Valentine's Day, But Make It Trauma

On the night before Valentine's Day, my boyfriend Adrian said he wanted to make up for the proposal I never got. Five months pregnant, I happily went to the cabin he'd booked. When I arrived, I realized it was the new mountain campground owned by Celeste, the woman he'd never gotten over. At dinner, Celeste brought over a pot of mushroom soup and said it was especially nourishing for pregnant women. After I finished it, I vomited until I was dehydrated and ended up in the hospital. My face broke out in a rash. The beauty product launch scheduled for the next day had to be canceled, and the breach-of-contract penalty nearly crushed me. My manager, Jenna, posted a public statement on my behalf warning everyone. Adrian was furious. He said it hadn't been easy for Celeste as a divorced woman, and I shouldn't destroy her life. On Valentine's Day, he shoved me into the car, saying he was taking me to apologize to her. Instead, he stopped halfway up the mountain. He snatched my purse and phone, then left me alone on the dirt road leading downhill. "Walk the rest of the way. Consider it your apology to Celeste." A torrential downpour swept through the mountains. I fell three times on the muddy road, one hand cradling my belly. By the time I got up, my pant legs were soaked with blood. I thought I wouldn't survive until morning. Luckily, a park ranger found me. In the ambulance, Adrian's voice message played over the speaker. "Ignore her. She's faking. Her belly's already showing, so she can't keep threatening to dump me. Let Valentine's Day teach her a lesson. Maybe then she'll stop thinking she can walk all over Celeste." I turned off the recording. At the hospital, I signed the surgical consent form. Chapter 1 Valentine's Day was supposed to be the day Adrian Weldon proposed. The night before, he texted me, saying he wanted to give me the proposal I deserved. [Summer, you and our baby deserve a real family.] I held my phone and grinned like an idiot forever. I even picked out a loose white dress to hide my five-month bump. I thought it would be the happiest day of my life. Instead, I got to the mountain and learned the truth. There was no proposal. It was the soft opening for Celeste Vane's new campground. Adrian's big surprise was dragging me there while I was five months pregnant to help hype her grand opening. That night at dinner, Celeste brought out a pot of mushroom soup. She smiled sweetly. "Summer, I asked around. The women here all swear this is good for pregnant women." I hated mushrooms. Adrian sat beside me and filled my bowl. "Celeste spent all afternoon making it. Don't ruin the mood." So I ate it. Before I even got halfway through, my stomach caught fire. I ran to the bathroom and puked until my throat bled. A rash spread fast across my face. The next day, my beauty product launch got canceled. The brand's legal notice came in, and Jenna was shaking with rage. "She fed a pregnant woman wild mushrooms that weren't even prepared right. She could've killed you!" Jenna, my manager, posted a public warning for me. That night, Adrian stormed into my hospital room. He didn't ask if I was okay. Didn't ask about the baby. He just threw his phone onto my blanket. "Happy now, Summer Shafer? Celeste had to shut down because everyone turned on her. Is that what you wanted?" My voice came out thin. "She served me contaminated food." Adrian gave this cold little laugh. "Food at places like this can be risky. Why are you making it such a huge deal? Celeste just got divorced. She's trying to rebuild her life. Why are you so set on ruining her?" I stared at him like he was a stranger. We'd been together seven years. He knew my face was my career. And ever since I got pregnant, my health had been a mess. I'd spent six months getting ready for that launch. But all he cared about was Celeste getting dragged online. *** On Valentine's Day, Adrian demanded I apologize to Celeste. I said no. So he picked me up and shoved me into the car. Pain sliced through my lower stomach. I begged him to slow down. He didn't. When he stopped halfway up the mountain, my blood went cold. "Adrian, what are you doing?" He got out, came around to my side, and opened the door. Then he took my purse. My phone. "You think Celeste hurt you? Fine. Walk over there and apologize to her face." I stared at him. "I'm five months pregnant." Not even a flicker. "That's why I didn't leave you farther away. Summer, you never used to be like this. When did you get so cruel?" Then he slammed the door. Seconds later, his taillights vanished down the mountain road. The storm came out of nowhere, turning the dirt road into a river of mud. One hand over my belly, I dragged myself forward. The first time I fell, my knee smashed into a rock. Then I went down twice more. My fingers clawed through the mud, nails ripping