"well it does seem you weren't actually worried about me as you claimed, were you?" he was now staring down directly into zareal's eyes.
Zareal let out a quiet scoff, "am sorry, why would…like why did you say that?" her voice cracked mid sentence .
"cause you wouldn't still be asking why I wasn't at the anniversary event" his voice grew a bit louder now " I was in a fucking accident, zareal"
He said, then instantly going mute, as if he had wanted the words to hang up there and linger, and it actually did. Zareal's eyes immediately widened quickly, "No I… I didn't mean for it to come off that way, I just—-" "but it did" .. he interrupted her.
"Mr sterling—" "You know what zareal, everything is fine, okay? I have it under control. perhaps you should head home, you look like you need some rest.
The dismissiveness in his tone made something twist in her chest, she had rushed here while ignoring the pain that had been screaming through her hip. But here he was, already pushing her away.
Nonetheless , she decides to press harder "Are you in pain?" she asked, now looking at the bandage. "Did they say if you have a concussion?"
"I'm fine," he repeated. "The doctors want to run a few more tests, but it's precautionary."
Precautionary, everything with ranulf was measured and controlled, even standing in a hospital room with blood seeping through the bandage on his forehead, he maintained that same cold composure.
Perhaps he does that only to her.
Zareal couldn't help it. despite everything, despite being ignored, dismissed and treated like an inconvenience, she had been worried and couldn't understand why, could it be because she still loved him?
"Mr Sterling, I understand how things have been between us but, you are still my husband"...
"By contract." His voice was quiet but sharp. "Not by choice."
The words landed like stones, each one deliberate like it was meant to wound.
Zareal felt something crack inside her chest, not breaking, just fracturing. It was true, indeed it's actually a contract marriage but his delivery was harsh.
"I know that," she said. Her voice was steady despite the tightness in her throat. "But I'm still your wife. And when I heard you were in an accident, I couldn't just go home and pretend I didn't care."
But ranulf just turned away from her, looking out the window. "You should go home zareal, there's nothing for you to do here. Like i said, I have everything under control."
A tear almost broke out from her eyes. "everything under control" as if this was just another business matter he was managing.
As if her showing up at the hospital was an unwanted complication rather than concern.
Zareal opened her mouth to respond, but the door suddenly swung open before she could.
Low and behold, guess who stepped in? A man in a polished suit but now almost soaked in sweat after he had rushed down, back to the room as quickly as he could.
His hair now disheveled as well, it was david. david stepped through carrying a small pharmacy bag, instantly stopping the moment he sighted Zareal, genuine surprise crossing his face.
"Mrs. Zareal. I didn't realize you were here."
For a brief moment, the world paused, Zareal stared at him in disbelief.
David looked completely fine, no injuries, no bandages and his tie still perfectly in place.
Something cold settled in her stomach.
"David, you…you—" zareal said slowly as she still couldn't complete her sentence.
He blinked, confusion evident on his face. "Do there seem to be a problem ma'am?"...
"So you weren't the one driving when the accident occurred?"... Zareal finally got her words.
"No I wasn't ma'am"... David said as he lowered his head.
The officer's words echoed in her mind. "Two occupants, Your husband and the person behind the wheels".
If david hadn't been in the car, then who had?
For a moment, one might have forgotten ranulf was still in the room as he had just stood completely mute behind zareal.
"I brought the medication you asked for." David said, holding out the bag toward ranulf. He glanced at it, then at ranulf. "for her"
The words began to register slowly, for her?
Zareal's eyes moved past david now, scanning the room more carefully, and that was when she noticed it.
A privacy curtain in the corner. Pale blue fabric drawn across, creating a divided space she hadn't fully registered when she first entered.
Behind it, she could see the outline of another bed, medical equipment and could hear the steady beep of a heart monitor, slightly out of sync with the one tracking Ranulf's vitals.
so someone else was in this room, her breath caught.
"Who..." Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Who else is here?"
Ranulf just took the pharmacy bag from david without looking at her, his expression remained completely neutral. "No one you need to concern yourself with."
But Zareal was already moving, her cane struck the floor as she stepped toward the curtain. each tap echoed too loud in the suddenly silent room, reverberating off the walls.
Her hand reached for the edge of the curtain, as her fingers closed around the thin fabric. Her pulse hammered in her ears.
She could hear breathing behind it, they were soft and steady, the beep of monitors and the quiet hum of medical equipment filling the space between heartbeats.
Two occupants, the driver and Ranulf. Those words kept ringing in her head continuously as she was now close enough, the truth just beyond this pale blue barrier.
Her fingers tightened on the curtain, knuckles white against the fabric, then she pulled it back slowly, and for a moment her breath seized, because the figure lying on the bed was none other than the one person who had never crossed her mind, someone she had no reason to expect was the one behind the wheels.