ONE: Echoes of Freedom

    "CONGRATS, JUNIPER! YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT! THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US."

    Juniper Laurent read the text in her mind's voice over and over again, relishing in the moment, submitting to the fluttering feeling of euphoria surging through her veins. A radiant smile stretched her rosy tinged full lips as she realized that was the last debt she had to settle. 

    Every fiber of her being wanted to leap with joy and let out a triumphant scream, but she retrained herself with what seemed like a century's worth of self-control.

    Nothing could beat being debt-free. Free from being hounded by loan sharks, free from living under the oppressive weight of their constant threats and demands every waking day of her life. And only those who had walked in her shoes could truly understand how liberated she felt at the moment.

    What has she not done? 

    She had taken on every job that crossed her path. Waiting tables, bartending, cleaning, tutoring—just name it and Juniper would be there to grab it as long as it was legal. No opportunity was too small or insignificant.

    She'd worked tirelessly, juggling over eight jobs a day to pay off monstrous loans with their outrageous interest rates that multiplied every second.

    But now she was totally free from the shackles of debts! Hurray!

    It felt so surreal, too good to be true.   

    And it was all thanks to her half-sister, Vivienne Bellerose, who had offered her the whopping sum of ten million in exchange for becoming her surrogate mother. With half of the amount as a down payment and the other half to be received after the child was born.

    Now she was done settling the debts her late father left behind, all she could concern herself with was to deliver a healthy baby and get what was left of her payment. Once all that was said and done, she would treat herself to a lavish vacation filled with a good amount of pampering because she deserved that much for the countless hardships she had faced.

    "Miss Laurent. . .? Miss Laurent!" The obstetrician's brilliant voice, firm and insistent, cut through Juniper's thoughts, hauling her attention back to the moment at hand.

    Juniper blinked, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she focused on the woman before her. "Um! I'm sorry, Dr. Harrison," she apologized, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "I was distracted by a text." She quickly darkened her phone and tucked it into her purse. "Could you please repeat what you just said?"

    In her excitement, she had momentarily forgotten that the only reason she came to the hospital and waited for hours for her doctor's availability was to discuss the results of her recent ultrasound.

    During her last visit to the hospital, the ultrasound technician who had gone through the process with her was good at her job and all but had left her feeling unsatisfied with her vague explanations. Hence, she'd scheduled today's appointment to speak to her doctor who had been unavailable at the time. 

    Now here she was getting all distracted.

    The good doctor returned Juniper's smile, her eyes crinkling warmly at the corners. "I mentioned you have an incredibly healthy fetus. You have nothing to worry about." She adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses, perched neatly on the bridge of her nose. "Also, from your overall test result, you seemed to be in excellent health as well. That's wonderful. It's clear you've been taking good care of yourself."

    Halting to jot down a few notes, the doctor continued, "Even though both you and the baby are doing great, I'd like you to start taking some supplements to ensure you both receive all the necessary nutrients." After a moment of scribbling, she handed the note to Juniper. "Here's a prescription for the vitamins you'll need. You can pick them up at the pharmacy." 

    Juniper glanced at the note, nodding even though what was written on it was a mystery to her. Rising from her seat, she smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much for your help, Dr. Harrison."

    Dr. Harrison flashed her a warm smile of her own. "That's my job, Miss Laurent. I'll see you at your next appointment."

    After her trip to the pharmaceutical department, Juniper left the hospital with her prescribed supplements in hand and a sense of relief contrary to the unease she had experienced upon arrival.

    With a beaming smile adorning her face, she gently stroked her still-flat abdomen. Learning that there were no complications whatsoever filled her with joy. Though it was still too soon to conclude, knowing the little guy. . . or girl in her uterus was in immediate great condition brought her immense comfort.

    Once again. . . All thanks to her sister.

    Vivienne had made it her personal mission to spoil her with the finest foods that she could never dream of, even insisting she took a break from working. In barely three months, she went from her usual scrawny 43 Kg to a healthier 51 Kg.

    Speaking of her sister. . . 

    Juniper had been trying relentlessly to reach Vivienne for the past three days, hoping to remind her of the upcoming doctor's appointment. However, each call she made was met with the cold indifference of her sister's voicemail.

    Juniper couldn't forget the hurt in Vivienne's eyes the last time she had attended an appointment without her, and she had vowed never to repeat that mistake. 

     But now that her sister's phone was seemingly disconnected, what was she supposed to do?

    It wasn't like she could postpone the appointment when it was crucial for the well-being of the baby.

    Something did not feel right. 

    She barely knew Vivienne given the fact they'd met a few months ago, but the brief time with her was enough to recognize that her sudden silence was out of character. 

    Ever since Juniper had agreed to become her surrogate, Vivienne had made a point to stay in constant contact, checking in daily and always answering her phone on the first ring. 

    At this point, Juniper couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. 

    Retrieving her phone from her purse, she scrolled through her call history and attempted to reach her sister for the tenth time that day.

    As the call went unanswered, eventually leading to voicemail. . . once. . . twice. . . Juniper decided to leave a message on the third try. "Hey, Vivienne! I've been trying to reach you for a while now. I hope everything is alright. Please call me back when you get this—"

    "HEY, WATCH OUT!" A woman's voice rang out from across the bustling highway, interrupting her message.

    Juniper's breath caught in her throat as her gaze darted towards the direction the woman was pointing. There, barreling down the road at breakneck speed, was a car that she had failed to notice before crossing the road.

    In the face of imminent danger, most wise people would instinctively flee for their lives. But not Juniper! All her brain cells tend to die off in situations just like this one. 

    She found herself rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear. It was as if her mind and body were disconnected, rendering her as immobile as a statue, powerless against the rapidly approaching threat.

    As the vehicle closed in on her, Juniper could do nothing but squeeze her eyes shut, bracing herself for the collision that would surely bring her inevitable doom.