Chapter One: Untimely Demise

Evelyn's POV

I sat in the room, the sound of my thumping heart was louder with the placidness around. As the clock ticked every moment, my body grew more intense in fear and anticipation. How long have I been sitting here? I could barely remember, but I was badly waiting for the doctor to enter the room. But even if he comes, I doubt he could dispel the unease that coiled in my stomach like a slithering serpent. 

I jerked back from my seat when the door was pushed open. The doctor stepped into the room and made his way to his seat. I furrowed my brows, trying to fathom his expression in order to know my fate, but he had a serious look arched on his face as he passed a paper to me. 

“What does it say?” I asked, looking at him desperately.

“Take a look,” was his only reply as he leaned back against his seat. With a racing heart, I slowly opened the paper and read through it. 

“Positive?” I turned my gaze to look at the doctor. I stared at him with wide eyes in disbelief. “Doctor… I'm pregnant,” I said almost in a whisper as my lips broke into a smile and tears filled my eyes. “Please tell me I'm not dreaming,” I was almost in tears as I waited for his reassurance. 

His smile widened, and that alone was enough to reassure me that I wasn't dreaming. I was actually pregnant. “I'm pregnant!”

The serious look on his face fell and a genuine smile replaced. “Congratulations. You're pregnant, Evelyn. I'm happy for you,” he beamed, causing my breath to cease.

“Oh my goodness! I'm pregnant. I… I can't believe that I'm finally pregnant, Dr. Henry. You know how long I've been hoping for a child. For five years and finally,” my voice broke as tears rolled down my cheeks. 

“I know, Evelyn,” he nodded his head.

“Oh my! I have to share this with Caleb. He would be so happy,” I quickly finished up with the doctor. My goal was to share the good news. 

I got into a cab and went straight home, eager to tell the news. I entered the living room, looking around confused. Where was Caleb? I thought he said he was feeling unwell to go to work. Or did he still go to work in my absence? I wondered as I walked towards our room. 

However, I suddenly stopped in my tracks as I heard sounds coming out from the room. I could hear the lascivious moaning coming from the room. My body froze in shock and fear gripped my heart. 

“God, please don't let it be what I am thinking,” I whispered as my heart raised even faster as I held the doorknob and immediately, I pushed the door open. The sounds became more audible, causing my heart to sink. My gaze landed on the bed and a gasped escape from my lips. My body became tense. Caleb's naked figure on top of a lady. 

I took a step back, my heart pounding within my rib cage as I realized what was going on. “C-Caleb?” My voice trembled as I called in a whisper.

Hearing his name, he snapped his head towards me and his lips parted in shock. “Evelyn!” He quickly pulled away. The lady propped herself up, and her face came in full view. I felt the air stuck in my throat the moment I saw her face.

“Dana?” I felt the world around me spin, and I quickly reached for the wall. 

In a split second, she slid out of the bed with the surrounding sheet.

“Evelyn, what… why are you here?” Caleb's voice caught my attention and I turned to look at him. He was already struggling to put his brief on. 

“Caleb… how could you?” Fresh tears flooded my eyes as I moved my gaze between them. 

This felt like a nightmare that I badly wanted to wake from. “Dana, you're my best friend. H-how could you?”

“Evelyn, please allow me to explain. I… I thought…" he struggled to say a word, but his words were lies and poison that would only destroy me from within.

“You're right. We've been doing it for six years now!” She yelled from behind him, her hand holding up the sheet around her chest.

“What are you doing, Dana?” He snapped furiously.

“Don't you think it's time for her to know the truth? We already discussed this, and you've agreed, so what's the difference if you tell her now? Would it make any difference later?” She countered back.

What was going on? They wanted to tell me about what? About his infidelity and her betrayal? Several questions ran through my mind, but I ended up asking just one question.

“What do you mean by six years?” I inquired and waited with bated breath. 

Dana pushed past him as she walked towards me. “You want an explanation, right? A better one to help you fathom what you just saw. Well, here's the truth, I always had a crush on Caleb since college, but then I realized that you liked him too. So I began to think about it. Your father was CEO of the renowned company but sadly he has no successor and you, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the company. You wanted to pursue your fashion designing career. However, if you get married to your husband, the company would ultimately belong to him,” with her piercing gaze and cryptic smile, I could almost read the evil thoughts in her heart.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I took a step back, steeling myself for the battle that lay ahead as she took one step closer. She leaned down towards me, her breath in my hair as she spoke. “I seduced him, got him to fall in love with me and used him. You don't know how joyful it was to watch you struggle for a child while paying little attention in the company. You're helplessly in love and that is your weakness,” she spat before pulling away. Her smirk sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to show any sign of weakness.

