Chapter 5

Scarlett’s POV

With my heart pounding, I dashed out into the hallway and saw Ethan trembling on the floor; his eyes had rolled backward. I heard the front door slam shut as the blonde girl he’d brought home was nowhere to be found; she had fled the scene already.

I leaned beside Ethan, feeling a wave of fury and concern sweep over me. "Ethan, what's happening to you?" I asked calmly, trying not to panic so I wouldn't scare him.

He couldn't respond as he was still trembling, and by this time, frothing from the mouth. I knew this wasn’t child's play, so I quickly dialed 911.

“911 here, what's your emergency, please?” a male dispatcher's calm voice answered. “Oh God…. Something terrible is happening to my husband! Please save him.” I panicked, choking on my words.

“Ma’am, I need to help you, but to do that, you must be calm and speak clearly, okay? What is happening to your husband?”

“My husband is frothing and trembling, his eyes are rolled backward; please help.” I begged while sobbing.

“Okay, ma’am, I understand you; it seems like your husband may be having a seizure. Can you please tell me your address? I am going to dispatch an ambulance right away.”

“Okay…” I trailed off, nodding forgetfully.

“Can you take a look at his chest or place your ears close to his mouth and nose to watch for signs of breathing, and how long has he been seizing? Is his skin color blue?” he asked, his voice steady.

“Y-yes, he’s breathing…I don't know how long…I met him like this…and yes, his skin is bluish.” I stammered, trying to keep my cool.

“Alright, ma’am, help is on the way. I have dispatched an ambulance heading to your location. Can you please stay on the line with me so I can guide you on what to do next?”

I nodded, forgetting he couldn't even see me. Then I quickly replied, “Yes.”

“Okay great, please can you make sure there are no harmful objects surrounding him, loosen any tight clothing, and roll him over to his side, keeping his head and neck straight with a soft pillow under. The paramedics will be with you shortly. Just stay with me, ma’am; you’re doing great.” He kept reassuring me.

As we waited, I couldn't help but pray internally to God to please save him. We might not be the best couple, but death is the last thing I’d wish on him. I ended the call with the dispatcher, and called his family to alert them of the situation.

The paramedics arrived, and I stood there watching as Ethan was carried into the ambulance. I trailed behind them, my mind racing with all kinds of questions.

We got to the hospital, and I paced nervously in the waiting area, my footsteps echoing off the walls as I held my hands together, hoping for some good news.

His family eventually arrived, and his mom started sobbing uncontrollably as Mr Donovan wrapped his arms around her. His eyes were red, but unable to shed any tears. I kept pacing back and forth, not sure of what to do.

“Calm down, Veronica, Ethan is going to be okay, he’s a strong man.” Mr Donovan tried to console his wife, but it felt like he was also trying to convince himself that Ethan would be okay. They looked really scared like they were praying for the best but expecting the worst, like it wasn’t the first time something like this was happening.

“Scarlett, honey, don’t be scared; Ethan would definitely pull through this,” Mr Donovan assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze, and all I could do was nod.

Eventually, a doctor appeared.

“Doctor, how is he doing?” We quickly asked, our voice urgent.

“He is stable, but we need to run some lab tests and watch him for the night,” he said.

I nodded while feeling relieved and anxious at the same time. As I waited, I couldn't help but think about Ethan and our chaotic relationship, how I was stuck in this sham of a thing called marriage, and what had led us to this point.

I decided to call my friend Vera to come stay with me while we kept waiting. I needed someone with whom I could share my feelings, someone who would understand me.

Vera got here, she sat quietly beside me while comforting me with her presence as we waited for news about Ethan's condition. The tension in the air was so obvious, but I was thankful to have her by my side. Ethan’s parents were at the far end, they looked like they were discussing something very important, they couldn’t possibly be discussing business at such a time, could they?

Finally, the doctor came to us with some news. “He is going to be okay. However, he should be kept here for the rest of the night for close monitoring.”

I nodded, feeling relieved but still worried.

Vera turned to face me as I was leaving the room.

"Are you okay, Scarlett?" she said, her eyes staring into mine, looking so concerned.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said, trying not to make her worry. Vera nodded while still staring at me.

“Remember our promise, baby girl; you don't have to do this alone.”

“I’m always here for you,” she said.

Her care and intentions were so pure and true. Vera has been the only one in a long time who cared about me, she has been a friend. I wasn't sure about how to process the emotions I was experiencing at the moment, so I suppressed them. “Thanks, Vee,” I said in a forceful voice. “I appreciate it."

Immediately, my phone vibrates loudly in my pocket. I took it out and saw a text from an unidentified number.

“Scarlett, I know your secret.”

As I read the text, my heart jumped. Who was this? And what did they mean by this? I quickly showed it to Vera, and her eyes widened in confusion.

“Who is that? and what do they mean by this?” she gently asked, trying not to sound too loud for the others to hear.

I felt uneasy while shaking my head. “I don't know,” I responded. “Maybe it’s just someone trying to joke with me, but who and at such a time?”

“Wait a minute, Scarr,” Vera quickly chipped in.

“You don't think it's about…” At that moment, a nurse emerged through the door.

“You can see him now,” she said.

We all quickly stood up to leave for Ethan's room. As we entered the room, Ethan's gaze fixed on mine and then shifted to his mom. “Mom,” he said quietly, his voice faint. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Vera was suggesting, it couldn’t be. No one besides Vera, Dad, Grandma and I knew about that secret, and it was supposed to remain that way, so that text had to be a harmless joke, right?

“Ethan,” Mrs Donovan called while approaching him, sobbing, as did I with fear and sadness all over my face. “Ethan, what's going on?” she questioned.

However, before he could respond, the machines around him began beeping uncontrollably. His eyes widened with fear in them as the nurses quickly came in. Ethan's dad quickly held his wailing mom.

“Ethan, no, you can’t do this to me, I can't lose you too!!” Veronica wailed

“Nurse, what's happening?” I questioned, my heart thumping as though it was going to collapse.

But before she could answer, everything went dark.