It was utter chaos after that. On the other end of the phone, there were frantic voices, some calling for an ambulance while others tried to pull the boy from the wrecked vehicle, shouting at each other to be careful with him. Someone had found Ezra's phone amidst the turmoil and, seeing Aunt Evelyn as the most frequently contacted number, had called to inform her of the accident.
The scene on their side was equally harrowing. As soon as Aunt Evelyn heard the news, her legs buckled under her, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching at her chest and crying out in despair. Between her breathless sobs, she repeatedly asked if Ezra was still breathing.
Celeste's mind came to a screeching halt, her head buzzing with a mix of fear and disbelief. She felt nauseous and breathless, trapped in a daze. Reality only snapped back into focus when Aunt Evelyn, tears streaming down her face, shook her urgently and begged her to contact Maximilian.
Maximilian's residence was closer to the hospital where Ezra was taken. He could reach there before them and assess Ezra's condition. Living far from the hospital, they needed frequent updates on Ezra while they made their way there.
Maximilian did not take the news calmly. The moment he heard it, he exchanged no further words with Aunt Evelyn, abruptly ending the call to rush to Ezra's side. His sister Laura was with him at the time and accompanied him to the hospital. It was she who kept Aunt Evelyn and Celeste informed, providing updates as Maximilian was too shaken to do so himself.
The car ride was oppressively silent, the only sound in the heavy, gloomy air being a continuous string of soft prayers. Celeste couldn't tell if they were coming from herself or Aunt Evelyn.
Celeste's mental state was already fragile because of Alice. This new crisis threatened to shatter her remaining sanity. Even if Ezra miraculously survived and emerged from his coma, the trauma of seeing another beloved family member bruised and bloodied in a hospital bed was almost too much for the Ashton family to bear.
Unlike Aunt Evelyn, who was always kind and patient, or Ezra, who was positive and open-minded, Celeste was stubborn, headstrong, and immature. She was also unreasonable and quick-tempered, struggling to cope with the mounting anguish.
Celeste knew that what would finally snap her would be something very trivial or inconsequential. However, while it was not something trivial that had her irrationally mad—such as Maximilian revealing that he might be the reason Ezra's life had turned upside down—it was still not his fault. He never approached Ezra with the intent to hurt him; she knew that very well. But when irrational anger takes over one's heart, it leaves no space for rational thoughts to seep in.
As soon as they left Ezra's ward, Celeste erupted. She clutched Maximilian's coat, shaking him wildly as she shouted, blaming him for everything—for Ezra's condition, for their family's recent misfortunes, even for Alice's situation. Her rage was all-consuming, and she lashed out at him, hitting him hard in the chest.
Maximilian, on the other hand, just stood there and let her. He already believed he was responsible for all of this. He thought it was fair for Celeste to act this way. More than anything, he felt hollow and numb. He had indirectly hurt his lover and was preparing to hurt him again by breaking up with him in a disrespectful manner once he woke up. His mind was in such turmoil that he couldn't give Celeste's resentment and actions a second thought. She could probably kill him right now, and he wouldn't be able to muster a reaction. His thoughts were so jumbled that he was merely walking around with a baggage of dazed and overwhelmed emotions and thoughts.
It was when Aunt Evelyn emerged from the ward and saw the two in such a predicament that she intervened. She separated them, scolded them, and eventually pulled them into a hug. Her voice, soft and sad, reached into Celeste's heart as she said,
"You are all just kids. You shouldn't have to go through all this. Life is cruel. But at least spare each other from your own cruelty. At least treat each other more kindly. At least give each other a way out. Please, babies. Please listen to this helpless woman's plea."
After her aunt and uncle's deaths, followed by her father's untimely demise, Celeste had thought things couldn't possibly get any worse. She bet life had challenged her with a 'bet?' upon hearing her thoughts, because the days that followed were progressively worse. For the first time in her life, she fought with Aunt Evelyn, refusing to show any leniency to Maximilian Carlisle, whom she deemed a murderer, and stormed off.
She wasn't there when Ezra woke up later. She couldn't muster the courage to face his reaction to Maximilian's text. The thought of seeing another loved one in pain, of confronting the consequences of their collective grief and anger, was too much for her to bear.
Aunt Evelyn had called her numerous times. It seemed Aunt Evelyn had even asked others among their acquaintances to look out for Celeste, resulting in many calls from a diverse group of people, from Aunt Maria to even Principal Mathew, who lived nearby. On any other day, she would have found humor in this unusual attention, but today, she was far from amused.
Overwhelmed and disturbed by the current situation and Maximilian's earlier words, Celeste was also grappling with guilt over her impulsive nature. She hadn't meant anything she said to Maximilian; she had just been incredibly mad, and he had been a convenient outlet for her anger. Despite her remorse, she wasn't ready to go back and apologize. She decided to do that later, preferably while Ezra was still in the hospital, so he wouldn't know where she was or what she was doing.
Annoyed by the numerous missed calls and feeling guilty for worrying Aunt Evelyn, Celeste composed a text message to her. As she scrolled through the missed calls, her eyes landed on one particular number. The person had called about thirty minutes ago, but since she had been deliberately ignoring her phone, she had missed it.
She hesitated, her heart racing as she stared at the screen, Celeste quickly called the number back. After a few rings, she finally heard a voice she had been missing terribly,
"Celeste?"
"Alice! Wasn't your phone confiscated?"
"Oh that... I snuck into my parents' room last night when they were out and stole it back..." Alice's voice was almost a whisper. