Chapter 4No Maternity Leave Till My Water Broke

The ambulance doors slammed shut.

Liam went silent for half a second. When he spoke again, his voice was terrifyingly cold.

"Put the paramedic on."

I handed the phone to the medic.

"Her water broke, and her contractions are frequent. She's full term. We are taking her to St. Jude's." The medic paused, looking down at me. "The family needs to get there as soon as possible. We can't let the patient get any more stressed."

When the call ended, the only sound left in the ambulance was the rhythmic beeping of the monitor.

Penny sat in the corner, wiping away tears. "Kelly, I'm so sorry. I should have gone to HR with you yesterday."

"It's not your fault."

Another contraction hit, stealing my breath.

Penny grabbed my hand. "Don't talk. Save your strength."

My phone buzzed again.

In the company group chat, Mike had pinned a new announcement:

Kelly Ward is taking temporary leave today due to personal medical reasons. All departments are expected to maintain order and refrain from spreading rumors.

Penny saw the notification and held the screen in front of me, her face red with anger. "How can he write that?"

I stared at the words "personal medical reasons" through a haze of pain.

"Take a screenshot."

Penny blinked, then nodded vigorously. "I'm on it. I'll save everything."

The moment the ambulance pulled up to the ER, Liam was already waiting.

His shirt was misbuttoned, and his hair was a wild mess from the wind. His eyes turned red the moment he saw me.

"Kelly."

He called my name, but his voice cracked, unable to say another word.

The nurses wheeled me toward the delivery room. "Husband, sign here. Hurry."

Liam ran alongside us for a few steps before the double doors shut him out.

"I'm right outside!" his voice echoed through the door. "Don't be afraid!"

The lights in the delivery room were blindingly bright.

The nurse asked, "The doctor wanted you admitted yesterday. Why did you wait?"

I sweated through my gown, my voice barely a whisper. "My boss wouldn't let me."

The nurse's pen paused.

The older midwife beside her frowned. "What decade is this? Who denies maternity leave?"

Suddenly, the baby's heart rate dipped on the monitor.

The doctor immediately raised her voice. "Oxygen, monitor the fetal heart rate, get ready!"

I gripped the bedsheets, my back soaked in sweat.

Through the doors, I could hear Liam's voice rising as he spoke to someone on the phone.

"She submitted her admission paperwork yesterday, and the company rejected it. Her water broke at her desk today."

"I'm gathering all the evidence."

"I am not settling this out of court."

Before he could finish, the nurse placed my phone by my pillow.

A message from Tina popped up on the screen:

Kelly, Mike wants me to ask for your computer password. The client is pressing for the project files.

Immediately after, another message arrived:

Don't be angry. Times are tough for everyone. You wouldn't want your pregnancy to ruin the company's big launch, would you?

I stared at the screen, a cold shiver running through my core.

When the worst of the pain subsided, I typed three words:

I don't know.

Tina called almost instantly.

The nurse frowned and reached to decline it, but I shook my head.

The moment I swiped to answer, Tina's hushed, urgent voice filled the room.

"Kelly, stop playing games. Giving birth doesn't happen that fast. Just give me the password. Mike says if you don't cooperate, there will be consequences."

Before I could speak, the doctor yelled, "Don't talk! Push!"

The phone slipped from the pillow, landing on the floor with the screen still lit.

Tina's voice blared from the speaker.

"Kelly! Are you listening? Don't think having a baby gives you a free pass to screw over the company!"

Outside the delivery room door, there was a heavy, violent thud against the wall.

Liam's voice cut through like ice.

"Put her on speakerphone."