The Last Message- Part 7

“You were pregnant.” Maya stared at Daniel. For a few seconds, she couldn't understand the words. Then everything went quiet. “My… what?” Daniel's eyes filled with tears. “You were six weeks pregnant.” Maya stepped backward. “Why didn't you tell me?” “You were unconscious.” “And when I woke up?” Daniel looked away. “You lost the baby.” The room disappeared around her. Maya's knees weakened. Amara reached for her, but Maya pulled away. “No.” She looked at Daniel. “You knew?” “Yes.” “You knew I lost my baby?” Daniel nodded. “And you never told me?” “I tried.” “When?” “After you woke up.” “Then why don't I remember?” Daniel swallowed. “Because you didn't remember the accident.” Maya stared at him. “You're lying.” “I'm not.” “You said I was recovering.” “You were.” “You said I was confused because of the medication.” “I know.” “You let me think I was losing my mind.” Daniel's voice broke. “I was trying to protect you.” Maya laughed bitterly. “Again?” She wiped her tears. “You keep using that word like it excuses everything.” Daniel couldn't look at her. “I couldn't tell you that you had lost your baby while you were fighting to survive.” “You weren't protecting me.” Her voice cracked. “You were protecting yourself from watching me break.” Silence filled the room. Daniel finally nodded. “Yes.” That admission hurt more than any excuse could have. Maya sat down. She remembered the strange emptiness she'd felt after waking up. The unexplained sadness. The feeling that something was missing. She had spent months wondering why she couldn't remember parts of her life. Now she knew. There had been a life. A tiny heartbeat. A future she never got to meet. And everyone had decided she was better off not knowing. Her eyes filled with tears. “What was the baby's name?” Daniel looked at her. “We didn't know the gender.” He paused. “But I used to call them Hope.” Maya covered her face. For the first time since the accident, she allowed herself to grieve for something she hadn't even known she'd lost. Daniel sat beside her. He didn't touch her. He knew better. After a long silence, Maya whispered: “You should have told me.” “I know.” “You should have let me hate you.” “I know.” “You should have let me choose whether I wanted to stay.” Daniel nodded. “I know.” Maya looked at him. “That's the thing you never understood.” He waited. “Love isn't protecting someone from every painful truth.” She wiped her tears. “Sometimes love is trusting them enough to let them decide what they can survive.” Daniel looked down. “I was wrong.” “Yes.” For once, Maya didn't comfort him. She simply let the truth exist between them. Then her phone buzzed. Another message. She almost ignored it. But she opened it. Unknown Number: Now you know why Daniel left. A second message appeared. Unknown Number: But you still don't know why I wanted you to come back. Maya frowned. She looked at Daniel's brother. He looked confused. Amara's face had gone pale. Maya slowly turned toward her. “Who has been sending these messages?” Nobody answered. Then Amara whispered: “I know who.” Maya looked at her. “Who?” Amara stared at Daniel. “Your doctor.” Daniel's face changed. “What?” Amara shook her head. “He was there the night of the accident.” Maya's blood ran cold. “And he wasn't treating you.” She looked at Maya. "He was treating the baby.”

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