{~~Avery Sterling~~}Gareth and Ryan spoke to the woman. Her story was quite a horror show. She was married, the same as the last victim who told me this is what her husband had done to her throat. The same thing happened to this woman. She said she couldn’t remember what her husband looked like, but the night before she couldn’t see. Her story was bizarre. Logan asked me to do some work so the most I know is that her relationship was competitive. She was taken away from her family by love, she got pregnant a week after that. Nine months later... she ended up in this situation.She said she saw the red flags but she couldn’t leave after making such a fuss about being in love. She’s a mess. Bruises on her skin, scratches under her eyes, and her fingernails were peeled off. I don’t even know how the baby came out okay.I ran my hands over my arms as I filed another patient’s bloodwork. Checking if it was clean. Just doing all I can to keep myself busy. I wonder if she’s okay. Who is doi

/THE PAST/{~~Logan Grey~~}We’re getting married in a few months. I should be ecstatic, but instead, I’m full of worry, gripped by a fear that something is wrong. My instincts about these things are rarely ever wrong, so something isn’t right. I looked at Ava as she smiled at something on her phone. She looked so bright whenever she smiled like she was the sunshine itself. But there was something about her happiness at this moment that didn’t feel like the usual.She kept taking photos of her ring and laughing. I felt uneasy. My phone vibrated, and I shot a glance at it. I checked it, taking my eyes off her with unease. It was my brother, Ronan. He was coming into town to get his son tested. He was showing signs of a basic flu, but my panicky brother thinks it could be something more. He wanted to check if I’d still see my nephew. I reconfirmed and brought my gaze back to Ava, but she was gone.I got up immediately, feeling something clawing at my chest. What the fuck? Where is she?

{~~Avery Sterling~~}The problem with getting food from logan’s mother is that she will take the time to show me her displeasure. I think the whole family blocked out that dinner, and the next time I’m invited, I’m coming up with an excuse just not to be there. I refuse to be in that position again. I smiled awkwardly at her, she didn’t have to bring the food over but what else was I expecting?She leveled me with a disgusted stare. “What are you doing here?”“I live here.”“You live here? Why the hell do you live here?”She has either got to be one of the dumbest people on the planet- and I once knew a girl who thought water didn’t contain hydrogen- or she’s being rude. I hope it’s the latter.“We’re married, where else am I supposed to live?”“Unbelievable. How much do I have to give you to leave my son alone?”I sighed. “Can I just have the food? Logan is starving.”Her eyes got darker. “how much? Name your price. What’s in this for you? A car? A good recommendation?”“Can I please

{~~Logan Grey~~} I may be in a state where I don't even know if I'm working, or just existing. It's a strange limbo, where the lines between duty and mere survival blur, leaving me in a perpetual haze. The catalyst for this descent into emotional fog was the discovery of those letters—tangible evidence that Ava has been cheating on me before she left me. Each letter felt like a dagger, but I could only decipher one since the others were written in a language I didn't understand. Yet, even the single letter I could read was enough to shatter my heart all over again. I love that girl so much. Why the fuck would she do that to me? Was I really not giving her what she wanted? Was the relationship only good to me? Questions swirled in my mind, unrelenting and painful. Why do I even want her to come back? Really? It's a question that gnaws at my sanity. Why? Why am I not thinking of vengeance? Letting her come back and then brutally rejecting her. I blame her parents too. For helping her

{~~Avery Sterling~~}“Logan, are you okay?”He chuckled, and I watched as he got up from the chair. And an almost empty bottle of whiskey between his fingers. The house was different. I couldn't find photos of my sister anywhere. Like one minute she had been all over the place and now she's not. Worry nibbled at my gut. I pressed my back against the door, closing it. “Where were you?”“I… um, I was invited to have dinner with Shawn.”His eyes were empty, but his face had a smile. “I see. So you and your sister share the same traits. You both like being in a relationship with me, but sleeping with someone else.”“Logan, that isn't fair. I didn't say that I was sleeping with him. We just shared a meal-” He chuckled once more, tipping the bottle to his lips and gulping down the last of the liquids. I placed my bag on the floor, and walked up to him. “You're wasted. I didn't sleep with Shawn. And-” I wanted to add that he said this wasn't a permanent relationship. But still, I wasn't