Shattered Vows

Isabella

I woke up slowly, like my body was being pulled back into a world it didn't want to return to.

Everything was too bright.

White ceiling. White walls. Sterile air that felt cold in my lungs. For a few seconds I just stared upward, disoriented, my mind refusing to catch up with my body.

Then it hit me.

Pain.

Not sharp anymore—but lingering, deep, like something inside me had been violently disturbed and was still trying to recover.

My hand moved instinctively to my stomach.

Bandages.

An IV in my arm.

A monitor beeping beside me.

My breath hitched.

"No..." I whispered.

I pushed myself up too fast and immediately regretted it—the room tilted violently, forcing me to grip the edge of the bed.

"Hello?" My voice cracked. "Is anyone there?"

The door opened instantly.

A nurse stepped in first, calm but alert. Behind her, two men stood in the hallway.

Not doctors.

Not patients.

Security.

My stomach tightened.

"You're awake," the nurse said gently.

I didn't respond.

My eyes stayed on the hallway.

"Where am I?" I asked.

A pause.

Careful.

"You're in a private medical facility," she said finally. "You were brought in after a severe abdominal episode and collapse."

My chest tightened.

"What kind of episode?" I asked quickly.

The nurse hesitated before answering. "You were in significant pain, vomiting, dizziness, and near-fainting. Your vitals were unstable when you arrived."

My breathing started to speed up.

"Tests were done," she continued, softer now. "Bloodwork, imaging, and a full exam."

I swallowed hard. "And?"

Another pause.

This one heavier.

"You're not critically ill," she said. "But your body has been under extreme stress. Dehydration. Physical exhaustion. And... hormonal irregularities."

My stomach dropped.

"Hormonal...?" I repeated.

She nodded slightly. "We ran a pregnancy test as part of protocol."

The silence that followed felt like it swallowed the room whole.

I froze.

"No," I said immediately. "No, that's not—"

"It came back positive," she said quietly.

My world tilted.

For a second I couldn't breathe.

That word didn't feel real.

Positive.

"No," I whispered again, shaking my head harder now. "No, that's not possible. It can't be."