3: Shattered Reality

Avery

“Move out of the way!” Someone yelled. My feet padded on the floor noisily and my body shook. Blood was all over my face making my vision blurry. People moved about frantically as I got moved from one stretcher to another.

“We need more blood!” Another voice yelled out again. My clothes were ripped off me. Time seemed to pass by slowly and my eyelids became heavy.

“We are losing her! To the operating room!” the voice barked out orders again. It felt like I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I closed my eyes and drifted off to the darkness that was slowly beckoning to me.

******

The loud and continuous beeping of the monitor beside me woke me up with a start. I slowly opened my heavy-lidded eyes groaning in pain. I remembered how the truck hit me and I rolled in my car several times. My head pounded, and pain seared all over my body. I gradually realized trying to move my body was impossible. My eyes darted around for a while. I was in a hospital room and aside from my heavy breathing and the sound of the monitor beeping, there was another sound.

My eyes flitted up till they stopped in front of the television screen. The headline caught my attention. “The president of the Montgomery family caught distributing illegal drugs.”

“Citizens call for the immediate arrest of Mrs Avery Montgomery for risking and claiming the lives of numerous people. This clip will show you what’s going on,” the journalist said just as the scene moved towards our company’s head branch. My eyes widened when I saw the number of people holding up signs and protesting against me. The camera moved closer to them and I could read what was on their signs.

“Her arrest will give the entire country hope that the rich are not above the law.”

“She deserves to be punished for what she has done. I lost my daughter and husband because of her.”

“Give Avery Montgomery the capital punishment!”

My breath quickened as I watched how my life was unfolding in front of me like a movie. No one bothered to listen to my side of the story. I didn’t even do anything wrong and they wanted me to get arrested?

“Avery, my darling child!” I heard Mum’s loud cries. The eyes darted towards the door which flung open. Mum’s teary face came into view and Dad followed closely behind her with the doctor.

“Oh God! What have they done to you!” she gasped covering her mouth to suppress her cries when she saw me.

“Doctor, how’s her condition?” Dad asked looking down at me.

“It’s very bad. They brought her in barely alive. Her bones were badly crushed. She’s lucky to be alive,” he replied. My heart fell.

Dad sighed. “How bad is it?”

“Very bad. According to her charts, her legs were crushed and her spinal cord was injured. She might never be able to walk again and even if she does by some miracle, it’s going to take years of treatment. Thankfully, medicine is advancing every single year,” he responded.

“Doctor, you have to do everything you can. My daughter can’t become a cripple. We are willing to pay any amount,” Mum pleaded desperately.

“Of course ma’am. We are going to do our very best. All that’s left is to pray and make hope Avery responds to treatment,” he replied.

“Let’s go to your office. We will discuss more there,” Dad said to him. The doctor nodded and walked out first.

“Compose yourself. There could be paparazzi lurking around,” Dad said to Mum. She sniffled and wiped her face. He took one last glance at me before they both walked out. I watched them leave unable to utter a word. The doctor’s words shattered me completely. Was I going to be limited to a wheelchair for the rest of my life? The door opened and the two least people I expected to see walked in. I groaned and the monitor beeped louder expressing my anger. There was a lot I wanted to say but I couldn’t.

“Are you excited to see me, wife?” Ethan asked with a smug smile. Sasha scoffed and took a seat on the couch. He was shameless to show his face in front of me after what he did. They were both shameless. He ought to be on his knees begging for forgiveness. I tried getting up again.

“Don’t try too hard. Wow, that truck really got you hard,” he muttered glancing at my legs. “That’s why it’s bad to drive in anger wife. You let your anger consume you and look where that has gotten you,” he added shaking his head at me.

“Baby, can you get me some water?” Sasha asked smiling sweetly at Ethan. She didn’t even bother to ask how I was doing.

“Absolutely,” he replied grabbing a glass of water from my bedside. He handed it over to her and they shared a kiss in front of me. I stared at them in shock. She stood up and walked towards me.

“Are you surprised elder sister? You think this is my fault and I stole your husband, don’t you?” she asked with a glare. I wiggled my fingers and the monitor beeped again.

“The truth is, you took everything from me. All that’s yours was supposed to be mine but you stole it like you always have when we were kids. Mum and Dad’s affection, getting the best grades and making me look like the dumb one, the whole company, and Ethan! I deserved everything not you,” she spat with hatred. Her eyes burned with her hatred for me. I was taken aback. Was she really the baby sister I had dotted on all these years?

“Calm down baby. Don’t let her upset you,” Ethan cooed placing his hand around her waist. The same way he used to speak and hold me.

“The truth is, Sasha and are madly in love with each other. We fell in love since high school,” he confessed. My brows shot up in shock. I desperately wanted to ask why he got married to me when he was in love with my sister.

“I only got married to you because you are the first daughter of the Montgomery family and you were bound to inherit the family business. You were the key to achieving all I wanted and more. I only pretended to love you because of what my company stood to gain. Nothing more,” he declared. A tear rolled down my cheeks and I sucked in a sharp breath from the oxygen mask. Ethan had been deceiving me all these years. And Sasha also. Their relationship started in high school and I knew nothing about it.

“I wanted to divorce you after you got appointed as CEO, but you couldn’t even get that right. You ruined everything like you always do. What am I supposed to do with a crippled wife?” he asked in disgust.

“I don’t regret anything that happened. If I could go back in time, I would do it over and over again. I hate you Avery and my hatred runs deep with every passing minute so don’t think I’m going to apologize because that’s never going to happen,” Sasha deadpanned. All I could do was watch them and cry silently.

“Let’s leave baby. I can’t stand her presence anymore,” Sasha said to him. They both walked out of the room. I kept crying till Mum walked in after a while. I couldn’t decipher the expression on her face but the way she was staring at me, was weird.

“Why do you keep making things difficult for me? You should have just died,” she declared with a glare. I stared at her in shock. Did I hear her right?

“As expected from a bastard child. You aren’t going to die that easily.” Her expression changed into that of anger. I had never seen her like that before. “Your father’s infidelity brought you into this world. Do you know how many times I had wanted to kill you myself when I heard you call me mum?”

Her words hit me hard. The intensity of the pain was more than when the truck hit my car. Was she saying that she wasn’t my mother?

“That’s right. You are not my daughter. I had no choice but to raise you when your father brought you home. I thought it was going to be fine as long as you stayed on the sidelines. But you stole my daughter’s birthright. Sasha’s meant to be the CEO of our family business where you don’t belong. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice,” she swore before ripping the oxygen mask from my face.

The monitor beeped loudly while I struggled to breathe. “Just die already. Our family will finally have the peace we deserve,” she spat with disdain. I couldn’t believe the family I thought was my own would be the one to betray and kill me. Then all this time she pretended to love me was all a lie. I had been too stupid and naive to see it.

“Oh God, please this can’t be the end. I wish I could get a second chance to correct all the time I was being naive and get revenge for all that was done to me. Please, I need to live,” I desperately prayed just as my eyes closed and darkness enveloped me.