1 HAZEL

Hazel's POV

Hazel stood over the counter, talking to a nurse at the reception. She had sneaked out of the mansion, without Damon knowing. She arrived at Valora General Hospital a few hours ago, feeling dizzy, exhausted, and unwell. The fact that she felt ill again, merely three weeks after her previous ailment, left her questioning the competence of the doctor who had treated her during her last illness.

"Ma'am, kindly fill out the form," she said, nodding towards the A4 paper laid out on the counter. It was essential to have all the necessary information on hand in case of any emergency.

Hazel took her time and filled it appropriately, handing it over to her, "Here," she said feigning a smile

"Thanks. Please take a seat over there and wait for the doctor to call your name," the nurse said, indicating the chairs in the waiting area.

Hazel moved sluggishly to the waiting room, her legs feeling as heavy as a mountain, her face a stark contrast to her fair complexion but swollen due to frequent napping.

She sat down, patiently waiting for her turn to see the doctor, glancing around, her gaze fell upon a toddler who was engrossed in dribbling a small ball on the floor. Her interest was piqued, and a gentle smile graced her lips as she watched the child's focused play.

After a few minutes, the ball unexpectedly rolled over to where she was sitting, prompting the little one to wobble over to retrieve it. With a kind gesture, she bent down, picked up the ball, and handed it back to him. Her fingers lightly ruffled the child's hair, eliciting a joyful chuckle as he scampered away to continue his play.

"Ms. Hazel Norman," the doctor called.

Immediately, she let out a sigh of relief and made her way to Dr. Ray's office, Damon's personal doctor.

"Good afternoon, Doc. Ray," she greeted wearily

"Good to see you again, Hazel," he replied, smiling reassuringly

Without delay, she proceeded with what brought her to the hospital. "Doc," Hazel began, her voice tinged with concern and a hint of frustration. "I'm not sure what's wrong with me again. A few weeks back, I underwent treatment for an illness, but now I'm feeling unwell once more. I can't seem to shake this discomfort and fatigue, and it's been troubling me," she said, her gaze fixated on Doctor Ray hoping for a reply.

Doctor Ray nodded empathetically at Hazel and responded, "I understand you, Hazel. Let's run a few tests to get to the bottom of what's troubling you. Sometimes, certain illnesses can be quite persistent, and we must ensure your well-being," his voice calm and professional.

"Thank you," Hazel replied calmly.

"Wait in the laboratory room," he instructed.

He joined me after a few minutes, fully attired in medical scrubs, donning protective gloves and comfortable Crocs on his feet. He explained the procedures carefully and sealed it with a reassuring smile.

The test took about forty minutes. Forty minutes of figuring out if she was about to die or not.

Sitting patiently in Dr. Ray's office, waiting for him, he walked in smiling from ear to ear.

"Congratulations, Ms. Hazel Norman, you're six weeks pregnant," he cheered, handing the test result over to her.

She hastily opened the result to see for herself. Six weeks pregnant? How? How possible was it? She critically asked herself but there was no response. Maybe the birth control dose she missed for two days caused it. What would she do? Her heart began thumping in her chest and her legs felt sweaty as she imagined what Damon would do to her if he ever learned the situation.

Damon Miller, a leader of a mafia group, was her boyfriend for three years and those three years were the ugliest, saddest, and worst years of her life. He belittled her, tortured her, and treated her like she was a nobody, saying he had picked her from the gutters and because of it, he'd do with her what pleases him.

After Hazel's parents' died in a ghastly accident, Hazel resulted in roaming around the streets trying to find a place to lay her head. Every woman she met had one or two excuses they gave which made her turn to men but they did like they always do; make advances at her.

She continued roaming the streets until one day she saw Damon at the entrance of a huge supermarket, rushing to enter. Her presence and striking beauty caught his attention and he turned back to talk to her. Hazel told him everything about her and fortunately for her, he pitied her and took her in but little did she know that she was going to be stuck with him for a while and that Damon is not who he said he was.

The situation did justice to Hazel's face, she just couldn't hide it. She was the type of person that whatever emotion she felt never ceased to appear on her face.

Dr. Ray understood her body language, thus his curiosity displayed on his face as well.

"Dr. Ray, I'm sorry to ask but are you sure about this?" Hazel asked, fighting back the tears welling up in her eyes

He looked at Hazel, eyeball to eyeball and responded calmly, "Yes, I am. They're as authentic as a handwritten letter from the heart,"

Hazel sighed heavily. Her world had begun crashing upon her. What would be her fate when Damon finds out about her pregnancy? He had already sung it like a choir to her that he would never let her birth his children.

"Are you okay?" Dr. Ray asked, watching Hazel closely.

She nodded vigorously, acknowledging that she's fine even though she wasn't, while grappling with the stubborn zipper on her clutch bag. After a brief struggle, she managed to unfasten it and placed the test result inside. With a swift zip, the bag was secured, and she quickly adjusted herself, preparing to leave.

"Yes, I am. You don't have to worry," Hazel replied, her response quick as she rose to her feet. She had to leave before Damon returned home ahead of her.

She arrived at the mansion, and as she opened the giant doors at the entrance to enter the master living room, she was met by an angry Damon.

"Where are you coming from?!" He sneered

Just as Hazel was about to reply, a thunderous slap resounded across her cheek. The force of the slap sent her falling immediately, and she hit her head on one of the doors. Before anyone knew what was happening, she passed out.