Episode 4

The day dawned gray. The cold wind beat against the windows, as if even the weather wanted to warn that something terrible was about to happen.

Alice woke up with a strange pain in her body. Her head throbbed, her stomach churned, and an uncomfortable twinge in her lower abdomen made her heart race.

She tried to get up slowly, holding her belly.

"Calm down, my love... mommy's okay..." she whispered, even without knowing if that was true.

She dragged herself to the bathroom, and when she looked at the toilet, she realized what she feared most: blood stains. A lot of blood.

Panic took over.

"No... no... please, no..." her voice trembled as her hands pressed against her belly. "Stay with me... please..."

Trembling, she picked up her cell phone. She called Henrique.

One, two, three calls... and nothing.

He didn't answer.

She tried again, and the call went straight to voicemail.

Desperate, she took a deep breath and called Julia, her childhood friend, the only person who had always been around, even when Alice withdrew from the world.

"Julia..." her voice was pure despair. "Help me... I'm bleeding... I'm in so much pain... I... I think I'm losing my baby..."

"Oh my God, Alice! Stay calm! I'm coming now! Don't move, okay? Stay lying down!" Julia replied, her voice already trembling, as she ran to get her car keys.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious hotel in the city center, Henrique woke up next to Bianca. The woman was lying on his chest, tracing imaginary circles with her fingers, smiling contentedly.

"I missed you so much..." she said, with that honeyed voice that he always found irresistible.

Henrique, blinded, believed it. He believed that it was love. That Bianca was there because she wanted him, not for his surname, not for his bank account, not for the status he could offer.

The cell phone vibrated on the nightstand.

He glanced at it, but ignored it.

"Aren't you going to answer?" Bianca asked, feigning disinterest.

"It's not important..." he replied, pulling her closer.

Alice's missed call faded from the screen, like another wasted opportunity... like another proof that he chose to be blind.

The sound of the ambulance siren cut through the silence of the city. Alice was pale, huddled on the stretcher, squeezing her abdomen with all the strength she had left.

"It's going to be okay, Alice. Stay with me, okay?" Julia said, holding her hand, trying to be strong, but with tears in her eyes.

Alice looked at the ceiling of the ambulance, and the images began to blur. The pain was so great that it seemed her body couldn't take it anymore.

And, deep down, she didn't know if it hurt more physically... or in her soul.

Because, above all, she was alone.

Completely alone.

Hours later, at the hospital, the silence in the room seemed to scream. The doctor came in with a look full of sadness.

"Alice..." she sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand. "I'm so sorry... you lost the baby."

The world stopped.

The sound disappeared.

The air ran out.

Everything became blurry, far away, distant. There was only emptiness... a black hole that sucked up everything she had left of strength.

Tears fell heavily, uncontrollably, without shame. Screams stuck in her throat, pain that didn't fit in her body.

"No... no..." she babbled, clutching the sheet. "It can't be... no... no..."

Julia hugged her tightly, trying to be the pillar she needed.

"I'm here, my friend... I'm here..." she whispered, crying along.

In the late afternoon, Henrique arrived home, adjusting his tie, as if nothing had happened. As he opened the door, he noticed the strange silence.

"Alice?" he called, looking around. "Alice, are you home?"

He went to the bedroom. Nothing. Bathroom. Empty.

He found it strange, picked up his cell phone and saw the missed calls. His heart beat faster, a strange discomfort arose, but he ignored it... until the doorbell rang.

When he opened it, he came face to face with Julia.

"Where's Alice?" he asked, harshly.

The slap came before the answer.

"You bastard!" Julia shouted, her eyes full of hatred. "She's in the hospital! Losing your child! While you..." she pointed her finger at his chest "...were rubbing yourself with that gold digger Bianca!"

Henrique went pale. The ground disappeared from under his feet.

"Wha... what?" he choked, unable to process.

"That's right, you heard me! You killed her, Henrique. Killed the dreams, killed the love, killed everything she still had for you. And you know what? I hope you suffer. Because you deserve it. And a lot."

Without waiting for an answer, Julia turned and left, leaving Henrique standing, motionless, staring at the emptiness, while her words echoed like daggers:

"You killed her, Henrique. Killed everything."

And, for the first time... he began to realize that maybe... maybe... he had gone too far.

Alice, alone in the hospital room, stared at the window. Outside, life went on... while inside her, everything had died.

Including any remaining hope.

And, deep down, she knew... that if she wanted to survive, she would need to start... with herself.

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