wasn't alone in the world any longer.

Then, overwhelmed by the outrage of the moment, she let her eyes fall shut and lost consciousness.

......

One afternoon, Hadley held her infant close, her gaze fixed silently downward.

A nurse, empathetic in her demeanor, was nearby, observing Hadley. She had come to discuss the outstanding hospital bills. Hadley had managed to pay a fraction, yet it was far from sufficient.

Silently, Hadley lowered her head, at a loss for words.

She felt utterly defeated, with nothing left to offer.

The nurse, moved by compassion and noting Hadley's youth, assumed she had been abandoned by an uncaring partner.

"Isn't there someone in your family, or perhaps friends, who could assist you? Call them," the nurse gently suggested, and then moved away, careful not to press too firmly.

Hadley's eyes began to brim with tears.

Family? Friends? She had no one...

Yet now she was a mother and could not ignore her obligations, as if she were irresponsible.

Rummaging through her bag, she retrieved her phone.

She called Eric.

The phone echoed unanswered rings.

At last, the call was picked up.

"Eric..."

"Hello?"

It was Linda's voice that responded, smooth and slightly mocking.

"Is this Hadley? Do you need Eric? He's unavailable at the moment. But feel free to talk to me," Linda continued, her voice carrying a hint of provocation.

Could Linda truly offer assistance?

Didn't Linda harbor resentment toward her?

At this point, however, Hadley had no room for such concerns.

Options were non-existent for her.

With a swallowed pride, Hadley hesitated, and then said, "I was wondering if he might... possibly help with some financial support?"

She framed her request carefully, not as charity but as a loan.

"Please, I promise to repay it as soon as possible!"

"Understood," Linda responded, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "I'll pass on the message. Bye."

"Thank..."

Hadley's words of gratitude were cut short as the line went dead.

Clutching her phone, she felt a knot of anxiety tighten within her.

Could Eric possibly extend the financial help? Perhaps for Nyla's sake, or given their unresolved divorce... He would help, right?

Yet, as days passed by, no help arrived for Hadley.

Two days later, there she was, standing outside the hospital, cradling her baby and a bag.

Eviction had come due to unpaid bills.

She looked up, squinting against the harsh winter sun, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Hadley."

Her lip quivered as she bit down hard.

"Why should you cry? You're a mother now. You've got a child to care for! No time for tears!"

Nevertheless, she found herself poor, her previous home lost to the fire, with no place left to go.

......

Two weeks had passed.

Hurrying down the sidewalk, Hadley held her baby close.

"Thief! Stop that woman!"

"Seize her!"

Footsteps thundered behind her.

Realization dawned on her; escape was impossible.

Tripping over, Hadley fell forward, twisting instinctively to protect her baby from the impact.

"Caught you!" exclaimed a store clerk, securing her before she could rise.

"Where are you headed in such a hurry? What did you steal? Hand it over!" demanded the clerk, forcefully pulling her bag and emptying its contents on the ground.

"Is this baby formula and diapers? You took these?"

"See this? She's carrying an infant!"

Hadley closed her eyes tightly, overcome with shame. She wished she could just vanish. She'd lost it all. Her dignity was shattered beyond repair.

Yet, as she clutched her baby tighter, she realized surrender wasn't an option. She had no right to give up.