Eulalia was dragging her feet as she made her way back. What should have been a ten-minute walk stretched into twenty. The villa was as cold as a morgue; the heating was off and the vast rooms were freezing.
She kicked off her heels and stumbled into the bathroom like she was drunk. She turned on the hot water in the bathtub and filled it halfway. One moment she was holding on, and the next she collapsed into the tub like a ragdoll. The hot water spread around her silent, motionless body. Her long, red dress spread out in the water, looking like a pool of blood, making her face as pale as sheet.
She closed her eyes and let her face sink into the water. The water covered her head, muffling all her senses. The brief suffocation numbed her heart. Suddenly, she couldn’t hold back and gasped, hot water rushing into her mouth, and a wave of nausea hit her like a freight train.
Eulalia’s eyes, bloodshot, emerged from the water. She was sprawled over the edge of the tub, her body limp. Her stomach felt like it was being torn apart. She opened her mouth numbly, her upper body convulsing uncontrollably. She hadn’t eaten all day, and all that came out was acidic bile, burning her throat. Tears streamed down her face.
At last, she looked at the mix of blood and mucus on the floor, and the corners of her mouth twisted into a bitter smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Her gaze was hollow and desolate.
She took off her red dress and used it to wipe the blood off the floor. She couldn’t let Percival see the blood.
Outside, the sky was growing dark. Eulalia, barefoot, stumbled back to her bedroom and face-planted onto the bed. She couldn’t sleep. She used to have hope for the future despite her illness, but now, no matter how hard she fought, it felt like a losing battle.
Four years. She’d given everything in these four years, from being head over heels to now drowning in despair.
It felt like she’d cried a lifetime’s worth of tears that day. Eulalia put her hand over her heart and thought bitterly, “My stomach’s the one that’s messed up, why the hell does my heart hurt?”
Her phone, in her bag, suddenly buzzed. She bolted upright and rummaged through her bag like a madwoman. When she saw the caller ID, her strength drained away.
It’s not him… Eulalia, what were you hoping for?
She stared blankly at her phone for a couple of seconds before finally swiping to answer.
"Orion?" her voice was raspy, like a knife scraping against a whetstone.
Orion Blackwell was her childhood friend, practically family. They grew up together. To Eulalia, he was like a brother.
On the phone, Orion sounded worried. ”Eula, what’s up with your voice? Are you sick?”
“Just a cold. Woke up with a sore throat…”
She didn’t get to finish. Orion cut her off, ”Eula, are you trying to lie to me too? Did you forget I’m a doctor? I can tell the difference between a cold and a cried-out voice.”
She felt like she had a lump in her throat, sharp as a rock, making it bleed. She couldn’t say a word, and finally let out a bitter laugh.
Orion asked, “Can you tell me why you were crying?”
Eulalia clutched her phone and stared at the wooden floor. No one likes to show their vulnerable side. She shook her head, “Nope, can’t do.”
Orion paused. He knew Eulalia was stubborn as a mule. If she didn’t want to spill the beans, you couldn’t pry it out of her even with a crowbar.
He changed the subject, “What did the doctor say about your test results today?”
Eulalia pressed her lips together, “All good.”
Orion retorted, “If you don’t wanna talk, fine. But I can check your results myself at the hospital.”
He was a big shot surgeon there, so getting her medical records would be a piece of cake.
Crap...
“It’s either you tell me, or I find out myself. Your call,” he pressed her.
The line went silent, so quiet she could hear his breathing. Eulalia caved, “Cancer. Late-stage stomach cancer.”
Orion was speechless.
She could hear him trying to hold back something, his breathing erratic.
“How can this be... you’re so young…” he muttered, his voice breaking.
Even through the phone, Eulalia could feel his sadness. He was grieving for her. To have someone care before she kicked the bucket, that was enough for her.
“Come to the hospital. I’ll run the tests again,” he urged.
Eulalia refused, “It won’t change a thing, Orion. I know my own body. Maybe it’s karma…”
“What are you talking about? Eula, listen to me. Get treatment. You can beat this…” Orion’s voice was heavy with sorrow. He was a specialist in this field; he knew how serious and painful this disease could be.
How did Eulalia let herself get this way?
