Chapter 002: This is how I die

002.

|• DELORES

Shock was an understatement for how I was feeling as I stared at the woman that was supposed to be my mother. She didn’t care. She didn’t care that I was going to die. All she wanted—all she ever wanted—was my money.

I chuckled and looked up at the ceiling, heaving a deep breath to control the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks.

Relax, Delores.

Breathe. One. Two. Breathe.

“Wow.” I faced my mother, anger coursing through my veins despite my best attempts to stay calm. “You never really cared about me. All you want is my money, right?”

“Oh please, don’t be such a drama queen,” she snorted, staring at her perfectly manicured nails. That action prompted me to look at mine and I couldn’t help laughing hysterically. My fingers were skinny. Coupled with that were my chapped nails, due to the constant times I had bitten them over and over again because of anxiety and depression.

“I care about you, but now that you’re going to leave us in this cruel world, we have to place some safety measures.” She took a step forward but I backed away from her. With a sigh, she continued, “And Victor will not survive without that will.”

I snorted. It’s always about him.

“Am I your real daughter at all?” I asked. Her eyes widened, but the surprise that flickered there died as soon as it came. “Because if I was truly your daughter, you would feel bad for treating me this way, right?”

“Delores, you’re—“

“Tell me!” I yelled. “Now.”

“You’re overreacting!!”

I laughed, the sound strained.

“Just put Victor’s name in the will then we can talk, okay?” Her voice was deceptively soft, but I was done.

“You know what? I don’t care anymore. Get out of my house.”

Mum blinked, clearly taken aback. “What did you just say?”

“I said, get. Out. Of. My. House.” My voice was steady, but my hands trembled.

“You can’t talk to me like that, Delores. I’m your mother!”

I let out a bitter laugh. “A mother loves, protects, and cares. You’ve done none of those things. You’ve used me, drained me, and now that I’m dying, all you can think about is money. You lost the right to call yourself my mother a long time ago.”

Her face hardened. “You’ll regret this.”

“I already regret everything,” I whispered, turning my back to her. “Now, please leave before I say something worse.”

There was a long pause. Then I heard her sharp heels clicking against the floor. The sound of the door slamming shut followed, echoing through the empty house.

Silence.

It was deafening.

I sank to the floor, my body shaking as sobs tore through my chest. The strength I had been pretending to have all day shattered into pieces. My tears soaked the floor as the weight of everything came crashing down on me.

I was tired. So tired of being strong. So tired of being everything for everyone and nothing for myself.

After what felt like forever, I wiped my face and stood up slowly. My legs felt weak, but my heart burned with something different now—a strange mix of pain and determination.

If I truly had three months left to live, then I wasn’t going to spend them crying over people who never loved me.

I was going to live. For once, I was going to live for myself.

No more pleasing anyone. No more pretending.

I walked to the mirror and stared at my reflection. My eyes were swollen, my face pale, and my lips dry, but beneath all that, I saw a woman who had endured too much and was still standing.

“Three months, Delores,” I whispered to myself. “Make it count.”

My phone buzzed on the table, breaking my thoughts. I picked it up.

It was a picture message from Sylvie. I smiled, knowing that there was at least one person who actually loved and cared about me. Sylvie. My childhood best friend. We both started this acting career today, and I knew I should have taken her advice when she told me not to ditch my career for a man. I shouldn’t have gotten married at the peak of my success.

Despite my stubbornness, Sylvie never left my side. Stood by me through my visits to the hospital and whatnot. It would break her heart to know I have three months left. I don’t want to tell her. At least I need to enjoy the short time I have left without her bawling her eyes out about losing me.

Her message read: Look what I found. Hawkins Hotel. Room 46.

My eyes narrowed. What was she talking about?

I hastily tapped on the picture and what I saw there knocked the air out of my lungs. My chest tightened as I stared at the picture on my phone.

No.

No, this couldn’t be real, right? We were supposed to be having dinner tonight.

