The symptoms

Evelyn’s POV

The constant beep of the monitor slowly drew me to consciousness. I tried to open my eyes, but winced at the brightness in the room.

The muscle in my back and shoulders ached with a deep, throbbing pain that made it almost impossible to move.

I shifted and a sting flared across my collarbone. I frowned and touched it, it had three thin scratches and I was bleeding from it. I couldn't remember getting hurt.

When I opened my eyes, a nurse was hovered over me. My mind was blank for a moment before memories flooded back in.

For seventy-two hours, I had been hunched over crisis and negotiation tables, fighting off the sharks trying to swallow Daniel’s company whole. I had won the war, but my body had finally paid the price.

Daniel, my husband, had pushed me beyond my limit, even after I complained a few times about feeling lightheaded.

“You’re awake,” I heard her say, but her voice was strangely loud and the voices of patients filled my head. I could hear everything, even the slow drip of saline.

I blinked at the IV drip and looked around the empty room trying to concentrate when a sudden surge of panic filled me as realisation hit. It was our fourth year anniversary party and the guests would be arriving at the mansion any minute.

"Where is my husband?" I whispered, my throat parched.

The nurse paused, her hand hovering over a monitor as she refused to look me in the eye.

Instead, she focused on a readout of my heart rate.

Odd*

"Mr. Pierce was notified over two hours ago. He said he was in the middle of a final rehearsal for the evening event. He hasn't arrived yet."

The words hit me harder than the physical pain. I pushed myself up, ignoring the pain that filled me.

I had spent three days in a secret room, working in the dark, while Daniel took all the glory just to save his family name, yet he couldn't find twenty minutes to drive to the hospital and make sure I was still breathing.

Just then, the doctor walked in.

"I have to go," I muttered, my legs trembling as I carefully swung them over the side of the bed.

"Mrs. Pierce, you collapsed from total physical exhaustion. Your blood pressure is dangerously low," the doctor said with a frown.

"You need at least forty-eight hours of observation. You are running on nothing."

Running on nothing, yet I feel this strong.

"I have an hour before the toast," I replied. I took a deep breath and pushed my disturbing thoughts away. Maybe Daniel got caught up with something. He needed me.

“But you can’t…”

“I have to. Please, don’t try to stop me. It is our fourth anniversary and I need to be there,” I said, cutting him off.

He took one look at my face before heaving a weary sigh. Then, he reached his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a thick brown envelope.

"If you won't stay, at least take these results. We need to discuss them as soon as possible, Mrs. Pierce. Don't ignore this."

I tucked the envelope into my bag without even glancing at it and got off the bed on shaky feet.

I changed out of the hospital gown, put on my clothes, and managed to leave.

As I walked through the hospital doors, my vision blurred and I had to grip the door to stop me from falling face down.

Outside, I didn't smell the usual exhaust and dust of the city, what I perceived now was perfume and blood. My stomach twisted.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I flagged down a cab before heading for the mansion. I tried to call Daniel, but my phone was dead, which made my despair increase.

As we rode, the sky was darker than usual.

“Full moon tonight,” the driver muttered. “Bad night for accidents.”

When I finally stepped into the mansion, the whole place was already bubbling with activities.

"How nice of you to join us, Evelyn," a sharp, icy voice rang out from above. Beatrice, my mother-in-law, stood at the top of the staircase.

She was already dressed, looking beautiful but cold as always. Her perfume hit me first, it smelt of lilies. My nose wrinkled instinctively.

This was strange, because I had never reacted to scents like this before.

Before I could talk, she continued, "The guests are downstairs, and the catering staff is in a frenzy because you weren't here to direct them. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for a wife to be missing on her own anniversary?"

"I was in the hospital, Beatrice," I said, my voice shaking slightly from hurrying inside the mansion. I gripped the banister to keep me from collapsing again, but the glass tiles reflected my shadow and for a split second… my silhouette stretched, giving me more broader shoulders and something pointed behind my head like ears of an animal. I blinked again and everything was back to normal.

Stress, Evelyn. Just stress.

"I passed out at the office because I was fixing the crisis."

Beatrice let out a short, mocking laugh that echoed through the house.

"Always so dramatic, aren’t you? You have a sturdy build, Evelyn. You aren't some fragile flower who wilts at a little work. You simply stayed late to feel important, and now you’ve made us look disorganized. Look at you. You look like a common laborer."

I could hear the whispers of some staff who huddled behind a door with their ears firmly fixed on our conversation.

“I would never go absent for no reason…”

“Oh please, save it. Daniel should have known better.” Her eyes trailed to the hospital bracelet that was still on my hand.

“Cut that tacky piece of plastic off before the guests see it,” she snapped.

I quickly pulled down my sleeves to cover it completely.

Then, the study door clicked open and Daniel stepped out, looking as handsome as ever and behind him… a stranger stood, dressed in black and when our gazes met I felt a spark within me, but I didn't pay him much attention.

I turned to Daniel eagerly, in hopes that he would take my side this time. I wasn’t even mad at him anymore. All I wanted to hear was his kind words.

But then his eyes coldly ran through my disheveled hair, pale skin, and wrinkled clothes, before he impatiently glanced at his watch.

"You're late, Evelyn," His voice was flat as usual, stripped of the warmth I had spent years trying to earn.

“I fainted, didn’t you know?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I know the hospital called, but Evelyn, you’re always dramatic when you’re tired. It is our anniversary, Evelyn. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“What more did you expect from her?” Beatrice said, rubbing her eyes over me. “I told you she would pull some kind of stunt, didn’t I?”

“Mother, it’s fine.” Daniel said but his tone was low.

I expected him to say more but nothing came.

I hoped he would side with me just this once and tell his mother I truly was stressed, but he only shook his head and crossed his arms, leaving me to defend myself.

I swallowed hard as I fought my tears.

"Daniel, the doctor said my vitals…"

"Not now," he interrupted, turning toward the mirror to straighten his tie.

"The guests are waiting for us, Go upstairs and change into something presentable, you look like hell."

A cold feeling settled in my chest. I had saved his legacy, and he wouldn't even look at my bruises.

I always got into so much trouble and went through so much stress just so he would be happy with me, but it never happened.

"I did it for you," I whispered, but he was already walking toward the guests.

"Go get ready," Daniel called back over his shoulder without turning around.

"And don't take too long. After the toast, I have something I need to talk to you about. It’s important.”