Tristan"Oh no, not I, I will survive," I savoured the taste of alcohol, the chorus and verses of the song blending seamlessly. Gently humming along to the tune, "Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive. I've got all my life to live. And I've got all my love to give, and I'll survive."The song played in the background, as a barrage of questions swirled in my head.By now, another attack should have occurred, the side effects of the unfinished dosage of that drug.Thankfully, I had anticipated Sebastian's move beforehand. Otherwise, this additional torment would have remained incomplete. The pain this time would be even worse—a pain that would propel me towards the next part of my plan. The ultimate one that would mark the end of their story.The bitter-sweet flavour of the liquor provided some relief, although the mere thought of Athena's struggle should have sufficed.So why did I find myself seeking solace in alcohol?I'm drawing closer to achieving my revenge. E
AthenaThe pain didn't subside as quickly as Sebastian had assured me. It persisted, dragging on for hours. What made it worse was the unpredictable fluctuations in my body temperature, swinging from scorching heat to bone-chilling cold. Words failed to capture the sheer horribleness of it all; it was an indescribable torment. It felt as if my energy was being drained from the very core of my being, as if I had already lost copious amounts of blood.My teeth chattered uncontrollably, and my body convulsed with continuous waves of shivers, each second worse than the last.This felt even more unbearable.Sebastian had dressed me in warm clothes and tucked me under the duvet, doing his utmost to keep me warm. I couldn't fathom how exhausting it must have been for him to constantly offer support when everything seemed so out of control. The weight of responsibility lay heavily on his shoulders, and despite my efforts to conceal my pain, I knew I had achieved the bare minimum, which felt
AaronMy phone rang beside me, abruptly waking me from my somber slumber. I squinted at the nightstand, where my phone displayed an unknown number in flashing digits. A frown creased my face as I sat up, feeling the grips of a pounding headache—presumably the aftermath of the alcohol I had consumed last night. It was clear I had slept all day.I picked up the phone and answered with a weary, "Hello.""Well, hello, Mr Lozano," a very familiar and unpleasant voice sneered from the other end, "I guess you've found alcohol as your sole companion instead of Athena. Good job."This bastard..."What the hell do you want, Tristan?""Nothing! I just wanted to give you some good news—your dear Athena faced two disastrous leaps in her pregnancy, the second one being a while ago. I guess I can drag her to her grave within a week.""What?! What the hell are you talking about?""I'm sure you heard me correctly. I believe the boy has grown to be eight and a half months old. From what Sebastian descr
Athena"So...the abnormal growth is life-threatening, and this is not a good sign?" Cora seemed to have a hard time digesting the truth, and the worry swarming in her eyes said it all."Yes, it's kind of like that, but look, on the bright side, I get to meet my baby boy faster," I smiled,"It could be a bad sign, but I don't care about it. I am just happy that I won't have to wait long.""But wait, I don't get it. Why can't you two opt for an early delivery? I know it can be risky considering the premature instincts of your baby, but the risks might be minimised compared to a normal delivery. I just don't understand why the doctor thinks it's riskier," Cora spoke, her voice carrying an edge of frustration, "Give me the name. I'll speak to him myself.""We both have done our research, Cora," Sebastian sighed, "I've also spoken to a few other doctors out there, even though they didn't take over our case, their opinions did not vary. They, too, believe it's safer to perform the delivery o
Sebastian "Did she face any more difficulties?" Tristan's voice rang from the other side of the phone."Not really, she has been in good health for the past two days. The baby's movements do not appear too rapid either," I said, “However, she complained about a bit of stomachache a few hours ago, but it faded away on its own, so I did not give her any medicine.""Oh...that's good, nothing to worry about. Often during pregnancy, it's normal for there to be occasional stomach discomfort due to excessive gas and fatigue. However, I believe you should give her the medicine, since we do not want her to go into labour soon. We have to minimise the risk factors and plan a safe delivery.""Is it necessary?" Hesitancy seeped into my words.God, I still couldn't fully trust Tristan. Something about him just didn't feel right, no matter how helpful he had seemed all the way long."Actually, yes. We have kept her off medication for just a while, and we have already seen the adverse effect it had
AthenaCora's eyes widened with fear, her hands trembling slightly. As for me, I had no idea how I was supposed to react. Yes, fear gripped me, and the sensation of the blade's tip pressing ever so slightly against my throat sent shivers down my spine, even though I had faced death countless times before. But this time was different; now, with every breath I took, I knew my child's life hung in the balance, vulnerable to the ultimate death.What scared me, even more, was that the person holding the dagger was someone I had considered a friend."Aa-Aaron, what are you doing?" My voice quivered as my hands instinctively moved to shield my belly, as if I had already discerned Aaron's intentions. Was he truly here to harm me?"I am doing what I should have done earlier," he hissed, tightening his chokehold on me and pressing the dagger closer to my neck, the tip bruising my skin. I gasped in pain, but he remained unyielding, "I have tried everything, Athena. I've attempted to make you und
Sebastian"Yeah, I'll be there within fifteen minutes," I said into the phone as I pushed the files aside and fetched my car key, "Have you taken good care of my mate?""I can't believe you'd doubt me like this," I heard Cora's voice shriek, "What's wrong with you?""Am I wrong for believing in your clumsiness?" I chuckled, "I don't think so. Anyways, tell me, have you given her the medicine?""Not yet. We were very busy shopping," She said, "It's in the car. I'll give it to her once we are there. Don't worry.""Okay. I am hanging up then. I will meet you two there."I walked out of my room, heading downstairs. God, it hadn't even been that long since she went out, and I already felt like I had been stuck here for a decade.As I headed for my car, deep down craving to pull her into my arms, a sudden voice called me from behind—a very familiar one, yet one I had never thought I'd hear again."Sebastian..."My gaze shot back, and unexpectedly, I saw the last person I had expected to see
Athena "What is this place? Please, Aaron, let me go. I beg you."Instead of responding, he simply tied my hands behind my back. As I pleaded with him to release me, desperately trying to convince him not to hurt me or my baby, fear gripped me. This was the real Aaron I was facing now— The facade was no longer there.The surroundings around me were unfamiliar and I didn't even know my way back since he'd very cleverly covered my eyes right after a few minutes he had forcefully gotten me inside the car. All I knew is that I was locked in an old, dusty room. My eyes caught the peeling paint on the walls. It hung like tired skin, revealing the layers of time that had passed, as if the room had seen countless lives come and go. The air was heavy with the scent of decay, and I could almost taste the dust particles, and a cloud of musty air that assaulted my senses. Cobwebs stretched across every surface, connecting the remnants of a strange bygone era. Ancient furniture, draped with tatt