The hospital room reeked of antiseptic.
Everything felt wrong.
Serena's eyelids were heavy as hell, and her entire body ached like she'd been run over by a truck—
Oh wait. She actually was.
Her breath hitched, pain searing through her chest as she forced her eyes open. The bright fluorescent lights stabbed at her retinas, making her groan. Her mouth was dry as sandpaper, her head felt like someone had been beating the shit out of it for hours, and every single limb was screaming in protest.
A blur of movement.
The door creaked open, and a nurse froze in the doorway, eyes going wide.
"You're awake," she breathed, genuinely shocked.
Serena frowned. Her throat felt like glass shards, but she still managed to rasp out, "No shit."
The nurse blinked, then rushed out. "I'll call the doctor!"
Serena stared after her, brain moving slower than usual. Everything felt... off.
Why am I here?
The second the thought crossed her mind, the memories came slamming into her like a freight train.
The party.
The car ride home.
The headlights.
The crash.
Her breathing turned shaky. Her hands clenched the sheets.
Leo.
Her heart fucking stopped.
"Leo!" she gasped, sitting up so fast her ribs screamed in protest. The monitors next to her blared in alarm, but she didn't give a damn.
Where was he? Where were—
The door swung open again. A doctor in his forties walked in, followed by the nurse.
"Serena," the doctor started, his tone calm. Too calm. Like he was trying to handle a ticking time bomb.
"Where's Leo?" she cut in, voice sharp.
The doctor and nurse exchanged a glance. She caught it.
Her stomach dropped.
"...Where's my family?"
Silence.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"Miss Carter..." The doctor hesitated. His goddamn hesitation made it worse. "You were in a severe accident. Your body took a lot of damage, but—"
"Where. Is. My. Family?" Serena's voice shook.
The doctor exhaled. He looked tired. Like he'd done this a hundred times before.
"I'm so sorry."
Her world cracked.
Her chest caved in.
No.
Her fingers dug into the bedsheets.
No. No. No.
Her breath came in shallow gasps.
"Miss Carter," the doctor said again, gentler this time. "You and the driver were the only survivors."
Something inside her snapped.
Her vision blurred. Her ears rang. The hospital bed felt like a coffin beneath her.
She couldn't move. Couldn't think.
Her mother. Gone.
Her grandparents. Gone.
Leo. Fucking Leo. Gone.
She couldn't breathe.
Her little brother.
The kid who threw marshmallows at CEOs.
The kid who made her laugh even when she was pissed off.
The kid who needed her.
He was gone.
A choked sound tore from her throat. It wasn't a sob. It was worse.
It was the sound of someone breaking apart.
The doctor said something, but she didn't hear it.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Two Days Later
Serena sat in the hospital chair, staring at nothing.
She was getting discharged soon. Great. Because apparently, the world didn't give a single fuck about how broken she was.
A social worker sat across from her, flipping through a file.
"Serena," the woman said softly. "We've contacted your father."
Serena blinked slowly.
Wait. What?
She barely processed it before the woman continued.
"Daniel Carter."
Something icy crawled up her spine.
"And what did he say?" Her voice was hoarse.
The social worker hesitated, then pushed forward. "We reached out to him, explained the situation, and—"
"And he said no, didn't he?" Serena interrupted, her voice flat.
The woman's face softened. "He said he couldn't take responsibility for a child, even if it's just for ten months."
Serena snorted. Not out of amusement—out of pure, bitter disbelief.
The guy abandoned her mother during her worst, when she herself and Leo were just 10 and 4. And now? He couldn't handle ten fucking months?
"Wow," she muttered. "Fucking impressive."
"Serena—"
"It's fine." She cut her off, standing up. "I don't need him. Never did."
The social worker hesitated. "We can arrange for temporary housing, assistance—"
"Don't bother," Serena said, grabbing her hospital bag. "I'll figure it out."
The woman looked genuinely concerned. "You're still seventeen—"
"I turn eighteen in ten months. Almost there, right?" Serena gave her a sharp smile. "I'll survive."
Her voice was too steady. Too controlled.
The social worker didn't push. Probably because she saw it—the way Serena's fingers clenched her bag too tightly, the way her shoulders were stiff, the way she was barely keeping herself together.
Serena didn't give her a chance to say anything else.
She turned and walked out of the room.
And just like that—
She was alone.
A/N
Serena has lost everything in one night...
What are your thoughts about the chapter?
What are your thoughts about Serena?
What are your thoughts about Daniel?
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The Moretti Heiress
Romance*They hated her at first... but they had no idea who she really was.* ........... Serena Carter was just trying to live-trying to find peace in the mess that was her life. But one accident changed everything. Abandoned. Alone. She was sent to live w...
