THE NIGHT EVERYTHING FELL APART
1505 Words
Vivian didn’t even remember how she ended up inside Victor’s car. One moment, she was standing frozen in front of the television, and the next, the world was spinning past her through streaks of tears and city lights.
Her trembling hands gripped the edge of the car door, her mind blank, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe. The cold night air rushed in through the half-open window, brushing across her tear-stained cheeks, drying her skin only to make room for more tears.
Her hair whipped wildly in the breeze as the car sped along the highway, and every sound…the distant honk of a truck, the rush of wind, even the hum of the tires…seemed to echo the same haunting thought over and over in her head:
No. This can’t be true. Not him. Not Daddy.
She gasped between sobs, shaking her head as though she could force the world to undo itself. “No, no, no, no, no… this isn’t real,” she whispered. But the tears wouldn’t stop. Her throat burned; her heart ached like something was being ripped from her chest.
The headlights sliced through the night as the car turned sharply into the hospital driveway. Vivian barely waited for it to stop. She pushed the door open and stumbled out, her heels clacking against the wet pavement. She didn’t even notice that she had left the keys inside or that the car doors were still unlocked. She didn’t care.
She ran.
The automatic doors of the emergency ward slid open with a mechanical hiss, letting in a gust of sterile, cold air. Her breath came in shallow bursts as she looked around, panic clouding her vision. Doctors hurried down the corridor, nurses whispered to one another, and the rhythmic beeping of machines filled the air like a cruel reminder of life and death coexisting under one roof.
And then…she saw her.
Her mother, Emilia Dary, was on the floor. Two nurses held her by the arms, trying to steady her trembling frame. Her face was pale, her eyes red and swollen from tears.
“Mrs. Dary, please calm down,” one of the doctors pleaded softly. “We did everything we could…”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Emilia’s voice was raw, breaking. “Don’t you dare tell me that when my husband is lying cold in there!”
Vivian froze. Her knees weakened instantly. The world tilted.
“Mom…” Her voice cracked as she stepped forward, her body trembling uncontrollably. “Mom, it’s me.”
Emilia’s tearful eyes lifted slowly, disbelief flashing across them for a moment. And then…her grief twisted into something darker.
Before Vivian could even reach her, SLAP!
The sound echoed through the hallway like a gunshot. Vivian’s face whipped to the side, her cheek stinging.
“You killed him!” Emilia screamed, her voice trembling. “Are you happy now?”
Vivian blinked in shock. “W…what?”
“How much did my husband beg you?” Emilia cried. “How much did he plead with you not to marry that man? But you didn’t listen, Vivian! You never listen!”
“Mom, please…” Vivian whispered, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t…”
“You did!” Emilia sobbed, clutching her chest. “He saw your wedding on television…his heart gave out the moment he saw you standing there with that man! He couldn’t take it! You broke him, Vivian! You broke his heart, and now he’s gone!”
The hallway spun around Vivian. “No… no, no, no… that’s not true. He can’t be gone.”
“It’s true,” Emilia whispered brokenly, collapsing to her knees. “You killed him, Vivian. My husband… your father.”
Vivian shook her head violently, her tears falling harder now. Memories flooded her mind…her father’s laughter, the way he used to call her “my little star,” the proud smile he wore whenever he looked at her. The man who would lift her high on his shoulders and promise her that nothing could ever break their bond.
Her voice shattered into a scream. “Daddy!”
She fell to the floor, clutching her chest as if holding the pain in could somehow make it stop. Nurses rushed toward her. “Miss Dary! Please, wake up …Miss…Miss.
But it was too late. Her body went limp. The world faded into a dull hum as she collapsed unconscious onto the cold, white floor.
The last thing she heard before everything went black was her mother’s sobs echoing down the hallway.
⸻
Far from the chaos of the hospital, in a dimly lit penthouse, laughter mingled with the clink of a wine glass.
Victor lay shirtless on the bed, his head resting against the headboard, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. Beside him, Elvis…the man who shared both his bed and his secrets…traced a finger lazily across his chest.
“So…” Elvis murmured with a sly grin. “Mr. Dary is gone.”
Victor exhaled, staring up at the ceiling. “That’s what the news says.”
Elvis’s tone softened, though amusement still lingered in his eyes. “You don’t seem upset.”
Victor turned his head slowly, meeting his lover’s gaze. “Should I be? The old man despised me. He called me poison, remember?”
Elvis chuckled. “I remember. He said you’d ruin his daughter.”
Victor’s smile widened. “And yet, she married me. Now she’s mine…and so is everything that belonged to him.”
Elvis raised a brow, half-joking. “You sound like you’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Victor reached for the glass of wine on the nightstand and took a slow sip. “I don’t wait for things, Elvis. I make them happen.”
He leaned forward, his tone dropping to a whisper. “With Mr. Dary gone, the company passes to Vivian. And when she’s too broken to stand on her own…” He smiled darkly. “I’ll be there to ‘support’ her. Every document, every deal, every signature…under my control.”
Elvis frowned. “You’re heartless.”
Victor smirked. “No. I’m practical. His death was… unfortunate, but it clears the path.”
Elvis rolled closer, resting his head on Victor’s shoulder. “So while she’s grieving, you’ll be celebrating?”
Victor’s laugh was quiet but sharp. “I already am.”
The city lights outside glimmered across the windowpane as the two sank deeper into the sheets, the sound of their whispered laughter blending with the hum of the night.
⸻
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, joy filled the grand hall of a luxury hotel. The air sparkled with champagne bubbles and camera flashes as CéCé new clothing line debuted in dazzling fashion. The music was vibrant, the guests radiant.
Cecilia stood proudly at the center, her smile bright and her confidence unshakable. She lifted a glass of wine as applause echoed through the room.
At that moment, her mother, Regina, approached from behind…her steps hesitant, her face pale.
“Cecilia,” she called softly.
Cecilia turned, her smile fading instantly when she saw her mother’s trembling hands. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
Regina’s eyes glistened with tears. “It’s… Mr. Dary.”
“What about him?” Cecilia asked, concern knitting her brow.
Regina hesitated, her voice breaking. “He’s gone. He…he had a heart attack after seeing Vivian’s wedding.”
The glass slipped from Cecilia’s hand and shattered on the marble floor. Conversations stopped. All eyes turned.
Cecilia’s lips trembled. “No… No, that can’t be true.”
Regina nodded faintly, showing her phone with the headline still flashing across the screen:
TRAGEDY HITS THE DARY FAMILY AFTER THEIR ONLY HEIRESS GOT MARRIED
Cecilia covered her mouth, shaking her head. “She actually did it… She married Victor. Oh, my God.”
Regina placed a hand on her shoulder. “My daughter, please, don’t speak ill of her. She’s in pain now.”
But Cecilia’s voice hardened through her tears. “Pain? She caused it, Mom. Mr. Dary begged her not to marry that man. She didn’t listen, and now…now he’s dead!”
Regina sighed, her eyes heavy with sorrow. “Don’t let anger blind your heart, Cecilia. Pray for her. For all of them.”
Cecilia looked away, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I just can’t believe she would go this far. She’s lost everything now. Maybe this is the only thing that will make her realize what she’s done.”
Regina’s voice softened. “It’s a tragedy, my dear. Let it remind you that love, when blind, destroys more than it builds.”
Cecilia nodded slowly, her heart aching. “Yes, Mama… and tonight, Vivian Dary learned that the hardest way.”
As the music faded and whispers rippled through the hall, Cecilia stood still in the midst of her success…her soul heavy with grief.
The night that should have been filled with celebration ended in silence.
The night everything fell apart.
- Writer