The tension mounting with each passing second, I felt a surge of adrenaline course through my veins and without thinking, I pushed her harshly.

She groaned in pain while Caleb rushed to her side. “Are you okay?” He asked, holding her gently.

Anger, shame, regret, and pain filled me. The emotions made it hard for me to breathe. It was all my fault. Why didn't I see this coming? How could this be happening for six years? 

“I-I'll tell the board about this. You're incapable of handling the company,” I said in fear and confusion. 

Slowly, he turned to look at me. “No you won't,” his eyes were dark as the night sky and his gaze as sharp as the blade as he looked at me. “Do you know how long it took me to be the CEO of that company? You think I'll let someone as useless as you ruin that for me? I never actually liked you, I only dated you because I wanted Dana,” he revealed. His cold, calculating eyes bore into me, sending a chill down my spine.

“W-what did you say?” I took a step back in trepidation.

“If you dare try to do anything, I'll make sure you regret it because that would be the end of you, just like I did to your father.” he threatened, his voice filled with extreme hate and his eyes shone with anger. 

“What do you mean by ‘just as I did to your father, Caleb?” I swallowed the lump in my throat as I squeezed the test results in my hand.

He squeezed his eyes shut and when he finally opened them, they were as dark as an abyss. “Don’t tempt me Evelyn, if you dare do anything funny I swear on my life that I'll make sure you painfully regret it.” he spat.

“You haven't answered my question,” my voice was barely above a whisper, but the desire for an explanation was way above my whisper. 

But Caleb suddenly went mute, and I felt dread rising in my throat like a tornado. “Answer me Caleb!” I screamed at him and his eyes narrowed at me as he screamed back at me. 

“‘Your father didn't die of any bullshit cancer, it was I who killed him!”

What?!

“I paid his doctor to place him on the wrong medications after forging a fake cancer test result. I needed to get the company as fast as I could and the mere fact that he was alive was a huge obstacle. There you go, satisfied now huh?” he added brutally. 

I staggered away from him in shock, how…….how could he do this to me? Hot tears brimmed my eyelids and flowed down my cheeks in torrent. All this years, I've lived cursing cancer for taking away my dad, not knowing the man that I literally loved and worshipped was the one who took him away from me. 

There was no way in hell I was letting him take the company. I had to do something as fast as I could. Without blinking, I turned to the door instantly as I reached for the doorknob desperately, but I felt a sharp pain as something hard hit my head from behind. I fell to the floor, my vision blurry as the world continued to spin, yet I forced myself to take a look at Caleb and there he was, holding a metal vase. 

My gaze shifted to his treading feet. I struggled to stand up back on my feet as I propped myself up. My heart raced with fear as I sensed his presence drawing near. My eyes wide with terror as I realized the danger I was in. I attempted to back away, but it was too late. He was already advancing on me with menacing intent, he raised the vase in aggression. 

Unexpectedly, the second blow landed on my head, sending me crashing to the floor. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth as I struggled to stifle a cry of pain. I tried to crawl away, but he kept coming, raining down blows upon me in defenseless form.

“I warned you Evelyn, I freaking warned you!” He murmured in my ears repeatedly. Each strike felt like a hammer against my fragile body, each impact shredding my sense of security and trust as the pain increased, reminding me of their betrayal. 

Through the haze of pain, I caught a glimpse of his face, twisted with rage and cruelty. It was a nightmare come to life, a horrifying ordeal that seemed to have no end. “Please stop,” I pleaded but ended up gasping for air. 

In a final act of brutality, he left me battered and broken, my body a canvas of bruises and lacerations. With a trembling hand, I reached out for help, for anyone who could offer solace in the wake of such senseless violence. I was slowly slipping into the darkness and my body turned cold with blood seeping from my wounds.

I could hear Dana's voice in the background. “I think that's enough. You already mess the place up with her blood. Just look at the sheets,” her voice was fading, and my eyes slowly closed in darkness. 

Was this the end? I never imagined losing my life this way. The same day, I found out I had a child inside of me. Why did I trust the wrong people? 

“If there truly is a supreme power please give me a second chance I pleaded. Just another chance to rewrite my past' I felt hot tears rolling down the corners of my eyes. I'd never forgive them, not even in my next life.

Those were my last words before giving into the darkness lurking around and accepting my cruel fate.