9

Evelyn’s POV

The silence in the room was a heavy blanket, thicker than the expensive comforter folded neatly at the foot of the bed. I traced the pattern on the wall absentmindedly—a delicate, swirling paisley that seemed to mock the turmoil raging in my mind. 

Everything that had happened up until this moment seemed surreal, almost like a dream that I hadn’t quite woken up from yet. Just a little over an hour ago, I was standing in front of Zeke’s mansion with several bags of groceries, arguing with my sister. 

Now, I was in a sterile, unfamiliar hotel room, the only sign of my life in it was my suitcases sitting by the door like a forgotten doormat. 

I had been told to leave. "Goodbye and good riddance, Evelyn," she had said, her voice dripping with hate. 

Her words were a physical blow, and I recoiled, not just from her tone but from the sheer finality of it and the realization that I practically had nothing left in the world. 

Genevieve had pushed me down from my comfortable spot and I was groveling in the dirt now. 

 Zeke’s house—his personal home, had been taken away without any care. Damien was becoming a lot bolder with his moves and he wasn’t bothering to hide them anymore and I wondered how Zeke was going to react when he learnt that his house had been taken. 

I let out a sad sigh and walked to the window, overlooking the city lights twinkling below. They were vibrant and full of life, yet, I felt disconnected from everything. My reflection gave me a forlorn look on the window pane, I was tired and my eyes were swollen from crying for hours. 

Right now, I was only existing without a purpose, stuck in a loop with no idea of what would happen to me next or what the Blackwoods’ next scheme was. 

After I got kicked out of the mansion, I used my atm card to book a hotel room for the next week. I also called my accountant and informed them that I needed a sizable amount of money in cash to be picked up the following morning. 

The mini-fridge hummed softly, a mechanical heartbeat in the stillness. I opened it and stared at the tiny bottles of soda and alcohol. I tried to eat earlier but I had no appetite and I didn’t want to force it. 

I picked up a bottle of vodka, the glass cold against my hand, and popped the cap open. The sound was the only noise besides my breathing, and at that moment, it felt like getting drunk would be the best feeling in the world. I took a sip, the sour liquid burning a path down my throat. It was nothing like the comfort of a cup of tea in my own kitchen which I would’ve preferred on a normal day, but today wasn’t a normal day.

My phone rang, the shrill sound breaking the silence. 

“Hello,” I said into the receiver. It was my accountant and I was wondering why she called this late at night. 

“You weren’t sleeping, were you?” She asked. 

“I wasn’t, it’s pretty early for that,” I answered, sparing a glance at the clock above the bed. 

“Okay, Uhm, I called to inform you that there’s been a problem.” She said. 

I shut my eyes and massaged my temple. I couldn’t take any more bad news, I’ve had a lot to deal with already but somehow, I felt that this was something I couldn’t ignore. 

I sighed. “What’s it this time around? This isn’t the first time I’ve tried to withdraw a large amount in cash, is it?” 

“No, it’s not. But the problem is that I tried to process your request but I couldn’t. The accounts tied to your name have been frozen. I believed it was a glitch at first but after several trials and a handful of calls, I learnt that the order came from your husband. Do you know anything about that?”

I could feel the tears prickling my eyes yet again and threatening to fall yet again. Neither Damien nor Genevieve would’ve thought of it so I know this order came from the top — from the table of Gordon Blackwood himself. 

He owned half of the bank shares which meant he could do whatever the fuck he wanted and there was nothing I could do about it. 

“Mrs. Blackwood, are you there?” The accountant said, her sultry voice forcing me back to reality. 

“Yes, I am. I’m sorry, for the silence, I was carried away.” I apologized. 

“You’ll have to speak with your husband about this, I have no power to do anything and neither do you. I’m sorry for whatever inconvenience that this may have caused.” 

“It’s not your fault. Like you said, I need to speak to my husband.” 

We exchanged our goodnights and I ended the call, my knees turned to jelly instantly and I slithered down the wall, crumpling to the floor. 

They were taking everything from me, one at a time. The only reason I haven’t been hounded about the divorce papers I was served with is that they weren’t ready for that yet. 

For the first time in a long time, I had nothing to my name. Damien had convinced me to open an account in his name and blinded by love, I wholeheartedly accepted and here I was, regretting my decision. 

I had no money, no home to go and I had no one by my side. I only had a week to spend here and after that, I would be thrown to the streets. 

The only option I had was to look for Zeke within the next six days if I didn’t want to end up destitute. 

A tear escaped and ran down my cheeks, I brushed it away angrily but despite my best effort, I couldn’t rein in the tears as I broke down and cried myself to sleep, mourning the life I once had.