Chapter 988
Lianne’s POV:
The instant Tracy told me she was bleeding, my heart sank.
My hand went straight for my phone, ready to call Jeremy, but Tracy caught my wrist before I could unlock the screen. Her voice was frantic. “No! Lianne, don’t call Jeremy!”
“Tracy!” I stared at her in disbelief. “You’re bleeding. How can we possibly keep this from him?”
She bit down on her lip, tears gathering in her eyes. “He’ll panic the second he finds out. And you know how protective he’s been lately. If he learns something is wrong, he’ll probably refuse to let me leave the house ever again.”
There was no point arguing while she was in this state. I swallowed my frustration, slipped an arm around her, and focused on getting her away from the crowd.
As we made our way through the people, I kept shooting hostile looks at those still staring and whispering. Every part of me wanted to confront them, but Tracy’s condition mattered more than their judgment.
I helped her toward the nearest restroom. She moved slowly, one hand pressed against her abdomen, her complexion frighteningly pale.
My thoughts were racing between fear and anger. Who cared about spending days trapped at home when a baby’s life might be at risk? Yet Tracy still seemed determined to believe everything would turn out fine simply because she wasn’t experiencing intense pain.
“Tell me honestly, is the bleeding really that minor? Does anything hurt?” I asked anxiously.
She gave a weak shake of her head. “No… There’s no pain. It just feels heavy.”
Before I could question her further, my phone began ringing. It was Ethan.
I answered, and his familiar voice came through. “How’s the shopping? Don’t wear yourself out. Come home soon.”
I forced myself to sound normal. “Everything’s fine. We’re almost finished. We’ll be back shortly.”
Tracy had told me to keep her condition to myself, so I tried to maintain my composure, but the next moment, her frightened voice came from inside the stall. “Lianne… there’s so much blood.”
My fingers began shaking so badly that the phone nearly slipped from my grasp. Whatever promise I’d made to keep quiet disappeared instantly. “Ethan, tell Jeremy to go to the hospital immediately! Something is wrong with Tracy!”
Silence followed on his end for a beat. When he spoke again, all traces of his earlier calm had vanished. “Which hospital? I’ll get him there now.”
“Helix Advanced Hospital. Please hurry!”
As soon as the call ended, I shoved open the stall door. Tracy sat inside, her face drained of color while tears streamed freely down her cheeks. She looked up at me, trembling from head to toe. “Lianne… am I going to lose my baby? I’m scared…”
The woman who had stubbornly refused to tell Jeremy only minutes earlier was now completely shattered.
I crouched beside her and wrapped both hands around her cold fingers, forcing myself to remain composed. “No. Don’t think like that. Bleeding doesn’t automatically mean the worst has happened. We’re going to the hospital now, and the doctors will take care of you and the baby. Just trust them, okay?”
She nodded through her sobs.
I helped her to her feet, straightened her clothes, and hurried her out of the restroom.
At the hospital, the medical staff took Tracy straight into the emergency room. I was left alone in the corridor, my hands slick with nervous sweat.
Not long afterward, Ethan appeared with Jeremy. Jeremy came rushing through the hallway in a state of panic. His fingers closed around my arm. “Where’s Tracy? What happened to her?”