A Quiet Kind of Ruin

When I came to the hospital the next day, I was bandaged head to toe. I felt like a mummy. Every bone in my body screamed in agony.

I kept my tears at bay and did not cause a scene.

The first thing I did was grab the cellphone from the nightstand and call Roman's mom, Nathasha Hawkins.

She was the mother-in-law who never thought I measured up to her son.

I rasped, my throat raw from smoke, "Mrs. Hawkins, I'm ready for the divorce."

The line was dead silent for a few heartbeats before her icy voice answered, "You've thought it through? No second thoughts this time. I'll have the agreement sent to you. Just sign it."

In no time, Luther, the Jackson family's Consigliere, showed up with the divorce papers, all politeness and respect.

My hands trembled so much I could hardly grip the pen.

The room swam before my eyes, not from tears, but from the cold sweat of pain.

Three years of memories spun in my head like a whirlwind.

Roman, taking bullets for me, smoothing over family disputes...

Yet, those memories always stopped at his face when he excused Liliana, that mix of helplessness and leniency.

The first time we met, Liliana's bad intel led to a bullet in my chest and our cargo stolen. I was furious, demanding Roman make it right, but he just stroked my hair and said, "Eleanor, it was just a mix-up with the map. Liliana didn't mean any harm. I've already grounded her."

He always downplayed every betrayal.

Luther said, taking the signed papers with a sigh of relief, "Ms. Bell, I'll get the divorce papers to you once they're ready."

After he left, the room fell into a deep silence, broken only by the steady ticking of the machines.

The silence was shattered in an instant.

Crash!

The door flew open with a violent kick.

Liliana strode in, a thick rope clutched in her hand, her face twisted into a sickly sweet, venomous grin. She crept closer to my hospital bed with each step.

Chills raced up my spine, and my burned skin screamed in agony as it stretched and tore.

"What...what do you want?" I stammered, my voice shaking.

"What do I want?" She cocked her head, her laugh chillingly innocent. "Since the bomb didn't finish you off, I'm here to do the job."

Her words barely hung in the air before she lunged, the rope biting into my neck as she pulled tight!

"Urgh!" I fought with everything I had, but my body was battered and broken, too weak to even raise my arms, let alone fight back against her, a seasoned fighter from childhood.

My lungs gasped for air as darkness crept into my vision, and a buzzing sound filled my ears.

'I'm going to die... She's really going to kill me...' the thought raced through my mind.

As my consciousness slipped away, a loud bang echoed as the door burst open, and the on-duty doctor charged in. "Stop! What are you doing?!"

In the ensuing chaos, I summoned every last ounce of strength to clutch at the doctor's white coat, gasping out, "Call...the police... Hurry..."

Then darkness took me, and I knew no more.

When my eyes fluttered open again, I was met with a face clouded with stormy darkness.

Roman.

He stood at the foot of my bed, his suit crumpled as if he had rushed over.

However, his eyes, usually so steady and calm, were then swirling with something unreadable. Fury? Frustration?

He spoke, his voice icy and sharp, "Eleanor, why did you tell the doctor to call the cops?"

I tried to speak, but my throat was on fire, and no words came out.

He moved closer, and his shadow fell over me. "Liliana's been arrested!"