Two days later
1494 Words
I took a stroll outside the courtyard not that I had anywhere I was going in particular though I had told them I was heading to the convenience store but who was I kidding, no one cared. My heart felt heavy thinking about how everything that had happened so abruptly but what hurt me most was the look in Liam's eyes and how Harlow had effortlessly stabbed me in the back.
“ Was I being played all along?” I muttered to myself as I cried. I was an i***t to think Harlow ever liked me to begin with.
Just then, I felt my phone vibrate in my side pocket. I took it out and lifted it to my ears.
“ Doc...”
“ Mel, you need to come to the hospital right now,” doctor Smith's voice was shaky and I could sense the panic in his voice.
“ Dr Smith, what's going on? Is mom alright? Please tell me she's alright,” I legs were weak at this point as my chest tightened from fear and anxiety.
“ Your mom's condition is not looking good so I need you to come over, now,” he sounded urgent. I hung up.
I dropped to the ground but luckily for me, I held on to a pole to prevent me from getting myself injured.
“ Mom is going to be fine, mom is going to be fine,” I chanted to myself as I fumbled with the necklace around my neck. With that, I got to my feet and dashed to a convenient spot where I could flag down a cab.
In a few minutes, I arrived at the hospital. I ran inside as fast as I could and headed for the front desk first.
“ Where's my mom?” I asked between pants. I breathed heavily.
“ She's in the OR,” the nurses said after exchanging glances with each other.
“ Let me help with directions,” one volunteered even though I didn't need it.
We walked quietly without saying a word to each other. The moment the OR was in view, I dashed for the doors but came to an abrupt stop when I spotted Dr Denzelcoming out of the OR with a broken expression.
“ Dr S-Smith,” I stuttered as I called out to him quietly. My heart began to race faster and faster, fear was all I was feeling at this point.
“ Mel?”
“ Where's my mom?” Tears began to flow down my cheeks. “ What happened to her!? Why aren't you saying anything!?” I had begun to shake him in fear and panic.
“ Miss Theodore,” I felt the nurse pull me back gently. I cried and tried getting away from her grip.
“ Mel, just calm down,” Doctor Denzel tried his best to make me relax.
“ Just bloody tell me what's happening to my mom!! Why aren't you saying anything?!” I screamed at him.
“ I would have if there was anything else to say. I'm sorry Mel but your mom didn't make it,” he looked away. The nurse who had been holding on to my waist let go of me, I took shaky steps towards him.
“ This... This has to be some sort of joke,” I said in a quiet voice, not particularly talking to myself or to any other person.
“ You're just joking, aren't you? It has to be. Mom was fine this morning, so how did she... No way, you're just pulling a prank on me,” I clutched my head in confusion and denial.
“ Mel, maybe you should sit for a while,” Doctor Denzelapproached me.
“ She was all I had! She can't leave me alone like this,” I cried. This wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all! I cried profusely to the point of dizziness.
“ Mel I need you to take a deep...” I fell to the ground before he could finish his sentence.
“ Mel!” He rushed to me as I was barely hanging on to my consciousness. “ Call some other nurses, prepare a room as well,” I heard him dish orders to the nurse who had brought me here.
My ears echoed with a ringing sensation in it and the last bit of tears in my eyes came running down as I finally lost the fight against consciousness.
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Two days later
I stood as close as I could to the cremation chamber. I watched as mom's body was being placed into it, I had said my goodbyes already. I cried silently as I waited for her cremation to be over.
I would have buried her but given the cost and the fact that time wasn't on side due to the ultimatum from my dad, cremation was the best option.
Once everything was done, her ashes were brought to me in an urn.
“ Are you alright?” Doctor Denzel touched my shoulder slightly.
“ No, I'm anything but fine,” I exhaled and bit my lower lips trying my best to start another tsunami of tears. “ But I have to in the end,” I let out.
“ If you're feeling down or need someone to talk to, I'm always here. You can give me a call or even swing by the hospital,” he was so reassuring.
“ Thank you but I'm not sure I'll be able to swing by anymore,” I turned to look at him.
“ Why not? Because of the bad memories?”
“ The memories of what happened two days ago will haunt me for a while now matter where I go so that's far from the reason. Let's just say I need a fresh start,” I heaved.
“ Maybe you do. Wherever you do, just ebe sure you don't hurt yourself or do something crazy,” he ruffled my hair.
“ I don't plan on killing myself yet,” I assured him. I wanted to tell him he truth but I didn't want to be a burden to him as well. He has already been of so much to me, I was yet to repay the favour.
“ Thank you,” I mumbled.
“ What?”
“ I said thank you...for everything,” I added.
“ No need to be. I did what I had to do,” he waved it off.
“ But still, I feel indebted to you and I'm not sure if I can ever pay you back,” I indeed felt grateful.
“ If you feel this indebted to me, then live your life to the fullest and don't let the past weigh you down. That's how I want you to repay me,” he smiled.
“ I have a surgery soon, so I'll be leaving first,” he looked at his watch. “ Also, I want you to have this. It's a bracelet I saw on display while I was walking past a jewelry shop and I thought you might need something to remind you of how there are so many people around you that will always be here for you,” he handed it over to me. It was a pretty silver bracelet and honestly, it looked costly.
“ Thank you,” I wasn't going to reject it this time.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°
I packed my things the moment I got home after dropping mom's urn at the columbarium. I was finally leaving this two-faced house.
“ So you really are leaving?” Harlow scoffed as she stood in front of my room door. I picked up my luggage and turned to face her.
“ Yes and I'm done packing,” I replied trying my best to suppress my emotions. Liam stood besides her.
“ After all that hooking up just to save your mom, she eventually died,” Harlow laughed hysterically.
“ Well, at least I don't need to see a slut’s face anymore,” Liam spat.
“ I'm happier than you both right now. It's good that I give a snake and a chameleon their privacy,” I rolled my luggage outside the room. Leaving the house and boarding a cab, I realized how naive I was to ever think this was my home to begin with.
“ Should I go?” The driver questioned.
“ Yes,” I replied. As much as I tried to put up a brave face in front of Harlow and Liam, I still felt broken about their betrayal and I had mixed feelings about what happened that night. I had swallowed my pride and accepted such money just to pay mom's bills and now she was...
I teared up but I knew everything was going to be fine. I was leaving this city that was filled with horrid memories for good.
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- Writer
