Carl's Mansion***
It was well past 7 PM and Carl's grandma, Ms. Natalie was watching TV when she saw breaking news about Carl. Her heart sank as the news anchor described how Carl had been shot by gunmen and was now in a coma. She struggled to believe what she was hearing, and her heart started racing.
Could it really be true?
She moved closer to the TV, hoping that there had been a misunderstanding, but as the story unfolded, it became clear that her worst fears had come true. Carl was in the hospital fighting for his life.
The news report continued, but Carl's grandma could barely hear the words. She was too focused on the images flashing on the screen. She saw Carl lying in a hospital bed and the footage of the police officers arresting the criminals involved.
Ms. Natalie's world was spinning, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. All she could think about was her precious grandson, fighting for his life. "No! No! No" she screamed repeatedly.
Her hands were trembling like she was cold and the fear that consumed her was enough to make her collapse. Though, she still couldn't believe that her grandson was in this terrible situation.
"Grandma!!! …is everything alright?" Richie's voice was heard.
Ms. Natalie hastily clicked the TV remote to turn the TV off, as Richie's footsteps grew closer. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself because she didn't want to alarm Richie. She couldn't bear to let Richie know that Carl was shot right in his heart and was in a coma fighting for his life. So, she put on a brave face and hoped he wouldn't suspect anything odd.
"Grandma, are you okay?" Richie said as he walked straight to the living room and his grandmother turned to face him.
"yes, I'm... I'm fine," She said, nodding vigorously as she tried to steady her voice.
"Are you sure?" Richie asked with concern. "I heard you shouting, and your eyes are red. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh Richie, I'm perfectly fine…" She lied. "Something got into my eye that's why,"
"Okay," Richie shrugged. He was clueless about what really happened so he believed her.
"Umm... Sweetheart, I want to go the pharmacy to get some drugs for... for my head. I have this slight headache" She said.
"Okay," Richie said, still looking unconvinced. "I hope you feel better soon. Goodnight grandma" He hugged her and headed off to his room.
Ms. Natalie let out a sigh of relief. She was glad she didn't have to tell Richie about his brother. Although Richie suspected something to be off, he just couldn't tell what it was. And as for Ms. Natalie, she wasn't going to the pharmacy. She was actually going to the hospital Carl was admitted to see Carl.
..
At the hospital***
Dexter read through the messages on Anne's phone and his face was filled with shock and disbelief. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. He couldn't help but laugh at what he just read.
Anne, on the other hand, was confused about why Dexter was laughing. "What's so funny?" she asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.
"This is just too ridiculous," he said, chuckling. "I mean, isn't it obvious? Someone else must've sent those messages from Carl's phone. He would never say those things to you! He respects and cares for you way too much," Dexter said.
"you're right Dex," Anne sighed. "I think I figured it out too that this text wasn't sent by Carl… I don't know but I have a feeling that it was Sasha who sent those messages."
"wow," Dexter exclaimed softly. He paused for a while trying to process what Anne had just said. Though, he wasn't surprised because the content of the text definitely sounded like something Sasha would say. But why would she do that?
Dexter remembered something from earlier today. It was when Sasha borrowed Carl's phone when they were at the NYPD headquarters. That was when she must have sent the messages.
The pieces were starting to come together. Sasha must have deleted Anne's voicemail too.
But what was her motive?
Dexter knew that Sasha didn't like his sister but why come in between her relationship with Carl? Was she that desperate to ruin their relationship?
"Anastasia!" A harsh voice echoed through the waiting room. Anne and Dexter immediately snapped their heads around and saw Carl's grandmother at the door with Sasha.
Anne's eyes were fixed on Carl's grandma. She saw how hurt and upset Carl's grandma was and it made her swallow hard. It was as if the tragedy of her grandson's condition had aged her by years. There was sorrow in her eyes that spoke of unspeakable pain, and a tremor in her voice that hinted at panic.
The pain this old woman was feeling was more than anyone else who knew Carl. She loved Carl so much that hearing the tragic news about him made her almost have a panic attack.
It wasn't really a surprise to see Carl's grandmother here because the news about Carl's condition had spread all over New York.
"Grandma," Anne said softly, standing from her seat same with Dexter.
"Don't you dare call me that!" Ms. Natalie said sharply, glaring at Anne.
Anne was taken aback by the sudden change in the woman's attitude towards her. Also, the angry look on Carl's grandma's face was enough to kill her. She wondered what went wrong all of a sudden because this woman had always been sweet to her from the very first day they met.
Why was she being rude to her all of a sudden?
Dexter was also surprised at the way Carl's grandmother was treating Anne. Although it was his first time seeing Ms. Natalie in person, he knew she was Carl's grandmother.
But then, he noticed Sasha smirking like she was enjoying the show. Something clicked in Dexter's brain, and it all made sense. Sasha must have poisoned Ms. Natalie's mind against Anne before she came inside the hospital. That explained the woman's sudden change in attitude.
"is it true?" Ms. Natalie asked Anne, her voice trembling. But Anne only stared back feeling lost.
"Is it true that you're the one who caused my grandson to be in a coma?" the older woman continued, her eyes brimming with tears. Anne's heart sank as she realized what was happening. Ms. Natalie had been led to believe that she was somehow responsible for Carl's condition, and she had no idea how to set the record straight.
Anne was speechless, she didn't even know how to react. She bowed her head to avoid Ms. Natalie's eyes because the guilt she was feeling was just too much.
Ms. Natalie stepped closer to Anne and repeated her question, this time with more force. "Is it true that you're the one who caused my grandson to be shot?" she asked, her voice thick with anger and grief.
"Is it true that you're the reason he's lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life?" she said as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Anne's heart skipped a beat. She struggled to find the words to explain herself. This wasn't at all what she had expected, and she was at a loss for what to do or say. But apparently, she already believed that she was the cause of everything.
"Answer me!" the grandmother shouted at Anne.
"Grandma I… I" Anne stuttered with so much anxiety.
"…I told you not to call me that!!" she said, her face red with anger. "You don't have that right!" she yelled. She suddenly grabbed Anne's bloody shirt and pulled it toward her inspecting the dried blood on the fabric.
"This is my grandson's blood right?" she said accusingly. "I don't need to know what really happened because I already know you caused this. My grandson is in a coma fighting for his life and it's all because of you!!!" She cried out loud.
Ms. Natalie sobbed, still clutching Anne's shirt and she couldn't help but wonder how much blood Carl must've lost.
However, Anne could only stand there, frozen in place. How could she possibly begin to explain everything that really happened?
Meanwhile, Sasha was very satisfied with herself for manipulating the whole situation. It was just a little revenge for putting Carl in this condition. She knew that Anne was embarrassed and filled with guilt.
Dexter couldn't hold it in anymore. He knew he had to do something to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.
"Ms. Natalie, please calm down. I'm really sorry for what you're going through right now but the truth is, none of this is Anne's fault. She…"
"…and who do you think you are to tell me otherwise?" Carl's grandma cuts in before Dexter could finish.
"That's Anne's brother," Sasha said. "he'd say anything just to protect his heartless sister,"
Dexter's jaw dropped in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could Sasha be so cruel?
"Like brother, like sister, huh? Of course, you'll stick up for her" Ms. Natalie said. Her eyes were cold and fixed on Dexter. She didn't believe him, and it was clear that she thought he was just trying to protect his sister.
As the accusations continued to fly, Anne's sobs turned to quiet, silent tears. She felt heartbroken by the fact that the woman who had been like a grandmother to her was now against her. And the whole situation was made worse by the fact that Sasha, who had always been so jealous of Anne, was the one behind it all.