"You can do this." Gloria breathed heavily, as it felt like her entire body was being split apart.
She couldn't handle the pain she's feeling at the moment.
Her entire face was drenching in sweat. Irises deep red, with tears pouring from her eyes.
She made an attempt to close her legs, just to make the pain go away, but the nurse's words made her unable to do so.
"I can see the head now. Push harder. Your baby would be in your arms soon. You just have to endure more."
Gloria has managed to survive the humiliation, hardship, rejection, heartache and currently forcing herself to hold on to living with the thought of having a baby of her own.
The baby is the reason she coped with everything that happened.
She became the tool parents used to lecture their girls.
"Better focus on your studies or you will end up like her."
Gloria has heard this time without numbers and she's over the sadness it brought to her heart now.
Her admission letter did come out after her pregnancy and her parents came to find her. They are ready to take her in again, if she's willing to do an abortion, but she refused them flatly.
Maybe she would have agreed if they hadn't disown her that day and made her want to commit suicide after she woke up from her unconcious state, which Joel's response had thrown her in.
If not for the twins who took her in.
Not exactly took her in instantly, but after they realized she wanted to result in killing herself because she had nothing left to live for, they told her they could help, but not for free.
They told her having a baby isn't actually bad, as long as she has the means to take care of the baby.
Of course she had no means and that's where, 'not for free' they mentioned earlier comes in.
They told her they are not saints and would have advised her to get rid of the baby if everything hadn't escalated this much, but since she's disowned, she might as well live for her baby and make sure she brings him/her up well.
To make her baby fulfil all the dreams she must be thinking she has lost now.
Those excuses kept her alive, because she did take it as a reason to live and then they mentioned that since she's so good at hair making, pedicure and manicure, she might have to work with them as a team in a big salon they've opened but hasn't launched yet.
Apparently, that's why they came to learn and endured all insults.
They did have a goal after all.
They aren't planning to work there, but they want the knowledge of the business they were about to start and told her they would be happy to have her supervise, while working to support herself in the process.
Of course, they planned all that after they had made an attempt to beg her parents, but the two didn't yield.
They even threatened to curse them and apparently, it was believed by those that give a damn, that adults' curse does come to pass.
They actually give a damn, hence, they left and as if Gloria already knew they wouldn't yield, she didn't plan to try again and that's when her will of suicide strengthen, before they gave her hope.
And after she got admission letter from the first choice of university, which is practically her dream school, if her life didn't get almost screwed up, her parents came to propose the abortion, which she rejected flatly.
They couldn't cause a scene, because it's something that shouldn't be told out loud, so they just tried to put a beautiful hallucination of a bright future in her head.
They told her how she would have the world after getting her master degree and all the talks that would have gotten to her, if she hadn't known about the twin situation.
They had made her believe not being a university graduate isn't the end of the world.
They used themselves as examples and mentioned that the good works they might have now, required their bodies, since most of the employers just lust over them.
They couldn't use their body after all the education and cert they had. It was like their degree doesn't matter at all and it's very disheartening, so they decided to build a business for themselves and we'll, so far, their certificate isn't being used for now.
It isn't useless, but they had to thrash on their efforts to get Gloria to want to live.
Well, they did go extra miles just to take suicidal thoughts off her mind, and it helped her to hold on and helped her to avoid terminating her pregnancy.
And now, back to the labour room, which is just a normal room and actually a normal sleeping bed, since her delivery was being aided by a traditional nurse that had expertise in the use of herbs and some skills that were passed down from her ancestors.
Instead of being injected like she would if she goes to a normal hospital, every issue that occurs was tackled with herbs.
She had lost count of how many weird tasty portions she had drunk, but surprisingly, it was doing exactly what the woman assured her they would, before she took them, but still, it was super painful to push the baby out.
Joel!
She called the name while in agony and following the instructions given to her, pushing with all her might.
She wanted to curse him, but she had come to take full blame for what happened to her and had come to realize she wanted the baby.
This made her swallow the curse.
No regret, so better to let the bastard be.
"There… there. Almost here. A bit more and your baby is here. You will have him in your arms soon. Gloria, you're doing great, just do not give up.
Push for the sake of your baby…."
Mmmmmmm ahhhhh.
Huff! huff! huff!
Almost!
Her scream resounded in the room and she wanted nothing more than to have what was giving her pain, to leave her alone.
Seeing her about to give up again, due to not being able to bear with the pain, the woman set her head straight.
"If you don't endure and push the baby out, the aftermath is even worse, because you can't live with it inside of you forever, so stop being like this."
Well, the woman is strict and even gone to the extent of scolding her on how she opened her leg to be engaged in a sexual activity, when she's not ready for this.
Gloria couldn't even feel upset.
In fact, all she could feel was pain and the overwhelming emotions that were riling up when she heard that the baby was almost out.
Yes! She would actually produce a living being into the world.
But, the scolding wasn't a waste, because she pushed with all her might to let the baby out.