But it was indeed true. It’s Aaron. My husband. The man I had loved with every piece of my heart… lying on a hotel bed, shirtless, with his assistant curled up beside him like she belonged there.

My breath hitched. The phone slipped from my trembling hand and clattered onto the floor. My body went numb, but my heart was burning—burning so bad it felt like fire was eating through my chest.

So it’s been true. All this time I was falling apart, losing myself bit by painful bit, he’s been cheating. Sylvie had been right all along.

How could he?

How could he do this to me after everything I had given up for him?

Another message from Sylvie came in, the phone buzzing on the tiles. I bent down slowly, my hands shaking as I picked it up.

Sylvie: He’s still there, Dee. I’m tired of this nonsense. You need to catch him red-handed and end it.

I swallowed hard, the tears already streaming down my cheeks.

Yes. Maybe it was time. I typed on the phone with unsteady fingers.

Delores: Come with me. Please. I can’t do this alone.

She replied almost instantly.

Sylvie: Of course. Meet me on Crestwood Street.

I grabbed my car keys with trembling hands, wiping my tears with the back of my sleeve. My heart pounded in my ears as I stepped out. The sky was already dark, the air thick and heavy with the promise of rain.

The world felt darker than usual. Maybe it was just how broken I felt inside.

As I got into my car, my heart broke more. “You did this, Aaron,” I whispered. “You made me into someone I don’t even recognize anymore. Now I’m going to leave you for good.”

The engine roared to life, and I pressed down on the accelerator. The road lights blurred as I sped down the street, the tears blinding me. Every second that passed, the image of Aaron and that woman burned deeper into my mind.

My body trembled as I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“How could you?” I cried out into the empty car. “After everything… after all I gave up for you!”

The car jerked slightly. I frowned, noticing how it began to swerve a little to the side. I tried to steady it, but the wheel felt stiff. I shook my head to dismiss any negative thoughts, but the jerking was becoming even more frantic now.

My breathing quickened. “No, not now. Please not now.”

Up ahead, the headlights of a truck flashed as it came from the wrong direction.

“God, no…”

Panic clawed at my chest. I tried to steer away, but the wheel wouldn’t budge. My heart slammed against my ribs. “Please, please move!”

I contemplated jumping down from the car, but even that didn’t seem like a feasible option because the car was moving fast, but refusing to steer.

I could see my life flashing before my eyes. Shit, I had just three months to live. I can’t die now. Not like this.

“Work… please. PLEASE!”

The horn of the truck blared, a deafening sound that tore through the night.

It happened in a flash.

The sound was like thunder. There was metal crushing and glass shattering. My body was thrown forward with brutal force. Pain exploded through every inch of me.

I screamed as my head hit the door. Could feel the blood dripping from the gash.

Everything was spinning. My vision blurred. The world tilted sideways as I gasped for air. The scent of smoke and blood filled my nose. I tried to move, but pain shot through my body like fire.

“No…” I whispered weakly. “I can’t die. I can’t… no. I’m not supposed to die now.”

I could feel warmth dripping down my forehead. The realization that it was another blood from another injury sent a wave of nausea through me. My body felt cold and my breathing came in short, shallow gasps.

“I don’t… I don’t want to die here,” I sobbed, my voice barely a whisper. “Not like this. Not in pain. Not alone…”

‘You’ve always been alone.’ That taunting voice whispered in my ear.

She was right.

My head fell to the side, and I saw my phone on the seat beside me, the cracked screen still glowing faintly.

It buzzed and I saw Aaron’s name flashing on the screen.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, weak and broken. The irony burned in my chest. Now he was calling. He was probably calling to tell me it was over.

Well, it was too late now. He’s killed me.

I tried to reach for the phone, but my hand fell limp halfway. My vision was fading, swallowed by the darkness closing in around me.

Anger and heartbreak boiled together, twisting painfully inside me.

“So…” I whispered, the taste of blood on my lips. “This is how I die.”

A tear slipped down my cheek as the darkness finally took me.