"What" I asked as my heart skipped a beat, "What did you just say" Tears began to stream down my eyes."The doctors aren't sure she would make it to the next day" Ethan's voice softened. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as tears began to stream down my eyes, I couldn't imagine life without my mother, it couldn't be."I need to get to Ashville" I realized as my stomach twisted, how could I be here when my mother was dying? "I know, I have called the pilot, he will be here soon," Ethan said, moving towards me as he sat beside me, I laid my head on his shoulder, clutching onto my burning heart as I cried."I can't lose her" I shook my head, I would be nothing without her.After 15 minutes the pilot came, and the helicopter took us to his jet, with Ethan holding my hands every step of the way we flew to Ashville. As soon as we got to Ashville a limo was ready to take us to the hospitalEthan held tightly onto my hands until we got to the hospital, as we got to the hospital he released m
"She is sleeping right?" I asked turning to Jake who didn't say a word, tears streaming down his eyes."Mama I know you are sleeping but can you please wake up" I said desperately picking up her hand and trying to make it stand on its own. Jake silently got up from his seat, going out to call the doctors.After minutes of talking to my mother, the doctors came in."She is sleeping' I whispered to the doctors as they walked in. I watched them run in checking her heart monitor and then her pulse. "You are making too much noise" I yelled at one of the doctors. "Why wouldn't you let her sleep Doctor" I berated them, the tears in my eyes drying up as I told myself that my mother was sleeping."Shh!" I made a hush sound putting my hands on my lips and asking everyone to be quiet. "If you talk too loud, you will wake her," I said in my moment of Insanity, I watched the nurse cover her face."Let her breathe" I snapped at the nurse wondering why she tried to suffocate my mother, I struggl
"Who?" My eyes widened as she introduced herself as Jake's mother. It was impossible, even Jake had no idea who his mother was. "Is this a joke?" I wondered. Why would Jake's mother suddenly show up and want to talk to me, isn't she supposed to be talking to her son first? "It's not dear, come in let's have a chat" she insisted, I looked around feeling reluctant about entering a stranger's car."Trust me" she assured me with a warm smile, her beautiful smile convinced me to enter and I did. "Are you really Jake's mother?" I asked as soon as I entered the limo, the smell of her nice soft perfume hitting my nose. "Yes dear" she replied, she sounded so elegant. I watched her pour a glass of pink champagne before handing it to me. "Does Jake know you are here?" I asked.I was certain he would be excited, he always spoke about how he wished his mother was present. "Have you always been here?" I questioned again, before she could answer the first question. I wondered if she had always
"I know you do" Ethan cut me off before I could say more. "You may not be sure how you feel about me, but I am, I know you love me too Emily," Ethan said so confidently. How could he be so sure? "It doesn't matter," I yelled feeling frustrated, everything about my feeling for Ethan was wrong."I just lost my mother, I think it's selfish that you are talking to me about love now" I scolded. "I really don't want you around me anymore, please go back to New York" I requested getting out of the car.I waited for him to say something but he didn't making me bang the car door before walking away. "See you tomorrow Emily" he yelled as I walked away. ******Two weeks later. "This is beautiful," Denise said staring at the painting I made of my mother, for the past two weeks I had been painting, it was a form of therapy for me. "You think so," I asked Denise, she and I had built a suddenly strange friendship, and I realized she wasn't that bad."Very beautiful, it looks just like her" De
"What?" My eyes widened as Jake asked me to marry him. The whole room started to chant "Say yes, say yes" and I was confused. Jake and I had not had a normal conversation in months and now he was asking me to marry him. I heard the door open and I turned to find Ethan walking into the restaurant, he leaned by the door folding his arms and watching the show. "Say yes, Say yes" The scream got louder, I looked again at Jake who was still kneeling on the ground. "What are you doing" I whispered lightly and he yelled."is that a yes? did you just say yes" I was confused as hell and I gave him a confused stare. He got up from the ground, raising his fist in the air, "She said yes" he yelled and the crowd began to cheer, I turned to Ethan who just glared at me.Jake reached for my hand to put the ring on it and I pulled my hand away. "Don't be shy babe" he said forcefully pulling my hands and forcing the ring on it. "I have another surprise for you" he announces and the light of the re
Ethan smirked, "You can't?" he asked again, his eyes narrowed. I nodded reluctantly and without saying another word he walked to his car and drove away. As I watched him drive away my mind told me to call him back, but I had no idea what to say, I couldn't do what he wanted me to. After a minute of standing outside, I went back into the restaurant, where chatters filled the air. I stood by the bar, "You okay Emily" Karen the bartender asked and I nodded."Celebrating!" I said forcing down a smile as she put the drink everyone else was having on my table. I picked it up taking a sip before turning to watch the room, Jake was in the middle of the crowd cheering while Gloria was nowhere to be found. "You didn't say yes did you?" My father asked, moving towards me."Of course not," I said staring at my father as he pulled up a seat and sat close to me. "Jake seems a little forceful doesn't he" My father sighed and I nodded. My father looked a little concerned like he had just reali
"Assaulted!" I exclaimed wondering what he meant. "What do you mean by assaulted" "He sexually assaulted her" my father explained and as he spoke I found myself shaking my head, I didn't think Ethan could, I remember the rage in his eyes when William tried to and how much he kept apologizing. "Ethan would never!" Blurted as my father's eyes narrowed at me. "Are you calling your Cousin Mary a liar?" my father asked and I shook my head.Mary was my father's late sister's daughter, she spent a great time of her life with us, she was like a sister to me and one thing I was sure about is that Mary would never lie about such a thing. "No Mary would never' I corrected myself, starting to accept Ethan for the monster he may be, Jennifer's words suddenly rang in my head "Be careful with Ethan' I remembered she said.. .Promise me you will stay away from him," My father requested and I nodded feeling disgusted by Ethan. *********The day of the grand opening: I stood nervously staring at t
