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chapter three :heart wrenching past

Ashton Pov

I pinched the bridge of my nose for the umpteenth time after leaving Amelia behind in the room she was admitted into.

I took a deep breath and gritted my teeth upon remembering her red-rimmed face.

I entered my office with a tightness in my chest as the scene of Amelia crying popped in my head again.

My eyes scanned the familiar space before landing on the locket that was nearly falling off my desk.

I walked hurriedly towards the desk, and my fingers trembled as I picked the locket up, the metal warm from the touch of my skin.

But it was slippery; my hand was so clammy, and for a second, I thought I would drop it.

The thought of it falling, of losing that piece of her, made my heart skip a beat.

I tightened my grip, and it was like I was holding onto her, onto us.

I flipped the locket open, and a bitter smile found its way to my lips.

There we were, Amelia and me, beaming at the camera, our arms wrapped around each other.

The picture had been taken a few days before the issue with Cecile happened—just a snapshot of our happiness.

My thumb brushed against Amelia's face, and I felt a lump form in my throat, solid and uncomfortable.

WHY DID I LET IT GET THIS FAR?

WHY DID I LEAVE THE COUNTRY?

The questions swirled in my head, and I was unable to fill my lungs completely.

I remembered the day she returned the locket back to me, how she looked at me accusingly and was not ready to listen to my explanations and pleas.

My breathing slowed down, and my eyes prickled with tears as the memory began to take over.

I felt like I was back in that moment, standing in front of Amelia, watching her heart break into a million pieces.

I remembered the look in her eyes: the disappointment, the hurt, the anger. It was all there, staring back at me.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. The lump was getting bigger, and I knew I was losing it.

I felt a sob building up in my chest, and before I could stop it, it escaped my lips.

The sound was small, almost inaudible, but it was enough to shatter the fragile hold I had on my emotions.

The tears started to fall, and I could not stop them. They streamed down my face, blurring my vision,

as I crumbled into the memories of that fateful day at the kolak estate.

#Kolak estate #

I was back in the Kolak estate, standing in the pathway that leads to their mansion that stood tall and mocking despite the wind

I was begging her to forgive me, to understand that whatever she heard was a lie.

"Mel, it took a call to Aunt Claire before the guards let me through. I don't understand what is happening!"

I sighed as I walked towards her in hurried steps.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE, ASHTON? I THOUGHT I ASKED YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

she yelled, stepping away from my hold.

"Mel, you need to please listen to me. I did not do it," I muttered, trying to hold her hands again.

"WHY DO YOU KEEP LYING, ASH, AFTER ALL THE EVIDENCE?"

she screamed, the wind carrying the echo of contempt in her voice .

Her word cut through me , silencing me and causing my heart to palpitate .

"Mel..." I muttered.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU HAVE LOST THE RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT!"

she screamed again, hitting me across my chest.

"Amelia, this is all a set-up, I swear to you."

I grabbed her left hand, my voice dropping into a pleading whisper as I went on my knees in hopes that she would listen to me.

"SET-UP, SET-UP, SET-UP!"

she continued to repeat the words as she laughed hysterically.

"Yes, it is, baby, please listen to me. I swear to you that I only went to the restroom that day. I did nothing else," I said to her desperately.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU, ASHTON! THE WHOLE SCHOOL SAW HER STATE, AND YOU ARE HERE SAYING IT IS A LIE!" she sneered.

"Amelia, what can I do to make you believe me?" I asked.

"I JUST WANT YOU OUT OF MY LIFE! I DO NOT WANT A MONSTER LIKE YOU IN MY LIFE!"

she answered, pulling her hand out of my hold and walking away.

"AND YOU CAN HAVE THIS!"

She looked back, tossing the locket in the air and leaving immediately without looking back.

I crawled towards the locket, still on my knees, my vision blurry and my mind numb.

I stared at the locket in my palm, and the memory of Amelia's words echoed in my mind,

"I do not want a monster like you in my life."

The weight of those words crushed me, and I felt suffocated.

I could neither breathe, nor think. I just stared at the locket with utmost despair as I sat on the floor with my head between my legs and my chest heaving with ragged breaths.

Then I felt it, the droplet of rain falling on my back. It continued to drizzle rapidly until it became fully blown, and I clutched the locket to my chest.

The rain intensified and the thunder rumbled, still I had no will to move. So I lay in the rain, letting my tears fall as much as they wanted to.

"DR. MAHONE! DR. MAHONE! DR. MAHONE!"

The sound of a rapid knock and a loud feminine voice on the other side of my office door broke me out of my reverie.

"I WILL BE WITH YOU IN A MINUTE, PLEASE!"

I replied in a loud but unsteady voice as I tried to stand to change out of my tears-drenched shirt as fast as possible.

The fabric clung onto my skin like a second layer of grief. I managed to get it off, and the cool air hit my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

I reached for a dry shirt, my hands trembling as I tried to put it on.

My breathing was still ragged, and I could feel the tears still prickling at the corners of my eyes.

The knock on the door came again, more insistent this time.

"DR. MAHONE, PLEASE IT'S URGENT!"

I sighed, trying to compose myself. I took a deep breath, trying to push down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

I opened the door, my expression a mask of calm, but the nurse took one look at my swollen face and reddish eyes, and her expression softened.

"Dr. Mahone, I am so sorry to disturb you, but it is about the case..."

I nodded, stepping aside, and letting the nurse in. My thought train was derailed, but I knew I had to focus.

"What is the problem, Mel- Yasmin?" I coughed, trying to cover the mistake I made with her name, which I did not think she heard.

"Dr. Mahone, we found a kidney that matches the patient in room 12," she whispered, glancing at the door.

"So what is the issue, Yasmin?" I asked her, forcing enthusiasm.

"The kidney is also a match with the child in the VIP ward, and the parents found out. And they are demanding their child gets surgery before anyone else. Dr. Mahone, there is only one kidney,"

she croaked out, pressing her lips tight and lowering her head.

"Yasmin," I called her, holding my palms up and out.

"Yes, sir," she sniffled.

"I will talk to the director. You can go back to your post," I said, massaging my forehead.

"Yes, sir," she sniffled again, leaving my sight.

Click, click. I heard the door lock shift into position as she left, and I could not help the numbness that settled in my chest.

I stood abruptly, and I felt my legs wobble. I sat back in my initial position, and I reached for my phone.

Even this hospital crisis pressing as it ,felt secondary to the ache of seeing her.

I scrolled through my call logs for the director's number, and I clicked.

"HELLO, ASHTON."