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
My husband’s phone pinged with a message. I was about to take it to him at work because he’d forgotten it at home. The message was from my sister. Curiosity piqued, I entered the password to unlock the phone and went to the message.“I AM PREGNANT.”My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. Pregnant? I had to sit down for this. I sank into a nearby chair and began scrolling through the messages between my sister and my husband. The evidence was clear: they had been having an affair for a very long time, and now it looked like she was pregnant. Something I couldn’t even manage to do.A tear escaped my eye as I tried to compose myself. It shouldn’t have been a complete surprise, considering how close they had recently become and how oddly they had been acting. I had suspected they might be involved, but I didn’t want to believe that the two people I trusted most could betray me in this way. Still, I should have suspected it.She’s probably not pregnant with him, I lied to myself as I texted
While still dancing and thinking about the man who had just walked into the bar, I felt the guy I was grinding against starting to get a little too handsy. His hands clumsily wandered towards my waist, then my butt, and soon he was trying to slip his fingers inside my dress. I swatted at his hands, but he didn't stop. Frustrated, I decided to leave the dance floor, but he grabbed me and pulled me back.I was too drunk and uncoordinated to fight him off effectively. As I pushed him away, telling him to leave me alone, “Let go of me…..let me go.“ His hands continued their unwanted exploration. The music was too loud and everyone around us was lost in their own world, and no one seemed to notice or care.Just as his hand began to gain entrance into my dress, rising higher and higher, dread filled me. I struggled to push him away. Suddenly, I heard a fierce growl. "Stay away from her! She said no."The man was shoved away from me, and I looked towards my rescuer. The voice sounded fam
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
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
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
“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
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?
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 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
The car grew silent again, but of course, Rita couldn't just let the moment be. She decided to shift her attention from me to Emerson.“Mr. Blackwind—oh, I’m sorry,” she started awkwardly.Emerson didn’t miss a beat. “It’s fine, Rita. We’re family. You can call me Emerson.”I couldn’t help myself. “Or, Dad. You can call him father.” I gave a low laugh, the kind that dripped with sarcasm. If she was going to call him Dad, how exactly was she supposed to refer to me?Classic!The thought amused me more than it should have. I started laughing again. Rita shot me a glare, but then she straightened her posture, composed herself, and chose to ignore me. Smart choice.“What do you think happened to Trey?” she asked, her voice suddenly filled with curiosity and concern. “I mean, he was fine one minute, and then he just fell, and there was blood everywhere. Do you think it could be… a disease? Maybe he fainted from something else? Maybe he had a heart Attack Or an allergy to the food?”She li
The car was silent as we made our way to the hospital. The hum of the tyres on the road was a dull soundtrack to my chaotic thoughts. 'Oh God, please let Trey survive. Please don’t let anything bad happen. Please, just this once, let everything be okay.'The prayer looped in my head, unspoken but desperate, until a voice broke through to the present.“Mina? Mina?”I didn’t respond. I was too lost in my thoughts.“Mina!” Rita’s voice sharpened, as she shouted.I turned my head sharply toward her.“What do you want, Rita?”“Have you seen Mom? Have you talked to her lately?”I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping before I could stop it.“Of course, you know I haven’t. You’re the one who talks to her all the time. You’re her bestie, aren’t you? You’d know if I had because she tells you everything.”Rita continued. “I think you should call Mom. At least check in on her. Whatever happened between the two of you—she’s still your mother.”Another scoff, sharper this time.“After what she said at