"Why" I asked wondering what made her so sure. "Well there is something I need to tell you," she said and I nodded. Before she could say another word, the door to the gallery was pushed opened and a crowd of people flooded in. "Emily" Denise called my attention to the crowd, they were so much it was overwhelming. "What did Ethan do?" I smiled and Jennifer shrugged, the room filled with reporters and influencers all taking pictures of our art. "Emily" Denise called me again, pointing at some reporters who wanted to talk to me. "They would like to interview you," she said and I blushed. "Me?" I grinned pointing at myself, I had hoped the grand opening would be a success just not this much.I had not planned anything to say to reporters, it was unexpected. "Go," Jennifer urged pushing me forward as I agreed to go. "Ms Emily Sanders" they all rushed to talk to me, over seven of them and they were all asking questions at the same time. "Please drop your questions and Emails on the
"What are you waiting for? Don’t leave the poor guy hanging," my father teased, raising his fist in the air. "Say yes," he said, joining the chants. The moment those words left his lips, it felt like the world paused. Everything I had ever wanted, everything I had ever hoped for, was falling into place. My father’s approval was the last piece of the puzzle. With a heart full of joy, I turned to Ethan, my voice shaky with excitement. "Yes!" I said, extending my hand to him. Ethan's smile widened as he slid the ring onto my finger. He lifted me into the air, swirling me around, and I giggled, my heart fluttering with excitement. It was a moment of pure bliss, as though nothing else existed in the world but us. When he finally set me down, I noticed Jennifer walking toward me, a soft smile on her face as she held a beautiful white dress in her hands. "You always said you wanted to get married in your mother's dress," she said, holding out my mother’s wedding gown, now perfectly alte
"What's going on, Dad?" I asked, my voice rising above its normal pitch, my heart starting to race. "Just come home, Emily. Now!" he yelled, ending the call abruptly. I stared at the phone, my mind blank. What could possibly be the problem? I couldn't think of anything, except maybe, like my mother, my father was sick too. I took a deep breath, dialing Ethan's number to inform him that I was getting on the next flight to Ashville."My dad just called me. He sounded really panicked. I think something is going on, and I have to go home now," I said as soon as Ethan picked up the call."Is everything okay? Did he say what was wrong?" Ethan asked. I shook my head as if he could see me."No, he just said I should come home. I'm going to the airport now to get the first ticket home," I felt the need to keep him informed."Just hold on. I'll call the pilot to take you," Ethan said, reminding me that he had a private jet. "I'll call the driver to take you to the hangar right now," he added,
"Long story short, his parents aren’t dead," Ethan said as he pulled into one of his mansions."What?" I exclaimed. "Don't shorten the story! Please, tell me the full details," I demanded, watching him park in the underground garage.Ethan sighed and turned to face me. "Wayne’s parents are not dead," he repeated.I narrowed my eyes, waiting for more. "They're at the island," Ethan continued.My eyes widened. "When I took you to the island, I used the opportunity to see them. They've been hiding from Christof because he wanted them dead. They stole from both me and Christof," Ethan explained.I nodded, starting to piece things together. "And the video?" I asked.Ethan smiled. "Faked. It was a video I made to convince Christof they were dead. He was starting to doubt my kills," he said with a shrug."And you didn't tell me? You let me judge you all this time?" I said, feeling a pang of guilt."Your judgment wasn’t far from the truth. I have killed people, Emily," Ethan said, locking eye
"So, tell me," I said, staring at him, my eyes glistening with curiosity.Ethan smiled. "A very important person owed me a favor. When Rose called, I decided to cash it in," he said.I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Who is this very important person who could easily turn a death sentence into nothing?" I wondered aloud.Ethan chuckled. "That’s my little secret," he teased, and I smiled."But," he added, "it wasn’t exactly changed from a death sentence to nothing. Someone else took the blame."My eyes widened, and I shot him a sharp glance. "An innocent man took the blame for you? That’s not fair!" I scolded."I wouldn’t call him innocent," Ethan replied casually, his tone so nonchalant it made me roll my eyes."I thought you said you’ve changed," I huffed, folding my arms across my chest."I have changed," Ethan insisted, but I just rolled my eyes again."Then tell me exactly what happened," I demanded, noticing he was only giving me snippets of the story. My eyes stayed fixed on him,
"Please, let's be a family," Ethan pleaded, kneeling before me and pulling out the ring, the same ring he had proposed with over three years ago. I watched him, a weak smile tugging at my lips. "I don't think this is the best place to propose," I said softly, glancing around the hospital room. "Besides, the floor isn't exactly sanitary. Please, get up." I said everything except what he wanted to hear."Well, answer me so I can get up," he replied, a smile playing on his lips. I glanced over at Jennifer, who nodded, urging me to say yes. I looked back at Ethan, my sweet Ethan, still on his knees."I love you," I said slowly, "and I would love to have a family with you. But I can't marry you." The words felt heavy as they left my mouth. I helped him to his feet, but I could see the hurt in his eyes."Why not, Em?" Jennifer’s voice cut through the silence that followed my answer."Marriage is... too heavy," I explained, feeling the weight of my father’s disapproval bearing down on me.
