Chapter 1

The first thing Shannon felt was the weight, like her entire body had been dragged beneath something heavy and invisible, pressing her down into a darkness that refused to let her rise.

Then came the sound, a slow, steady beep... beep... beep...

It echoed from far away at first, distant and unreal, like it belonged to another world. But gradually, it grew louder, closer, threading through the fog in her mind, pulling her back piece by piece.

Her fingers twitched, a small movement then the darkness cracked and light slipped in.

Her eyes opened.

Everything was blurred. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar, sterile, suffocating, and her throat burned.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out at first. It felt like she had forgotten how to speak, like even her voice had been buried somewhere deep inside her.

A sharp image flashed suddenly in her mind.

Rain.

A blinding light.

The violent screech of tires and Rowan’s arm wrapping around her, pulling her into his chest as the car spun out of control.

“Don’t be scared, Shan. I’ve got you.” His voice had been steady and protective. His body shielding hers, then the impact.

Her breath hitched. “Ro...”

The word scraped out of her like broken glass. Her brows knitted weakly as she forced her eyes to focus. “Rowan…”

The name trembled on her lips, fragile, desperate, like it was the only thing anchoring her to reality. “Rowan…”

The door burst open.

A nurse rushed in, her shoes clicking sharply against the tiled floor.

“Oh my God, you’re awake,” she said quickly, already reaching for the monitors. “Miss, can you hear me? Stay calm, okay? Just breathe.”

But Shannon didn’t care. Her eyes locked onto the nurse, wide, frantic. “Rowan…” she whispered again, her voice barely there. “The man… with me…”

The nurse paused just slightly.

“He... he was in the accident with me,” Shannon forced out, panic rising. “Is he badly hurt? Is he okay?”

That was her first question.

Not about herself, not about where she was, only him.

The nurse quickly adjusted the IV line, her expression softening. “He’s alright. He’s recovering well.”

Relief hit Shannon so hard it almost broke her. Her chest rose sharply as she let out a shaky breath, her eyes glossing over instantly.

“He’s okay…” she whispered.

“I need to see him,” she said suddenly, urgency flooding her voice despite its weakness. “Please… I need to see him now.”

“Miss, you just woke up,” the nurse tried gently. “You need to...”

“Please,” Shannon cut in, “That’s my husband.”

The nurse hesitated then nodded. “I’ll call the doctor first.”

The doctor arrived shortly after. A middle aged man with calm practiced eyes.

He checked her vitals and asked routine questions.

Name.

Age.

She answered without hesitation. But when he asked for the date, Shannon smiled faintly, her lips trembling...

“It’s our wedding day,” she said. “We were on our way to the ceremony.”

The doctor stilled for a fraction of a second. It was small, barely noticeable but it was there. His pen paused mid air, just for a beat too long before he continued writing.

“…You’re doing well,” he said, his tone smooth.

His gaze then flickered briefly to the nurse.

The nurse shifted, “Doctor?”

He didn’t answer immediately instead, he stepped back.

“Excuse me,” he said, then gestured slightly for her to follow.

They moved a short distance away. Not far enough to leave the room just far enough to lower their voices.

Shannon watched them faintly, her vision still a little blurred. She couldn’t hear everything only fragments.

“…she just woke…”

“…should we clarify...”

“…not yet…”

The nurse nodded then they both turned back.

The doctor’s expression had already reset like nothing had happened.

“You’re stable,” he said. “But you need to avoid emotional stress.”

Shannon nodded, not thinking much of it, her mind was already elsewhere. “Rowan,” she said softly. “I want to see him.”

The doctor hesitated again, just for a second then he gave a small nod. “We’ll arrange that.”

A wheelchair was soon wheeled in and Shannon was helped into it by the nurse.

Her body was weak, unsteady, but she barely noticed. Her focus was fixed straight ahead, her fingers curling tightly against the armrest as the nurse pushed her through the hallway.

“How long…” she began. “How long was I out?”

The nurse’s hands tightened almost imperceptibly on the handles. “Not too long, try not to think about that right now.”

Shannon nodded faintly.

It didn’t matter.

Rowan was alive.

That was enough.

The elevator doors slid open with a quiet chime, and the nurse pushed her inside.

Shannon’s heart began to beat faster as she noticed the button pressed.

“VIP ward?” she asked.

“Yes.”

A small, fragile smile touched her lips.

That sounded like him.

The elevator opened onto a quieter floor. Everything felt calmer here almost insulated from the rest of the hospital. And then voices.

Shannon’s breath caught.

“…I’ve missed you so much, Rowan.”

Her heart stopped.

That voice, soft and familiar.

Her fingers tightened around the armrest.

“Evelyn?” she whispered, confusion knitting her brows.

Why was Evelyn here?

Why did she sound like that?

Another voice followed, older, colder, familiar in a way that made Shannon’s chest tighten.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Rowan’s mother said, satisfaction threading through every word. “Seeing you two like this again, it feels right. It always should have been you.”

“What?” Shannon breathed.

“I can’t wait for you both to leave this place and start your life properly,” his mother continued. “Move in together. Build something real this time.”

The nurse slowed but Shannon leaned forward instead, her pulse roaring in her ears.

No.

No, that didn’t make sense.

A soft laugh drifted out from inside the room.

Rowan.

Her Rowan.

“You’ve been here every day,” he said, his voice lighter than she remembered. “I don’t even remember half of what happened, but you just feel right.”

Something inside Shannon fractured.

“Rowan…” Evelyn murmured.

And then silence.

Shannon’s breath hitched sharply. Before the nurse could stop her, she pushed herself up.

“Miss...!”

Too late.

Her legs barely held her as she stumbled forward, gripping the wall briefly before forcing herself into the room.

And what she saw Shattered her completely.