CHAPTER 5 - Ethan's News

After hours of being monitored for any concussion, Sherah was released from the hospital.

At the same time, Ethan had just arrived in Australia. Sherah wanted to call her husband to tell him she was released, but she knew she would only be a nuisance to him. 

She can’t help but feel the harsh reality of overstaying her welcome.

With that, she swallowed the gnawing feeling in her chest, signed her release forms, and processed everything on her own. 

She felt the weight of Ethan’s betrayal, but she couldn’t do anything but shove everything into the depths of her mind and wait it out.

Mindlessly, she entered the elevator and soon encountered Eliot on his way to check on her.

Eliot’s eyes lit up upon seeing her, but it was soon changed to concern when he saw the sadness in her eyes. He cleared his throat and plastered a friendly smile, “Good god, I got hold of you.” He uttered it politely.

She gasped in surprise. Her hand shook slightly, “Why? Is there something wrong?” She asks casually while hiding her tensing nerves.

He lowered his head and stared blankly at the floor, “Kinda. It's about your car. It got towed.” He explains.

Her eyes widened, “Oh? I guess I parked on the wrong side.” She said playfully, making light of the situation.

“Yeah…” He paused. “There’s something else… When it got towed, the personnel noticed the brake fluid leaking, and when they checked it further..." He paused as he held her arm gently. "They said it looked like someone damaged it deliberately.”

She furrowed her brows. Confusion was written all over her face.

He sighed, “What I’m saying is… Someone might want you dead.” He pointed out. 

She chuckles lightly. “Isn’t that a bit farfetched? Who would want me dead? I'm just a housewife—”

She didn’t have time to complete her sentence when an idea entered her mind. “Is this how Ethan was planning to get rid of me? What happened to his plan of divorcing me? No… No… He won’t do that. Will he?” She asked herself as she tried to shake the thought out of her mind.

Eliot whistles, “I know it sounds farfetched, but think about it… Two... I mean three different incidents within 24 hours,” he explains. 

"Three?" She questioned as she could only think of two instances. 

He nods. "The supermarket robbers. The car that almost runs you over and the brakes." He pointed out.

She giggles. She doesn’t want him to stress about her, “Don’t worry about me. I can manage.” She said convincingly while plastering a big smile that didn’t reach her eyes. 

“Before I got married. I was working my ass off in the most unsafe places in New York, and I live in Brooklyn… In Brownville.” She added assuringly.

He grinned while caressing the back of his neck, “What if I drive you home? I would feel better if I saw you enter your house.” He offers.

She nodded in agreement and was driven home by Eliot.

The moment she got out of the car, the mansion butler, Sebastian, greeted her with disgust and contempt.

Sebastian scoffed, “Did this peasant just bring home a lover?” He said to himself as he made his way to them.

“Mrs…” He called out as his eyes twitched as if he wanted to vomit every time he needed to call her Mrs.

“I don’t think it's appropriate to bring a… man inside the mansion without the young master's presence.” He said mockingly.

Eliot squinted his eyes and gave a death glare. “As a doctor and Sherah’s friend, I have to make sure that the lady of the house returns safely from the hospital.” He replied, his words sharp as if telling the butler who’s the boss.

Sebastian gasped in disbelief, as he didn’t expect Sherah to have such a friend. 

Eliot’s hostile glance at Sebastian stays till he decides to leave when Sherah enters the mansion.

The moment Eliot drove away. Sherah turned to Sebastian. “Why do you hate me so much? What did I do to you?” She asks.

Sebastian almost chokes as he never anticipates the question. 

“I beg your pardon…” He muttered, acting oblivious. 

She smirked. “You heard what I said. Now I need an answer.” She demanded. Her voice was authoritative. 

He cleared his throat. “Well, for starters, you are a nobody that was brought here to the mansion, and you are not supposed to be the lady of the house it's…” He stopped mid-sentence as he already said so much.

But it's more than enough for Sherah to know that the butler knew about Ethan's love for Sophia.

“Does grandma know about this? Am I the only one who doesn’t know?” she mumbled to herself as she hastily ran to their bedroom. The same room they had shared for five years now felt like quicksand, slowly eating her alive.

For the next few days. She messaged him as she tried to act like everything was normal. Unsurprisingly, he only replied to tell her that he was busy and that he’d call when he had time.

From then, Sherah lay awake in bed every night. Thinking if there's a shed of truth to any of Ethan's words over the past five years.

She picks up her phone and scrolls through the photos of them in the gallery.

Smiling.

Laughing.

Hugging.

Kissing.

"All of these are lies?" She asked herself as she zoomed in and out of the images, observing how he smiled and laughed.

"When are you going to tell me?" She mumbled through the sorrow on her chest as she held her phone tightly.

"Why must good things end for me? Am I a bad person? Did I do something bad in my past life?" She kept on asking. The night became sleepless.

Questions kept her awake, and the truth pressed on her heart harder as she thought of the words he said.

~Don't talk to me like that. I gave Sherah everything that Sophia was supposed to have. It just so happened she's not her sister. I can never love her.~

~ I can never love her.~

~ I can never love her.~

His words haunted her mind, and she had difficulty breathing.

She got out of bed and went to the restroom.

She stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't even notice she was already crying.

She opened the medicine cabinet and saw the bottle of vitamins he had both for her. ~It helps women get pregnant~ that's what he told her, which was a big fat lie.

Her agony continued as Ethan’s messages became less and less every day. 

After a week, Ethan returned home.

Sherah welcomed him into the living room with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. The excitement she usually feels whenever he comes back from a long trip now switches to fear of hearing him leaving her. 

She stands firmly in the living room and observes his haggard look as if he hasn’t slept a wink. Dark circles around his eyes, and stubble around his chin, and his clothes looked unkempt.

He looks stressed and frustrated. There seemed to be a cold, distant look in his eyes as if he was somewhere else.

Meanwhile, Ethan ignored her presence and sat on the couch. Elbows propped on his knees, both hands touching his forehead as if he were questioning his own sanity.

He still can’t forget the favor he did, and it is gnawing at him. Never in his lifetime did he plan to bribe police officers to make sure the accident involving Sophia wouldn’t be documented, as if it hadn’t happened, but for Sophia, he could bend anything to keep her safe. 

“It's an accident anyway, and the money I gave to the police and the family involved in the car crash should be more than enough to keep their silence forever.” He said to himself. Coaxing himself to believe his actions in the past week are justified.

The disarray in his mind was soon interrupted when Sherah spoke.

“Do you have a jetlag? Do you want me to get you some medicine?” Sherah asks nicely. Her voice broke at every word. 

Instead of answering her question or greeting her, the usual, ~Hey, how are you? Sorry, I’ve been busy~ he went straight to the point. 

He sighed deeply as if mustering all his courage. He lifted his head and stared at her amber eyes, “I don’t think our marriage is working well, Sherah.” He stated in confidence.