Athonia’s POVShould I really tell her how I met Ethan? A thousand thoughts ran through my mind in seconds. My sister has not shown me this kind of attention in such a long time, and it feels strange. Sisters are supposed to have secrets, but is now the right time to share mine? Something about the way she walked into my room felt unusual. Has she truly forgiven me, or is she only pretending again, the way she did at the hospital with her friend? I know her too well. If I confide in her, will she use it to humiliate me one day? Will I regret it for the rest of my life?“Athonia, are you still thinking of how you met Ethan? I hope it is very romantic.” She smiled, but her eyes were searching.“I am trying to recall how he asked me out,” I said slowly. “The exact words he used. But I cannot seem to remember them.”“No, I mean what drew you both to each other?”“Oh! Just like I mentioned at dinner when she visited. We met through the health service. He was so devoted to his work, the bes
Maya’s POVThe next day came, and I could not stop hating the way Ethan had changed. He was once mine, the one who used to hold me close whenever I cried. Now, even as my tears kept falling nonstop, he did not touch me, not even for a moment. Instead, he called me his vomit. What broke me the most was that he never came back to check on me. Another doctor, not him, had visited twice to see how I was doing.“Why are you suddenly in such a rush to go home?” Dora asked.“It has been more than twenty-four hours and Ethan has not shown up once. He is probably at home with Athonia. I need to get back before he spends more time with her. I have already convinced my parents not to let Athonia move back to her apartment, telling them she needs care because of her health. They agreed and told her. Also, when you went to get what I asked for, I used the chance to talk to my parents. I suggested they speak to the hospital management and request some days off for Athonia. I do not know how many da
Ethan’s POVEvery time I caught sight of Athonia standing beside Dr. Mathias, something inside me tightened. It was more than irritation; it was a steady ache I could not shake. The way his eyes lingered on her, the hunger in his gaze, it gnawed at me, as if he was imagining her as his own.Sometimes I tell myself my greatest mistake the day I met her was choosing protection. If Athonia had been carrying my child, no man would dare to stand so close to her. Yet even as that thought clings to me, I know I cannot be too harsh on myself. She was a stranger then, bold enough to ask me to father her child. Who would not question such a request? What if it had been a scheme, or worse, a risk to my health? As a doctor, I could not gamble with my future so carelessly.I leaned back in my chair, drawing in a slow breath. From the drawer, I reached for my wallet and slid out her photograph. Her smile, even frozen in stillness, had the power to soothe me more than any drug. Just one look, and th
Flashback“Please, Athonia, you can do this for me. The man I am telling you about is choking me and I cannot stand him anymore. Help me, please. I need a way out,” Maya begged, her eyes wet with tears as she held my gown as if I was the only hope she had, and she hasn’t been persistent like this before now.“Maya, you know I am in a serious relationship. How do you expect me to kiss another man? I cannot do it. Even thinking about it makes me sick. If my fiancé ever did something like that, I would break up with him without a second thought. Please, ask someone else.”But instead of giving up, Maya broke down completely, crying harder.“I knew you never loved me as your sister. Maybe because we did not grow up together when we were little. If my own sister cannot do this for me, then who will? I told you he is suffocating me. The only way I can break up with him is to make him think I caught him cheating. He does not know you, and that makes you perfect for this.”Her words pierced m
Athonia’s POVThe next morning, I thought I had woken up on my own, but then I realised it was the knock at the door that pulled me out of sleep. My chest tightened. No one was supposed to know I was here, so who could it be?I dragged myself up and opened the door. Jayden was standing there, holding a steaming cup of coffee.“Good morning, Athonia. How was your night?” he asked softly.I could not answer him right away. The memory of last night hit me all over again, so clear it almost felt unreal. I remembered someone in the room, someone leaving, but I never heard the door close. Was it all a dream, or did it truly happen?“I am fine,” I finally muttered. Our eyes met, and I could see something restless in his. Was it guilt? Or maybe it was the weight of knowing his wife was lying in the hospital?“I thought you might need this.” He lifted the coffee slightly, as if hoping I would take it.But his words triggered a storm inside me. That buried anger, the same anger I had carried si
Athonia’s POVI pushed back from the dinner table and stood up, leaving my food untouched. I could not sit there any longer, not when my parents were trying to tear apart what I believed was meant for me and Ethan.“Where are you going?” my mother asked. For the first time in my life, I had no answer. My lips stayed shut, my voice locked away. All I knew was that I could not bear to spend another night under their roof.I had barely reached the front door when my father left his meal and hurried after me. He blocked my way, his eyes full of fear. “What do you think you are doing? Do you want to walk out again and end up in another accident? I will not stand by and watch that happen. If you must go back to your apartment, it will not be tonight.” He pointed towards my room. “Go and rest. We love you too much to lose you.”I felt like I was living outside of myself, as if my own body did not belong to me. All I wanted was silence, a place where no one could find me, but they had forced