Inheritance of Hearts

Breaking Point

Jennifer slid off Sullivan's lap with a slow, deliberate motion. Her eyes were void of emotion as she locked them on Sharon, her lips twitching in mild annoyance.

Sullivan shrugged. ‘Oh, hey Sharon. I didn't expect to see you here. It’s just a bit of a situation. It's nothing to worry about, she has been insistent, and I didn’t see any harm.’

‘You don't see any harm? This isn’t funny. It’s completely inappropriate. What are you thinking?’

‘Come on, lighten up. It’s just a quirky moment. You do not need to make a big deal out of it.’

‘I’m making a big deal because it’s disrespectful. This isn’t acceptable.’ She spoke in a tense and raised voice.

‘Look, it’s all good. Relax and enjoy your time here, nothing is going on.’ He was no longer interested in explaining himself or showing respect towards Sharon.

Without doing all she planned to do at the restaurant, Sharon marched out of the restaurant, her heels clicking against the tiled floor with a force that turned heads.

Her chest heaved as her breath came in fast, irregular bursts, and her knuckles whitened as she clutched her bag strap. Her cheeks pricked with heat, revealing the storm beneath her composed exterior. Even in her anger, you could tell she was the most beautiful in the building.

She shut the door behind her, leaving behind a clatter of footsteps.

But Sullivan held his composure more or less. As he watched Sharon go, his stance was easy and his eyes remained unblinking.

He shrugged slightly, indifferently, and returned his gaze to his drink, barely changing his expression.

Cool-headedly, Jennifer walked steadily out of the restaurant's private room.

Her face was expressionless, and her steps were measured and methodical. She glanced around the room as she walked out.

Sharon stared at Jennifer through the side mirror as she walked past her car.

Her stomach twisted as she watched Jennifer—a woman who once shared tea and laughter with her mother—now sitting comfortably in Sullivan’s company, as though the past had been erased.

The process of validating the will had been completed and Sullivan became the head and controller of all that his wife had left behind.

It was all happening very fast to Sharon. She had just lost the only person who genuinely cared for her.

Her stepfather was now in control of all her mother's assets.

To make matters worse, her mother's friend was adding to her grief.

Sharon’s thoughts spiraled as she replayed the moments leading up to her mother’s disappearance. Something about Sullivan’s eager control of the will sent a chill down her spine. Her reservations about Sullivan and the will became a thing of concern.

A reasonable portion of Sharon's day was at the salon. She had been exhausted from sitting and was hurrying back home.

The golden rays of the setting sun stretched across the quiet streets, painting the roads in shades of orange and pink as she hurried to the house.

There was urgency in her steps to get inside the house, but her rush was called to halt as she opened the door to the living room.

On the couch, Jennifer and Sullivan were ensnared in a deep kiss marked by a fierce passion.

Sharon caught them in a moment of electric intimacy as she entered the living room, the space of the living room charged with their intensity.

Their bodies collided together, unaware of the sudden entrance, and Jennifer's fingers were entangled in Sullivan's hair.

Sharon stared in shock as she was up and down on Sullivan. It was an unexpected and real sight.

As Sharon took in the show unfolding in front of her, her eyes became wide with disgust.

Feeling too surprised and too uncomfortable, Sharon’s lips parted, and a sharp intake of breath escaped her as her hands flew instinctively to cover her mouth.

She pulled back, not sure how to respond to this unexpected, intimate moment that was happening in front of her.

To protest what she was seeing, Sharon shut the door with a loud smash that echoed throughout the room as she walked out.

Disapproving, the force of the door closing rocked the frame. The door slammed shut with a deafening thud, its vibrations echoing her frustration as she stomped away, her fists clenched.

There was conflict as the unexpected loudness and hard contact shattered the intimate moment between Jennifer and Sullivan.

Jennifer speedily got off Sullivan while he looked and saw Sharon through the window.