"Then don’t do it," Jennifer urged softly, her voice steady but filled with concern. I shook my head, tears streaming down. "I have to," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I don’t have enough love to give them at the moment. They deserve more than a broken mother," I thought to myself. The nurse, standing nearby, remained silent, her face professional yet kind. She quietly placed her Doppler aside and handed me a tissue to wipe my tears. “You can head back to the doctor’s office,” she instructed gently. Jennifer and I both nodded, and we made our way down the hallway, my heart heavy with each passing moment.As we got to the doctor's office, we pushed open the door without knocking, only to stop abruptly. Another patient was seated inside. “Oh! Sorry,” Jennifer exclaimed, starting to close the door, but the doctor’s voice cut in. “No, Ms. Sanders, come in,” the doctor urged, his tone serious but also welcoming. I hesitated at the door, reluctant to walk in or speak about my choice
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jennifer’s voice was soft, yet filled with concern as she held my hand tightly. We walked into the clinic, the sterile smell of the place overwhelming my senses, and my heart raced in my chest. I could barely focus as I tried to take deep, steady breaths. "Yes, Jen," I replied, though the words felt hollow, like I was trying to convince myself just as much as I was convincing her."You just found out you're pregnant," she continued, her eyes searching mine for any flicker of doubt. "Wouldn’t it be better to wait? To think it through a little more?" Her voice was gentle, but beneath it was a plea.I shook my head, biting my lip to keep the tears at bay. "I don’t want to change my mind." The words came out firmer than I expected. I didn’t want to be swayed. I couldn’t be. I needed to do this before the weight of everything crushed me completely."I’ll go in myself," I urged, my voice quieter now. "Wait in the car with Irene and the others." I couldn’
“What!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening in disbelief. I turned to Jennifer, who looked just as shocked. “It can’t be,” I stuttered.Jennifer turned her head towards me, confusion etched across her face. “I thought you said you and Jason never…” she wondered.I nodded. “Never,” I echoed, panic rising within me.Jennifer looked back at the doctor, her voice firm and certain. “You must be mistaken, doctor. My friend has been celibate for over three…” Before Jennifer could finish, I cut her off. “I haven’t been celibate!” I whispered, feeling the heat of shame wash over me. My mind flashed back to the afternoon of her wedding, the memory of Ethan flooding back, the heat of the moment, our impulsive connection, and my frantic rush to escape afterward, forgetting the after pill.Jennifer’s expression shifted to one of motherly concern. “Who?” she asked, her voice firm. I bit my lip, avoiding her gaze, my eyes darting to the doctor, who was watching our exchange intently.“Ethan,” I murmured,
Six Weeks Later: The Final Hearing"Please, don't go through with it," I pleaded, my eyes fixed on Ethan as we stood together just before the trial. For almost six weeks, he had refused my visits, and this was the first time I'd seen him. He looked thinner, worn down by time in custody."You look pale. Are you okay?" Ethan asked, concern flickering in his eyes.I shook my head. How could I be? I had been feeling sick constantly, throwing up, dizzy, and suffering from headaches."Are you eating well?" Ethan’s voice softened. "Isn't Jason taking care of you?" He asked and I frowned at the mention of Jason. "We broke up," I whispered, my voice barely audible. After Ethan turned himself in I couldn't bear be with Jason, i was always sad around him, never giving him the time and attention he deserved, hence i had to break up with him, but he didn't takes it well, he insisted he could wait for me to heal and feel better, but i knew from the bottom of my heart that I could never love him. N