EMILY'S POslowlywarm ray of sunlight reflected through the window, kissing my cheeks gently. I stirred underhadn'tanket, slowing opening my eyes as Iblinked it several times.
For a moment, I fe,lt peace and happiness I haven't felt in days. Everything felt calm, and quiet.
I yawned, stretching my arms out and shifted slightly,bulgeding to the left side of the bed where Ethan had been lying beside me last night.
But it was empty. My eyes bulge almost immediately, shaking off the last traces of sleep in my eyes as my heart skipped a beat.
"Ethan?" I called out softly, sitting up quickly as feleft; heihadI glanced arouna d, seeing no trace of him.
The blanket next to me waspickeded well. He hadn't just leave,, he has been gone for while.
Without thinkin g twice, I jumped off the bed, picking off his shirt from the floor and put it on. I rushed towa
EMILY’S POVAfter the heated confrontation in the hospital office, I couldn’t stay there another minute. My heart still pounded from the altercation, and my thoughts were tangled in a whirlwind of anger and concern for Florida.I needed to regroup, think clearly, and prepare myself to be by her side not just as a visitor, but as her guardian.Denise had proven once again that she didn’t deserve that title. From this moment forward, I wasn’t leaving Florida’s side. Not for a second.I left the hospital without a word, ignoring the curious stares of the hospital staff and visitors. I flagged down a cab and directed the driver straight home, the ride feeling longer than it truly was as I replayed everything that had happened over the past few hours in my head.The moment I arrived home, I didn’t waste any time. I headed straight to my bedroom, my steps hurried and focused. I pulled open the closet and bent down to open the lower drawer.Inside was a black duffel bag that I hadn’t used in
EMILY’S POV“Denise, how could you?” I thundered, my voice shaking with raw rage. “And you call yourself her mother!”My entire body trembled as I fought to contain the fury pulsing through me like fire in my veins. My fists were clenched at my sides, and I could feel my breath catching in my throat. I wasn’t just angry, I was devastated, sickened by her cruelty.Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly in shock. For the first time since this whole mess began, she actually looked unsure. But that flicker of hesitation vanished just as quickly as it appeared, replaced with her usual burning hatred. She stood up from her chair, fists balled, and with one sharp movement, she swung her hand toward my face.But I was faster.I struck her first, again.My palm connected with her other cheek, causing her to stumble slightly to the side. The smack echoed loudly in the quiet office, and I could hear the collective gasp from the doctors and nurses in the room. No one dared to interfere yet.“
EMILY’S POV“Sweetie,” I whispered softly, trying not to sound too alarmed. “What are you trying to say?”I reached out and held her small hands gently in mine. Her palms were clammy, her fingers slightly trembling. Her eyes, already glossy, brimmed with unshed tears and just like that, the dam broke. She burst into tears right in front of me, her body shaking with each breathless sob.“I want to apologize to you for hurting you,” she whimpered through her tears, her tiny voice fragile and raw. “I’m sorry. I’m very sorry…”My heart clenched tightly at her apology, an apology she didn’t even need to make. I wrapped my arms around her and held her to my chest, gently rocking her like a fragile porcelain doll.“Sweetie, no,” I whispered, my voice barely steady. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Not a single thing. You don’t need to apologize for anything. None of this is your fault.”She pulled back slightly from the hug, sniffling as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.“My mom…”
EMILY’S POV“What!” Denise shouted, her voice cracking with outrage. “Are you trying to say that I poisoned my daughter? Are you out of your damn mind?” Her face twisted with fury, eyes bulging in disbelief as her voice echoed through the hallway.I didn’t flinch.I scoffed quietly, folding my arms and looking her dead in the eye. “Like I said, be grateful, Denise,” I said slowly, with a calmness that seemed to provoke her even more. “If I hadn’t shown up when I did, only God knows what would have happened to your daughter. Maybe you’d be kneeling in a funeral home instead of standing here screaming at me like a lunatic. You wouldn’t even have the chance to argue with me.”Her lips parted to speak again, probably to throw another insult or another wild accusation but before she could say anything else, the sound of the hospital ward door opening cut through the tension like a sharp blade.Ethan stepped out, closing the door behind him quietly. His face was unreadable, the shadows unde
EMILY’S POVI sat beside Florida’s hospital bed, my eyes fixed on her small, fragile form lying so quietly, so still. Her breathing was even now, no longer shallow or weak. The oxygen mask rested gently over her nose and mouth, and her eyelids fluttered slightly as she slept peaceful at last.Relief slowly washed over me, but the fear still clung to the corners of my heart.I reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. Her temperature had dropped, thanks to the doctors’ swift intervention. She looked like she was just taking a nap now, as if the horror from earlier never happened.Ethan stepped back into the private ward. He had just escorted the doctors outside after they finished their observations. His face was blank, unreadable, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the heaviness in the way he walked. He wasn’t okay either.“What did they say?” I asked gently, turning my gaze from Florida to him.He looked at our sleeping girl for a moment, then slowly met m
EMILY’S POVThe moment my car screeched to a stop in front of the camp, I threw the door open and jumped out without even turning off the engine. My feet pounded against the gravel as I ran toward the gathering of students and teachers. My eyes scanned the area frantically until I finally saw her, Florida, standing weakly under a shade, supported by her homeroom teacher.She looked so small. So tired. Her arms were hanging loosely by her side, and her face was pale. I didn’t even wait to catch my breath as I rushed toward her. My knees buckled the moment I reached her and I dropped down in front of her, pulling her into my arms.The second she wrapped her small arms around my shoulders, I felt it.Her body was burning.“Oh God,” I muttered, touching her forehead and then her neck. “Geez… she’s running a high temperature. What happened? What caused this? Did she fall? Eat something? Was she stung by anything?” I fired the questions rapidly, turning to look at the woman standing just be