Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Alessia couldn't help but notice the wedding dress Connie held in her hands.

It was a pristine gown-a masterpiece crafted by renowned designer Le Blanc, hailing all the way from the fashion capital of Venmont.

Connie and Brayden were getting married.

A pang of pain pierced through Alessia's heart at the thought.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered a smile and addressed Connie. 'Hey, sis. That wedding dress looks stunning.'

Connie faltered, her expression somewhat strained. 'Um, thank you.'

She wrung her hands. 'Listen, I'm.I'm sorry, Alessia. I didn't expect things to turn out this way.'

'It's all right.' Alessia shrugged. 'Honestly, I didn't feel that strongly about Brayden anyway. You two make a.good match. Don't beat yourself up.'

Connie pursed her lips, unable to find further words.

'I'll head upstairs,' Alessia declared, making her way to the second floor.

She needed to find that bloodstained note, to find the man who had left an indelible mark on her life.

She couldn't bear the thought of carrying two babies inside her without knowing the identity of the father.

Upon reaching her room, she found it meticulously arranged, everything in perfect order.

However, the piece of paper she sought, stained with traces of blood, was nowhere to be found.

Frustrated, Alessia hurried out of her room and shouted down into the living room. 'Connie, what happened to the note on my nightstand? The one that had blood on it?'

'Oh, that dirty piece of paper?' Connie looked up. 'I tossed it while cleaning today. It was too filthy.'

'You threw it away?' Alessia stood frozen in disbelief.

'Yeah. Um, I'm sorry.' Connie's face filled with remorse. 'Did I do something wrong?'

Alessia stared at her.

Without another word, she returned to her room and came out five minutes later.

She was almost at the front door when Connie called out, 'Alessia, Where are you going?'

'Whispering Pines Estates.' Alessia couldn't recall the phone number written on it, but at least she remembered the address.

Connie watched the door close, surprise flickering across her eyes.

***

Two months later, Alessia was back at St Catherine's.

The hospital was renowned for its luxurious amenities and state-of-the-art medical facilities.

But for her, it was a place of lost hopes and unanswered questions.

As she lay on the sterile blue surgical bedsheet, her emotions were a tangled mess.

Her once-bright eyes were now hollow and despairing.

After weeks of searching, she still couldn't find the mysterious man who had fathered her babies.

She had gone to the Whispering Pines Estates in the suburbs, but the gated community spanned over 10,000 acres of land and had six different gates, each one covered by CCTV cameras and manned by eagle-eyed security guards.

They threatened to call the cops after Alessia showed up for the tenth time without an appointment.

She couldn't produce the name of the resident she wanted to visit, nor give his exact address.

There was no way she could have staked out the place and waited for the man to show; she had no idea what he looked like.

And her sister had thrown away the only means of contact she had with him.

Alessia sighed heavily.

'No worries, luv, it's gonna be quick and painless. It'll just take a few minutes,' the nurse said, a hint of kindness in her eyes as she prepared for the procedure.

Taking a deep breath, Alessia hesitated as she stared at the ultrasound report clutched in her hand.

These two embryos inside her were her flesh and blood.

The kindly gynaecologist, Dr Grant, warned her that once she went through with this, her chances of having twins in the future would be slim to none.

Not to mention, as with any surgical procedure, there were risks involved, such as infection, bleeding, damage to the uterus or cervix, and anaesthesia-related complications.

Dr Grant also said that the emotional response to an abortion could vary from person to person.

Some women might experience a range of emotions, including sadness, guilt, relief, or a mix of conflicting feelings.

Alessia had no idea how she was going to feel after this procedure.

But then, she had no idea how she was feeling right now, either.

One moment, she was feeling relieved that she would be soon rid of a heavy burden-she was still in college and couldn't afford to take time out for pregnancy, not to mention childcare duties.

But the next, she looked at the ultrasound scan and couldn't tear her eyes away from the two blueberry-sized blobs-they were her babies.

She would be taking away two lives; it sounded like such a cruel thing to do.

But if she went through with the pregnancy, was she ready for the overwhelming responsibility?

The nurse seemed to sense her hesitation. 'You know, sweetheart, keeping these twins can be a beautiful thing. You should speak up if you are having second thoughts. I know it's a tough decision. You'll have to think about it carefully. By the way, just so you know, once they're gone, they become medical waste.'

'Waste?' Alessia whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

The word conjured up images of used needles, old syringes, and blood-stained dressings, tossed into bins and taken away to be incinerated.

Would her babies be among the pile of.waste?

In that moment, she knew she couldn't go through with it.

Alessia jumped up from the bed. 'No, I can't do it. I'll keep them. They are my babies.'

The nurse smiled warmly, nodding approvingly. 'That's the spirit, dear. You can do it, and you'll do just fine.'

Leaving the abortion ward, Alessia was at a loss for what to do next.

As she stepped out, she heard a commotion ahead.

Several men in black were hurrying along with a nurse pushing a wheelchair.

Alessia moved aside to make way.

In front of her, a little boy stumbled and fell, then started wailing at the top of his lungs.

'Go help him up,' a man's deep voice commanded.

'But sir, we need to get you into surgery ASAP,' one of the men in black said.

'Just do it.'

The black-clad men parted, revealing the occupant of the wheelchair.