Chapter 4

Vanessa's POV

Something is off. I don't know what is, but something is definitely off.

For starters Adele is acting like she's on overdrive. I understand she's grieving, but no grieving wife would be in a hurry to donate her husband's organs.

And I know she's lying about this being Eric's wishes.

I knew Eric well enough that he wouldn't die with such a benevolent wish, he was that selfish.

So, what was Adele up to?

Gosh! 

So many what ifs scenarios are playing in my mind right now, and I'm seconds away from losing my shit completely.

I called Clara over to help me in dealing with Adele, because even though Eric and I were together it was still considered an affair, I was just a side chick with zero rights.

But instead of helping, she's turned into a liability.

Now I'm stuck with looking after her, while Eric is at the mercy of Adele. 

I took in a couple of deep breaths to keep me mind clear and stick to the plan.

Now, all I had to do was find an empty room to dump Clara in, and then go back to Eric, before Adele could do something irreversible.

God knows what crazy ideas she has brewing in her head next.

I was lucky to find an empty room not too far from the OR. I laid Clara on it and just as I made to pull the shade, I froze.

Adele alongside some man was pushing Eric into a van-

Not just any van, an hearse.

“Oh me goodness, Clara!” I yelled in panic, and yanked her feet so hard that she almost fell right off the bed, but I got to her side in time and shielded her with my body. “Clara wake up!” I forced her to sit, tapping her cheeks lightly. “Adele's about to bury your brother. Wake. Up.”

Pow! I slapped her so hard across her cheeks, that my palms stinged.

But that seemed to do the trick.

“W-wha–” she groaned incoherently.

“Adele's trying to bury, Eric,” I pulled her back onto the wheel chair, and pushed her out of the hospital like a lunatic.

The hearse was already turning onto the street by the time we got out.

“Taxi!” I flagged down the nearest taxi, and together with Clara we jumped in. “Follow that hearse!”

The driver quickly sprung into action, no questions asked.

We were hot in the hearse’s trail, but it didn't seem enough. Eric might wake up anytime, and everything was going to blow over.

All our plans, and–

A cold shiver went down my spine.

If words gets out that I faked Eric's death, and forged a death certificate I'll be going to jail.

And as for Eric? He had just two days to pay back the whopping twenty million dollars loan he collected from the loan sharks. 

Everything was–

“A crematorium?!” Clara gasped, pulling me out of my train of thoughts.

I followed her line of sight and watched as the hearse drove into a crematorium.

Adele's evil. Real Evil!

A crematorium? There's no way in hell Eric was surviving that.

“We have to stop her from getting Eric into the furnace!” 

Clara nodded sharply.

We got to the gate of the crematorium, and the security seemed to be asking loads of useless questions we didn't have answers to.

As if in sync, Clar and I got down from the taxi, after I threw a few dollar bills at the driver.

We raced into the reception like our lives depended on it-it does actually.

“Adele Pearson!” Clara breathed out to the receptionist, while my eyes scanned around for any sign of Adele of the man I saw her with.

“W-what?” She stuttered in confusion.

“There!” I screamed, and pulled Clara with me in the direction I saw Adele go.

“Excuse me ma'am–” the receptionist began to say, but Clara and I were already down the corridor.

“Stop it Adele!” Clara yelled as we rushed into the room where the furnace was. “What are you trying to do, you're trying to cremate my brother?”

Adele was turning on the ignition switch of the furnace which had Eric in it.

Jesus! She couldn't even wait to set him ablaze herself!

“Clara, I–” Adele stuttered. “I’m just trying to get things moving. You passed out and–”

“Really Adele?” I cut in, unable to curb my anger anymore. “You just want to cremate him without even giving us a chance to say our last good-byes?”

“I don't need to take permission from you, Nessa, if that's what you're implying,” Adele said. “This is a family business. What are you so invested in whatever decision I make as Eric's wife.”

“I just..”

“Nessa is not just anyone, and you know it, Adele. She's a family friend, she and Eric are–”

I nudged her slightly, before she'd spilled more than necessary.

“They're what?” Adele asked, seeming to put two and two together.

“They're colleagues, they've been friends since med school!” Clara flared dismissively, stepping in front of Adele to block her from reaching the switch. “Step back, Adele. I can't allow you to burn my brother alive.”

“Burn him alive? Clara he's already dead,” Adele said, and looked over at me. “Doctor Vanessa pronounced him dead, she even signed his death certificate. Isn't that true?”

“Ermm..of course,” I forced out, internally cursing Clara for making things worse instead of actually helping. 

“What's going on here?” The man I saw with Adele earlier walked in. “Ma'am, I cut the line for you, but you need to be quick before my superior's finds out what I'd done.”

My eye's widened in disbelief. 

She even had to cut the line? Jeez! How vile could one be.

“I'm sorry for the delay,” Adele sniffled. “I'll just get to it immediately.”

The man shook his head, and stepped out.

“Move aside, Clara,” Adele said.

“No.” Clara said firmly.

Adele didn't waste another word on Clara, and made to push her aside.

“Nessa, come help me!” Clara yelled, as she struggled to stop Adele from getting to the switch.

Adele is strong, I've got to give her that. She seemed to have the strength of ten people put together. 

I stepped in to help, but Adele pushed me aside like I weighed nothing.

I lost my balance, and in an attempt to steady myself, my hands slammed against the switch, turning it on.