by Linda Verji
“Eve,” he breathed as his eyes slowly closed themselves.
Then the world went dark.
CHAPTER 24
Sharon was all alone in her office, twirling a glass of wine between her fingers and staring into nothingness.
It should’ve happened by now. A cruel smile lifted her lips at that thought. Her previous relationship with Eve should’ve left her feeling at least a thin thread of sadness, but there was none. Eve had destroyed that.
By telling Carter everything, Eve had erased any lingering respect and sympathy Sharon felt for her. If it wasn’t for her, Carter would never have looked at Sharon with so much disgust and horror. Besides, once Eve was gone, Sharon would be able to talk to Carter without that little bitch filling his ears with nonsense and turning him against his own mother.
You brought this on yourself Eve. Her gaze hardening with hatred, Sharon lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip of her wine. You pushed me into this.
Just then her phone rang. The number was familiar. Sharon reached for her phone, swiped the answer icon then pressed the phone to her ear. “How did it go?”
Carl Sedaris, one of Peralta’s men, answered, “I got to her car while she was in the mall. I’m sure that by now she’s not around to bother you anymore.”
“Good job.” Sharon smiled. “You didn’t leave any traces, right?”
“Of course not.” Sedaris gloated, “I’m a pro.”
“Great. Great.” She ordered, “Just head to the airport right now. Your flight is in one and a half hours. Someone will be waiting there with your ticket and details on how to retrieve your money once you’re in Madagascar. We’ll let you know when there’s no more heat so you can come back.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll head there right now.”
“Dump this phone,” Sharon reminded him. “I don’t want anyone tying us to each other.”
“Got it.” Sedaris ended the call with, “I’ll see you when I get back into the country.”
Smiling, she tossed the phone back on the table. Already she could feel relief and freedom pulsing through her. She yawned and stretched languorously. Ah! It felt good to be rid of that thorn in her side. This is what she should’ve done the moment Eve had stolen La Belle from her.
Eve’s videos? They no longer mattered to Sharon. Now that Carter already knew everything, she didn’t care if the rest of the world knew what she’d been up to. Besides, the crimes Eve had pinned her with were white collar. With great lawyers and a little bribery on the side, she’d likely get out with a slap on the wrist jail-term and a fine. That was okay. As long as Eve was no longer breathing the same air as her, Sharon had no problem with spending a night or two behind bars.
She reached for her wine again but just as she was about to sip, her phone rang. The number displayed was unfamiliar. Sharon answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hello?” A female voice echoed over the line. “Is this Sharon Welling?”
“This is Sharon Welling.”
“My name is Janice Tate and I’m calling you from Raven-hill General Hospital,” the woman introduced herself. “Do you know a Carter Welling?”
“Yes.” Frowning, Sharon added, “He’s my son.”
“I’m sorry to inform you that your son was brought into the hospital just a few minutes ago.” The woman said, “He was involved in an accident-”
The shock that zipped through Sharon was like an electric current sweeping through every inch of her body and paralyzing it. Her heart stopped beating, the blood in her veins froze, and her breath caught in her throat. The wine glass slipped from her nerveless fingers to fall on her lap. But even as the wine soaked into her pants, Sharon didn’t feel the cold liquid. She was too shocked.
“Wh-what-what-” she stammered as horror stole every coherent thought. “What… what did… did you… say?”
“Your son was involved in a serious accident.” The nurse explained, “We had to take him in for emergency treatment but he needs urgent surgery and we need the next-of-kin’s approval for that. Could you-”
“I’m on my way.” Sharon shot to her feet making the glass tumble to the floor. It shattered but she didn’t even notice.
She had never moved so fast in her life. The stain that the wine left on her powder-blue pants was forgotten as she raced out of her office. In fact, she was so hurried that she even forgot to change out of her house-shoes before she left the house.
“Why are you driving so slowly?” she screamed at the driver as they headed to the hospital. “Drive faster.”
