“He is not dead, Tina!” Emerson snapped, his voice filled with frustration. “Stop acting as if he’s dead. He is alive and doing well. He is going to wake up, he’s going to regain consciousness, and he’s going to say what happened. Why are you causing all this ruckus? Why don’t you wait until he wakes up and speaks about what happened?”Tina’s expression hardened, her face replaced with suspicion and anger. “Because I’m afraid that one of you will get to him before I do,” she retorted. “Maybe you’ll get rid of him before I can find out the truth. And I’m going to protect my son.”Emerson’s face twisted in disbelief. “ Are you serious right now? I can't believe this, now you think we want to do what?“ Emerson released a sad laugh before he continued. “It’s okay if you don’t want me or Mina to go close to him. You’re his mother. You’re the first person he’s going to see. He’s going to tell you everything.““ And when he does tell me something, I don’t want any of you to flee. You’re g
Everyone's eyes turned toward me, their expressions thick with anger, surprise, hatred, and disappointment. I could feel their judgment like sharp knives against my skin.Emerson's hand moved to his face, shielding his eyes as though trying to block out the truth or perhaps the sight of me standing there. He was the one person I wanted to look at, the one person whose reaction I needed to see. But he didn’t meet my gaze. I stood frozen, letting their stares cut into me, letting their judgment pour over me.Tina’s hand trembled as she raised it, pointing at me. Her voice was sharp, almost unrecognizable.“You tell me—what did you do to my son?”She pushed herself up, her entire body shaking with rage. I couldn’t move. I stood there, rooted in place, my breath caught in my throat, my mind blank. Tina was coming for me, and I didn’t know what to do.Eric grabbed her arms just in time, pulling her back as she lunged toward me. “Tina, stop!”The police officer stepped between us. His cal
I couldn’t believe it. Trayson was awake. Talking. Alive. Relief and dread worked together inside me. I was glad he was conscious—no one here wanted a murder charge hanging over their head. But he was awake.Do you understand what I mean?He was going to talk. And what would he say?Would he say that Emerson attacked him? Would he twist the truth in his favour? Every eye in this room had already judged me. Even the officer, who was supposed to remain neutral, seemed to believe I was guilty.The worst part? Tina.This was the same woman who had spent the entire dinner praising me, gushing about how much she liked me. Her son had said so himself too. Now, here she was, transformed into a raging lioness, accusing me of being a monster who had hurt her son. And no matter what Trayson said—no matter what those security tapes from the restaurant revealed—Tina wasn’t going to believe that her precious son was an arrogant asshole.BUT, No alcohol in his system? Seriously?I remembered the fla
After the nurse disappeared, the silence in the waiting room thickened. Every pair of eyes turned to me again.Tina’s gaze was sharp and accusing, her lips pressed into a tight, angry line. Eric didn’t bother hiding his disgust. He looked over me with disdain. Rita threw glances at me now and then and I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but I knew which side she was.I sat there, wondering.Why does Trey want to see me?The question circled in my mind over and over like a broken record. It made no sense. Why would he want me, of all people, by his bedside? This wasn’t just strange—it was absurd. Whether he realized it or not, he was putting me in a position I didn’t want to be in, a position I didn’t ask for.The minutes dragged on in agonizing silence.Finally, Tina broke it with a snarl. “Oh no. No one is stopping me. I’m going to see my son.”Without waiting for anyone’s response, she marched off furiously as she barreled down the hallway in search of Trey’s ward.Emerson exhal
"You're not running away from this," Eric suddenly snapped at me. "You're not running away from what you did. You're staying here until the last second. I mean, look at Rita. She's pregnant, but she's still here. This is a person you're going to work with. Can't you just stay until we make sure he's okay and fine, and then we’ll all go home?"I flinched at his words, turning my head. His eyes were locked on me. He had been watching us, waiting, studying, and now he had his moment."Mind your own business and take care of your wife," Emerson interrupted, "and leave mine to myself."Eric scoffed, rolling his eyes, but he obediently placed a hand on Rita’s back. "It’s okay, baby," he cooed, his voice dripping with false concern. "We’re going home soon. I’m so sorry about this whole thing." He made a show of shaking his head, as though the weighing heavily on him.I didn’t dignify him with a response.The police officer sighed deeply. "I know you want to go home. I want to go home too,"
"Oh... yeah," Eric muttered, realization dawning on his face. "Yeah, I remember. Tough stuff, that." He glanced at me with a raised brow. "Did that really happen? Because for a second, I thought you were just trying to paint her as a villain.""Of course, it happened!" Rita snapped. "You can go back to our high school and ask. But I kept her secret. That’s why nobody ever found out she was the one who did it."Ritq had gained Tina’s curiosity, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward. "What are the two of you talking about?" she demanded. "I want to know. Maybe it has something to do with what happened to Trey tonight."I felt my head spin. "Are you serious right now? How are the two even connected? I just met Trey tonight! What does that have to do with anything I did in high school?"Tina’s lips curled into a smug smile. "It shows your history—your history of violence."I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Oh my God, I can’t take this anymore!" I turned to the officer, my patie
"Trey…..," I exclaimed.The officer said, his voice steely, "I know you're in pain And I'm sorry, but I can’t leave this room."Trey's jaw tightened as he glared at him. His eyes flashed with irritation before a slow smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. "You know what? Fine," he muttered.He reached over, grabbed the call button on his bed, and pressed it furiously, his thumb jabbing the button over and over until, moments later, a nurse burst in, nearly out of breath."Yes, Mr. Flagger?" she gasped, her eyes wide with alarm. "Are you okay? What is it?"Trey didn’t look at her. His eyes were fixed on the officer as he pointed a finger toward him. "Tell my mother I want this officer out of my room before I lose my mind!" His voice cracked with barely restrained fury as he practically shouted at the poor woman.The nurse flinched as she scrambled backwards. "I’ll… I’ll let her know right away," she stammered before hurrying off.The door hadn’t even fully closed when the officer
I forced a smile onto my face as I walked closer toward him, keeping as much space between us as I possibly could. The air between us hung heavy with tension, and he watched me in silence, his eyes dark and unreadable. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint beeping of the heart monitor. I needed to break the silence and end this moment so I could leave the room immediately.“So,” I started, my voice light, “how are you feeling?”“My head hurts, my eye hurts, my hand hurts,” he said flatly. “And I feel like shit.”I nodded, forcing myself to appear sympathetic. “But you’re going to live, right?”He offered a slow, lazy smile, his eyes never leaving mine. “Yes, Mina. I’m afraid I’m going to keep on living. Probably for a very long time.”“Okay.” I exhaled. “Then since you’re alright, I think I’ll just tell everybody in the waiting room that you’re fine, you’re good, and everything is okay.” I turned slightly, already preparing to make my exit. “I’ll be on my way.”He
MinaI was in the delivery room about to bring my baby into this world, and who knew it hurt like hell? Mmh!I was very lucky and very grateful to have my husband here with me. He kept holding my hand, telling me sweet things, and encouraging me when the doctors told me to push. He pushed with me, breathed with me. It was kind of crazy. I don't know, maybe after I was done here I would think about this moment and laugh about it. It was a moment in my life when I really needed him, and I was so, so happy and so grateful to have him here beside me.The two doctors that Mr. Emerson insisted on having here were top in their fields. He didn’t care, he had to fly one in as long as I got everything and I was in great hands.The doctors were great, they were encouraging. I just wanted this moment to be over and for my baby to come into this world so I could hear their cry. We were still in the dark; we didn’t know if we were having a girl or a b
EmmersonThe next morning, I decided to handle things myself. I know Mina’s already been through enough trauma with her family, so I don’t want to involve her in this. She’s still asleep, and I slip out quietly to deal with Eric.I find him at the hotel, slumped over, still asleep. I nudge him with the toe of my shoe, the force making him stir. Slowly, his eyes flicker open, and the haze of sleep and alcohol makes him groggy. He rises, blinking and groaning, his hand clutching his head."Wake up, Eric," I tell him as I open the curtains, letting the bright light flood the room. He immediately shields his eyes, groaning louder."My head... hurts," he mutters, his voice thick with a hangover. He grabs the bottle of water on the bedside table and gulps down a large portion in one go."Last night," he laments, "I didn't like how your men dragged me out of that nightclub.""You call that a nightclub? It was a strip
EmmersonOh yeah?” Mina’s voice is a little high-pitched.And then Rita says something that makes my blood cold.“Of course,” she replies, her voice dripping with arrogance. “I mean if I could take Eric from you so easily before… When you weren’t this heavily pregnant, and we weren’t even living in the same house. Just think how simple it would be to take his father from you now.”Her voice is low and suggestive. Mina scoffs, maybe out of shock, but Rita doesn’t stop.“I mean, look at you,” she continues, mockingly. “You’re pregnant. You can’t even walk properly without someone holding you. You have to be carried just to get around.” She chuckles,“And me?” she adds. “I’m just getting started. The exercises I’ll do, the maintenance I’ll keep up… You know I won't be breastfeeding, right? This baby is feeding from the bottle. Nothing is messing up this....hot body.”In my mind, I can already picture her motioning to her bo
