Chapter 5- Accusation

Angela's POV

I wake to the soft beeping of hospital monitors and the antiseptic scent that always lingers in these places. 

My head feels heavy, and a dull ache settles in my arm. 

Bit by bit, the memory of the blood donation comes back to me—Lyle bringing me here, urging me to help Fiona as if it were some duty I owed her. I remember the needle, the slow pull of energy leaving my body, and then… nothing. I must have passed out.

I glance around, taking in the small, sterile room. Lyle isn’t here. Of course he isn’t. My heart clenches with a familiar ache that I quickly brush aside. 

Fiona was always his priority; I was just there for convenience. The emptiness in the room only confirms what I already knew: he’s probably with her, as he always is.

A light shuffle by my side catches my attention, and I turn, startled to see a familiar face. “Michael?”

Michael Malloy, my college classmate, sits beside me, a gentle smile on his face. His presence surprises me; it’s been years since we last saw each other. 

He looks almost the same—same steady gaze, same kindness etched into his expression—but something’s different, too. He’s matured in a way that makes him look more refined, as if life has tempered him into someone even stronger.

“Hey, Angela,” he says, his voice low and warm. “Didn’t expect to run into you like this. When I pictured our reunion, I imagined somewhere a bit more… cozy.”

A mixture of surprise and confusion washes over me. “Weren’t you living in a big city?” I ask, remembering the stories I’d heard about him becoming a successful lawyer. “Didn’t you become… I don’t know, the city’s top attorney or something?”

He chuckles softly, the sound bringing a small measure of comfort. “You’re not wrong. I had a great career there, but… my mother’s been sick.” His voice softens, a hint of sadness slipping through. “I came back to take care of her. I’m glad I did.”

Michael has always been genuine, his loyalty to his family unwavering. 

He glances around the empty room, his brow furrowing slightly. “Where’s… Lyle? Shouldn’t he be here, looking after you, playing the doting boyfriend?”

A bitter laugh escapes before I can stop it. “He’s… he’s probably in this hospital right now with that other woman,” I mutter, unable to keep the hurt from my voice. “He’s always with her. Besides, we’re done. We broke up.” 

The words are heavy, but for the first time, saying them doesn’t feel like the end of the world. Just a release from the inevitable.

Michael’s eyes widen slightly, a look of surprise and sympathy crossing his face. “Angela, I had no idea. I’m… I’m sorry to hear that.” He pauses, studying my expression. “So… you’re single now?”

I give a small nod, unable to muster much of a response. “After everything, I’m just exhausted. I don’t have the energy for anything new. I need time to pick up the pieces.”

He gives me a gentle smile, his gaze warm and understanding. “I get it. Sounds like we both need a vacation. Maybe we could hit up a nice vacation spot together.” Michael winks. and I manage a weak smile.

Honestly, the thought of leaving everything behind—Lyle, Fiona, the constant reminders of betrayal—sounds like exactly what I need. 

A way to finally breathe again, to escape the suffocating weight of these memories.

I look at him, seeing nothing but genuine kindness and concern in his eyes. “Yes,” I say quietly, surprised at my own answer. “Yes, I’d like that.”

He smiles, his expression softening. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

We leave the hospital quietly, and I feel a strange mix of relief and hesitation as I step out. He drives me back to Jodelle’s, where I’ve been staying, but I can’t help glancing at him. 

“Michael, your mom; she needs you too. Are you sure this is okay?”

“Don’t worry,” he says, his tone gentle. “I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of. Besides, I’m just a call away if she needs anything.” His commitment to his family, his willingness to stay by my side despite everything, feels like an anchor in this storm.

The weight of everything lingers, but there’s a new feeling too—a faint flicker of hope. As Michael drives, I catch glimpses of the city rushing by, and for the first time in ages, the future doesn’t seem so bleak.

Jodelle isn’t home when we arrive, and Michael helps me inside, settling me down on the couch as if he’s done this a hundred times before. 

There’s a tenderness in his movements, a warmth in his presence that’s both comforting and unfamiliar. He’s changed, yet in some ways, he’s exactly the same.

He pours me a glass of water, finds some Aspirin in the medicine cupboard. Michael even gets me a heated blanked from the laundry cupboard, and I smile as I burrow deep into it.

Memories from college drift back, and I remember how we used to study together, sitting across library tables, laughing over late-night coffee runs. Michael was always there, the friend who’d listened to my dreams about becoming a lawyer, about starting our own firm together one day. 

Back then, I was one of the top students in our class. When graduation came, I’d left that behind to become Lyle’s secretary, thinking that being close to him would make me happy. 

Now, I can see how much I gave up for someone who never even looked back.

Michael watches me closely, his voice soft. “You know, that dream doesn’t have to die, Angela. We could still do it. Open a law firm together, like we always planned.”

I glance at him, surprised. “You’d want that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” His smile is genuine, his gaze steady. “You were one of the best students I knew. You have talent, Angela. You always did. You’re just a bit lost right now. We all get that way sometimes.”

His words reach a part of me I thought I’d buried long ago, and for a moment, I imagine it—picking up where I left off, pursuing the career I’d once been so passionate about. Could it be possible? To start fresh, to rebuild my life into something I’m proud of?

Before I can respond, my phone rings, the sudden sound breaking the quiet. I glance at the caller ID, and my heart skips a beat.

It’s a call from home. My grandmother wants me back.