"Aunt May, three plates of steamed buns and soup," Elena called out to the steam bun stall owner's wife with a smile as she entered the store.
There were also two more ladies with her; they were Lillian and Grace, the other two employees working at Memories Art Store.
"Sit down, kid. Food will be there in a minute," Aunt May said with a smile.
"Good morning, Uncle John," Elena waved at the stall owner, who smiled in response, and she sat down at an empty table with Lillian and Grace.
"Today's treat will be on Elena's tab, after all, this is your first payday, right?" Grace smiled as she poked Elena's cheek playfully.
"I am not that stingy, just eat whatever you want. I will be a good person today and cover the bill for you two," Elena said with a sweet smile.
Just as they were waiting for the food to be served, unusually, Elena felt her head spinning, and her vision went black.
"Elena... Elena... wake up..." only someone calling her name was the last thing she remembered before completely passing out.
One hour later, at the Starshine City Hospital...
When Elena opened her eyes, the first thing that came into her sight was a petite woman in her 20s holding a 5-foot-long golden staff in her hand. She was wearing a white coat similar to a doctor's, so it was clear that she was a light-element divine doctor.
Among the known 12 elements, light and plant elements are the only ones used for medical purposes. The golden staff in the lady's hand is a casting aid, which is used to improve concentration and avoid accidents during the casting of magic spells.
"Kid, are you feeling better now?" Aunt May asked Elena softly when she saw her opening her eyes.
Elena nodded and looked around. In the room, apart from Aunt May, there were also Lillian and Grace. "What... happened?" she asked in a confused voice.
"You fainted all of a sudden. So we brought you to the hospital," Grace said with a smile.
"Madam, please explain the situation to her. If there is anything you need, you can contact me by pressing the red button at the top of the table. I will take my leave then," the doctor said to Aunt May and left the room after flashing a smile at Elena.
Elena looked at Aunt May in confusion.
Aunt May sighed, "Kid, the thing is a little complicated. The reason why you fainted before was because of the presence of a another life in your belly."
Elena's eyes widened, "I... I am pregnant?" she asked in a stuttering tone.
Aunt May nodded, "Are you married?"
Elena shook her head.
Grace frowned upon seeing Elena's reply, "Then, can you contact your man? We might need his opinion on this matter."
Elena lowered her head and said in a low voice, "He won't come."
The room fell silent upon hearing this. After some time, Aunt May sat on the bed near Elena and said while holding her hands, "Actually, the thing is that your body is extremely weak, and the doctor said there are many hidden internal wounds in your body that are yet to be healed, so keeping this kid might not be a good option for your health."
"For a legal abortion, the father's signature is also needed. So if you can, please try to contact him."
Elena shook her head with a bitter look on her face, "I am not worthy of him or his time. It is useless to even try; he won't come."
Even if she wanted to, it was impossible to contact Raven, as the only things she knew about him were his face and name.
"Forget about it, then. You can also get consent for a legal abortion if we submit a request detailing your health condition to the head doctor of the hospital," Grace said.
"I want to think about it," Elena said, biting her lips upon hearing about abortion.
"You two, stop talking about abortion without even asking her opinion," Lillian, who had remained silent until now, said with a sigh.
Aunt May and Grace closed their mouths upon hearing this.
"Doctor said that Elena will be discharged after one more check-up. Let's discuss everything else after we reach the store. We can also ask boss for help if there's anything out of our reach. Although she is old, she is a high-level divine cultivator, so her connections are enough to deal with any problem inside Starshine," Lillian said.
Grace also nodded with a sigh, "You're right, let's put an end to this conversation for now."
Elena lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the room, her mind already filled with a myriad of complex thoughts.
Inside Elena's room on the second floor of Memories Art Store...
After leaving the hospital, Aunt May returned to her shop, and Lillian and Grace took Elena home.
"So, that man's name is Raven Nyxborn, huh?" Gracy asked while leaning back on the chair inside Elena's room.
Now, inside the room, there were only two people, Elena and Gracy. Due to their close relationship over the past month, when Gracy asked about the child in her womb, Elena told her everything that had happened.
"You are well aware of your own health condition. If you decide to keep this child, even your life will be at stake. So, let me ask you one thing: what is your decision regarding this child?"
Elena clenched her hands and said in a resolute tone, "I want to keep the child. It's not my child's fault that it is born in the first place, so how could I bear to take its life even before it could see this world?"