“But, we’ll get tickets,” he reminded her nervously.
“Would you rather get a ticket or lose your job?” Sharon demanded. Without waiting for an answer, she bit out, “Drive faster.”
Her boy was hurt. She needed to get to him.
The drive took less than fifteen minutes but it felt like an eternity. When the driver pulled up in front of the hospital’s entrance, Sharon vaulted out of the car like a woman being chased by hellhounds. She was familiar enough with the hospital to know where the Emergency department was and raced right there.
When Sharon burst through the doors, the nurses who were at the reception desk looked up.
“Carter Welling,” Sharon called out desperately as she raced to them. “Where’s Carter Welling?”
“Carter Welling,” one of the nurses mumbled as she typed into her computer. Seconds later, she met Sharon’s eyes. “He’s in the trauma room right now. The doctors are trying to-”
“Where’s the trauma room?” Sharon’s voice was shrill with her panic. Her eyes swept the room in search of him. “I need to see him.”
“You’ll be able to see him once they’re done,” the nurse said calmly. “But before then we need you to sign some forms…”
The nurse said something more but Sharon didn’t hear her because just that moment she spotted Mark and Toni standing in the hallway. They were with a doctor and seemed to be engaged in a serious conversation. The moment Sharon saw those two, indescribable horror swept through her.
Until now it hadn’t occurred to her that Carter’s accident might be related to Eve. But if Eve’s parents were here then…. No. No. No. Sharon shook her head. It can’t be. No. No. No. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own because they started towards the two.
Mark, Toni and the doctor didn’t even notice Sharon until she was standing right in front of them.
“What are you doing here? Why did you come here?” Sharon demanded even as her already racing heartbeat sped up. “Are you here for Carter?”
Say you are. Say you are.
“Yes, we’re here for Carter,” Mark said.
Instant relief pulsed through Sharon, but it was short-lived.
Mark continued, “- and for Eve. They were in the car together.”
No. No. No. All the energy left Sharon’s limbs and she collapsed to the ground. No. No. No.
“Ma’am, are you okay,” the doctor raced to her side. But when he took her arm, she jerked it out of his grip.
Sharon’s wide eyes swept between Toni and Mark as she demanded hoarsely. “Why were they in the car together? Eve was supposed to be there alone. She was supposed to die alone.” Her voice rose to a scream. “Why were they in the car together?”
“What do you mean she was supposed to die alone?” asked Mark.
Just as Toni demanded, “Wait? Did you have something to do with their accident?”
“She was supposed to be there alone?” Sharon screamed. “Why was Carter with her?”
“Jesus Christ.” Mark stared down at Sharon in shock. “You’re the one who did it, aren’t you?”
“Why was Carter with her?” Sharon demanded.
Toni didn’t even speak. She just lunged towards Sharon and grabbed her hair. Immediate pain seared through Sharon’s scalp, but she didn’t even feel it. Mark yelled at the doctor to call the police, but Sharon didn’t even care. She just kept screaming, “She was supposed to die alone
. She was supposed to die alone.”
Oh God! Oh God! What had Eve done to her baby? She was supposed to die alone.
* * * * *
EVE FOUND HERSELF in a waking nightmare of pain. Every inch of her body ached, from her hair down to the tips of her toes. When she tried to shift to ease that ache, fresh pain swooped in until it felt like someone was poking her with needles. Even the act of breathing took more effort than expected and when she did the stark, pungent smell of bleach invaded her nostrils.
Why was she in so much pain?
She slowly blinked, desperately trying to open her eyes so that she could figure out what was happening. The moment her eyes opened into thin slits, a blinding light pierced them. She closed her eyes to ease the immediate pain then opened them again. This time there was less pain. After several open and close attempts, the blinding light subsided and she could see.
