***Grace and Mrs. Hail spent the next few hours meticulously preparing the necessary documentation required for her mother’s discharge. Afterward, Grace received a summons into the doctor’s office."You sent for me, doc?" Grace inquired as she stepped into the room."Yes, Mrs. Bush, please take a seat," The doctor gestured towards a vacant leather chair.Grace raised an eyebrow as he called her ‘Mrs.’ Instead, if ‘Miss.’ although she didn’t feel the need to correct him and just complied, settling into the seat with an unreadable expression."Do you know why I asked to see you, Mrs. Bush?" The doctor queried, his gaze fixed on her."Well, I assume it's regarding my mother's health?" Grace ventured, meeting his thoughtful gaze."Indeed," he confirmed, pausing to glance at the documents in his hand. "You may have wondered why we're releasing her so soon after awakening from her coma. The truth is, it wasn't our decision; it was hers.""What?" Grace's eyes widened in disbelief. "This is
***The moment they got home, Grace didn't have the time to admire or examine the house Mrs. Hail had prepared for them. She was too busy ensuring her mother was settled in with the help of Mrs. Hail. Afterward, she went out with the driver to get some items for the kitchen and clothes for her mother. She felt comfortable leaving her mother alone with Mrs. Hail, knowing she was in safe hands.For the first time in a week since arriving here, She was able to take a breather. Constantly sitting by her mother's bedside without a night of sleep had taken its toll. Yet, despite the brief respite, she couldn't help but ponder the doctor's ominous words. The way her mother had looked earlier filled her with a sense of foreboding. Something was definitely going to happen.Then her phone rang. She picked it up, “Hello?”“Grace?” A familiar voice called out.“Yes? Mrs. Hail?”“Oh, thank goodness! You changed your number, why? If I hadn’t picked up your mother's phone, I wouldn’t have known. I’v
~~~~After what seemed like an eternity, Grace cleared her throat, feigning ignorance as she stared at her mother."Aha, lover? Where did you hear that from?" Grace asked with a humorless laugh. "No, you’ve got it all wrong; he’s just my boss in New York and nothing else," she lied, her voice wavering slightly. In this situation, who wouldn’t?"Oh, is that so?" her mother replied, her gaze piercing through Grace's facade."Yes.""Then why did Mrs. Hail make it sound like something was going on between the two of you?"Sighing, Grace thought, Seriously, how should I know that? The effort to keep Noah Creed out of her thoughts was exhausting. If she allowed this interrogation to continue, he would be all she could think about, pushing her mother's concerns to the edge."Just ignore her, Mom. Mrs. Hail has a tendency to spread crazy rumors," she replied, standing up abruptly. "I’m done. Let me go freshen up," she added, hoping to divert the conversation.But her mother, ever perceptive,
The S.O. Publishing Industry, New York, Six Months Ago"If someone had told me that my dream of working here would come true, I would have probably scoffed at them," Grace muttered to herself. "How I wish Mom and Dad were here to see this." She couldn't help but cry. "Seriously, Grace, not right now. Get a hold of yourself. No thinking of the past. You need to move forward," she encouraged herself.But the fact that the boss asked her to stay behind was weird. Now, it was 8 p.m., and apart from the boss, she was the only one in the office. As if that wasn't enough, he had sent for her. "Jeez, I don’t want to lose this job. I wonder what he wants."She stood up from her desk and went to the boss's office, standing outside the heavy gold metal door with a name boldly written in silver, "Noah Creed." she muttered to herself. Then, all of a sudden, the voice that always shook her to the core spoke."You don’t need to stand there, Grace. Come in.""Oh god! That voice." With one deep breath
Six months ago in Canada."I can’t believe this; after all my hard work, I still end up here," Grace Bush mutters to herself. Working at the local publishing company in her hometown has been hell, not just physically but mentally. She had applied at Davi Publishing Firm, a big company in New York, but ended up at O.S Publishing Industry in this local town, not even at the headquarters. "OMG! Was I cursed? Am I going to die here, aren’t I? This can’t be all there is to me," she grunted loudly, gaining the attention of the front desk clerk.“Are you alright, Grace? You are sighing out loud,” Edna asked, sounding worried.“It’s Miss Bush to you, and yeah, I'm okay,” Grace replied, her frustration evident.“You don’t sound so.”“Yeah, well, that’s because you're in my face, Edna; why don’t you go do your work and leave me the hell alone, huh?” Grace snapped. She was being rude, but she didn't care; the challenges in her life were already enough.“Fine, suit yourself.”“Great, thanks. Now
***Still lost in her thoughts, fantasizing about what her life might look like five years from now, Grace was jolted back to reality by a scream.It was her mother. Startled, she opened her eyes to find her father struggling with the car's steering wheel. The brakes had failed, and a massive truck was hurtling towards them. In a split-second decision, her father swerved towards a tree at the side of the road.Through all this, Grace could still hear her mom screaming, her cries reverberating like the world itself was collapsing around them. Maybe it was because, in the next few seconds, what occurred felt like a terrible nightmare, one she desperately wished she could wake up from.As the car swerved towards a tree at the side of the road, an unexpected collision occurred. Out of nowhere, a truck carrying metal poles slammed into their car. In the chaos, Grace's father was suddenly in front of her. She couldn't comprehend how he managed to jump from his seat with the seatbelt on. Bro
****Grace suddenly woke up from yet another terrifying dream, sweating and crying at the same time. Looking around the room, she felt a sense of terror, realizing her parents, who were supposed to be there with her, weren't. She did the only thing she could think of—she tried calling for them, but there was no response. She continued screaming until nurses rushed through the door, followed by her father’s secretary, Mrs. Hail."Where are my parents?" Grace asked, not wanting to contemplate anything negative. Her eyes darted between Mrs. Hail and the sad expression on her face. Fearful and still unwilling to accept the harsh reality, Grace pleaded, "Please, Mrs. Hail, my parents, they are okay, right? They are just sleeping in one of the hospital beds like I am, getting treated, right? Please tell me," she implored, tears streaming down her face.All she wanted was to see her mom and dad smiling at her again. Even if she never went to university, it would be okay as long as they were
Present.Grace reflected on her life. "Yeah, that’s the story of my life, crazy right?” She knew that in order to take over her father's business, she needed all the knowledge and experience she could get. That's why she applied to a big publishing firm in New York City, only to end up in her current undesirable position.Focused on becoming someone worthy of her father’s establishment, she didn’t have time for joy, parties, or dating. At twenty-six, she was still a virgin, a fact she attributed to her lack of time and strength for love. Despite her fears about family and loss, she wondered if there was a man out there for her, someone who could provide perfect love, and a perfect home, just like her parents.“Oh! There you are,” Edna said suddenly, appearing out of nowhere.“Jesus! Edna,” Grace said, shocked. “Do you have to sneak up on me like that? I almost had a heart attack.”"Really, that’s new.” Edna replied nonchalantly.“What? What did you say?”"Nothing; what could I say?”"