Chapter 1 Nightmare

The glass doors of St. Luke’s General Hospital burst open as Rebecca Smith stumbled inside, drenched in rain and panic. Her pulse thundered in her ears.

She barely remembered how she’d driven there, only the words echoing endlessly in her mind:

“Becca, you need to come here. There’s been an accident.” How could she forget those words and how her heart has skipped that instant? Even now, her heart beat hadn't returned to normal and she feared she might develop a heart problem in no time.

What could've happened? How could they have gotten involved in an accident? How serious was it? She needed to know. She thought as she looked around and when her eyes fell on the lady whom looked like the receptionist, she rushed over there.

“Excuse me,” she gasped, rushing to the front desk. "Where are they?" Rebecca asked, her eyes darting across the lobby in search of her Uncle.

“Who are you talking about, Miss?” the receptionist asked, her brows drawing together in a frown.

“Mr and Mrs Smith..... they were brought here. Where are they?” Rebecca asked again, panic surging through her entire being.

Before the woman could respond again, a familiar voice called from across the lobby.

“Becca!”

Her head snapped toward the sound. Uncle Richard was there, his hair soaked, his shirt clinging to him from the rain. His face was pale.

She ran to him. “Uncle Richard, where are they? Tell me they’re okay!”

He caught her trembling hands in his. “They’re in the ICU,” he said softly. “The doctors are still with them. I got here a few minutes ago.”

Rebecca’s eyes darted toward the closed double doors at the far end of the hall, a sterile, white barrier between her and her parents. “Oh God…” Her breath came in ragged gasps. “No, this can’t be happening. Why now?”

Richard tried to guide her to a seat, but she shook her head. “I can’t sit down. I need to see them. They hate hospitals. Mum always said she’d never step foot in one unless she had to—”

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “Becca, listen. We have to wait. You have to calm down, okay? They're going to be fine.”

Her lip trembled. “You don't know that for sure. If they're in the ICU then their situation is pretty serious. I...”

“They’ll be fine, Becca. Just wait for the doctors to come out,” Richard said, trying as much as he could to sound certain even though he was as scared as Rebecca.

Rebecca pressed her fists against her mouth, fighting back a sob. “Okay. I’m waiting,” she managed to say.

“Where’s Vanessa?” Richard asked when it dawned on him that she was no where to be found.

“She wasn’t home when you called,” Rebecca whispered. “She said she was going to see her boyfriend. I tried calling her, but her phone’s off.”

“Keep trying,” Richard said with a sigh.

She nodded numbly and fumbled for her phone. She called Vanessa again and just like before, it went straight to voicemail.

Then she tried Liam, her fiancé. She needed him here by her side. The pain of knowing her parents were in there fighting for their lives was too unbearable and she needed the one person that knew just the right words to say to her.

She dialed him, waiting for him to pick up. He always picked up, even when he was busy. But tonight, he didn't.

She frowned as she tried again. Still nothing.

Maybe he wasn't close to his phone. She told herself as she stopped trying, deciding to wait for the doctors to update them on her parents condition.

The waiting room felt colder now. The ticking clock on the wall was deafening.

Rebecca’s hands shook uncontrollably as she thought about their times together. Her parents had promised to help her finalize the wedding plans next week. Her mother had been so excited about choosing the veil. Her father had joked that he’d cry before she even reached the altar.

They needed to be okay.

Minutes passed or maybe hours. Rebecca couldn’t tell. Every second stretched endlessly.

Finally, the doors at the far end of the corridor opened, and a woman in a white coat stepped out.

Rebecca’s heart skipped several beats. “Doctor!” she cried, running forward. “Please, my parents. Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Are they okay? How is their injury? I hope it's not that bad? Can I go and see my parents?” She continued with her questions but the doctor just stated, unable to say a word.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Richard asked, his worry evident in his tone.

“You all need to calm——”

Before the doctor could finish his speech, Rebecca cut in. “Calm down? How can you tell us to calm down when both my parents are laying in there and I don't even know my parents condition! Please, tell me... us what the problem is. Or do you want us to proceed with the payment? If that's the case then you have nothing to worry about. I'll go make the payment right away,” Rebecca said, attempting to head over to the billing department.

The doctor’s eyes softened. “I’m so sorry. We did everything we could. The injuries were too severe,” she said before Rebecca could walk away.

Immediately, Rebecca froze. It was like the floor disappeared beneath her as she could feel herself sinking into oblivion.

“No.” Rebecca shook her head violently. “No, no, no — you’re wrong! They can’t be. You're mistaken. They were just fine this afternoon. My father called me before they left the charity event! He told me they were coming home!”

“Miss Smith…”

She stumbled back, clutching her chest as a raw cry tore from her throat. “No! They promised they promised they’d be there for my wedding! They were planning my wedding with me!”

Richard caught her before she hit the ground, but she fought against him, beating weakly at his chest. “They can’t be gone! Please, no, not them!”

“Becca…” His voice broke. “I’m so sorry.”

Her sobs filled the corridor. She clung to her uncle like a drowning soul clings to driftwood, her entire body trembling.

When her screams finally faded, she slumped against him, drained and shaking. Her voice was a whisper. “How do I tell Vanny?”

Richard brushed a tear from his cheek. “We’ll tell her together.”

“She already lost her father when she was five,” Rebecca murmured. “And now she’s lost another. And me… I’ve lost my second mother.” Her voice cracked. “She loved me more than anyone.”

Her uncle squeezed her shoulder, silent, his grief mirroring hers.

Rebecca’s phone slipped from her hands and hit the floor. She stared blankly at it, tears dripping from her chin.

“Maybe you should rest,” Uncle John said softly. “You’ve been through too much tonight.”

She shook her head slowly. “No. No. I can’t rest. I can’t breathe in here.”

“Becca…”

“I just need to some air! I feel like I'm suffocating. All these has to be a dream. A terrible nightmare. None of this is real,” she said mumbled as she dashed for the door.

Richard called after her but Rebecca was too grief stricken to hear him even as she ran out.

Outside, the rain was still falling — a steady, mournful drizzle that matched the heaviness in her chest. She got into her car and drove without thinking, the road shimmering through the blur of her tears.

Her mind replayed everything — her father’s laughter that morning, her mother’s perfume when she hugged her goodbye, her promise that she’d come home soon.

Now there would be no coming home. All these couldn't be real. She thought as she kept driving with no destination in mind until she realized she'd just driven to Liam's house.

She didn’t even feel the rain anymore. She climbed the stairs like a ghost and unlocked the door with her spare key which he’d given her “for emergencies.”

The apartment was dark, and quiet and it sort of made her uncomfortable.

“Liam?” she called softly, her voice hoarse. “It’s me.”

A humorless chuckle escaped her lips. She could barely hear herself so how could he hear her? Was he even at home?

She stepped further inside, her bare foot cold against the tiles. Just as she got into the living room, something caught her attention.

A handbag sat on the couch, small, elegant, and unmistakably familiar.

Her heart skipped. That was Vanessa’s bag. What was it doing here, in Liam's living room?