All Chapters of BENEATH HER ASHES : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Emily’s Point of view The penthouse was very quiet when I returned, the kind of silence that pressed against your chest like a weight. I set my bag down carefully, but inside I was still trembling. My heart had not calmed since I left the park.Jackson Junior’s voice echoed in my mind, his soft, fragile confession that no one would remembered his birthday and that sometimes he felt invisible even in his own home. That was not something a child should carry. Not any child and especially not one with his father’s name. But then again what did I expect from Delilah and Jackson, they can not manage a company so what do they know about raising a child.I walked to the window, staring down at the city lights, and pressed my hand against the cold glass. He deserved better. And yet, in Delilah’s and Jackson’s world, he was treated like an afterthought. A child should be the center of his parents’ universe, not pushed aside like furniture in a crowded room. They are lucky they got to be paren

Delilah’s Point of View The morning light bled through the heavy curtains, too bright for my liking, too cheerful for a day I wanted to drown in silence. If the world had any sense of justice, I would be at a funeral today, standing over my sister’s grave, laying roses on the coffin of the only person who had ever truly known me. Instead, I am expected to plaster on a smile, wear a perfect dress, and attend a hospital reopening event as if the past had not buried me alive  already. I dragged myself from bed, already exhausted by the thought of it all. Still, appearances mattered more than everything to Jackson for his image . Jackson’s betrayal had been whispered through the halls of society, the news of his affair staining our family like blood on snow. If I did not look perfect, if I did not scream I am Jackson Jack’s wife, and we are still together, then what would I be? Nothing. Less than nothing. So this appearance at the hospital is also

Delilah’s Point of view Last night had drained the life out of me in a way I did not expect. Between the grand reopening of the hospital that carried many secrets and Jackson Junior’s birthday celebration, I had worn every mask, smiled every forced smile, and played every role expected of the “perfect wife” until I thought my face would shatter. The best part of the night was when I reminded Amara Holt of her place . The applause, the flashing cameras, the endless toasts all of it was supposed to paint a picture of strength, of resilience and yet, when the lights dimmed, when the halls of the mansion emptied, all that remained was my exhaustion. The silence that screams louder is all I was left with when everyone left , a reminder that I have lost Rosaline who was always by my side .Well until she betrayed me by sleeping with my husband of all people .I rolled onto my back in bed, staring at the chandelier above, and let the silence settle. But ev

Nurse Nancy’s Point of view The smell of porridge and honey filled the kitchen, mingling with the chatter of two voices that never failed to brighten my mornings. Primrose and Jane sat at the table, their hair still messy from sleep, their laughter bouncing against the pale walls of our new home. For a moment, I allowed myself the comfort of the sound. For a moment, I could pretend that life was simple, that the shadows of the past were not always waiting to claw their way into the present.“Did you see how huge the hospital was, Mama?” Primrose beamed, spooning porridge into her mouth between words. “It was like a beautiful castle!”Jane’s eyes sparkled as she chimed in. “And Amara Holt spoke to us. She even smiled and Mama she is so beautiful.”The name hit me like a rock . My spoon clinked against the side of my cup, the sound too sharp in the warm little room. Amara Holt. Even now, the memory of her face lingered like an echo I could not shake .I remembered how she had looked

Emily’s Point of ViewThe hum of the hospital was a sound that once haunted me beeping machines, the shuffle of nurses’ shoes, murmurs in waiting rooms but now, it vibrated differently. This was no longer the place where my life was torn apart. This was all mine and I am happy that I was able to honor the lives of my triplets that died in the fire .As I walked down the polished corridor, staff straightened at my presence. White coats and scrubs nodded with respect, though I caught the faintest flicker of whispers trailing behind me. I did not need to strain to know what they were saying. The balcony video was all everyone was talking about every where .My name was still trending beside Delilah’s, and every step I took echoed with judgment.But Amara Holt could not flinch.I kept my chin high, my tailored navy suit hugging me like armor, heels clicking against the marble floor. If they wanted a show, I would give them one: poise, command, untouchable grace and yet… a crack slid throug