back. Blood from the cuts on my legs soaked through my pants. Face-down in the rain, I screamed Adrian's name. Nothing answered. A park ranger found me later. By the time they lifted me onto the stretcher, I was barely conscious. In the ambulance, he contacted Jenna for me. He'd also found my phone in a roadside ditch. The screen was shattered, but it still turned on. Voice message after voice message from Adrian popped up. Jenna tapped one, and his voice filled the ambulance. "Ignore her. She's faking. Her belly's already showing, so she can't keep threatening to dump me. Let Valentine's Day teach her a lesson. Maybe then she'll stop thinking she can walk all over Celeste." The ambulance went dead silent. The ranger cursed under his breath. Jenna's eyes went red. "Summer..." I didn't cry. I just reached over and shut off the recording. *** At the hospital, the doctor frowned. "Ms. Shafer, your baby isn't doing well." He slid the test results across the desk. The page was packed with medical terms. But I only saw the last line. [Recommendation: Terminate the pregnancy.] My chest locked up. A deep ache dragged through my lower stomach, like something blunt carving into me over and over. "What if I don't?" The doctor went quiet for a few seconds. "The baby's heart rate is still abnormal, and there are signs of distress. "You've been through food poisoning, a severe allergic reaction, hypothermia, and multiple falls. That triggered ongoing contractions. Worse, the exam shows a risk of placental abruption. "If we continue the pregnancy, you could lose the baby—and suffer a massive hemorrhage." I looked down at the IV mark on the back of my hand. Then I looked at the doctor. "Give me the consent form." The doctor froze. I said it slowly. Clearly. "I don't want this baby anymore." My hand shook so hard, I could barely hold the pen. The tip ripped through the paper— just like it ripped through the love I'd clung to for seven years. When I finished, I called my lawyer. "Mr. Carter, start foreclosure on the apartment." A beat of silence. "Ms. Shafer, are you sure?" I closed my eyes. "I'm sure." The apartment we were supposed to live in after the wedding was in Adrian's name. But the down payment came from the money my parents left after they died in a car crash. And when his startup started sinking, I loaned him $800,000. He signed the agreement himself and put the apartment up as collateral. He said it would make me feel safe. I believed him. Now, that security was doing exactly what it was meant to do. "Start foreclosure. I want it done ASAP." Chapter 2 My surgery was scheduled for three days later. The doctor said my body was too weak. They had to treat the inflammation, rehydrate me, and stabilize me first. Jenna stayed by my bed, dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. "Get some sleep. I'll handle everything else." I shook my head. "How did the launch go?" Jenna went quiet. That was answer enough. My phone buzzed. Adrian. I didn't pick up. He called again. On the third try, Jenna put him on speaker. Adrian sounded pissed. "Summer Shafer, are you done with your little tantrum?" I stayed silent. "Celeste cried all night. She swears she didn't know you were allergic. Delete that defamatory post right now, then upload an apology video." Jenna gave a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "Mr. Weldon, do you even know where Summer is?" Adrian paused. "Where else? Hiding somewhere, waiting for me to come coax her out?" Jenna's voice went ice-cold. "She's in the hospital. She almost lost the baby." The line went quiet. Then Adrian said, "Knock it off, Jenna. She's always using the baby to guilt-trip me." I stared at the ceiling and remembered the day I found out I was pregnant. Adrian had wrapped me up and spun me around twice. "Summer, we're finally going to have a family." His eyes had been so bright. I thought he actually wanted our baby. People really did change. Or maybe he never had. Maybe the only thing that changed was Celeste coming back. Celeste's voice slipped through the phone. "Adrian, let it go. Don't pressure Summer. This is all my fault. I never should've come back." She cried so softly, like she was the victim here. Adrian's voice softened instantly. "This isn't your fault, Celeste. Don't say that." Then he went cold again. "Summer, you hear that? She's defending you. What else do you want?" My voice came out rough. "Adrian." He paused. "Oh, so now you're talking." "Let's break up." The line went dead silent. A few seconds later, he laughed. "This again? Summer, grow up. You're carrying my baby, the apartment's almost done, and we already took wedding photos. Who exactly are you trying to scare with a breakup now?" I didn't explain. "My lawyer will contact you." His tone changed fast. "What do you mean?" "The apartment's going into foreclosure." "Have you lost