Beneath the scars

Asia’s pov The first thing I felt was pain One second, I was walking home from the pharmacy with a small paper bag in my hand, thinking about whether I should call my grandmother when I got home. The next, something slammed into my back so hard that my entire body lurched forward. The paper bag slipped from my fingers before my brain could even process what had happened as Medicine bottles rolled across the wet pavement, disappearing into puddles as rain continued pouring from the dark sky above. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I stood there frozen, my mouth opening and closing soundlessly. The pain spread through my body so quickly that it felt unreal. My knees gave out beneath me, and I hit the ground hard. Everything around me became distant, muffled, as though I had suddenly been dropped underwater. My hand moved instinctively toward my back. The second my fingers touched the wet fabric of my coat, I knew something was terribly wrong. When I pulled my hand away, it was covered in blood. A lot of blood. I stared at it in disbelief. My mind refused to catch up with reality. There was no way this was happening. Not to me. Not today. Not when I had spent the entire morning arguing with myself over baby names and wondering whether my child would inherit my eyes or Kelvin's. The baby. The thought crashed into me so hard that every other fear disappeared.My hands immediately flew to my stomach. A trembling breath escaped my lips as panic took over. I wasn't thinking about the blood anymore. I wasn't thinking about the fact that someone had just shot me. All I could think about was the tiny life growing inside me. The tiny heartbeat I had fallen in love with before I had even heard it properly. "Please," I whispered, pressing both palms protectively against my stomach. "Please be okay." My voice broke halfway through the sentence. Tears filled my eyes before I even realized I was crying. Rain soaked through my clothes and plastered my hair against my face, but I barely felt it. The fear was too overwhelming. I couldn't lose my baby. I wouldn't survive it. The thought alone was enough to make my chest ache. Then I heard footsteps. The kind of footsteps that didn't belong to someone rushing to help.Every nerve in my body tightened. I lifted my head. The movement sent a wave of pain crashing through me, but I forced myself to look. At the end of the alley stood a figure dressed in dark clothing. The distance and rain made it impossible to make out any features. They were simply watching me,a chill ran through me that had nothing to do with the weather. "You..." I managed weakly. "Who are you?" The figure didn't answer. For several seconds, neither of us moved. Then I heard it. A familiar laugh. My entire body went rigid.I knew that laugh or at least I thought I did. Something about it tugged at a memory buried deep inside my mind. A memory I couldn't quite reach. My heart began pounding harder as I desperately tried to place it. The figure took a step backward as Lightning flashed overhead. For the briefest second, white light illuminated the alley but not enough. I still couldn't see the face.Then they just turned and disappeared as though shooting me and leaving me to die was the most ordinary thing in the world. A cry escaped my throat. I tried to push myself up from the pavement, but the second I moved, pain exploded through my body. My arms gave out immediately, and I collapsed again. The impact knocked the little air I had left from my lungs. Everything hurt. And somehow, despite all of that, my mind still drifted toward the same person it always did. My husband,kelvin fletcher. The man who should have been with me right now. A bitter laugh almost escaped me. Honestly, I should have expected it. Thirty minutes earlier, I had stood near the staircase of our house holding my purse while Kelvin adjusted his watch. Looking back now, the entire conversation felt ridiculous. "Can't you take me yourself?" I had asked. I wasn't asking for anything unreasonable. At least I didn't think I was. I was pregnant. The doctor had already told me to avoid unnecessary stress. I simply wanted my husband to drive me to the pharmacy and back. Twenty minutes. That was all. Kelvin barely looked up. "I already told you. Jane's flight landed earlier than expected." Jane was his best friend from his university days but I never thought their bond would be a problem until we got married. At this point, I was beginning to suspect that if Jane asked Kelvin to personally fly her plane, he would start researching aviation schools. A small smile almost touched my lips at the thought before reality reminded me that none of it was actually funny. Because this had been my life for three years. Three years of watching my husband prioritize another woman without ever realizing how much it hurt. "It's just the pharmacy," I had said quietly. He finally looked at me then.His gaze dropped directly to my stomach. "You can ask the driver or go alone…your choice.” Before I could say another word, he had already grabbed his keys from the table. "I might be back late." He added. "Okay," I had replied. What else was I supposed to say? Please choose me? Please act like I'm your wife? Please remember I'm carrying your child? I was too tired for another argument so I let him leave. Like I always did. A sharp pain dragged me back to the present. I gasped just as more blood continued spreading beneath me.The numbness was getting worse now. I reached shakily into my pocket and pulled out my phone. The device slipped from my grasp almost immediately and landed in a puddle nearby. Perfect. Apparently getting shot wasn't enough. My phone had decided to die with me. I thought about calling Kelvin but then I stopped myself. What was the point? He was probably with Jane. Maybe listening to one of her stories and smiling at something she said. A painful ache settled in my chest. Even now, I still wanted him.That was probably the saddest part.The fact that after everything, some foolish part of me still wanted my husband to choose me. Just once. I pressed a trembling hand against my stomach. "You have to stay with me," I whispered. The words came out broken. "You have to." As tears slid down my face.My vision darkened around the edges.Then suddenly, a door burst open nearby. "Oh my God!"The pharmacist yelled but His voice sounded distant as he rushed