The cost of mercy
752 Words
“Ash,” she said softly, “please.”
He rose slowly, arranging his jacket with deliberate calm. When he shifted his gaze to her, there was no longer anger in his eyes; that frightened her more.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see Steve lingering behind.
She turned to him abruptly, “Don't even dare!”
Steve hesitated. He looked around and walked away slowly.
“A dinner wouldn't be a bad idea, Mr Ash,” Seraphina smiled at Ash.
“I'd love to be your guest,” he said, taking her hand, and they were about to leave when Mabel grabbed Ash's foot.
Ash sighed.
“What exactly are you asking for?”
“Forgiveness, Ash”
“For Zara?”
“For everything…”
“Mabel, forgiveness isn't a word you request when you've burned the bridge, it's a debt. And I don't think you're ready to pay.”
“I am!” She stood to her feet.
Ash's eyes narrowed.
She swallowed. “Just name it.”
Ash turned away from Seraphina, fully facing Mabel.
“Testify,” His voice hardened.
“Testify… against who?”
“The stone network.”
“Your ex-in-laws?” Her face flushed.
He nodded, took Seraphina's hand, and led her out of the auditorium to where their cars were waiting.
Mabel bolted towards Ash,
“You knew what they were doing?”
“Asset stripping, money laundering and a few others that I wouldn't want to mention. You signed documents you didn't read, all that mattered was their benefits to you.”
A tear escaped Mabel's eye
“If I do that, they'll destroy me. Why do you even want that?”
“Aren't you the one who wanted forgiveness?” Seraphina Cut in. “Why are you interrogating him now?”
Mabel glared at Seraphina. She couldn't talk back to her because just a snap of her fingers would bring down the entire Stone network. Little did she know that her ex-husband could do worse if he wanted to.
“Full statement to the Dyn Cartel auditors alongside every document you've ever signed. Every account… every name…”
He pulled open Seraphina’s car door and held her hand as she got in.
“I'll ride right behind you.”
She nodded.
“And Zara?” Mabel asked, desperately.
Ash got into his Lamborghini.
“I might consider reviewing Zara's blacklist after you publicly retract every statement you made about me,”
Mabel flinched.
“Publicly?” Tears spilling freely.
“Is this not too out of line?
What has come over you Ash?
You didn't ever want to see me shed a tear, but here I am tearing up, and you don't even care.”
“You have a meeting to catch sir,” Stan said from the driver's seat as the window wheeled down.
“Stan?” Mabel gasped.
“What happened to you Ash?
Where and how did you find these people?
Or did you hire them to spite me?”
Ash scooted, shut the door and the car engine purred to life as it drove out of the arena.
“What?” Mabel yelled at the car as its red taillights faded into the city. This was a man who fed her breakfast every single morning for five years. Now he's treating her like a mere stranger.
She remembered mornings.
Ash in the kitchen, barefoot, sleeves rolled up, humming softly as he cracked eggs into the pan. He never let her help. “Sit,” he’d say, sliding a cup of coffee toward her, always just the way she liked it. He used to kiss her forehead before she even opened her eyes, whispering that the day couldn’t start properly if he didn’t see her smile first.
She remembered laughter.
The way he laughed when she burned rice for the third time, teasing her but eating it anyway. Movie nights on the couch, her feet tucked under his thigh, his arm instinctively finding her waist as it belonged there. The way he really listened when she talked about things that didn’t matter to anyone else.
She remembered safety.
Five years of never wondering if someone would show up for her. Five years of knowing that no matter how ugly the world got, Ash would stand between her and it without hesitation. He used to say, “As long as I’m breathing, nothing touches you.”
And now she understood the truth…
Ash hadn’t changed.
She had.
- Writer