‘It's Sharon,’ said Sullivan.

‘Seriously? Did she have to slam the door like that? What the hell is her problem?’ Jennifer's voice was full of anger.

While Sullivan, on the other hand, was fuming.

‘Yeah, that was completely unnecessary. Can’t she just mind her own business?’

‘I wonder, she has no respect for our privacy. I’m so sick of her constantly barging in.’

‘We were in the middle of something! She just had to come in and ruin it. I’m done with her.’

‘You'll have to deal with her later. For now, take me back to where we were.’

‘Agreed! I won't let her ruin this for us. She’s crossing a line, and she needs to back off.’

Sharon drove to the park, her chest tightening as the sight of the familiar swing set brought back fleeting memories of her mother’s laughter and warm embrace.

The park offered monetary peace as she strayed along the familiar paths.

However, the peacefulness of the park did little to relieve Sharon of her turmoil. There was no comfort in the soft rustle of leaves or the distant cricket chirp. The peace of the park was drowned out by Sharon's thoughts, which swirled like a furious wind.

Getting back late at night, she hoped for some quiet time at home but, she encountered Sullivan who had been waiting for her by the doorway. His expression was fierce.

‘I have had enough of your interfering. This is my house, and you are not welcome to stay here anymore.’

Sullivan's words struck through Sharon's weariness and perplexity, causing her eyes to open widely in disbelief.

‘What do you mean by that? This is my house, my mother’s house, you can’t ask me to leave and…’

‘No. You must leave immediately. All this trouble you've caused in a single evening is enough. Get out!’

His tone was unforgiving.

‘You can not do this to me, you can’t send me out of this house, I am…’

‘I can! get lost.’

Her eyes could not leave the floor, with tears. With her eyes she turned and walked back into the night.

Beneath the dim glow of the streetlights, Sharon stood by herself against the faint glimmer of the lamps, her shadow extending endlessly over the chipped sidewalk.

The mild smell of rain filled the air, and the distant bustle of the city seemed like a whisper of indifference.

The only thing she had was the shattered pieces of her life. The road which she knew now seemed like foreign streets.

An overwhelming amount of ideas and feelings were racing through Sharon's head. Bitter realizations and unresolved questions swirled through her mind. She drove her nails into her palm in the hopes that the pain would break her as her breath sped.

Her mother's absence now filled her with a great emptiness and increased her feelings of hopelessness and loneliness. How had it gotten to be like this? How could Sullivan's sudden, overwhelming rage have forced her away from everything she knew?

While Sharon was considering where she would spend the night, she could see a dimly colourful light across the street as she suddenly became hopeful despite the overwhelming darkness.

A sleek, deep black Lamborghini Murcielago roars by Sharon as she sprints toward the faint light, missing her by inches.

Sharon's heart pumps with shock and panic as the car's engine growls and speeds away.

Her breath gasps as she staggers backward and the car screeches to a stop, parking just at the place she headed.

Sharon stood shaky and wide-eyed at the edge of the road as two men got out of the Lamborghini and proceeded into the building near the low light.

Determined, she made her way to the entryway where the men who almost ran her over entered.

She found the entrance as she approached the building. As she went in, she saw a staircase that descended.

Without thinking twice, she inhales deeply and descends the stairs, where she endures an attack by the lights and cacophony of an underground club.

Despite the situation, Sharon surged through the throng and entered the club intending to locate the men.

‘Hey, beautiful! You could use a drink. Can I buy you one?’

‘No, spare me, I’m fine.’

‘I haven’t seen you around before. New here? Come dance with me.’

‘Not interested.’

‘You seem as though you’re on a mission. Need any help to find something or someone?’

‘I’m looking for someone, but I’ve got it.’

‘Wow, you look intense. Everything alright? Maybe I can make your night better.’

‘I’m good. Please, leave me alone.’

She kept navigating through the club. ‘Get your hands off me!’ Sharon said angrily.