Chapter 2
Half an hour later, Ethan stormed into the hospital, reeking of booze and the lingering smoke from the fireworks.
His handsome face was twisted with anxiety and rage. The moment he walked in, he grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard.
"Helena, are you out of your mind? What the hell are you babbling about?" he shouted.
His eyes were bloodshot, maybe from worrying about his father or just because I'd wrecked his good time.
I didn't fight back. I let him shake me all he wanted, feeling like I was about to fall apart.
I just looked up at him, my eyes hollow and lifeless. He'd never seen me like this before.
"I'm not making this up," I said.
I pulled out that thin slip of paper from my pocket. It felt heavier than lead, and I slapped it against his chest.
On the paper, the words "Death Notice" were printed in bold, like a gravestone pressing down.
The time of death was at 10:30 PM.
"See? I'm not joking," I said.
He looked down, and the instant his eyes hit the paper, it was like his bones had been ripped out. His legs went weak, and he staggered back, slumping against the wall.
But he kept fumbling for excuses. His voice suddenly turned louder out of guilt. "It was an accident. The hospital equipment must've been outdated. Yeah, that must be it. A freak accident. Fireworks had nothing to do with this!"
He couldn't dare to look at me or at the bed covered by a white sheet in the room.
He was like a kid caught in the act, throwing a tantrum, as if yelling loud enough could change the truth.
*****
Just then, my mother-in-law, Patricia, burst in, crying her eyes out.
She was wrapped in a pricey fur coat with perfect makeup, and the moment she saw Ethan teetering, she rushed over and clung to him.
She didn't ask about William's death, but her first move was to protect her precious son. Then she whipped around and gave me a fierce look.
"Helena, you jinx! Did you say something to William again? Just look at Ethan. He's so sad," she spat.
I stared at this crazy mother and son, and honestly, it was almost funny how absurd they were.
A murderer and his accomplice, spinning a twisted tale before the very person they'd destroyed, pretending they were the victims.
Just then, Ethan's phone rang at the worst possible moment. The caller ID flashed: Whitney.
He actually answered the call right in front of me and his dead father, his hand trembling uncontrollably.
His voice instantly broke, filled with sorrow. "Whitney... My dad... is gone..."
Whitney's voice came through softly. "Ethan, don't be sad. I feel so bad for you. It was just an accident. You have to take care of yourself."
Hearing Whitney's "comfort," Patricia clung to Ethan as if he were her last hope. Then she snapped at me. "Do you hear Whitney? She always knows the right thing to say. Your husband's falling apart, and instead of comforting him, you're just making it worse. Can't you show understanding to him?"
Was I supposed to be the understanding one? But who was going to understand the life that got snuffed out in the ICU?
I ignored Patricia and Ethan's little drama.
Then I turned and walked slowly toward the cold hospital bed.
I lifted a corner of the white sheet, exposing William's face, which was contorted in agony.
He was the only one in this family who would give my hand a reassuring pat whenever I was wronged and say, "Helena, I'm sorry you had to put up with all this."
He was the only one who would let out a sigh and grumble about his useless son whenever Ethan stayed out all night for Whitney again. He was the only one who ever made me feel like a family member.
I took out the wooden comb I always kept in my bag and started to smooth out his wild, graying hair.
My hands moved really gently and slowly, like he was just taking a nap.
My calmness seemed to get under Ethan's skin. He lunged forward, trying to grab my hand. "Helena, don't do this. I..."
My eyes left William's face and landed on Ethan's hand, which was reaching for me.
That hand still reeked of another woman's perfume.
My stare was sharp and icy.
"Don't you dare touch me with the same hand you used on another woman," I snapped.
My voice wasn't loud, but it stopped him, his hand hanging in the air.
I paused, letting my eyes sweep over him and Patricia, and then I said, "Keep your hands off your father, too."
Hearing that, he was frozen in place, all the color draining from his face.
Right in front of Patricia and Ethan, I slowly twisted the sparkling diamond ring off my left ring finger.
This was the ring Ethan had slipped onto my finger when he proposed, with hundreds of people watching.
He called it a lifetime promise.
Now that I looked at it, it was just a cruel joke.
I gently set the cold ring down next to William's stiff hand.
The icy metal brushed against his lifeless skin.
I turned to Ethan, his face contorted with shock and panic. I spoke slowly, each word heavy, like a final verdict.
I said, "From now on, I'm no longer your wife.
"I'm just here to settle the score for your father."