The rain was falling steadily, soaking the ground and the mourners who gathered under black umbrellas. They stood in silence, watching as the casket was lowered into the ground. The minister spoke words of comfort, but they were empty to Carmela. She felt numb, as if she were watching this from a distance, like it was happening to someone else. But then, she looked down at the casket, and she knew it was real. As the crowd began to disperse, Carmela stood alone by the grave, lost in her grief. The rain kept falling, washing away her tears. As Carmela stood staring at the grave, a hand gently touched her shoulder. She turned to see Mr. Eliot, Max's father, looking at her with concern. "You should go home," he said. "You've been here for hours. Let the dead sleep." Carmela shook her head. "I can't leave him," she said. "He's my whole world." Mr. Eliot looked at her, his eyes full of compassion. "I know how much you loved him," he said. "But you can't keep doing this to yourse

Maxwell cuffed his hands around Carmela's wrists, holding her tight. She winced in pain, her eyes wide with fear. "Please," she said, her voice shaking. "Please, let me go. You're hurting me." Maxwell looked into her eyes, his expression pained. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I'm doing this for your own good. You have to trust me." "Why?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Why are you doing this? Just let me go. Please." "I love you, Carmela," Maxwell said, his voice cracking. "Please, just trust me. If you do, everything will be all right." "No, this isn't love," Carmela said, tears streaming down her face. "If you loved me, you wouldn't be doing this. If you loved me, you would let me go." "I can't do that," Maxwell said, his voice rising in frustration. "Just cooperate, and everything will be all right. I promise." Maxwell pulled out his phone and called a cab. When it arrived, he opened the door and ushered Carmela inside. The driver looked at them through the rearview mirror. "Wher

Carmela started to shake in bed. She struggled to push Maxwell off from her body, sluggishly. She was weak beneath him and her legs were already numb from the fear she felt at that moment. “If you do this now, I would never forgive you.” Her voice came out as a whisper.“Even when Max is dead, I can’t have peace.” Maxwell stopped what he was doing and looked up at her in the face. She didn’t even look at him. Her gaze was looking the other way. “You want peace?” his thick voice asked and Carmela refused to reply. “Peace!!!!!” He yelled and shifted away from her body. This time, he pulled Carmela in a rush, sitting her up in the bed. His eyes were flaming in anger and his fist was tightening around Carmela’s wrist. She cried in pain and he kept strangling his hands around her wrist. With each tightening, she would wimp in pain. “Maxwell, stop, please, you’re hurting me.” She tried pulling her hands away, pleading to Maxwell. She wanted him to stop. All of this to end. Maxwel

An hour passed, and still Carmela and the nurse sat in the small examination room. The nurse was beginning to look worried, and Carmela was becoming more and more anxious. Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the door flew open. Carmela jumped, her heart in her throat, as a furious-looking Maxwell stormed into the room. "What's going on in here?" he demanded. The nurse looked up at him, her face a mask of calm professionalism. "Mr. Maxwell, I'm afraid I can't allow you in here," she said. "This is a private examination room." “We’re not staying any longer.” Maxwell was definite. "Please, Mr. Maxwell," said the nurse, standing in front of the door to block his path. "You have to leave. You're disturbing a private examination." But Maxwell wasn't about to be deterred. He brushed past the nurse and grabbed Carmela by the arm, dragging her out of the room. Just then, a doctor appeared in the hallway, a look of concern on his face. "What's going on here?" he asked. "This is my wif

In the operating room, the woman lay peacefully on the operating table, the anesthesia working its magic. The doctor and his team were focused on the task at hand, and everything was going according to plan. As the doctor carefully removed the first baby, he heard a cry. It was a healthy, strong cry, and the doctor couldn't help but smile. He looked at the nurse, who was recording the vital signs of the baby. "It's a girl," the nurse said, her voice filled with excitement. "And she's doing great." The doctor continued with the surgery, carefully removing the second and third babies, both of whom were also healthy and strong. When the last baby was out, the doctor turned to the nurse. "Get her transferred to the post-op room," he said. "I want to make sure she wakes up okay." The nurse nodded, and the team worked quickly to get the woman moved to the recovery room. As the anesthesia wore off, the woman began to stir, slowly opening her eyes. "Where are my babies?" Carmela asked,