it? That's my property." I gave a quiet, humorless laugh. "I paid the down payment. You signed the loan agreement and the mortgage papers. Adrian Weldon, it's time to pay me back." A cup shattered on his end. "Adrian!" Celeste cried. His next words came through clenched teeth. "Summer, don't take this too far. If you want money, I'll give you money. Don't come for the apartment." "I'm not coming for anything," I said softly. "I'm collecting a debt." His breathing got heavier. "You really think I'd never leave you?" That line used to wreck me for days. Now I barely felt it. I hung up. Then I blocked his number. Jenna looked at me, eyes even redder than before. "Summer... you're finally awake." I didn't answer. I just laid a hand over my belly. There was still the slightest curve beneath my palm. I knew he was still there. But I also knew I couldn't keep him. *** That night, Adrian showed up at the hospital. He had a container of chicken soup and a look like he hated being there. When he pushed the door open, I was propped against the headboard, reading the foreclosure papers. He froze when he saw how pale I was. "You're actually hospitalized?" I didn't look up. He set the soup on the table. "I talked to a doctor. The baby still has a chance. Stop saying you don't want it." A tiny smile pulled at my mouth. "Which doctor?" Adrian frowned. "What?" I handed him my medical records. "Read them." He took the records. Two lines in, all the color left his face. Then he dropped the file back on the table. "Doctors always make things sound worse than they are. You'll be fine after some rest." I looked at him. "What if I died on that mountain?" His throat moved. "I didn't know the rain would get that bad. I just wanted you to calm down. Summer, don't act like I'm some monster." Nausea rolled through me. It wasn't that he didn't know the road was dangerous. Or that I was pregnant. He just took a gamble. That I'd live. That I wouldn't leave him. That when I woke up, I'd forgive him for the baby's sake. Adrian sat beside my bed and reached for my face. I turned away. His hand hung there. "Summer, stop. You won't have to see Celeste again. Once you're out, we'll go get our marriage license." "What about the warning post?" He went quiet for a second. "Take it down." I looked at him. He dodged my eyes. "Celeste's campground just opened. It can't survive a scandal like this. You're a public figure. Apologize, and the internet will move on in a few days." I nodded. "So being poisoned and almost losing the baby doesn't matter. Being dumped on a mountain doesn't matter either." Adrian frowned. "Don't twist it like that. No one poisoned you, and I wasn't trying to hurt you." I shoved the container off the table. Hot soup splashed across the floor. Adrian shot up. "Summer!" I met his eyes. "Get out." In seven years, I'd never spoken to him like that. He froze. I hit the call button. A nurse came in almost right away. "Can you call security?" Adrian's face went dark. "You're really taking it this far?" I didn't look at him again. As security walked him out, he stopped at the door and dropped his voice. "You'll regret this." I closed my eyes. No. The only thing I regretted was ever loving you. Chapter 3 The next day, the foreclosure notice went public. Adrian blew up my phone all day. I blocked one number, and he called from another. Then Celeste popped up. [Summer, I know you're mad, but that apartment is everything to Adrian. Don't be so heartless.] I stared at the text and almost laughed. Jenna grabbed my phone. "Can I wreck her?" I shook my head. "Not worth it." A second later, Celeste sent a voice memo. Her voice was soft as cotton. "Summer, I never meant to hurt you. I had the same mushroom soup, and I was fine. I had no idea you'd react that badly. Hate me if you want, but please don't ruin Adrian." I saved it and sent it straight to Mr. Carter. [Add this to the evidence.] Jenna gave me a thumbs-up. "Now that's clear thinking." I forced a small smile. A sharp pain ripped through my lower stomach. I doubled over, a cold sweat breaking out across my skin. A nurse rushed in and wheeled me out for another exam. The doctor studied the results, his face going grim. "We can't wait. If we do, you could hemorrhage." I sat there with ice-cold hands. "Can we do the surgery today?" He looked at me. "Are you sure?" I nodded. "I'm sure." Before they could schedule the surgery, the hospital normally needed a close family member or registered emergency contact to sign the consent forms. Under Carmorian law, a second signature was normally required for high-risk pregnancy-related procedures. My parents were gone. So were my grandparents. For years, I'd treated Adrian like family. Now I crossed his name off my emergency contact list myself. "I'll sign," Jenna said. The doctor looked sorry. "A friend can't sign unless she's officially