134. Emergency Room

Josh sat silently beside Ashley’s bed, the metal chair creaking faintly under his weight as he adjusted his posture. The sterile light from the ceiling panels cast a dull glow over everything—her face, the tubes, the monitors, his own trembling hands. He folded them in his lap, trying to steady himself. The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only indication that time was moving at all.

Ashley hadn’t opened her eyes since the nurse stepped out. But Josh could tell she wasn’t asleep. Her breathing was too shallow, too controlled, like someone pretending to rest. Her eyelids fluttered now and then, the muscles in her jaw tightening every few seconds. She was holding something in.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He just waited.

There was something oppressive in the air—something heavier than just post-accident shock. It felt like he was sitting next to a time bomb, quiet and motionless, but ticking from the inside. Something unspoken was simmering beneath Ashley’s stillness, and Josh knew—whatever it was, it wasn’t just about what happened in the basement.

His eyes drifted to her hand, resting limply on the blanket. He reached out and took it, gently at first, like he was afraid to hurt her. Her skin was cold, the faint trace of antiseptic clinging to it. She didn’t pull away.

He kept his eyes on her face.

Then, finally, her lips parted, the words barely audible.

“I’m scared.”

Josh straightened, eyes fixed on her face. Her voice was thin, cracked, like it had traveled a long way through pain just to reach the air. Her features twisted—caught in that fragile space between exhaustion and panic.

“I’m scared, Josh.”

He leaned in, his fingers tightening gently around hers. “I know,” he said softly. “It’s okay. I’m here. You just need to rest.”

Ashley’s head moved slightly against the pillow—just enough to say no.

“No. I’m scared. I’m terrified that they really are trying to kill me.”

Josh’s breath caught. His eyes searched hers, and for the first time since the accident, he saw something beyond physical pain. This wasn’t just fear from what happened that night. It was older. Heavier. Something that had been sitting on her chest for weeks, maybe longer.

“I’ll report this,” Josh said. “I’ll go to the police. You don’t need to think about it right now. I’ll take care of it, alright?”

“They’re trying to kill me,” Ashley whispered again. Her voice trembled, her body following. “They’ve said it, Josh. Everyday. Whoever it is… they keep saying they’re going to kill me.”

She broke. Her face crumpled as tears came in waves. Her chest heaved, her shoulders shaking beneath the hospital gown.

Josh blinked, stunned. He hadn’t expected this. He’d been preparing himself for trauma, for fear—but not for this.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice low, cautious.

“I… this person…” She forced the words out. “They’ve been stalking me. Sending me threats. Photos. A lot of photos. I’ve been scared for weeks. And I didn’t know what to do.”

Josh’s stomach dropped. “Who is it? Who’s been threatening you?”

“I don’t know,” she said through sobs. “Mark’s been helping me look into it. But we haven’t found that person yet.”

Josh stiffened. His mouth opened but no sound came at first.

“Mark?” he finally said, voice sharp. “Why the hell is Mark involved?”

“There was a scary package sent to me at the office a few days ago. and everyone at the office helped me with it. Since then Mark has been helping me report it.”

Josh sat back, stunned. “So, that man and your office colleagues all know about this. But I don’t? I’m living under the same roof with you but I’m the only one who has no idea about this?”

Ashley looked down. Her hands trembled. “I’m sorry.”

Josh stood up. He couldn’t sit anymore. He began pacing beside the bed, both hands now gripping his head, like he was trying to hold his thoughts in place.

“You should’ve told me,” he said. “From the beginning.”

“I thought I could handle it,” Ashley replied. “I was wrong.”

Josh didn’t answer. He turned away, facing the window though he couldn’t see much beyond his own reflection in the darkened glass.

Then finally, after several minutes of silence, he spoke.

“If someone’s trying to kill you, I’m going to my grandfather. And you better start telling me the full story of the terror you've been through—so I can help.”

Ashley’s reaction was instant.

“No,” she said sharply. “Don’t. Please, Josh. Don’t involve him.”

Josh turned back toward her, confused. “Why not? He can help. He has the power and the reach to—”

“No.” Ashley’s voice was stronger now. Not louder, but firmer. “If your grandfather finds out, then my parents will also find out. And I can’t let that happen.”

“That makes no sense,” Josh argued. “Your parents would want to protect you.”

Ashley shook her head, tears still clinging to her lashes. “No, they won’t. They’ll see this as a scandal. They’ll make it about appearances, about damage control.”

“They’ll say I provoked it somehow. That I wasn’t careful. That I invited danger. That I embarrassed the family. If this gets out, they won’t care that I almost died. They’ll care that the press might find out. That our name might get dragged into it.”

Josh was silent, jaw tight. He stared at her. “They’ll blame you? For being hunted by some psychopath?”

“I’m serious,” she said, her voice low, clipped. “You think they’ll protect me? You think they’ll show up and help?”

She pulled her hand away from his.

Josh sat there, stunned.

He knew her family wasn’t close. He knew her parents were powerful, respected. Controlling, maybe. But this—this level of dread—it was something else entirely.

Ashley looked past him, as if her parents could somehow see her even now. “If this goes public, if anyone finds out what’s been happening to me—my father will call in favors. My mother will do damage control. They’ll shut it all down before the police even finish a sentence. And then they’ll look at me like I’m the liability. Like I brought shame to the family.”

Josh leaned forward. “But this is your life.”

“They don’t care,” she said flatly. “Not really. Not if it messes with their legacy. Not if it makes headlines that scare investors. And once it reaches them, it won’t just be my parents—it’ll be the board, the lawyers, the shareholders. You know exactly what it’s like being a walking press risk.”

He watched her as she tried to hold herself together. Her fingers gripped the sheets tightly, knuckles white. Her face was pale but tense, as though every word cost her something.

“I’ve spent my whole life trying to keep their name clean,” she whispered. “Trying to be the version of me they could live with. But now I’m a threat. I’m weak. I’m a victim. And that’s not something they forgive.”

Josh’s jaw tightened. “Ashley, this is insane. You shouldn’t have to carry this alone. They’re your family.”

She let out a bitter laugh, but it didn’t sound like humor. “Exactly.”

He sat back, the weight of it all finally sinking in. This wasn’t just about a stalker anymore. This was about everything Ashley had been running from. The pressure. The expectations. The fear of being discarded the moment she became inconvenient.

And he had no idea.

Josh looked down, his hands clenched in his lap. Then, quietly, “I should’ve known. I should’ve paid more attention.”

Ashley didn’t answer. Her eyes were glassy, locked on a spot near the ceiling.

“Did you ever feel safe?” he asked.

She blinked slowly. “No.”

Silence settled between them again. Not the kind that brought peace, but the kind that thickened the air, making it harder to breathe.