All Chapters of After Three Years: She Wakes Up: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

My heart sank. I already knew that Julia hated me–she’s made that quite clear from the beginning. But seeing her with Mavis at the hospital made me question everything. How long has she known about the affair? How long has she been laughing at me behind my back? Flashes of interrupted conversation behind hands between her and Lena. All the comments about my infertility, about how Misha would be better off with someone else. All the meaningful gazes she’d give to her son after, as if saying “man up, and get rid of her.” Everything coalesced into a solid wall of truth: Julia and the rest of the Carter family knew about this and not only did they NOT care–they were supporting him. “Wow,” I shook my head as a bubble of angry laughter ballooned within my gut. It burst free, making me sound manic as I held my sides together. “I’m such a fool.” A tear rolled down my cheek, hitting my chest as another joined it as my disbelief, embarrassment, anger, frustration, and pain poured out of me

[Andrew–15 minutes earlier]Ariana should have been back by now. “Dr. Winchester,” I approached my colleague, "I’m going to go check on Dr. McKenna.” He looked around the room, clueless that Ariana had even left. “Oh, I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably just taking another break.” He could be right, but a strange feeling swirled in my gut. Maybe it was nothing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something felt off about Ariana’s disappearance. Scanning the room, I saw most of our students working hard on their classwork. The caterers were long gone, but they had left a tray of cookies and some coffee carafes in the back, where a few students gathered, getting their mid-day sugar and caffeine fix.Including Ms Jones and her associates as they reentered the room. The three of them grinned, their eyes sparkling with amusement as they chattered amongst themselves.The cold, queasy feeling in my gut intensified. Growing suspicious, I approached the trio slowly, focusing on their qu

[Ariana]For the second time in the last week, I woke up in a hospital bed. At least this time it wasn’t my own fault. As I open my eyes, I groan, turning to the side. And that's when I see him--A tall man hunched in a small chair, his blonde curls falling forward as he leaned over his hands. “Dr…Dr. Clark?”At the sound of his name he looked up, and when his gray-eyed gaze met mine, the faintest smile tugged the corner of his lips. “Welcome back, Ariana. Thank goodness you’re okay.”“Dr. Clark, not that I’m not glad to see you,” grimacing, I attempted to sit up. “But what are you doing here?” His smile twisted into a smirk. “Saving you. I…” he paused, his brief flash of amusement falling from his eyes as he said. “I am so sorry.” “Why would you be sorry?” my eyebrows scrunched as I gazed at this confusing man. “I handed you the soup,” he interrupted me. “I didn’t know, Ariana.” He leaned forward, taking my hand and pressing it between his palms. “I..I hope you know I would neve

When I reached my quiet, now empty penthouse, the silence was peaceful, enhanced by the knowledge that nobody would disturb me. I wouldn’t need to lock myself in the bedroom tonight, because Misha would be blessedly absent for the next full week. Before I woke up to his nonsense, I’d have been sad, maybe even a bit heartbroken. Tonight, I simply felt relieved. As I opened the door, my body shook with the need for food and sleep. Finally free to let my guard down, I stumbled inside, falling over the doorway, and barely closing the door before I landed hard on my knees on the smooth, cool tiles of my entryway. It hurt, but so did everything else as I took a moment to catch my breath. Sitting there on the cold floor, I scanned the room. The kitchen was a mess, evidence of a meal having been made and enjoyed, the dishes still in the sink, crumbs scattered on the counter. Two empty wine glasses, one red with residue from Misha’s favorite cabernet, the other half full of sparkling a

A quick train ride to Columbia had me sitting in a booth waiting for a serving of greasy hamburgers and fries to be placed in front of me. Allison, who had written to confirm that she was on her way, was running late from a meeting she had to attend. Her company, Starbright Productions, has been dealing with complicated legal issues after a story recently broke about unethical contract practices–something about leaked contracts and poached talent. Right now, the issue is more of a PR nightmare than anything else, but it has already begun affecting sales. She explained this to me over the phone in a quick rush of words, but I had a hard time following--finance has never been my strong suit. She needed someone who not only knew her, but could understand what she’s going through. And that, was where I hoped Josh would come in. We both met Josh at Columbia through shared classes. Like Allison, he had a sharp financial mind, and if he hadn’t pursued his career as a professional ath