04 – I BEG YOU

POV: LAUREN

Still lost in my confused thoughts, I was pulled back to reality by the insistent sound of a cellphone ringing next to the hospital bed. The name of my mother, Amelia, flashed on the screen. I answered quickly, still overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.

“Mom?” My voice came out low, filled with uncertainty.

“Thank God, I finally reached you! I’ve been calling for hours!” she exclaimed, the urgency in her tone impossible to ignore.

“What happened? Are you okay?” I asked, feeling a growing tightness in my chest. “And Dad? Is he okay?”

“Dear, we need you to speak to your husband,” my mother got straight to the point, her voice trembling with despair. “Your father’s company suffered a terrible blow. We’re on the verge of bankruptcy.”

My heart began to race.

“What? What do you mean, a blow?” I exclaimed, sitting up abruptly, the phone nearly slipping from my hand. “Mom, calm down! Explain exactly what’s happening!”

On the other end of the line, I heard a sob.

“I don’t understand everything,” she admitted, pausing as if trying to catch her breath. “Your father said his shares were stolen… we’ve lost everything, dear. All the money. The clients, the investors… they’re furious. They’re protesting in front of the company. The employees are demanding their overdue salaries. And your father… he’s as lost as I am.”

My heart ached as she continued, her voice now filled with pleading:

“You have to help us! Convince Ethan to support us, just like we once helped him! Please, daughter, we have no other way out!”

I stared at the hospital ceiling, my mind in complete chaos. Ethan’s betrayal, the unexpected pregnancy, and now the collapse of my family’s company. How could I possibly fix all of this? And what would I do if Ethan refused to help?

“But, Mom.” I tried to protest, biting my lip as anxiety took hold of me.

My mind was torn. Would Ethan even help us? He had been so clear about wanting a divorce.

“Please, daughter!” My mother’s voice broke into sobs on the other end of the line. “I fear the worst. You know how fragile your father’s health is, and the company is his life. He won’t be able to handle losing it too!”

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to suppress the pressure building inside me.

“I’ll talk to him, Mom. Don’t worry,” I said, my voice firmer than I expected, even though fear was eating away at me. I knew that, after my confrontation with Ethan, getting any help from him would be nearly impossible. “I love you both. I’ll find a way to fix this, I promise.”

“Thank you, my dear.” Her voice carried a mix of relief and tenderness.

I hung up and ran my hands through my hair, trying to organize my thoughts. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t stay still. I paced back and forth before finally gathering the courage to dial Ethan’s number.

The phone rang several times. Each ring felt endless until his voice finally came through, dripping with impatience.

“What do you want now?” he asked brusquely, his tone full of disdain. “Are you calling to apologize for the slap and the threats?”

“Listen, the one who should be apologizing is you for betraying me,” I started, but the words caught in my throat. I swallowed my pride and let out a long sigh, trying to control the anger boiling inside me. “Ethan, I don’t want to argue. I’m calling because I need to ask you for something.”

“I already know!” he interrupted me, his voice cold and almost tangible. I could hear the sound of his tongue clicking on the other end, as if he were savoring the situation. “I saw in the news that your father's company is in chaos.”

I felt my blood boil.

“If you knew what was happening, why didn’t you do anything to help him?” I shouted, indignation taking over me. “My father gave you a hand when you had nothing! He believed in your dream, in your company, when no one else did!”

Ethan remained indifferent, his cutting voice interrupting my frustration.

“Just tell me what you want!” he demanded, his tone dripping with irritation. “Why are you calling me?”

I gripped the phone tightly in my hand, struggling to keep control. Anger pulsed through me. He didn’t even ask how I was doing. Did he know I was in the hospital? That I was almost run over? Or did he simply not care?

I took a deep breath, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

“Ethan, please,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m begging you, save my father’s company.”

The words felt heavy on my lips, filled with shame and humiliation.

“Now we’re making progress, Lauren,” Ethan said, his voice tinged with amusement, as though he had been expecting this all along. “I can save your father’s company, but it will come at a price.”

“I’ll do anything,” I replied without hesitation, clinging to the sliver of hope.

“You will claim your share of the company and its assets, hand everything over to me, and sign the divorce papers,” he declared coldly, not a hint of hesitation in his tone.

The weight of his words hit me like a punch.

“You can’t be serious,” I sobbed into the phone, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my face. “Ethan, if I could give you a child, would things be different between us? Would you still want a divorce?”