WHAT HE MEANT
1278 Words
Chapter Three
For a few seconds, I couldn’t breathe
Not because I didn’t want to, but because my body simply refused
Ethan’s words stayed in my head, repeating themselves in a way that didn’t make sense and yet felt terrifyingly real
*You were never supposed to survive this far*
Survive what
My fingers tightened slowly around the phone as my mind raced, trying to piece together something, anything, that could explain what I had just heard
“Ethan… what are you talking about”
My voice came out lower than I expected, not as steady as I wanted, but I didn’t care anymore
There was no point pretending
Not after that
There was a brief silence on the other end, like he was deciding how much to say
Or whether to say anything at all
Then I heard a faint movement, like someone shifting
The woman’s voice came softly, almost like a whisper
“Be careful”
Careful
That word didn’t help
If anything, it made everything worse
Ethan exhaled quietly, and when he spoke again, his tone had changed slightly, not softer, just more deliberate
“You ask too many questions, Lena”
“And you’re not answering any of them” I shot back immediately
Another pause
Longer this time
Then
“Let it go” he said simply
I let out a small, disbelieving laugh
“Let it go” I repeated “You just told me I wasn’t supposed to survive and you expect me to let it go”
“It doesn’t concern you anymore”
The calmness in his voice made something snap inside me
“Three years of my life concerns me” I said, my voice rising slightly “Or was that also part of whatever this is”
Silence
Heavy
Uncomfortable
I held onto it, waiting
Pushing
Forcing something out of him
But when he spoke again, it wasn’t what I expected
“It was necessary”
Necessary
That word again
The same word he used earlier
My chest tightened
“Necessary for what” I asked quietly
No answer
Just silence
Then suddenly, the line went dead
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen
Call ended
Just like that
Like everything else
Cut off
Closed
Finished
Except it didn’t feel finished
If anything, it felt like something had just started
I stood there in the middle of the apartment, my heart still racing, my thoughts louder than anything around me
*Survive*
That word wouldn’t leave my head
It didn’t fit
It didn’t belong in a normal conversation
It sounded like something dangerous
Something hidden
Something I was never supposed to know
I ran a hand through my hair, pacing slowly now
Think, Lena
Think
What could he possibly mean
Accident
No
There had never been anything like that
Illness
No
Then what
My steps slowed
Something flickered at the edge of my memory
Something small
Something I had ignored before
My brows furrowed slightly as I tried to hold onto it
There had been moments
Little things that never quite made sense
Like the time I woke up in the hospital two years ago with no clear memory of how I got there
They said it was exhaustion
Stress
Nothing serious
Ethan had been there
Calm
Collected
Reassuring
Telling me everything was fine
I had believed him
Of course I had
Another memory surfaced
The medication
He had insisted I take it for a while
Said it would help me rest better
I didn’t question it
Why would I
He was my husband
My chest tightened as the pieces slowly began to shift into place
No
No, that didn’t make sense
Or maybe it did
My breathing became uneven as the thought settled in
What if…
What if those weren’t just random things
What if they were connected
I shook my head immediately
“No” I whispered to myself
I was overthinking
I had to be
But even as I tried to convince myself, my body wasn’t agreeing
That uneasy feeling in my chest refused to go away
I grabbed my phone again, scrolling quickly through my contacts until I found the only person who might know something
Daniel Harper
Ethan’s assistant
He had been around for years
Quiet
Observant
Loyal
But not to the point of blindness
At least, I hoped not
I hesitated for a second
Then I called
It rang longer this time
Once
Twice
Three times
Just when I thought he wouldn’t pick up, the line connected
“Mrs. Blackwood” his voice came through, slightly surprised
The title made something twist in my chest
“Don’t call me that” I said quickly
There was a brief pause
“…Lena” he corrected
“Daniel, I need to ask you something”
My tone must have sounded serious enough because his response came immediately
“What is it”
I took a small breath
Choosing my words carefully
“There were times… when I was sick, or when I didn’t feel right” I said slowly “Do you remember anything about that”
Silence
Not the normal kind
This one felt… cautious
“Lena…” he started, then stopped
That hesitation was all I needed
My grip tightened around the phone
“You do know something”
“It’s not my place to say anything” he replied carefully
That confirmed it
My heart started pounding harder
“Daniel” I said, my voice lower now, more serious “Whatever this is, it involves me, so it is your place”
Another pause
Longer this time
Then he exhaled quietly
“I warned him this would happen” he muttered, almost to himself
Warned him
My chest tightened
“Warned him about what”
But instead of answering directly, he said something else
Something that made my entire body go cold
“Lena… did he ever tell you what really happened the night of the accident”
Accident
My mind went blank for a second
“…What accident”
There was silence on the other end
Heavy
Shocked
Then Daniel spoke again, his voice slower now, more careful
“He didn’t tell you”
My heart dropped
“Tell me what, Daniel”
But before he could answer, I heard something in the background on his end
A door opening
Footsteps
Then
Another voice
Deep
Familiar
Ethan
“End the call”
My blood ran cold
Daniel went completely silent
“Sir…” he started
“I said end it” Ethan repeated, his tone sharper now
My grip on the phone tightened painfully
“Daniel, don’t hang up” I said quickly
There was a second of hesitation
Just one
Then the line cut off
I stared at my phone, my heart pounding violently against my chest
Accident
Medication
Hospital
Survive
None of it made sense
But somehow…
It was all connected
And for the first time since signing those papers, one thing became painfully clear
I hadn’t just lost a marriage
I had been living inside something I didn’t understand
Something dangerous
Something carefully controlled
And now that I was out of it
They were trying to shut me up
My phone buzzed suddenly in my hand
A new message
Unknown number
My breath caught as I opened it
Only one line
“If you want the
truth, stop asking questions and come alone.”
Below it was an address
A location I didn’t recognize
And then the second message came
The one that made my decision for me
“This time, don’t trust Ethan Blackwood… because the accident wasn’t an accident.”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD