Chapter 32

Olivia

A week passed since the events at the picnic, followed by the mall trip with Nathan and our fateful night spent with each other.

The feeling of Nathan’s warm arms around me still haunted me and filled me with mixed feelings of confusion and longing, but I had to push those thoughts aside because today was an important day.

I had my first pregnancy checkup, and it was crucial that everything went smoothly.

I got up early in the morning, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. Nathan, oblivious to the fact that I had an appointment that day, was still sleeping peacefully in his room when I quietly made my way down the hall.

I chose not to tell him about the checkup. After all, we were just friends, and this baby wasn't his. There was no reason for him to accompany me to the hospital, and he was always so busy with his Alpha duties that I didn’t think he’d be too interested in going anyway.

It was just the first checkup, after all. Nothing too exciting would be going on.

I slipped out of the house quietly, not wanting to disturb Nathan's rest. The streets were quiet, still cloaked in the early morning mist that made its way off of the ocean. I climbed into my car, which had had its punctured tire replaced after the incident at the wedding, and put it in drive.

As I drove toward the hospital, I couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness in me. Pregnancy was supposed to be a joyous time, but here I was, navigating it alone.

I wished that my ex would just step up to the plate and act like a father, even if we weren’t together anymore, but I knew that there was no use in trying to contact him at this point. He had already made his intentions clear when he kicked me out and left me high and dry.

When I arrived at the hospital, I made my way to the OBGYN office.

Anticipation bubbled up inside of me as I stood in line for the receptionist, but I couldn’t help but notice the glances coming from other patients when I walked in.

Their eyes bore holes into my skull, and those holes were then filled with judgment and whispers that seemed to echo in my ears. They were talking about me.

“Look!” I heard one patient whisper to another, as though I wasn’t standing right there. “It’s the so-called ‘Luna’. The one who stole Nathan away from Layla.”

The other patient scoffed. “Looks like she came alone,” she replied. “I guess that little relationship didn’t work out.”

“Maybe it’s not even his baby,” another patient whispered. “It was all so sudden, you know. And she’s been gone for a decade… The daughter of a traitor. Tsk. She’s probably just using the pregnancy to keep him locked down.”

I felt so uncomfortable and self-conscious. Part of me wished that I could just tell them off, defend myself against their assumptions.

But I remained silent, swallowing the urge to tell them all off. Their assumptions were somewhat correct, after all. The baby in my belly was not Nathan’s baby, and our relationship was entirely fake.

Finally, it was my turn. I approached the receptionist, hoping for a little kindness from her at least.

"Good morning," I said, forcing a smile. "I have an appointment. My name is Olivia—"

“I know who you are.”

The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with an air of impatience, looked up from her computer screen with a dirty look on her face. I instantly felt myself shrink beneath her gaze.

"I need your health insurance card," she growled, holding out her hand expectantly.

“O-Of course.” Ignoring the snickers from the other women around me, I rummaged through my purse, desperately searching for my health insurance card.

My heart sank. Panic began to settle in as I realized I must have left it at home.

"I... I'm so sorry. I think I forgot my health insurance card. But I really need to be seen by the doctor today," I stammered, my voice wavering.

The receptionist's eyes narrowed, her tone curt. "You should have come prepared,” she snarled annoyedly. “We can't proceed without proper documentation. Come back another day with your card."

My voice trembled as I pleaded, "Please, I... I can bring you photocopies later. It's just that... this appointment is really important. I can't wait any longer."

The receptionist stared angrily at me for several long moments. I held my ground, although that ground was shaky, and I swallowed. “Please,” I whispered.

All around me, I could feel the eyes of the other patients in the waiting room staring at the back of my head. I felt so small… Suddenly, I wished that I had brought Nathan with me after all. Maybe people would take me seriously and treat me with kindness if their Alpha was around.

Finally, the receptionist let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine,” she glowered. “Sit down and wait for the nurse. But remember, you must bring photocopies before your next appointment."

Feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment, I thanked the receptionist, then turned around and searched for an available chair.

My eyes were met with disapproving glances from the other patients as I walked over to the waiting area, and I could almost hear their whispers growing louder.

In my desperation, I approached an empty seat beside a woman who was casually reading a magazine. She looked relatively unperturbed by my presence, which gave me hope for a little reprieve from the judgmental gazes of the others.

"Excuse me," I asked as I pointed at the chair next to her, my voice filled with hope. “Can I sit here, please?”

But the woman swiftly placed her purse on the seat, a cold stare flickering up at me only briefly before she looked back down at her magazine, licker her thumb, and turned the page with a flick of her wrist.

"Sorry. It's taken."

I recoiled, my cheeks burning with humiliation. I looked around, realizing there were no other seats available. I felt like an oddity on display.

With no other choice, I retreated to a rickety chair in the corner. It creaked under my weight, mirroring the anxiety building within me. A woman a few seats down covered her smirk with her hand.

I must have sat there for nearly an hour.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly as I sat there, waiting for the nurse to come.

My eyelids felt heavy with exhaustion. The room buzzed with hushed conversations, laughter, and the rustling of magazines, and all I could do was sit and feel my hope diminish as patient after patient was seen by the doctor, and I was just left to rot there in the corner.

The minutes turned into an eternity, and I wondered if I might even fall asleep right there.

Just as I was on the verge of drifting into a light slumber, a voice jolted me back to reality. "Olivia!" it called. It was sharp and unfriendly, and all too familiar.

Startled, I sprang up from my seat, searching for the source of the voice.

It was Angela, the same nasty popular girl from the picnic. The memory of her sneering at me and capturing my wardrobe malfunction on her phone flooded back.

I honestly considered leaving right then and there to avoid any further humiliation, but Angela called my name again, her eyes narrowed with disdain. There was no escaping this encounter.

With everyone's attention now fixed on me once again, I hung my head a bit and made my way toward Angela.

The room seemed to close in around me as I approached her, suffocating me. As I reached her, she gave me a glare that could cut through steel. I forced a weak smile, determined not to let her see how much she affected me.

"Hi, Angela. I didn't expect to see you here," I said, my voice trembling slightly. I hoped she couldn’t tell.

Angela's thin lips curled upward into a wry little smirk. "Well… Surprise, surprise. Looks like we'll be spending some quality time together,” she hissed, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized me from head to toe. “Follow me, Luna."

I felt my heart start to pound, but there was no turning back now.

Reluctantly, I trailed behind Angela, feeling as though my stomach would drop at any moment and send me crashing through the earth.