Orion didn’t know what to say. Sometimes it wasn’t about wanting to live, but whether fate would allow it. Her time was running out. The hospital suggested either long-term treatment or giving up. Either way… the end was near.
"Eula, you need to divorce Percival. Look at what he’s done to you in these four years,” he blurted out.
Divorce… The thought had never crossed Eulalia’s mind. To her, Percival was her everything, the light she desperately wanted to hold on to. But how can you hold light?
She gripped her phone so hard her knuckles turned white. She mustered all her strength, “I’ll think about it.”
Divorcing Percival felt like tearing a piece of her own heart out. Easier said than done.
Orion urged her to go to the hospital again the next day. She agreed, but didn’t take it to heart.
Besides being Percival’s wife, she was also the CEO of Clearwater Corporation. She had a ton on her plate.
People’s endurance is like a camel’s back; it can carry a heavy load, but the straw that breaks the camel’s back can be as light as a feather.
After hanging up, Eulalia tossed her phone on the nightstand. Her stomach was killing her, and sleep seemed impossible. She opened the drawer and took out two bottles of pills - one for pain and one for sleep. She popped a couple of each and collapsed on the bed.
Maybe the pills kicked in because her brain started to get foggy. She was having nightmares, feeling like a ghost was pressing down on her chest. She couldn’t breathe. When she finally woke up, she realized it wasn’t a ghost - it was Percival.
Percival was like a walking freezer, and as he stood just inches away, Eulalia felt a chill that snapped her awake. She didn’t know where to look as his dark, menacing eyes bore into her.Suddenly, a bony finger gripped her chin, forcing her to look up. Her eyes were wide with panic."Parcy, what are you doing back here?” she stammered.“I come and go as I please. Do I need to check in with you?” Percival retorted, climbing onto the bed. He pinned her down, not giving a damn about her struggles. His grip on her wrists was merciless.He could feel her body go from relaxed to stiff as she fought back, but he had her pinned.Eulalia was freaking out. She’d never seen this side of him before. He was like a rabid wolf ready to tear her apart. The gentle and refined Percival she remembered seemed like a distant memory.In desperation, she pleaded, ”Parcy, it hurts… please…”"Eulalia, you make me sick. Your face, your body… everything about you disgusts me,” he sneered. “You don’t deserve an
“Investment project?” Eulalia’s eyebrows knitted together. She thought, if her dad, Sawyer Clearwater, really had a knack for business, grandpa wouldn’t have handed the Clearwater Corporation over to her.“Just wire me the money, I need it ASAP,” he said.Eulalia retorted, “I can give you the money, but you gotta send me the deets on this investment project first.”Sawyerwas fuming. What kind of dad gets bossed around by his daughter? He cussed her out over the phone, calling her a waste of space and saying she should’ve never been born. After a few harsh words, he played the victim card.Eulalia was used to his hot-and-cold routine. She coolly replied, “Got anything else to say? I’m swamped. If not, I’m hanging up.”“Wait, wait! I’ll show you!” Sawyer hurriedly stopped her, afraid she might change her mind and his golden goose would fly away.After hanging up, Eulalia sat by her computer. Soon enough, she received the documents from Sawyer. She forwarded them to her assistant and ask
Eulalia had been waiting for almost half an hour and still no reply from Percival. She glanced at the clock. At this hour, he’s probably snuggled up with Evadne.The blood on her hands had dried up and it felt gross. She mustered the strength to get up and washed it off in the bathroom. The cold water made her shiver to the bone.Back in her room, she grabbed a cup of hot water like a pro, popped some painkillers and cancer meds. The heavy-duty painkillers Orion gave her had some numbing stuff in them. She only took them when the pain was too much to handle; didn’t want to get hooked or mess up her nerves.She dumped all the pills into a regular bottle and tossed it in a drawer. Percival? She was so over him. What was it? A crush for 16 years, together for 6, married for 4... Big deal....It was barely dawn when Eulalia woke up. She wasn’t one to laze around in bed. She called her lawyer to draft a divorce agreement.The lawyer, Mr. Windgate, was shocked. He had questions but didn’t