Immediately, she recognized that she was in a hospital. Though the room was brighter, larger and more luxuriously decorated than most hospital rooms, there was no mistaking the hospital bed she was lying on or the monitor beeping beside her bed. The wire that was attached to her hand snaked down her bed to the IV drip beside her bed. However, what caught her attention was her right leg. It was swaddled in a white cast and propped up on a pillow. Trying to move it sent enough pain through her to confirm what she already suspected… that it was broken.
Her leg was broken? How?
Frowning, Eve turned her head to the right only to find someone sitting beside her bed. The person had their head on the bed and was asleep. Immediately, Eve recognized the thick, curly hair on that head. It was her mom. Despite the heaviness in her limbs, Eve stretched out her hand to touch that hair. Toni stirred but it took her some time to sit up then turn to Eve.
The moment Toni’s gaze met Eve’s, all the sleepiness evaporated from her gaze. Her eyes widened and relief flashed through them. “Honey, you’re awake.”
“Y-” Eve tried to speak but all that emerged was a rough croaking sound that left her throat sore.
“Oh, honey. I was so scared,” Toni said. Teary-eyed, she turned around and called, “Mark. Mark. Mark.”
He was asleep on a sofa near the windows but Toni’s voice awakened him.
“Mark, she’s awake,” Toni informed him.
He immediately sat up then rushed forward. Worry and relief filled his expression as he came closer to stand next to Toni. “Torchie, how are you feeling?”
“I…” Eve swallowed to ease the soreness in her throat. “W- water.”
“Water. Water.” Mark turned to Toni. “Get her some water.”
Toni hurriedly reached towards the side table. There was a jug filled with water on that table. Toni poured some of it into a glass and stuck a straw in it. She propped Eve’s head up slightly then brought the straw to her lips. “Here you go.”
Eve had never thought that having water slide down your throat could be so soothing, but it was. Slowly, the soreness in her throat eased. Her parents watched her worriedly as she sipped on the water. When she felt okay enough to talk, her first question was, “Why am I here? What happened?”
Mark frowned. “Don’t you remember?”
Eve closed her eyes as she tried to rack her brain for a memory of what had brought her into the hospital, but she found nothing. Opening her eyes, she shook her head. “No.”
“You were in a car-crash,” Toni said.
“I was?” Eve frowned in confusion. However, that confusion lasted for only a moment. Within seconds, memories of what had happened flooded in. Being in the car with Carter, him telling her that the brakes weren’t working, her seeing a car rushing towards them from his side of the window, that car smashing right into them…
“Carter,” she gasped as horror swooped in to take the place of confusion.
She’d been awake while the car spun around and around with them inside. Her last memory was of two of them in the flipped car. While she was still screaming his name, Carter’s eyes were closed and blood was dripping down his head and nose. He’d looked so pale, so still, so dead. Oh God! Please don’t let him be dead.
Panic streaking through her, she turned to her father. “Where’s Carter? He’s okay, right? He’s not dead, right?”
“Calm down. Calm down. He’d okay.” Toni pointed to the left side of the room. “He’s there.”
Eve turned her head to see what her mother was pointing at. Sure enough, Carter was on a bed on the other side of the room. Despite the distance between them, Eve could see that his injuries were worse than hers. Unlike her, he was on a respirator, his head was bandaged and he had a brace around his neck. He also had casts on his left hand and both his legs.
Eve exhaled sharply. “Why does he look like that? Is he hurt badly?”
“It’s bad enough,” Mark said. “He bore the brunt of the crash.”
Oh God! Feeling like her heart was being squeezed in someone’s fist, Eve asked, “Has he woken up yet?”
“No, not yet.” Toni shook her head. “The doctors say that it might take a little while for him since his injuries are worse.”
Though Toni’s sounded calm, something about the look in her eyes said that she was hiding something.
“Is that all they said?” Eve asked. When her parents traded looks instead of answering her, she demanded, “Tell me the truth. I want to know what’s going on with him.”
Mark started, “Eve, we can talk about this later-”
“I want to know now.” Eve cut him off. “Tell me how he’s doing.”