registered." I lowered my head, ready to say I had no family left. Then the doctor added, "If you truly have no one, you can sign for yourself. But we strongly recommend having a family member or emergency contact with you." My hand shook around the pen. A man's voice came from the doorway. "I'll stay with her." I looked up. A man in a black trench coat stood there, a folder under his arm. I stared at him. "Raul?" He walked over and looked down at me. "Yeah. I'm back." Raul Reed. The son of Leilani, my mom's closest friend. When we were kids, they lived next door. After my parents died in a car crash, Leilani stayed with me and helped handle the funeral. Then the Reeds moved overseas, and we lost touch. I never thought I'd see him again like this. Jenna lowered her voice. "Are you family?" Raul stepped in with a folder of old legal papers. "Before Summer's mother died, she appointed my mother as Summer's guardian. "After Summer turned eighteen, my mother remained listed as her emergency contact. "These are the notarized authorization papers, along with a signed letter authorizing me to act on my mother's behalf. "I'm the son of her mom's closest friend. I'm her registered emergency contact now. I understand the risks, and I'll stay with her through the procedure." The doctor checked the paperwork, then nodded. "That works." Raul signed the form, but his pen paused. "Summer, are you sure?" "I am." He didn't argue. He just signed. "Okay. I'm with you." The second he said those three words, my eyes burned. Adrian had come to plenty of prenatal appointments with me. But every single time, he was busy texting Celeste. When the doctor said the baby's heartbeat was strong, I'd been so happy I almost cried. Adrian only said, "Celeste's stomach is acting up. I need to check on her." Real support isn't saying you love someone. It's standing there when they're falling apart and saying, "I'm with you." *** Right before surgery, Adrian stormed into the hospital. No clue how he found out. His face was ghost-white. "Summer!" He shoved past the nurse and grabbed my gurney. "You wouldn't dare." I looked at him calmly. "Let go." His eyes were bloodshot. "That's my child. What gives you the right to decide this alone?" I laughed. "When you left me on that mountain, did you forget he was your child?" He froze. "I told you, I didn't mean for this to happen. I never thought it'd go this far." I met his eyes. "Adrian, there's a lot you never thought about. "You never thought Celeste's mushroom soup would land me in the hospital. "You never thought that storm would leave me bleeding on that mountain. "And you never thought I'd actually be done with you." The color drained from his face. Raul stepped up and grabbed his wrist. "Let go." Adrian glared at him. "Who are you?" Raul stayed calm. "Her family." Adrian scoffed. "Family? I'm her boyfriend. I'm the father of her baby." Raul didn't let go. "You're neither anymore." Adrian snapped. "So this is about him? You're getting rid of our baby because of him?" I closed my eyes. Unbelievable. Even now, his first move was accusing me of cheating. He'd never admit this was on him. He'd rather blame some other guy for me leaving. I looked at the nurse. "Take me in." Adrian tried to stop us again. Raul punched him in the stomach. Adrian doubled over. Raul stepped in front of my gurney, his voice ice-cold. "Touch her again, and you'll crawl out of this hospital." The OR doors slid shut. The last thing I saw was Adrian in the hallway. For the first time, he looked scared. Too late. Chapter 4 When I woke up, the room was quiet. The curtains were half closed. My hand went straight to my stomach. Flatter now. Empty, too. I didn't cry. I'd cried out everything on that mountain. Raul sat on the couch. When he saw I was awake, he got up and poured me water. "The doctor said the surgery went well." I took the glass. "Thank you." He watched me for a second. "Does it hurt?" I shook my head. It did. It hurt so bad even breathing felt heavy. But I didn't want to say that. Raul didn't call me on it. He just set an orange candy on the bedside table. "Your mom always got you one of these after a shot." I stared at the candy. Just a basic orange hard candy. My chest tightened. After my parents died, nobody remembered I was scared of pain. Adrian knew. He'd just say, "You're an adult. Stop being so sensitive." My phone buzzed. Jenna had sent screenshots. The internet was losing it again. Celeste had gone live. She sat in a campground cabin, eyes red from crying. "I don't know how it got this bad. I just wanted a fresh start. Summer Shafer is famous. One word from her can ruin someone like me. I never meant to hurt her." The comments came for me fast. [So being pregnant means she gets to bully someone who isn't even famous?] [She's divorced and trying to start over. Do you know how hard that is?] [Maybe