Eulalia had seen Percival pissed before, but he always seemed so cold and aloof, even when he was mad. But today, he was like a raging inferno, something she never even imagined.What set him off like this? Was it because of the divorce? Or did he think she was hiding someone, cheating just like him?Percival didn’t answer. He slumped on the couch, shooting her a sideways glance. His red eyes made him look somewhat pitiful, like a rabbit.“Why bring up divorce all of a sudden?”Given his tone, anyone would think she was the one cheating and being abusive.Eulalia almost burst into laughter. She sat up, clutching her neck, “Weren’t you dying to divorce me, Percival? To be with Evadne without sneaking around? I’m giving you what you want, and you look like I just kicked your puppy.”“I asked why YOU want a divorce!” Percival raised his voice.“What else? I’m sick of this marriage, I don’t like you anymore, and I don’t want to be Evadne’s blood bank. Is that enough?” Her eyes were bloods
Eulalia’s lips were ghostly pale. After rattling off a string of words, she seemed to be running on fumes. She robotically put her clothes on."Percival, we could’ve wrapped up this marriage without a fuss, but since you’re being a pain, I guess I’ll have to slap you with a domestic abuse charge. See you in court.”Eulalia was one tough cookie. Even when she got the short end of the stick, she’d shed a tear or two and bounce back like nothing happened. Percival was stumped for the first time; he didn’t know how to deal with her.You know what they say, once bitten, twice shy.Eulalia was now bold enough to stand up to him, probably because she had the Shen family as her safety net. But without them, she’d be lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.He wasn’t keen on buying out the Shen family business, but now he thought, if he could make the Shen family go belly-up, Eulalia would have to dance to his tune and be his obedient little blood bank.Percival chalked up his twisted posses
The room, as big as a barn, suddenly went dead silent. So silent that Evadne could hear Percival flicking the ash off his cigarette, the tiny embers falling from his fingertips like shooting stars.Evadne hardly ever saw Percival smoke. Or, to be more precise, he hardly ever smoked in front of her, probably because he knew she was a bit of a delicate flower.A wave of unease washed over Evadne. She was on cloud nine today, all because she had stumbled upon a text message on Percival’s phone last night.Eulalia wanted a divorce from Percival.She knew Percival had gone to see Eulalia this morning. Evadne thought he couldn’t wait to get the divorce, but his gloomy face now suggested things didn’t go as she had imagined."Percy, grub’s up,” Evadne tried to pep herself up, telling herself not to chicken out. After all, she was the one Percival had loved for years, not that bossy Eulalia.Percival snapped out of his daze, stubbed out his cigarette, and sauntered over to the dining table, e
Eulalia was locked in her bedroom for three days. She couldn’t get out, and her phone was outside, so she couldn’t call for help.The first day was bearable, but as time went on, she felt worse and worse.The tap water wasn’t filtered, but she was so thirsty she drank it anyway. When she got hungry, she chewed and swallowed toilet paper. When the pain got too much, she took stomach medicine and painkillers.To conserve energy, Eulalia stayed in bed. She was sweating buckets, then getting cold, then sweating again. Her face was as pale as the wall behind her. She felt like she was fading away.Three days felt like an eternity. She had never felt time drag so much, especially at night, sitting in the dark, time seemed to stop.She closed her eyes, her mind in a fog. As a cancer patient, her body was weak. She felt feverish and touched her forehead. She didn’t have a thermometer, but she could tell her temperature was rising.Her eyes were dry and sore. She couldn’t sleep, and as time pa
Eulalia felt like she’d been struck by lightning. Her whole body was shaking, and it felt like there was a thorn stuck in her throat that she couldn’t swallow or spit out. It was like a chokehold.The courtroom was packed. All the relatives, who usually couldn’t be bothered to show up, were there. Their faces were a mix of expressions, but all Eulalia could see was mockery.Her brother, Benedict Cleaerwater, who was sitting up front, glared at her with a look of pure hatred. The moment he saw her, he jumped up and slapped her across the face.The slap was so hard that Eulalia’s head snapped to the side, her ear ringing. She felt like her mind had left her body.“Where the hell have you been these past four days, Eulalia? How dare you show your face here? You ruined our dad! Wasn’t it enough that you killed our mom? Now you have to take down dad too?” he yelled.The slap had drawn everyone’s attention. Dozens of eyes were now fixed on Eulalia, making her feel like she was being skinned