The bright sunlight was covered by a cloud, turning the sky pale grey. It seemed like it was going to rain again, perfectly mirroring their mood. Ethan pushed Lily’s wheelchair at an unhurried pace, his eyes were fixed on the road, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. They didn’t speak— there was nothing else to be said.As they turned the curve to their street, the familiar silhouette of Ethan’s childhood home came into view. Lily turned to look at it. It looked different from when she was younger. When did it start to change? When Uncle John remarried? No, it wasn’t that early.It was just before Ethan left. It started with little things. New flowers. Changing the statue on the fountain. Cutting the cherry blossom tree.And slowly, the whole house had changed. The previously white walls that matched her house had now been painted a dark grey. The inside had probably changed too. Life was like that. Nothing stayed the same, she and Ethan used to be best friends, but now they w
Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting the room in a soft glow. Lily stirred awake to the faint rustle of paper. She turned her head and saw Ethan sitting at her desk, dressed in casual clothes. He looked freshly out of the shower, sleeves rolled up, a book in hand.The image felt slightly foreign. They didn’t sleep in the same bedroom, and most mornings when she woke up, he was already gone for work or on a business trip. Often, he didn’t even come home at all.“Why haven’t you left yet?” she asked, her voice still raspy from sleep.“Good morning,” he said instead. “Should I help you wash now?”“No, thank you.”“Why? Are you shy? You don’t have to be. I’ve seen everything,” he said teasingly.Lily froze. Her hands clenched the sheets. He remembered? The one time they slept together. It was their first wedding anniversary.He had come home drunk from a business dinner. She helped him inside and said goodbye to his assistant. As she closed the door, he pinned her against the
The ringing of the phone made Ethan turn his face from the car disappearing over the horizon.“Is it done?” Ethan asked the person on the other end of the line.“Yes. I shortlisted five potential candidates. When would Madam be interviewing them?”“I’ll ask her tonight,” Ethan replied.He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. On the passenger seat lay a brown envelope. Lily had passed it back to him when he went to get everyone’s lunch. Her parents hadn’t noticed. They were too engrossed in their conversation with the nurse.It seemed she really wanted to leave him.Running his hand through his hair, he sighed and started the engine.He had to fix their relationship. Somehow.The ride home passed in a blur. Lily hadn’t been to her childhood home in months, maybe longer. Her parents often called her and Ethan over for dinner, but she always turned them down. Due to his busy schedule, He was always away— sometimes on business trips, some conferences. And two months
Later that evening, the doctor came into the room for one last check. “You’re good to go,” he said, flipping through the pages on his clipboard and putting his pen into the front pocket of his scrubs. “Once the cast is removed, you’ll need to come for rehab so we can make sure there’s no long-term muscle atrophy and that you get back on your feet soon.”Her parents stood off to the side, visibly anxious, her mother squeezing her father’s hand tight. They collectively let out a sigh of relief at the doctor’s words. “Thank you, doctor.” Her mother said gratefully, stepping forward to shake the doctor’s hand.“I was just doing my job,” he replied with a chuckle. “Take good care of yourself, Miss Monroe.” With a nod to the rest of the room, he turned to leave.As the doctor walked to the door, her father immediately followed to ask follow-up questions and sign the discharge forms.Inside the room, Ethan was kneeling at the foot of the bed, adjusting the wheelchair. He checked the wheels
Lily stared out the window as the sky slowly brightened. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the blue was starting to lighten into its signature morning look. For some reason, the sky looked more beautiful than usual— maybe it was her recent brush with death.Beside her, Chloe was still asleep, curled up tightly, hugging a pillow with her phone hanging dangerously close to the edge of the bed. She had fallen asleep while watching videos. Chloe didn’t do well staying in one place for long, doing nothing, but she hadn’t left Lily’s side since the accident.Lily had wanted to help her place it properly, so it wouldn’t fall, but Chloe’s bed was too far away and she couldn’t walk by herself yet. Her gaze fell on the bulge that was her leg right through the blanket. It was wrapped up in a cast and would be for the next three months.There was a soft knock at the door.Aspen stepped in wearing casual clothes, a brown envelope in his left hand and a basket in his right. Lily turned, and their eyes
Lily’s eyelids fluttered. Her head ached like a concert was going on inside. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt heavy. She groaned softly as she lifted a hand to her forehead. “Lily. Lily.”It was Chloe’s voice. Chloe was here? No, they couldn’t be together.She had already left Chloe at the club. Then...after that, she got into an accident.Where was she now?Her eyes finally opened, and the blurry haze slowly sharpened enough for her to make out the three figures standing around her bed— Aspen, Chloe, and Ethan stared at her. Their expressions flickered between worry, relief, and exhaustion. How long has it been since the accident? Chloe leaned over and pressed the call button on the wall. “Are you uncomfortable anywhere, sweetie?”Lily started to shake her head, but winced as pain flashed through her body. She stopped and gave a small nod instead.She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t even hear herself. Ethan stepped away from the bed, turned to pour wate
The room was quiet. Only the steady beeping of the heart monitor could be heard. Chloe laid on another bed, her gaze trained on Lily. The doctor had said Lily’s CT scans were okay and she only had a slight concussion. If she woke up within the next 24 hours, they would be in the clear. But for now, all they could do was wait. Aspen stood near the window, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone. He was on the phone with his secretary. They had finally found out why the accident happened. Some rich college kids had been having a street racing competition, and some of them were even drunk. One of them turned into another road, wanting to use it as a shortcut so he could win. The road happened to be the same one Lily's taxi was on. The driver tried to avoid the crash by swerving to the other side of the road, but the drunk driver still crashed into them. The taxi driver had taken most of the damage due to his intentional positioning of the car. He had become the benefacto
Lily was sitting in the car, hands on her lap, but her mind was still in the shop. She wondered if Ethan would be able to handle it. Jack didn’t think like normal people. It only took a short moment, but it felt like an eternity had passed. Her fingers hovered over her phone, debating whether to call the police.Slam.Through the window, she saw Jack running to his car as if chased by spirits. He yanked his car door open and sped off.Moments later, Ethan stepped out of the shop and locked the door behind him. He walked around the car and got in silently. His expression was unreadable.When he was settled in, Lily turned to him“Thank you for earlier.” She said softly.Ethan didn’t answer at first. He reached out and gently dropped her shop keys into her lap.“I locked up without asking if you left anything inside.”“I didn’t forget anything.”He nodded. “Okay.”They sat in silence. His hands rested on the wheel, fingers drumming softly.Then he spoke again.“Let’s get married.”Lily
Chloe had still not met Ethan, she didn’t want to. Lily tried to set up a meeting, but Chloe rejected her each time. Chloe hadn’t forgiven him and didn’t plan to. Chloe: I’m going on a 2 month long trip.Chloe’s message came in just as Lily got home. She settled into her couch and opened the chat interface.Lily: “Where are you going?”Chloe: “The Maldives. Ocean therapy.”Lily: “Okay, have fun.”Chloe: “You have plans with him tonight, right?”Lily: “Yes. Dinner.”Chloe: “If he hurts you, I’ll come back and beat him up.”Lily thought about Ethan’s height and how he towered over her. Then she thought of Chloe, who would pant if she had to climb 2 flights of stairs.Lily: “I’d rather you didn’t.”Chloe: “You’re not even married, and you’re already protecting him. What happened to sisters before husbands?”Lily: “I’m protecting you. You don’t even exercise. How are you going to take on Ethan?”Chloe: “True. Then I’ll pay someone to beat him up.”Lily: “That’s illegal.”Chloe: “The thi