Chapter 2: The Painful Unraveling
1436 Words
The truth hung heavy in the air, and there was no turning back. With a heavy heart, Luna removed the ring from her finger and tried to hand it to him, but he refused to take it, so she put it on a table near them.
Luna's voice was tinged with resignation. "Austin, you can now be the father you wanted to be. I'm sorry; I should have signed that paper a long time ago. I'm letting you go. Maybe our dreams weren't meant for us. I can't fight anymore when you're the one who always lets go."
His grip on her hand tightened as if he wished he could hold onto their unraveling love just a little while longer.
Austin pleaded, tears in his eyes, "No! Please... Luna... I can't... Please, I want to build those dreams with you... Please, don't let go now. I'll change and do better. We could leave this place if you want...We can start a new life anywhere you want..."
But Luna couldn't be swayed by those tears anymore. She was just too exhausted, too broken, to keep fighting.
Luna said softly, "It's too late for us, Austin. We can't fix this anymore. We're both weary and tired. I wasn't the one you loved, and I'll never be. Please, let me go. Austin... Please."
She pulled her hand back and left the room as quickly as she could. His calls and pleas faded as she walked away, leaving behind a life that had become a painful prison.
Luna got into her car and drove away, leaving everything behind. The rain pounded on the windshield, mirroring the tears that blurred her vision. When she reached her apartment, she sat on the sofa, trying to lose herself in the emptiness, but the pain persisted.
The memories of their happier times, captured in photographs on her phone, taunted her. In a fit of anger, she threw her phone at the wall, shattering the mirror. Phone parts and bits of mirror were scattered across the floor. One piece even flew towards her, cutting her left cheek, but she couldn't be bothered.
Luna screamed in pain, "PLEASE! IF THIS IS REAL, LORD, TAKE THIS PAIN AWAY! TAKE IT FROM ME! AH!"
Her anguish consumed her, and her body trembled as the pain radiated through every fiber of her being. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor, crying uncontrollably.
The broken mirror pieces cut into her knees, but she couldn't feel anything anymore. The world around her faded into a blur of agony and despair. Hours passed, and the darkness of unconsciousness embraced her, offering a temporary escape from her shattered reality.
She didn't remember what happened next, but she felt like she had fallen into an abyss of nothingness. The last thing she recalled was the sound of sirens and the red lights that seemed to fill the room. It all felt surreal and unreal, but at least the silence offered her some solace.
TWO DAYS LATER...
Luna slowly opened her eyes, disoriented and weary. The sterile white of the hospital room greeted her, and she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Various machines were connected to her body, their rhythmic beeping a disconcerting reminder of her fragile existence.
Her friends and her sister stood around her, their faces etched with concern, their eyes filled with relief at her finally waking up.
Willow asked, "Are you okay, Luna? Does anything hurt?"
Their voices sounded distant, as though she were underwater, struggling to break the surface.
Luna whispered, "What... happened?"
Her sister rushed out of the room to call the doctor, leaving Luna in a state of confusion. As the minutes passed, fragments of memories began to resurface, like shards of glass piercing through the fog of her mind.
After minutes, the doctor finally entered the room. "I understand that this might be confusing, Ms. Cassidy. There's no easy way to say this, but two days ago, you were found unconscious in your apartment, bleeding profusely. You lost a significant amount of blood and were in shock, which is why you've been unconscious for the past two days."
The doctor's words struck Luna like a blow to the chest, and the pain in her heart surged once more. Tears welled up, and she began to cry, the anguish of her recent past flooding back.
She had awakened to a world of agony, and the question remained: why had she woken up if the pain was still there, unrelenting and unforgiving?
EIGHT HOURS LATER...
OUTSIDE LUNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM
Fiona sat by Luna's side in the hospital room, trying to keep her company while her sister dealt with important matters. They both knew there was some news they weren't ready to share with Luna.
Fiona tried to distract Luna. "Hey Luna, feeling peckish? I could grab some of your favorite food from outside. Doc says you can eat solids now."
Luna, listless, replied, "Yeah, thanks, Fiona."
Fiona nodded and left the room to fetch Luna's favorite snacks. As she returned, she spotted someone familiar standing there, holding a fruit basket and flowers.
Fiona, irritated, asked, "What on earth are you doing here?"
Austin turned around, surprise and guilt written all over his face.
Austin said, "Fiona..."
Fiona, firm, replied, "Don't call me that! You and my best friend aren't a thing anymore, so you've got no business being here."
Austin, pleading, said, "Fiona, I just want to talk to Luna. Please, I need to talk to her. I just want to see how she's doing."
Fiona, angry, warned, "Talk? Explain? Seriously, Austin, what's there left to explain when it's clear you cheated on my best friend for ages? Stop showing up here and don't let us catch sight of your face again unless you want your career to go down the drain!"
Austin, desperate, pleaded, "Please, Fiona, just one minute with her. I need to apologize. I promise I won't bother her again. I just want to ask for her forgiveness and her parents."
Fiona's patience was wearing thin. She raised her voice slightly, saying, "Apologize? Explain? Austin, you cheated, repeatedly! There's no undoing that! You've done enough damage! And no apology of yours could even bring Luna's parents' lives back!!"
But Luna's entrance into the hallway stopped Fiona in her tracks. Luna had heard everything.
Fiona stammered, "Lu...na... What are you doing here?"
Luna, curtly, asked, "Fiona, what did you mean when you said my parents were gone?"
Fiona hesitated, searching for the right words.
Fiona, gentler, said, "Let's go inside first, Luna, and I'll explain everything."
Luna entered the room without another word, seemingly ignoring Austin's presence. Fiona decided to deal with him before joining Luna.
When she finally entered the room, she found Luna sitting on the edge of the bed, her face a mask of anticipation.
Fiona hesitated, the words heavy on her tongue.
Fiona, reluctantly said, "Luna... Tito... and... Tita... they... were... on the... plane... that... crashed... this... morning... and... no... one... survived... the... crash."
Fiona stammered through the painful truth. Luna sat there, staring at her. The room started to be silent. Fiona waited for her reaction, but it was as if time had stopped.
After a while, Luna's smile faded, replaced by tears. She held Fiona's hands, her voice and eyes begging Fiona to tell her it was all a terrible joke.
Luna, teary-eyed, pleaded, "Please... please!!! Fiona!!! Please tell me it's all just a joke and that it's not real... please!!! AHHHHHH!!!!"
They both cried, their tears mingling, the crushing weight of reality settling in. Watching Luna in such agony was heart-wrenching, a side of her Fiona had never seen before.
Fiona, holding her tightly, whispered, "We were crying so hard that we clung to each other, seeking comfort in our shared grief."
After an hour, Luna began to calm down. Her voice grew softer as she spoke.
Luna, crying, said, "Can... can we... go and see them? Please... I want to see them one last time, Fiona..."
Fiona said, "Okay, Luna. Hang on just a little longer. I'll go talk to your doctor."
Tears welled up in Fiona's eyes as she headed to the doctor's office, her emotions overwhelming her.
Fiona, quietly praying, said, "Lord, please give me the strength to support my friend. I can't afford to be weak now. Please grant me the courage to be her pillar of strength. She's hurting so much right now. If possible, take some of her pain away, Lord."
After regaining her composure, Fiona walked confidently into the doctor's office, determined to help Luna during this difficult time.
- Writer
