I know some people are going to call me a hypocrite, but Eric always treated Tina with respect—almost like she was his mother. He had just called her his godmother at dinner for Christ's sake.This was so inappropriate.I didn’t know if he was taking advantage of the situation, taking advantage of her, or if he didn’t even realize what he was doing. I didn’t know.But seeing the look on Rita’s face?Now that was good.That was priceless.The way she got mad. How her face turned red with fury. My heart released some heartache.As we reached them, Rita shifted her body, positioning herself firmly beside Eric. Emerson and I stood directly in front of Eric and Rita.Emerson didn’t waste time.“How is he? What did the doctor say? Is he going to be alright”Tina, trying her best not to cry, answered, “They haven’t told us anything. Ever since we got here, nobody has told us anything. I don’t know how my son is doing. I’m so worried. I just hope he gets out of all of this alive.”Eric reach
They were all staring at me, waiting. The room felt smaller, and my heart raced. I was nervous. Too nervous. So I blurted the first word that came to my head."Nothing."Tina’s eyes darkened, her voice rising. "What do you mean nothing? Treyson is lying in there. He is hurt. His life is on the line, and you’re telling me that nothing?""I mean… nothing really happened," I stammered, my voice weak. "I don’t know what you expect me to say. I just… I don’t know what happened."Her anger rose as she stepped closer. "What do you mean you don’t know what happened, Mina?""Okay, let’s just calm down," Emerson interjected, his tone soothing as he placed himself between us. "I get that our emotions are running high, and we all want answers, but let’s take a breath."Tina was having none of it. Her glare burned right through me. "No. I want to know what happened to my son. You and Mina were the ones with Trey when it happened, and I want to know exactly what went down. Are you going to tell me?
I sat there on the chair, just sitting, staring at the walls, watching nurses and doctors pass by, their steps brisk, their faces a blur of calm and urgency. They came in and out, speaking softly, holding clipboards in hushed tones. My mind was blank. My body felt distant, as though I was a spectator of my own life.Then, out of nowhere, I heard the hurried click of heels—a determined, sharp sound cutting through the quiet of the hospital. Voices followed voices trying hard to be composed but strained.Tina and Emerson appeared first. They weren’t walking together; they were locked in a tug-of-war of anger. Emerson’s face was tight, his jaw clenched. Tina, her eyes wild, was a storm barely held in place.And behind them, a police officer.The sight of the uniform turned my stomach to ice. Panic surged through me so violently that I thought I might be sick. It’s done. We’re done. Everybody knows. I didn’t know how far this would go, but my mind raced to the worst. Was I an accomplice?
“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,"
By the time we turned back towards the room, we noticed that the doctor had already left. I guess there had been too much crying in the room. I found myself laughing. "I'm so happy, Emerson." He grinned, his excitement evident. "I'm even happier. You don’t know how I’m feeling right now. I want to—" He let out a breathless laugh. "I want to dance. I want to jump with joy. I want to scream it from the top of this building. I'm going to be a dad, Mina!" "And I'm going to be a mom," I said, my voice breaking as fresh tears welled in my eyes. Emerson's expression softened. "Oh my God, why are you still crying? I don’t think it’s good for the baby to cry so much." "I know," I sniffled, wiping my eyes. "I’m going to try. I really am. But I don’t know how to stop—I’m just so happy." At that moment, my stomach let out a loud rumble. Emerson chuckled. "Looks like our baby is hu
The doctor’s expression remained calm. “Did you drink every day?”I shook my head quickly. “No, not every day. Just occasionally.”Guilt flooded me. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I—I didn’t know I was pregnant.” My voice cracked, and the tears returned, burning the back of my eyes.The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “Mina, it’s okay. You didn’t know.”I hiccupped on a sob. “But what if I—”“Listen to me,” she interrupted firmly, “You and the baby are healthy. Tomorrow, we’ll do a full examination, and so far, everything looks good. The important thing is that you know now. And because you know, I trust that you’ll take better care of yourself from here on out.”I sniffled, nodding, still feeling the weight of my mistakes.“But I need you to stop panicking, Mina,” she continued. “Stress will raise your blood pressure, and that’s not good for the baby. Right now, I just need you to focus on resting and
I just sat there, staring at Emmerson. My tongue felt heavy like it was weighed down by all that I couldn’t bring myself to say.“Come on, what is it?” Emerson urged, his voice softer now, careful. “Tell me whatever it is. We can go through it together.”But there was fear in his eyes. A fear that told me he was bracing himself for the worst.I opened my mouth, but no words came out.Before I could even attempt to find them, Trey spoke up. “We’re still waiting for the results. There hasn’t been a concrete answer yet.”Emerson exhaled, his shoulders losing a fraction of their tension. “What do you mean, concrete answer? What did the doctor say? What could it be?”“It’s fine,” I said quickly, nodding as I squeezed his hand. “Just wait for the results.”He looked at me, then at our intertwined fingers, and for some reason, my hands were trembling.Then he turned to Trey. “Treyson, can I talk to you aside for a minute?”Panic spiked in my chest. I clutched Emerson’s hand tighter. “No.
