“Regina, are you okay?” Arthur’s softer voice asked from the other side, and she looked up as she wiped her tears away. “I need to tell you something before he comes back. I drugged you the entire time you were with Jacob because he wanted you to cry and scream when he raped you, but he wouldn’t touch a sleeping body. He said it felt like he was fucking the dead. So I made you sleep.” “You what?” “I drugged you, so he couldn’t do anything to you. All the things he told you were lies. None of them happened.” “You did that for me?” she asked, confused about whom to believe. Was this version of Arthur telling the truth, or was it also another lie? “I couldn’t bear the thought that I stood by and watched while he harmed you.” “Why?” “I always loved you, Regina. I always will,” Arthur said before his face changed again. “That stupid shit. What did he tell you?” Armed with the knowledge that nothing happened between them, Regina stood to taunt Jacob. She wanted to get to the bottom o
“Multiple ambulances en route to the emergency bay!” The announcement blared on the overhead speakers. “ALL HANDS ON DECK! ALL HANDS ON DECK!” Multiple people injured can mean a lot of things, a big car accident on the freeway, a fire at an apartment, an explosion at a makeshift meth lab, or something as simple as getting heat stroke during summer. Grace Medical Hospital was used to these kinds of things happening from time to time, but not all days were this busy. The hospital was in a peaceful part of town and used mostly by patients who needed costly procedures like neurosurgery, organ transplants, and plastic surgery. The best surgeons in the world had taken up residency at the hospital because they liked the living areas and the community it built. But that is not why the hospital became popular. People knew them for their philanthropic efforts, such as feeding the homeless, no-cost healthcare, and never turning away patients who needed medical attention. Regina Martin is a
Ding! (Don’t forget to arrive at your interview early.) Yeah, I know. Ding! Ding! (What time is your interview?) (30 minutes early would be the ideal time, so you can relax and get rid of your nerves.) Regina was the youngest in their family and she could not help that everyone was worried about her, but sometimes she felt choked by their good intentions. Ding! (Your dad will know if you don’t show up.) Yes, Mom. I’m already here. Regina set her phone to vibrate, knowing her mom would not stop nagging until the interview ended. Buzz. And there she was. (He pulled strings for you to get on this list. You need this job.) Thank you! Buzz. (Stop rolling your eyes.) Regina turned off her phone to silence her mom. She knew the following messages would just make her mad. ‘For crying out loud. Stop controlling my life!’ Regina screamed in her head and touched both her temples with one hand. She could feel the tension building and just wanted to back out and head home. ‘I kne
Owen Bennet had several people lined up for the interview. He needed to fill three positions to help care for his mother, Hailey Bennet. In the past five years, his mom’s Alzheimer’s had gradually progressed, so he needed trained professionals to care for her as the maids they employed to do housework had difficulty knowing the right thing to do. First, Hailey forgot little things. She couldn’t recall her name while filling out a form, but she shrugged it off as old age. Then, as she stood in the middle of the mall, it took her a moment to remember why she was there. Only the sound of her assistant’s voice calling her name eventually brought her back. She denied being sick, but when they realized she did not know who she was for longer periods, they knew it was time to bring in the professionals. All the Bennet family members were present that afternoon to interview the candidates. Owen wanted to involve his mother and brothers so they could scope out the potential applicants an
‘Not all blue-eyed men are gun-crazed maniacs.’ ‘They are not all bad. Some are nice people.’ ‘He was one guy, and they locked him up.’ Regina recited the positive mantra she created to calm down. “Reggie Martin?” Jonah asked, looking suspiciously at the roster. “Yeah, it’s Regina Martin. I signed my nickname when I filled out the form. Is that going to be a problem?” She asked, noticing only men were sitting in the waiting area when she looked around. “We did not expect—” Regina raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. ‘Was he about to say, woman? Are these people sexists? Is that why there are only men here today? I think the Labor Department needs to give them a visit.’ Jonah cleared his throat. “Let us head in so we can start the interview.” “Ms. Regina Martin, here for the nurse position.” The men at the table looked at her in surprise. Miss? They tried to mask their reactions, but Regina noticed. “Mr. Myles Bennet to your left.” Myles nodded in his dark blue s
Mrs. Bennet looked around frantically a few minutes after Regina left. “Where is Mandy? Why did she go?” “Who?” Yvan asked. “My best friend. She was just here.” “The nurse? She had to go home for the day, Mom.” He answered. “Where does she live?” “It’s on her file.” Yvan got a swat on the side of his head. “What are you doing? Don’t give her ideas.” Myles ground the words out in a whisper. “We’ll show it to you later, Mom. The next applicant will be here in a few minutes.” He said in a normal tone. “Just don’t forget, okay? Maybe we will visit her later.” “Sure, Mom,” Myles said dismissively, thinking Mrs. Bennet was in one of her episodes and it would pass away soon, so he swept her request under the rug. -=- Regina was sure she wouldn’t get the job. She was the only female nurse there that day and caught early on that the invitation for the interview had definitely been a mistake, only because she signed her name as Reggie instead of Regina. They couldn’t cancel Regina
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to say this, but the madam never paid for the items she ordered.” Regina looked at the untouched cake slices in front of her and the fruit drinks beside them. When she hesitated, the server spoke. “You guys looked like you were discussing something important, so I didn’t think it was right to interrupt.” “Oh, it’s fine. I’m just calculating if I should eat half of this right now and the rest at home later, so you won’t think I’m a pig.” She laughed, and so did he, bringing out the dimple on his cheek. ‘Hmm, he’s kinda cute.’ Regina admired the cute server when she thought of an idea. “Do you mind if I ask the people in your cafe if they would like some free cakes and drinks? I really can’t consume all of this.” He agreed, and when only the chocolate cake and iced tea were left, Regina sat down and pretended she would eat it. “Oh, here’s my card. Just charge everything on it.” The man’s eyes lit up after reading her information. “Miss Albright, my name is Jas
A few days later, Regina was relaxing at home in her black tank top and tiny shorts, dancing to the beat of her favorite tunes. She just finished applying to another hospital, knowing she was not getting the Bennet job. So she played it cool. She borrowed a few of her father’s long-playing records, something they had in common even with almost 50 years of an age difference. Regina was a miracle baby. Her parents had given up on having a daughter. So when she came out, everyone doted on her and guarded her with their lives. She loved the sound the old record player made. It was an heirloom from her brother, handed down with the apartment. Choosing the next album and the feel of changing the records gave her entertainment. Stephen Albright had records he collected from when he was a teenager, classics from the 70s to the early 90s when record sales went down because of newer technology. Recently, popular musicians jumped back on the bandwagon, and the newer generation started calli