Death; the only escape

Chapter 8

Violet stood up and unconsciously walked to her brother's favorite place—a small mountain. She didn’t cry; she felt numb. All she could hear were the voices of her neighbor and the news anchor repeating the same devastating words: Wave is dead.

The ex-wife of Lucas Wells had been arrested as the primary suspect.

Reaching Wave's favorite place, which was close to a cliff, Violet fell to her knees.

“Nooo!” she yelled, tears pouring down uncontrollably.

“No, please,” she screamed repeatedly, her voice echoing in the emptiness. Her family was everything to her, and now, they were falling apart. She couldn’t believe the nightmare her life had become.

Unable to bear the loss, she moved toward the edge of the cliff, despair clouding her mind. She wanted to end it all. Her mother was going to be locked away for the rest of her life, her brother and unborn child were gone, and her husband had ended their marriage. The crushing weight of her losses made death seem like the only escape.

Standing at the edge, Violet closed her eyes and took a deep breath as though it were her last.

Just as she was about to step forward, a loud male voice echoed behind her.

“Violet!”

She froze.

“Violet, please turn around and look at me!” the voice cried out.

Shocked by the sudden interruption, Violet unconsciously turned back to face the source of the voice.

“Violet…”

“Who are you?” she interrupted sharply, her voice hoarse from crying.

“My name is Sean,” he said, pausing to gauge her reaction. But all he saw were red, swollen, lifeless eyes staring back at him.

“I’m your mother’s brother,” he continued softly.

Violet’s expression twisted with suspicion.

“Tell me—did that bastard Lucas send you here to lie to me or kill me personally?” she spat, her voice laced with bitterness.

Sean’s eyes grew cold at the mention of Lucas’s name, and his demeanor changed.

“Violet, I would rather die than have anything to do with that bastard,” he said icily, his tone making her pause.

She studied him for a moment before replying, “Look, I don’t care who you are. I have no use for knowing you, okay? Leave me alone,” she said, her voice breaking as fresh tears streamed down her face.

“So that you can do what?” Sean asked, cautiously moving forward.

“Stay back!” Violet yelled. “If you come closer, I’ll jump!”

Sean stopped in his tracks, recognizing her stubbornness. But instead of pleading with her, he tried a different approach.

“Violet, if you jump, what happens to your mother?”

Violet froze, her mind racing at his words.

“My mother…” she whispered as tears fell harder.

“Lucas will make sure she’s locked up forever. But you—you're her only hope.”

“I—I can’t save her,” Violet muttered. “I have no way of fighting Lucas.”

“Yes, you do,” Sean countered firmly. “You just don’t want to because you’re scared.”

Violet let out a bitter laugh, wiping her tears. “Look, Sean, I would move heaven and earth for my mother if I could. But I’ve failed her. I’ve failed my brother.”

“So, you’d rather leave her to rot in jail?” Sean pressed.

“No!” Violet yelled. “I’d rather die than see her rot in jail!”

“Then why are you abandoning her?” Sean asked, his tone sharp but steady. “If the roles were reversed, your mother would fight to the death for you.”

“How dare you accuse me of abandoning her?” Violet snapped. “If you’re her brother as you claim to be, then you abandoned her too! Where were you when Lucas and his mistress made her life a nightmare?”

Sean’s face fell, and his voice grew heavy with regret.

“I failed her,” he admitted. “Our parents were against her marrying Lucas. They knew he was a playboy. But your grandfather—the CEO of the company where my parents worked—believed Selena’s goodness would rub off on Lucas. They didn’t give my parents much of a choice.”

Sean’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“I begged my parents to quit their jobs, to let Selena walk away, but she refused. She didn’t want us to suffer because of her decision. I warned her, but later, even my parents bought into the idea. I was furious. I left home because my sister—my best friend—was walking into a trap.”

He paused, his voice breaking.

“For years, I worked hard. I wanted to build a life where I could bring her out of that mess. But when I finally returned, I found out she was going to jail.”

Violet stared at him, shocked by his confession.

“I was wrong to abandon her,” Sean continued, his voice resolute. “But I won’t make that mistake again. Violet, I have the resources to fight for your mother and to give your brother and unborn child the justice they deserve. We can take those horrible people down together. But please, don’t jump. Take my hand.”

He stretched his hand toward her.

Violet hesitated but knew he was right. Slowly, she extended her hand to meet his. But as she took a step forward, her foot caught on a loose rock.

“Violet!” Sean shouted as she slipped and fell.

She tumbled over the edge, disappearing from his sight.

Months Later

“Sir, she’s opening her eyes,” the nurse in charge of Violet’s treatment informed Sean as the doctor attended to her.

For three months, Violet had been in a coma after sustaining serious injuries from the fall. “It’s a miracle she survived,” the doctor had told Sean earlier.

“Where am I?” Violet asked weakly, struggling to sit up.

“Calm down, miss,” the doctor said gently. “You just woke up from a coma.”

“Coma?” Violet whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Violet!” Sean called out, his face lighting up with a huge smile as he moved closer to her bedside.

Her gaze shifted to him, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“Who are you?” she asked softly.