THE ILLEGITIMATE BRIDE

Chapter 4

Emily rushed to her mother Madeline's side with pain and hurt. Her hands were trembling as she moved.

She screamed desperately, her voice cracking with grief, "Wake up, Mom! Wake up!!!"

Grace, standing nearby, rushed to console her, her voice was heavy with sorrow. "She's gone, Emily. I only left her here…"

"You left her here alone?" Emily cut her off. Her voice filled with anger.

Grace explained, "She was fine when I left, and when I came back, she was gone."

Emily's heart ached with pain, and she felt the crushing guilt that despite her sacrifices, she couldn't save her.

She cried out, "I ended up marrying Nicholas Thornton, and I still couldn't save her!! The Monroe's killed my mom!!"

Just then, her sharp eyes noticed something on the floor beside Madeline's bed. She picked it up, revealing one ear of a shiny gold earring. Her hands trembled as she held the familiar piece of jewelry.

Grace questioned her, "Was it for her?"

Emily recognized the earring instantly and clenched it in her fist. "No... I've seen this on Victoria Monroe before."

Grace's eyes widened in shock. "Your stepmother? You mean she was here?"

Emily didn't utter a word in response. She stormed out of the hospital consumed by grief and anger.

Grace desperately called after her, "Emily!! Emily!!!" But Emily paid no attention as she hurried to the Monroe mansion.

Tears streamed down Emily's face as she stormed into the Monroe mansion, her voice filled with anger and grief.

She shouted, "Victoria!!! Victoria!!!"

Thomas Monroe, alerted by the commotion, rushed down the stairs to see what was happening.

He called out to Emily, "Emily, darling, what's wrong?"

Emily, still seething with resentment, couldn't contain her anger. She retorted bitterly, "Emily, darling? Really? Really? My mom is dead."

Thomas Monroe stood there in shock. Emily's words hitting him hard. He stammered, "De...e...ad? Magdalene is dead?"

Emily's voice trembled as she spoke with tears spilling down her eyes. She couldn't hold back her emotions any longer.

"It's funny how I came here looking for you every single day to ask for money for her surgery, but you were never available."

She sniffed back tears, her anger fueling her words. "Why do you think I married Nicholas Thornton? Why do you think I married him in place of Harper?"

Thomas Monroe, heartbroken at the news of Madeline's death, was at a loss for words. Despite being married to Victoria, Madeline had been the love of his life.

Emily accused him further, her voice trembling with emotion. "My mom was in pain, but you didn't care. You didn't love her."

Just then, Victoria descended the stairs, feigning tears. She said, "Magdalene is dead? Oh my... Receive our condolences, Emily."

Emily, her eyes red from crying, confronted Victoria directly. "Why did you force me to marry Nicholas Thornton after promising to give me the money I needed? But you didn't."

Victoria, ever the manipulator, tried to deflect the blame.

She responded so innocently, "What are you talking about? You said you wanted Nicholas for his money!"

Emily shouted as she accused Victoria. She yelled, "you killed my mom!!"

Victoria, acting all innocent, responded with a shock. "Why would you say such a thing! She was once our maid; I can't do that."

Emily then reached her pocket and retrieved the gold earring she had found beside Madeline's bed. She held it out in front of Victoria as she demanded some answers.

"Explain this then. What was it doing beside her bed? Why were you with her before she died?"

Victoria was caught off guard as she struggled to find up with an explanation. She stammered, "Uhmm... That's... that's not mine. I lost mine a few months back, and I wasn't even aware that Magdalene was sick!"

Emily saw through Victoria's lies and couldn't contain her anger. She yelled, "You liar! You wanted us out of the way since."

Thomas Monroe attempted to calm Emily, placing his hands on her shoulder. But Emily forcefully shrugged him off and warned, "Don't touch me!"

"I know you're still confused, honey. Victoria said, "We'll take care of the funerals."

"I don't need a dime from you!" Emily shouted back.

Emily cried her eyes out as she left Monroe's mansion. Thomas Monroe called out after her, desperately shouting, "Emily!!!"

But she didn't respond to her father's calls. She continued to cry as she stepped outside, feeling lost and without direction.

Just then, her phone rang, and it was David on the other end. He expressed his condolences, "Hey, I'm so sorry, love. I heard what happened to your mom."

Emily's voice trembled as she replied, "I don't know what to do, David. My mom is gone."

"Come over, you need someone around you."

Emily wiped her tears and made her way to David's apartment. When she arrived, she saw David and fell into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

David held her gently and said, "I'm here for you, babe. I'm so sorry."

Emily cried, pouring out her heart as she explained, "They all tricked me. Victoria Monroe called my mom."

David, trying to understand, asked, "What do you mean she killed your mom? Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I found one earring of hers there. I don't know what she was doing there or why she killed my mom after making me marry Nicholas Thornton for my mom's operation."

David, trying to console her, suggested, "Let me get you something to drink. You need to calm down."

After handing her the glass of water, Emily consumed it in one gulp.

David then got closer to her, placing his hands on her lap. "Let me help you calm down."

However, Emily suddenly felt uneasy and questioned his intentions, "How can you be so inconsiderate? I made a mistake coming here. I'm leaving."

But then as she stood up, she noticed something changed. Emily suddenly felt strange, her vision blurring. She stammered, "What is happening? Da...vid…"

Her speech suddenly bacame slurred and her condition kept on deteriorating rapidly. She struggled to speak, but she couldn't.

She attempted to stand but was unable to. She managed to utter, "Wh...what did you do to me, David? Da…"

But before she could finish, everything went black.

When she regained consciousness, when Emily finally opened her eyes, she found herself lying on David's bed, her body bare.