The Choices We Made (A Mafia Romance)

Coralie's eyes fluttered open as she took a minute to take in her surroundings. She was in an unfamiliar room and it was barely lit. She glanced at the unconscious man next to her and smiled a bit. At least he was pretty. She thought. The digital clock on the bedside table read 4:30AM. She should have been home thirty minutes ago, right before her mother would wake up. She quickly got out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to rinse her face. After rinsing off the makeup that was smeared on her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Sometimes she wanted to stop going on these nightly activities she was involved but she wanted her parents to know that she was not going to keep being their sweet little obedient girl. Her life had never been normal and being a normal person was all she ever wanted and to her, the only way she could get a little fraction of that was by sneaking out at night to party and make stupid decisions that she would regret the next morning. She slipped back into her dress, tied her hair up into a bun then walked back into the room to find the stranger already sitting up on the bed with a smile plastered on his face. The lust in his eyes now irritated her. She groaned inwardly. Now she would have to engage in unnecessary conversation. Usually, she would just leave notes for her one-night stands so she doesn't have to have a conversation with them. That is why they were one-night stands. "You're leaving already?" He asked. "Yeah, I have to prepare for work." She lied, hoping that he would not ask for the details. She slipped her shoes on, grabbed her phone and bag and walked towards the door. "It was nice meeting you," He said just as she was about to step outside. "Same here," She said, flashing him a small smile. * The taxi driver dropped her a few blocks away from her parents' house like she had asked him to so that she would be able to sneak back in without being detected by the guards but she had forgotten that her parents had given all the workers a day off from work so that they could spend quality time together as a family. She got lost in her thoughts as she remembered how their day together did not turn out well, as expected. Her parents had used every opportunity they had to remind her that she was going to take over the company after they decided to retire but Coralie was not even interested in the company. She snapped back to reality and noticed the strange acrid smell that lingered in the air as she got closer to where she lived. Was it not illegal to burn things outside? She shook her head and continued walking. The acrid smell got thicker as she walked further and for some reason, the tiny hair on her arms stood. Like something bad had happened. She started to walk faster and finally got home. But her home was not as peaceful and quiet as she had left it. There was commotion going on outside as several police officers and fire fighters shouted as they tried to put off the fire in the building that was her home... Or rather, used to be her home. She ran towards the entrance of what was supposed to be the escape door.The door was left slightly ajar since she had used it earlier to sneak out. The fire had not gotten to that side of the building yet so she was able to get into the house. Her eyes watered as she searched frantically for her family. The scene before her was horrifying.The house was a charred, smoldering ruin. The furniture had been reduced to ash, the walls were blackened and crumbling. They would have used the escape door, right? They would have saved themselves. She tried to assure herself that they were fine but she could not find them. Maybe she should go and meet the cops outside instead. She thought. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a small whimper coming from a far corner in the room. Her heart leapt into her throat as she rushed over to where the sound was coming from. It was the small puppy that her sister rescued from the slums a few weeks ago. It survived. It had managed to outrun the flames and made it to the escape hallway in time. Maybe her family survived too. She hoped. Coralie quickly reached out to the small blackened form and realized that it had barely survived the fire. It stirred slightly as her hand made contact with its fur. Its heartbeat was faint but it was still there. She hugged it closer to herself, and started praying that it would survive as she made her way outside. If she had been at home, she might have been able to stop the fire or save someone. Since she was here now, she could st least attempt to save the poor dog's life. The room was soon filled with officers and firefighters, who were accessing the damage. Two officers approached Coralie. She could see the look of concern on their faces as they took in the scene. She held up the dog to one of the officers and the dog was gently taken away from her. "We'll get it to the vet as soon as possible," The officer assured her. She nodded her head slowly at him, barely paying attention to what he was saying. Then the emergency medical technicians approached her to check for any injuries while an officer started to question her. "Were you in here when the fire began?" He asked as he started jotting down on the small notepad in his hands. "No, no... I just got home. I was outside all night," She replied in a small voice. "Are you related to the victims in any way?" He asked, still looking down at his notepad. Coralie gave him a bemused look. Was it not obvious? She ignored his question and asked him one instead. "Look, I want to know if my parents and sister are okay. Where are they?" The look on his face almost crushed her. He looked like he was sorry for her. "Where are they?!" She asked again. Her voice already lost all the calmness it had before. "They are on their way to the nearest hospital," He replied. "Well, what are you waiting for? Take me there!" She yelled, the panic in her voice was very evident. She wanted to ask him more questions but getting to the hospital was more important to her. "Okay, follow me." He said as he tucked his notepad away. They got into one of the numerous police cars that were parked outside and drove off. The officer was driving at the speed of a snail and it was starting to piss Coralie off. She tried to hurry him up but the only thing he kept saying was 'You need to calm down'. That was the last thing she could do at that moment. Not with all the thoughts that were running through her head. They finally got to the hospital where her family had been taken to and Coralie jumped out of the car and rushed into the hospital's reception, stopping at the front desk. "May I help you?" The receptionist asked with the two corners of her face stretched into a big bright smile. "Yes. My parents and sister were rushed in here a while ago." Coralie spoke quickly, almost babbling. "What's their last name?" She asked again, already flipping through the big book in front of her. "Aster. It's Aster," Coralie said, repeating the name just to be sure that she had said it right. "Your parents and sister are currently receiving care in the emergency ward. Please have a seat in the waiting area and we will let you know as soon as the doctors are finished. In the meantime, please try to remain calm." Coralie paced back and forth in the waiting room, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't sit still, her mind racing with questions and fears. The police officers watched her warily, keeping their distance but ready to intervene if she lost control. She was too anxious to notice their presence, lost in a world of her own. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a doctor emerged from the emergency room. Coralie rushed towards him, desperate for news. The doctor took a deep breath before speaking, his face grave. "I'm afraid I have good news and bad news," he said, and Coralie's heart plummeted. "The good news is that we were able to save your sister's life." Coralie let out a sob of relief, but the doctor's expression remained solemn. "The bad news is that she is in a coma and has been moved to the intensive care unit. Her condition is very critical and... Unfortunately, the other two did not survive." Coralie's knees buckled, and she had to lean against the wall to steady herself. The doctor paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "Your sister has suffered significant injuries, both physical and emotional. It will be a long road to recovery, and we don't know if she will ever wake up. Even if she does, there's no telling what her condition will be." Coralie sank to the floor, overwhelmed by the weight of the doctor's words. Her sister, the person she loved most in the world, might never be the same again. And her parents were dead.