Hazel's Redemption

GOOD OR BAD NEWS

After leaving the hospital, Hazel rushed back home. She knew that Yohan wouldn't have agreed to let her go, but she couldn't stay at the hospital, she still needed to go back to that place that she considered a home.

Entering that huge mansion she dashed straight to her room and found that her bed was messy. It had been fixed when she left or rather when she lastly saw it. It some how brought a smile on her face, because she knew that Ethan had at least spent the night on their bed, even if it was just him alone, perhaps his smell still filled the bed.

Hazel trailed her hand on the bed, but she had her finger pricked by something and that something was a woman's earing, but it wasn't hers.

"This...."

"Sister, you're finally back.", Hazel felt like another stroke to her poor heart that had barely recovered. She wanted to believe that the voice she heard wasn't really the one she knew, but she was disappointed. Not only was her step sister in her room, but she took it upon herself to be dressed in her night gown, just like the Jackson's young miss.

"You came back quite early, I thought you would be away for longer?"

"Why....why are you here and why are you dressed in my nightgown."

"Come on sister, this is just a common night gown, I've taken more than this from you."

It was true that Ivy had taken more than just a dress from her. She had taken her life, her happiness and more importantly, Ethan's heart.

"You should beware sis, today it is a dress and tomorrow who knows if it would be the title of Mrs. Jackson."

"How dare you..." , Hazel was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"Ivy, are you done...?" , Ethan said and paused immediately as soon as he saw Hazel. She looked at him with sadness, but expectant, yet he walked passed her and handed over a packet in which probably had a new dress.

"Here, new dresses, hope you like it.", Ethan said.

"I always like what you give me, sorry sister, I'll have to use your bathroom, hope you don't mind?"

Of course she did mind, but even if she had said it, wouldld it have changed anything? Ethan wouldn't even defend her, but take Ivy's side as usual. But this time she really needed some explanation.

"I'll wait for you outside.", Ethan said, completely ignoring her presence in that vaste room, he wouldn't even take a glance at her, but she didn't want to be ignored just like that. Hazel pulled him by the shirt, slightly holding unto him and with pleading eyes, she looked at him.

"Ethan, won't you explain things, are you just going to leave like that?"

"Explain, what do I have to explain?"

"Ivy's presence in our room, this is supposed to be our room, but you and she...."

"Ivy and I did nothing wrong...."

Those words lit like a tiny light of hope in her heart, but broken by what followed and his complete thought.

"....We did nothing but love each other, don't you see you're just the third wheel here?"

"But....I'm your wife..."

"And I wish you were not, to begin with, I wish I had never met you..."

His words were like sharp blade and each pierced through her heart like a poisonous dagger, killing her little by little and each day.

She had just left the hospital and rushed home for him, but while she had been fighting for her life, her husband was sleeping with her sister, on their matrimonial bed. Which was more painful, the fact that she loved him or the fact that he didn't love her. Her legs became weak and she almost fell, but was caught by him.

"Hazel, what's wrong with you?"

He held her in his arms and his eyes could clearly tell that he was worried, worried about her. So even in those eyes filled with hate and despise, he was still worried about her. Tears streamed down Hazel's eyes as she lifted her hand to touch his face, but Ivy suddenly popped out of the bathroom, holding her chest.

"Ethan...it....it hurts....", Ethan panicked, tossing Hazel away and helped Ivy to the bed, he stayed by her side, hoping to relief her pain. But Hazel knew that there was no pain. In oder to fool Ethan that she got seriously injured, Ivy used her test result of her broken heart syndrome. Everyone believed she suffered the pain of saving the Jackson sibling, but in reality, it was her(Hazel) that carried that heavy pain in her chest.

She walked towards the door, bearing with her pains and once out she took out some medecines that she stuffed in her mouth. The reason why she kept her health problem a secret wasn't because she wanted to help Ivy, but she was just avoiding such news from getting to her father who's heart wasn't healthy as well. Each day she lived to see other days, but she was never sure of tomorrow.

"Young Mrs., you're finally back.", Aunt Jane brought her back to reality. It was aunt Jane that knew her best in this house and it wasn't only her that knew her condition because she accidentally fell on her test results. Luckily she promised to keep the secret for her.

"Young Mrs., why are you back so early, shouldn't you be resting longer."

"It's fine, I can still live for another day."

'For another, then what about the next day ?', Aunt Jane thought and she felt pitiful for the little girl who was carrying the burden of this loveless marriage where she had to watch her husband play the lovey-dovey with her step sister. She silently watched everything and smiled naturally, but no one could really tell the pain she had been going through over the years.

"You should be hungry, let me prepare something for you to eat."

"It's fine aunt Jane, I already had something to eat at the hospital and I'm satiated."

"Are you sure?"

"I assure you."

Aunt Jane didn't bicker any further, she just knew how stubborn this girl was, but she couldn't do anything about it. Hazel just had to sadly find a place in the living room and read a book, leaving her husband with her step sister in her bed room. Wasn't it too ironic as a life story, but it was just the sad reality.

"Young Mrs., you have a visitor ?", Nelly informed her and she was quite puzzle as to who would visit her at this moment. Perharps it was Yohan because he didn't find her on her bed, but why would he come, since she left message in order not to make him worry about her.

"Hazel, my dear daughter.", Hazel's heart was overwhelmed when she saw her father. She immediately seeked comfort in his arms, crying out her heart'a consent.

"Alright, stop crying, you're no longer a kid."

"Sorry, it's just that I missed you so much."

"I know, I missed you too, but you should be strong. You're a married woman now."

Sadly, those words should have made her happy, because she was married to her first love, but it hurt her when she thought about Ivy and Ethan in her room.

"I hope Ethan treats you well."

He didn't treat her well, but she couldn't make her father worried with what was happening, so she just smiled.

"Yes dad, Ethan treats me very well.", she replied with a radiant smile, but if only her heart radiated with such radiance and it wasn't just an act.

"By the way where is that husband of yours, did he go to work?"

"He...."

At this moment, Hazel didn't know what to say. If she said he went to work and Ethan suddenly shows up, how would she be able to explain things to her father, but she couldn't tell him that Ethan was locked up in room with her step sister.

"Ethan is...."

"You....what are you doing?", Hazel flinched hearing her father's angry voice, but she only understood the situation when she watched from her father's direction. There, up stairs was Ethan and Ivy holding hands or rather, Ivy was practically clinging to Ethan. At that moment she knew everything had been screwed, could she call it a good or bad news?