Emmerson By nightfall, the police have already paid us a visit. It’s all over the news. Madeline had a little accident on the highway. Her car hit the side of a bridge and went down under. She suffocated. But I know the truth. Let her feel what it’s like to lose air. Anyway, the point is—she’s dead. The police came because, after her attack on Mina, there was already a record of her actions. They were just here to deliver the report. To tell us that she was gone. That also settled the issue with Rose. Mina had never been convinced that Rose was behind it, and now that Madeline was out of the picture, it was clear she had been wrongfully accused. Mina was shocked with the news, I never thought she would actually be upset after everything. Even though there’s still sadness in her eyes, I can see the difference. She’s no
EmmersonAfter I had taken Mina home, I gave her a bath, making sure she was okay and taken Care of. She was reluctant to eat at first, but I insisted. “You need nutrition,” I reminded her. “I know you don't want to but do it for the baby. You’re pregnant, you're doing it for our baby.”She sighed, but eventually gave in, taking small sips of the warm soup I had prepared. I watched her closely, ensuring she had everything she needed. Then, I sat her down and gently caressed her hair.I kept talking as I did it—about everything and nothing at the same time. Just filling the silence, making sure she felt covered and safe. My voice was low and comforting. I caressed her head, feeling the softness of her scalp, letting her know she wasn’t alone.And then, she fell asleep.Once I was sure she was deep in rest, I finally allowed myself to feel it all—the anger, the frustration, the overwhelming sense of failure.How could I h
As Emerson's voice continued on the phone, offering words of comfort, trying to calm me, I felt my tears flow faster. I couldn't hear him clearly anymore over the noise in my head, the panic, the certainty that I was going to die. I just listened to him, letting his voice be a thread tying me to something.Then, the banging stopped.I hadn't even realized it.Instead, a knock. A soft, reassuring knock."Mina, Mina, come on, open the door," Emerson's voice came through the phone, clearer now.I still didn’t understand what was happening. My mind was so clouded by fear, but hearing his voice… it soothed me in ways I couldn’t explain. I was barely aware of his words, just the sound of him calling my name, telling me it was okay."Emerson, is that you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper."Yes, it's me. Open the door, Mina."The reality of it hit me. I had been trapped in a nightmare, my heart frozen with terror, bu
I started scribbling on the piece of paper.[I can't do this anymore. I'm going to kill myself.]I set the pen down and exhaled. "Okay, I'm done."Madeline narrowed her eyes. "What did you write so fast?"She stalked toward me, snatched the paper out of my hands, and read it. Her expression darkened, and before I could brace myself, she slapped me hard across the face. The force nearly knocked me out of the chair.A sharp sting spread across my cheek, my vision blurred for a second. My entire face tingled from the impact, and I gritted my teeth, refusing to let a single tear fall.Who knew I would ever be in this situation? Kidnapped at gunpoint. Forced to write my own suicide letter.Madeline took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Then she smirked."You're smart, Mina. We can argue about a lot of things, but not that. You're a smart little thing, a devious little thing. That’s how you got Emerson i
Madeline’s grip on my arm became almost painful. I could feel the gun on my side, like a silent, invisible threat.I forced a laugh, shaking my head. "Oh, you know... My condition." I gestured vaguely at myself. "It’s still hard for me to get up, takes a while to get out of bed. I was sleeping."Tom stared at me, his eyes searching my face as if he was trying to read through my words.Then, finally, he gave a slow nod. "Okay."But he still didn’t leave."Can I come in?" he asked. "I can give you some company.""No!" The word shot out of my mouth too fast, too loud, too desperate.Madeline pressed the gun against my side, a silent threat, a warning that made my blood turn cold.Tom’s frown deepened.I forced another smile, shaking my head quickly. "I mean—no, it’s okay. I was sleeping. I don’t need company right now."I gave an awkward laugh, motioning toward the inside of the apartment. "If you came in, you’d just be sitting alone because I’m going back to bed."Tom didn’t look conv
"I'm sorry, Madeline, I swear I didn’t—""Just tell me why!" she shouted to my face, her voice filled with frustration.I was shaking, my throat dry, my mind running a mile a minute. "I don't know, okay? Maybe because he was there. He was nice. He was understanding, and he made me feel safe. He made me happy. He made me feel like I could be the person I wanted to be." My voice cracked, and I rushed to explain, desperate for her to believe me. "It was never about his age, Madeline. I always thought he was cute, you know? I always thought he was really handsome. And then when we slept together, I realized I could have everything I ever wanted with him, okay? I'm sorry. I really didn’t know—"She let out a cold laugh, cutting me off. "You're not sorry. Stop trying to act like some innocent girl who thought he was ‘the one.’"Her voice was mocking, twisting my words into something dirty."You don’t even love him. Not really. You love the things he represents." She took a step closer, he