Free Web NovelChapter 77: Chapter 77 No One Cares
Jade’s POV
I wake up slowly, like my body is being pulled out of something thick and dark. My head throbs before my eyes even open, a dull ache pounding behind my temples like a warning.
I groan softly.
The sound feels foreign. Weak.
When I open my eyes, the ceiling above me spins, white lights stretching and warping until my stomach lurches.
“....ahrhhg” I whisper hoarsely, squeezing my eyes shut again. “Where am I?.”
The air smells sharp. Too clean. It burns my nose in a way that immediately puts me on edge.
There’s a sound steady, rhythmic. A soft beeping somewhere near my head.
I open my eyes again, slower this time.
White walls.
White sheets.
Metal railings on the bed.
My breath catches sharply.
“No,” I murmur. “No, no....”
I turn my head and see it.
A clear tube taped to my arm. Fluid dripping steadily into my vein. A hospital wristband snug around my wrist, my name printed in black.
Hospital.
My chest tightens.
“What the hell...?” My voice comes out barely louder than a breath.
I stare at the ceiling, my thoughts scrambling, disoriented. “How did I get here?”
The answer doesn’t come right away.
Then memory seeps back in, slow and unwanted.
The dining hall.
The quiet tension hanging in the air like smoke.
Linda already moving toward the car, her hand on the door handle like she’d never even considered another option.
Ryder hesitating.
Ronan glancing between us.
Renzo not saying anything at all.
That familiar, sinking feeling settling into my chest.
I’m the afterthought again.
I remember standing there, feeling unbearably tired, not physically, but in a way that reached into my bones.
“I’ll walk,” I’d said calmly.
No one argued.
No one stopped me.
I swallow now, my throat burning. freēwēbnovel.com
“I didn’t want to say anything,” I whisper to the empty room. “I just... didn’t want to.”
I remember walking.
The sun too bright, beating down on my skin. My legs feeling heavy, each step harder than the last.
“I’m fine,” I’d muttered out loud, mostly to convince myself.
I remember stopping. Just for a second.
The ground tilting.
My vision blurring.
And then....
Nothing.
The memory cuts off so abruptly it makes my chest tighten.
I shift slightly in the bed, trying to push myself upright.
Instant regret.
“Oh....” I hiss as nausea rolls violently through me. “Okay. That’s... not good.”
I grip the edge of the mattress and force myself to breathe.
“I’m fine,” I mutter stubbornly. “I just need to sit up.”
I try again.
The room tilts like it’s laughing at me.
“Shit,” I whisper, swallowing hard.
The door opens.
I don’t need to look.
I feel them.
Footsteps. Familiar weight. The air changing.
“Jade.”
Ronan’s voice.
I turn my head just as Ryder and Renzo step in behind him.
They freeze when they see me sitting up.
Ryder swears under his breath. “No, no, don’t do that.”
Renzo’s already moving. “Jade, lay back down. Please.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically as Renzo reaches me, his hand pressing gently but firmly against my shoulder.
“Please,” Ronan adds quietly. “Just... don’t move.”
Their voices overlap, anxious, too close.
Renzo adjusts my pillow, careful, like I’m made of glass.
“Hey,” I protest weakly. “I said I’m fine.”
Ryder’s eyes flick to the IV. “Did it hurt when you moved?”
“No,” I say, frowning. “I just felt dizzy.”
“Then don’t sit up,” Renzo says quickly. “Just stay still, okay?”
I look between them, irritation creeping in beneath the confusion. “Why are you all acting like I’m about to fall apart?”
No one answers.
They exchange a look.
That’s when unease settles into my stomach.
“What?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”
Renzo swallows hard. I see his throat bob.
“Jade,” he says carefully, “the doctor ran some tests.”
“Okay,” I reply slowly. “And?”
Ronan shifts, rubbing his hands together. Ryder looks away. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
My heart drops.
“Why are you all avoiding looking at me?” I demand. “Just say it.”
Renzo takes a breath, like it costs him something.
“You’re pregnant.”
The word doesn’t make sense.
It hangs in the air, heavy and wrong.
“What?” I say.
No one laughs.
No one corrects him.
“I....” I blink rapidly. “That’s not funny.”
Renzo shakes his head. “We wouldn’t joke about that.”
Pregnant.
The word echoes in my skull, foreign and unreal.
“I don’t...” My voice trails off. “I don’t understand.”
Ryder speaks softly, like he’s afraid to break me. “Neither did we. At first.”
I stare at them.
My mind goes blank.
“Pregnant,” I repeat quietly.
Nothing happens.
No rush of emotion.
No clarity.
Just shock.
Silence stretches uncomfortably.
I look at their faces, the tension, the awkwardness, the way none of them seem to know where to stand or what to say.
“Oh,” I murmur.
The room suddenly feels too small.
“So...” I swallow. “I guess you guys regret ever having sex with me, cause I’m obviously not the woman you want bearing your pups.”
Ryder stiffens immediately. “What? No, that’s not...”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt quickly, turning my face away. “You don’t have to pretend.”
Renzo frowns. “Jade....”
“I get it,” I say quietly. “This wasn’t planned. It’s inconvenient.”
“That’s not how we...”
The door opens before Renzo can finish.
“Good,” the doctor says as he steps in. “You’re awake.”
He smiles politely and checks my chart. “How are we feeling?”
“Fine,” I reply flatly.
He nods, unfazed. “You collapsed from exhaustion and stress. Early pregnancy can put a significant strain on the body, especially under emotional distress.”
Ryder asks tightly, “She’s okay though?”
“Yes,” the doctor says firmly. “But she needs rest. Reduced stress. Regular antenatal check ups. Proper nutrition.”
He glances at them. “Her mates should attend the appointments with her.”
I say nothing.
“Your first antenatal program is scheduled for next week,” he continues. “We’ll prepare your discharge papers shortly.”
“Thank you,” Ronan says quietly.
When the doctor leaves, the silence returns.
Renzo clears his throat. “Are you... okay?”
“I said I’m fine,” I reply.
The ride home is unbearable.
“So,” Ryder tries gently, “do you feel sick?”
“No.”
“Dizzy?”
“No.”
“Do you want anything when we get back?”
“No.”
The mansion comes into view, and my chest tightens.
Decorations are the first thing I notice.
Balloons. Flowers. Banners.
My stomach twists.
“What is all this?” I ask quietly.
Renzo hesitates. “The doctor called father to tell him the news, he probaby quickly prepared this to welcome you”
The car stops.
Alpha Ashford steps out, smiling broadly. “Jade! Congratulations.”
I barely hear him.
Linda approaches next, holding wrapped gifts. “I’m so happy for you,” she says sweetly.
Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
I look around at the celebration.
Then I remember the stable.
My mother’s body.
The fire.
The silence.
The irony hits me so hard my breath stutters.
Surrounded by celebration, I still feel so alone.
No one notices.
And no one actually cares.