Trey looked at me, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—sympathy, maybe even sadness. His voice was quiet when he spoke again.“You’re pregnant, Mina.”I stared at him. The words didn’t make sense. They bounced around in my head, refusing to settle.“It’s not possible,” I said, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. It carried no joy, only confusion. “What are you saying, Trey? I can’t be pregnant. I… It’s impossible, okay?”I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore. My mind scrambled for explanations, for reasons..... This couldn't be true.Trey didn’t argue. He simply took my hand and placed it gently on the bed between us. His grip is grounding.“The doctors just confirmed it. You’re a hundred per cent pregnant.”“But how?” I whispered, shaking my head violently, as if denying it hard enough would make it untrue. If I accepted it if I let this idea take root in my mind, only for it to be ripped away later… I wouldn’t survive that. I couldn't.“They’re wrong,
I exhaled and looked at him. "Eric, you're just a bad human being. You slept with my sister, got her pregnant, and you were about to marry her. And not once did I attack you. Not once did I go to the papers and say, 'I broke up with Eric Blackwind because he slept with my sister.' That would have made headlines. I could have made a lot of money from your Betrayal. But I didn’t."I shook my head, disbelief coursing through me. "But the minute you found out I was with Emerson, you—" I scoffed. "You acted like I had committed murder... As if I had done something that deserved a death sentence. You acted like the real person that, deep down, you really are."Eric bowed his head, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry. I know I'm not a good person. I'm selfish and arrogant. I'm all those things. I'm evil. I am all that you accuse me of and more"His fingers curled into fists, his jaw tightening before he spoke again. "And you know I didn’t want to divorce you.
"You!" Rita’s voice sliced through the air like a dagger, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. "This is all your fault!" She accused, her voice filled with bitterness.I blinked, frozen. "What did I do?""You did this to me!" she screamed, her face filled with rage. "You turned Trey against me! And now you’re turning Eric against me too! You’re turning everyone against me!" She cried bitterly.I stared at her in shock and disbelief. "Are you serious?"Her chest heaved. "It was always you. Always you!" she spat. "Mom always complaining about you. Dad would always talk about how smart you were, and how nice you were. It was always Mina this, Mina that! It was almost like I was invisible."Oh. So that’s what this was about.I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "So this is about our childhood?" I asked, arching a brow. "About how you felt ignored while mom never spared me a glance? Did we have the same childhood? Mom adores you.
"Don't say that," Rita cried, her voice cracking with desperation. "Please, don't say that."Eric’s face remained cold, without any emotion. "You destroyed my life." His words were sharp, cutting through the air. "You told me you loved me. You promised me a family because you knew how much I loved talking about having a baby of my own, about having a family. But you? You were never who you pretended to be."Rita shook her head violently. "No, Eric, please—""What were you after, really?" Eric went on, his voice filled with disdain. "Always speaking ill of Mina behind her back, always trying to turn me against her. Now I see your true colours. I don’t know if it’s the hate you have for her or if it’s the money you were after. Because you spent more money than Mina ever did while we started dating until we got married, you spent ten times more. And I let you—because I wanted you to be happy. But to realize this about you now....?"His jaw clenched as he exhaled."No, Eric, stop saying t
It was Eric. How did he get in here? How did he even find us? I didn’t hear the door open. But perhaps it didn’t matter, as I had been so absorbed in the heated argument between Trey and Rita that I hadn’t noticed anything else.Then, I heard Rita screech. “Eric, what are you doing here?”“I followed you, darling,” Eric answered, his voice dripping with mockery. “I wanted to know where you would go. And I had a feeling. And I was right. You fucking stupid—”Before I could react, the sounds of stomping filled the air, then a groan. Rita screamed, “Stop it! Stop it! Get off him! Get off him!”The sound of fists meeting flesh followed, making my stomach churn. I couldn’t stay in the hallway any longer. I turned and ran toward the living room, my heart racing.What I saw when I arrived left me frozen in place.Eric and Trey were going at it, their fists flying as they threw punches, pushing each other down, slamming each other into furniture. Their anger was evident in the room.Rita wa
“Are you breaking up with me, Trey?” Rita’s voice pitched higher, full of disbelief.“I’m not breaking up with you because we were never together, to begin with.”“Then what was all that?” Her voice grew louder, more frantic. “The way you flirted with me, the way you used to compliment me, the way you and I were so intertwined with each other. The way we fucked... You can’t tell me that you didn’t feel it.”Trey was silent for a moment before answering. “You’re right. We didn’t make love. We fucked. We had sex. It’s done. I regret it. Now it’s over. I would really advise you to start focusing on your marriage right now.”The room went silent for a few seconds, and I leaned closer, straining to hear what they were saying.Then, I heard Rita’s voice, screeching in fury.“Are you fucking kidding me, Trey? Are you stupid?”I winced.“My marriage is gone. My marriage is over. Eric doesn’t want to fucking see me. He told me that the next time he sees me, he’s going to kill me. I signed a pr