The city seemed colder that morning. The sky was dark, and a light drizzle showered everything outside. Nadia sat on the bed, holding tightly the same letter she had promised herself she would never touch.
Inside was Dexter's offer, a check big enough to relieve her worries and pay for the treatment she promised herself she would never get.
For days, she tried not to think about it. She looked for jobs, even called old friends, and begged for help. But the world had already stopped caring about her. Her good name, which was so perfect before now ruined by mean rumors and gossip. Employers didn't want to hire her. Landlords didn't want renters who might cause problems.
And now, her body was also letting her down. She felt sick all the time, dizzy and so tired she could barely get through the day. The doctor had warned her that she needed enough rest, good food, and peace. But how could she have any of these things?.
That could be why she finally decided to give up.
She dressed simply in jeans and an old sweater, tying her hair in a loose braid. She didn't show any emotions.
Before leaving, she stopped at the kitchen counter. Her phone buzzed once with a message from someone she didn't know. She didn't open it. Instead, she put the check in her purse and went out into the gray afternoon.
The wind felt cold on her skin. It smelled like rain and car fumes as she walked to the corner to get a taxi.
When she finally got one, she hesitated for a moment, looking at her reflection in the car window. Then she quietly said the address of the clinic and got inside the vehicle.
Raindrops raced each other down the glass as she watched people rushing by their day with umbrellas, their faces hidden, living their lives in the moment.
Her hand rested on her stomach. Under her palm, she felt life, far away, weak, but real.
Her guard dropped.
She told herself it was the right thing to do. Bringing a child into this world, her world, would only cause pain. No father, no safety, no future.
But another voice in her head asked her: What if it's not supposed to be easy? What if this is the one thing that could save you?
She closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the thought.
The driver looked at her in the rearview mirror and asked. "Are you okay, miss?"
Nadia nodded slightly. "Just tired."
He didn't say anything else. The radio played a melancholy song in the background, she almost laughed at how fitting it was.
When the car halted at a stoplight, she glanced around and noticed a wedding dress store across the road. Shiny white dresses sparkled in the window, reflecting the dim light. She had flashbacks of her own wedding day, standing under the arch, her heart filled with love and unfiltered joy.
Then she remembered what happened next, Dexter's voice, the other woman by his side, the laughter that spread across the hall as her life suddenly fell apart.
She felt disgusted. She looked away from the window.
"The light is green," the driver said gently.
"Yes," she murmured. "Let's go."
They were getting close to the bridge when it started raining heavily again , even harder now, hitting the roof of the taxi loudly. The windshield wipers moved quicker, but it was still hard to see.
The driver slowed down. "These roads flood quickly. It might take a little longer."
"That's okay," Nadia replied. She wasn't in a rush.
She reached into her bag and took out the check again. The ink was starting to fade at the edges where her fingers had touched it. It was a strange thing , a symbol of both betrayal and heartbreak.
She shortly wondered if Dexter would even care if she died.
Probably not.
Maybe he'd feel relieved, knowing the problem had taken care of itself. Maybe he'd even celebrate it.
Her vision became blurry again, but this time it wasn't from the rain.
She put her hand on her stomach and whispered, "I'm sorry."
The driver turned the corner, and everything happened in an instance.
A truck came from the opposite direction, sliding on the wet road. Its headlights flashed, extremely bright.
"Hang on!" the driver yelled, turning the steering wheel sharply.
Nadia screamed, grabbing her stomach without thinking. the sound of metal breaking, glass shattering , and then nothing at all.
Just quiet.
When she woke up, the world seemed strange and far away. The rain had stopped. The city sounds were gone. She felt light, cold, and extremely tired.
A soft, steady beeping sound echoed somewhere close by.
She tried to talk but her voice was barely audible. "Where…?"
No response. Just a bright white light above her, and a dull pain spreading through her body.
Her thoughts were broken, coming and going like waves. She instantly remembered the truck, the crash, the scream , and then darkness covering everything completely.
Her hand moved slightly toward her stomach. She couldn't feel anything.
"Please," she whispered. "Please…"
The light grew dimmer.
And for a long, never-ending moment, she thought she heard a heartbeat , not her own, but smaller, softer. a sound disappearing into silence.
Then she gave up.
By morning, the accident scene had been cleaned up.
The reports said the crash had been immediate , one death, the woman in the backseat.
The driver survived but had injuries. Police found a bloody check in the wreckage and a small purse with an old wedding picture.
The name on the ID: Nadia Medina.
The news traveled fast. By the afternoon, people said her name like something sad that was already being forgotten.
Dexter found out that evening.
He looked at the message on his phone for a while, found it hard to grasp. Then poured himself a drink. The yellow brown liquid shook a little as he picked it up.
"For things ending," he said quietly, his voice without feeling.
But the words did not make him feel better.
Nothing did.
Rain poured again that night. The city kept going, not caring. Somewhere past the streets and sounds, a life had stopped, or maybe, had just become something different.
And the world would not get away from her so simply.