Weight of Words Untold

That night, Dean was in a great mood, accepting every drink his business partners offered without hesitation. Meanwhile, Fred and I sat in the corner, like forgotten clowns at a circus. When Fred tried to offer him a drink, Dean didn't even acknowledge it. The people around us exchanged knowing looks and began mocking us openly."Seems like the Byrds really don't know their place. Mr. Potter has already thrown them plenty of projects, and now they want to steal more from us.""With an appetite that big, they'd better watch out… Greed never ends well."Fred's face paled, but he quickly forced a smile. "All those projects have been cut. We're just hoping you can throw us a bone, Mr. Potter."Dean, visibly irritated, gestured toward me. "You want new projects? Let her do the drinking."Fred grew flustered, glancing at me nervously before speaking up. "She can't drink. I'll drink with you instead."Dean didn't budge, his gaze fixed on me, savoring the opportunity to make things d

I could no longer hear what he was saying, but suddenly, I was transported back to that night when he and Elaine were wrapped up in each other's arms. Panicking that a swarm of reporters might discover us, I grabbed his hand and pulled it around my waist, leaning against him for support. He shoved me away forcefully, his disgust palpable. "Veronica, don't forget, we aren't married yet!" I felt weak all over and collapsed, a wave of metallic sweetness rising in my throat. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard his urgent voice. "Veronica, what's wrong?"When I awoke in the hospital, the room was empty. I was wondering who had brought me there when Dean walked in, holding a clipboard.Our eyes met, and he said, "You drank a little and coughed up this much blood? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were dying and trying to con me." My heart sank, thinking he had figured it out. He tossed the medical report my way; the diagnosis was stomach bleeding, a result of drinking

I was rushed into the operating room and underwent hours of emergency surgery. It wasn’t even that serious of an injury, but my body was so weak and worn out that the bleeding just wouldn’t stop. Fortunately, after some close calls, I made it through. I spent one day in the ICU before being moved to a regular room. As the hospital bed was pushed out, I saw Dean standing nearby, his eyes bloodshot. I had no idea what that meant. Maybe he was just here to check if I was dead yet. Sorry to disappoint him, but I was still alive. Keith came rushing over as soon as he got out of the operating room, sighing in relief when he saw that I was okay. His eyes were red too—I never knew Keith could be such a crybaby. From the moment I met him, he would always tear up when he saw me like this.I teased him, "Dr. White, do I look ugly?" He stared at me, confused. I chuckled, "Did I scare you with how bad I look?" Suddenly, Keith pulled me into a tight hug, almost knocking the wind out o

A wave of sadness washed over me. Over the years, Fred and I had grown so distant. Ever since our parents passed, we hadn't really sat down and had a proper conversation.After a long silence, he adjusted my blanket and said softly, "Had a nightmare again, huh? Go back to sleep. I'll stay here with you."My eyes stung with tears, but I nodded and obediently lay back down."Fred," I called out quietly, peeking my head out from under the covers. "Do you still blame me?"The room was dark, the lights off. From the shadows, Fred's voice came gently. "No, I don't blame you. It's my fault. I should've done better for you all these years."I pulled the blanket over my head and let the tears silently roll down. It felt like all the heartache of the past few years finally melted away in this moment.After what felt like forever, I lifted the blanket again. Fred was still sitting by my bedside, watching over me. I remembered the white bandage wrapped around his left hand. My voice hoarse

As I was leaving, I bumped into someone. I looked up and saw it was Dean. It seemed like he had been waiting for me on purpose. But considering we were already divorced, I couldn't imagine what reason he had to look for me.So, I walked past him without sparing him a glance.I moved slowly, and he stayed still for a moment, probably surprised that I didn't say a single word to him. After a few seconds, he caught up and blocked my way, looking a bit confused. "Where are you going?"My tears hadn't even dried yet, and I glared at him with clear irritation. "That's none of your business."He seemed shocked by my tone. I guess I had always been too gentle with him over the years, rarely speaking to him like this. He stood there stunned for a few seconds, then grabbed my arm and frowned. "Come home with me."I felt like my hallucinations were getting worse lately. It was the first time I'd ever heard Dean use the word "home" with me. I remembered that the home he referred to had