Eliane's POV
"Here's the coffee you ordered." Laura said carefully, putting it on my table.
"Thank you." I muttered, barely looking at her.
I was at work, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened last night.
I had no recollection of driving to work, or ordering this coffee.
"Eliane, you look like you didn't sleep at all last night." She observed.
"Your eyes are dark and puffy, and you seem out of sorts today. You're wearing flip flops, Elle."
I glanced at my feet and saw that she was right. I had forgotten to change my shoes.
"Laura, what's on the schedule for today?"
She handed me a clipboard.
"Can you do me a favor and clear all these for me?"
She looked at me in surprise.
"But I'm just an editor."
There was silence, and then I remembered something I wanted to do. Expose Danté.
"Laura, I have a big story to break." I turned to her, a wicked smile on my face.
"Call the other team members, we're going to publish a story that will shake the city to its core. A story that will reveal the truth about Danté."
She walked out, and a few minutes later, Mr. Bennett entered.
"Elle," he sighed.
"I'm sorry, but you're fired."
"What?"
His words hit me like a punch in the gut. What did he mean I was fired? Fired for what?
"Fired for what?" I repeated, incredulous.
"I had no choice, Eliane. I was given an ultimatum, and this was the only option that wouldn't ruin me."
"What ultimatum? By whom? And why?" I demanded.
"You're asking too many questions, Eliane." He raised his voice, and I felt a surge of anger.
"Then answer me, Sir. What's going on?"
He sighed again, and said, "I got a call from the government authorities last night. And they...they gave me a very hard choice. Either fire you, or they would shut down this place."
"And you know, Eliane, that this is my life's work. This is my empire, my legacy. And not just mine, but also of many others who work here."
He lowered his voice, and I saw tears in his eyes. I felt tears in mine too. Every word he spoke stung, twisting deep into my flesh like a knife.
"Why me? Why not someone else?" I asked him, my voice trembling with frustration and confusion.
"I don't know, Eliane. They're coming here soon to check if you're still working," he replied, his tone filled with resignation.
"This is insane! This is all insane!" I sobbed, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of it all. "You're all insane!"
"It all started with the package,now everything is just going bad for me " I sobbed heavily.
I poured out my feelings and emotions, even though I knew he couldn't truly understand the depth of my despair.
He just looked at me with pity, unable to offer any solace.
As people entered the room to pack up my belongings and load them into my car, I tried desperately to stop them.
But my pleas fell on deaf ears as they continued their work, ignoring me as if I were invisible.
Piece by piece, my life was dismantled. In a matter of minutes, everything that defined me was gone.
I walked out of the office, my gaze meeting the eyes of Laura and my other team members. There was no need for words - the pity in their expressions said it all.
Stepping on the pedal, I stole one last glance at the building that held so many memories, before driving away into the unknown.
As I drove down the familiar streets, the weight of the world seemed to press down on my shoulders.
The bitter taste of betrayal lingered in my mouth. Danté, the man I once loved, had taken everything from me.
The memories of my father's death, the car bomb that ripped him away from me, The car bomb Danté orchestrated shattered my life into a million pieces.
How could I have been so blind to Danté's true nature?
And then there was Alex, my fiancé. The one person who had stood by me through it all. But even he had reached his breaking point.
The package, a cruel reminder of the past, had shattered the trust between us. I couldn't blame him for leaving, but the uncertainty of his whereabouts gnawed at my heart.
As the tears welled up in my eyes, I couldn't help but feel the weight of how bad my life had become.
It felt like I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, with no way out. But deep down, a flicker of determination ignited within me.
I refused to let Danté's actions define me. I would find a way to rebuild my life, to seek justice for my father, and to find Alex, no matter the cost.
As I replayed these painful memories in my mind, my vision blurred with tears. The weight of it all became too much to bear.
And in that moment of distraction, it happened. I crashed into another car, the impact jolting me back to reality.
Everything around me seemed to move in slow motion as chaos unfolded. The blaring sirens echoed in the distance, blending with the frantic voices of people rushing to offer aid.
I couldn't bear to witness it any longer. I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of my mistakes pressing down on me. The darkness seemed to creep closer, enveloping me in its suffocating embrace.
____
"Eliane," a tiny voice whispered my name repeatedly, growing louder with each repetition. I felt a shiver run down my spine as the mysterious voice echoed through the air.
Curiosity tugged at me, urging me to respond. Slowly, I began to open my eyes, squinting against the dim light that filtered through my eyelashes.
As I blinked away the remnants of sleep, my vision sharpened, and my eyes widened in astonishment.
There, standing before me, was a figure bathed in a soft glow. It was as if they had emerged from a dream, their presence both ethereal and captivating.
"Alex?"