that beauty influencer messed up her own face with some product and blamed someone else.] I stared at the screen. Then it clicked. Celeste wasn't scared I'd ruin her. She was scared Adrian would come back to me. So she had to ruin me first. She needed everyone to see me as jealous, cruel, and greedy. Adrian posted too. One sentence. [This has gone far enough.] The photo showed him and Celeste outside the campground. She was wrapped in his jacket. He looked at her like he'd protect her from anything. Jenna slammed her palm on the table. "I'm posting the evidence right now." I stopped her. "Not yet." She frowned. "What are we waiting for?" I looked at Raul. "Is Mr. Carter almost ready?" Raul nodded. "The notice was served. If Adrian doesn't pay the debt today, foreclosure officially starts." I opened my laptop and logged in. Then I posted. No long explanation. Just three photos. The first: my hospital diagnosis. Food poisoning. A severe allergic reaction. Threatened miscarriage. The second: Adrian's mortgage agreement, backing an $800,000 loan. Creditor: Summer Shafer. The third: my pants soaked in blood as the park ranger loaded me into an ambulance. One caption. [On Valentine's Day, I lost my child... and the ability to love the man I trusted.] Less than ten minutes later, the comments went feral. [Wait. Is this actually real??] [Five months pregnant and he left her stranded on a mountain in a storm???] [This is not couple drama. This is attempted murder.] [Celeste's on live crying for what, exactly?] [And Adrian's post? Is he seriously threatening the victim?] Adrian called again. I let it ring. Then the texts started. [Did you really end the pregnancy?] [Summer, how could you?] [That was my baby too.] [Where are you? I need to see you.] I read every word and felt nothing. Now he knew what pain felt like. But he wasn't hurting because our baby was gone. He was hurting because he finally realized he couldn't control me anymore. Ten minutes later, Mr. Carter called. "Ms. Shafer, Mr. Weldon wants to settle. He can pay $200,000 now and the rest over time." I looked out the window. "No deal. Move forward with the foreclosure." Mr. Carter gave a quiet laugh. "Understood." *** That night, Adrian showed up at my hospital room. This time, he didn't barge in. He stood in the doorway with a bouquet of roses. The wrapper still had a Valentine's Day sticker on it. The irony was almost funny. "Summer." His voice was rough. "I didn't know the baby was really gone." I looked up at him. "Now you do. Leave." His face went pale. "I know I messed up on that mountain. But you shouldn't have ended the pregnancy. We were supposed to get married." I set down my water. "Adrian, I didn't kill our baby." He froze. I looked him dead in the eye. "You did." His lips parted. Nothing came out. Then Celeste's voice floated in from outside. "Adrian? What are you doing here?" She stepped into the room in a white dress, eyes red. The second she saw me, she bit her lip. "Summer, I just wanted to apologize." I smiled. "Apologize?" Celeste nodded, tears dropping right on cue. "I swear, I didn't know the soup would hurt you. If you can forgive me, I'll do whatever it takes to fix this." She took one shaky step toward me. Adrian reached out to steady her instantly. "Celeste!" I watched them. One putting on a show. The other actually worried about her. Perfect match. I picked up my phone and hit record. Celeste's face changed. I smiled. "Celeste Vane, want to say that again while I'm recording? That you accidentally served me that soup?" Her eyes flicked away. "What are you implying?" The hospital door opened. Raul walked in and dropped a lab report on the table. "The leftover ingredients from the campground kitchen were tested. "That mushroom soup had wild mushrooms pregnant women shouldn't eat. And the sample from Summer's bowl had a high concentration of powdered nut allergen." Celeste went pale. So did Adrian. I looked at him. "Still think she's innocent?" Adrian slowly turned to Celeste. She shook her head, tears spilling. "It wasn't me... Adrian, you have to believe me..." Then police showed up at the door. "Celeste Vane, we've received a report accusing you of intentionally causing bodily harm. Come with us for questioning." Celeste's knees gave out. Adrian lurched forward. Raul's voice went ice-cold. "Obstructing the police can get you arrested too." Adrian's hand froze midair. As they led Celeste away, she kept screaming his name. "Adrian! Save me!" He didn't move. Doubt flickered in his eyes, along with a truth that hit way too late. I didn't care anymore. I picked up the orange candy from my nightstand and slowly unwrapped it. Sweetness spread across my tongue as Adrian spoke. "Summer, can we start over?" I tossed the wrapper in the trash. "I haven't even had time to mourn my child. How can you stand there and ask me that?"