There was another long silence and trading of looks before Toni said, “He’s in a coma.”
What? Eve’s breath caught in her throat.
“His injuries were bad, Eve,” her father continued. “No one’s sure when he’ll wake up.”
Though Mark didn’t say it, Eve heard the ‘if’ in his statement. No one’s sure when and if he’ll wake up. Her heart-rate rose and fresh distress curled itself around her like a poisonous snake. Oh Carter! Her gaze settled on him. How in the world had this happened to them… to him… The memory of how the accident had happened snuck in.
Tears streaming down her cheek, Eve turned to her parents. “There was something wrong with the brakes. The car refused to stop.”
“We know, baby.” Toni leaned forward to embrace Eve. “We know.”
“What was wrong with the brakes?” Eve demanded as her tears fell in earnest. “Why weren’t they were working? I serviced the car just a day before. It was fine.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Torchie,” Mark soothed. Anger flashing in his eyes, he said, “It was Sharon’s fault.”
Eve immediately stiffened. “What does this have to do with Sharon?”
The story came out then. Sharon had hired someone to tamper with Eve’s car. The goal was to either kill Eve or injure her badly. She wasn’t expecting Carter to be in the car too which was why she’d gone into shock and inadvertently confessed to her crime in front of everyone. Even as the police were dragging her out of the hospital in handcuffs, Sharon was still blabbering that Eve was supposed to die alone.
Eve should’ve been grateful that she’d walked away from Sharon’s murderous scheme with only a broken leg and a bruised body, but all she could think about was Carter. Her gaze lingered on him as sadness overwhelmed her. It felt like her heart was shattering into tiny little pieces as she stared at his broken body. When she’d concocted her plan, she’d know that he was going to get hurt. But she’d never thought that he’d get hurt this way. Not this badly. If she hadn’t gone after Sharon, he wouldn’t be lying there, straddling the line between life and death.
This was all her fault.
Oh Carter!
CHAPTER 25
“That went well,” Lewis Wick said as he and Eve sat in his limousine.
“I agree,” Eve said. “They seemed to believe that La Belle as an organization wasn’t complicit with Sharon’s crimes.”
It was now three weeks sinc
e the accident, and so much had happened in that time. Sharon was still locked up and awaiting her day in court. Now that an attempted murder charge had been added to her list of crimes, the trial would be more complicated and take more time. Still, her being denied bail was consolation enough.
Sharon’s downfall had come with several casualties. Everyone her dirty hands had touched was being investigated; the police chief, officials in the FDA, the state’s senators, other government officials, CEOs who’d colluded with her… the city was a mess because of her arrest.
Even Mark had had to step down from his position as mayor. There was no way he could keep his position when his key endorser was Sharon. She had bribed and used so many people in power that the public found it hard to believe that Mark wasn’t involved. The only thing that kept him from being castigated was the fact that he and Eve were the whistleblowers.
Unfortunately, Benisio had gotten roped in too. He was too involved in Sharon’s dealings over the years to escape unscathed. Thankfully, Eve’s statement about how he’d helped her unearth Sharon’s crimes had worked in his favor. The prosecution had already offered him a deal… no jail; just community service and probation as long as he testified against Sharon and her high-powered cronies. Of course he’d taken the deal.
Toni got bit too. Sharon had used her lawyer to let the university know about Toni’s past and Eve’s paternity. Of course, the University couldn’t fire Toni over issues in her personal life, especially when they were things that had happened in the past. However, that didn’t keep her from being a hot topic in the hallways. Thankfully, Toni was made of metal and remained unfazed by the gossip.
“Do you think they’ll penalize us?” Eve asked Wick.
“They have to in these kinds of situations,” he said. “But it will probably be just a fine.”
She exhaled in relief. “We can handle a fine.”
“What we should be worried about now is the public’s confidence.” Wick frowned. “The company’s value has reached an all-time low because of all this nonsense. I don’t know… maybe we should think about selling.”
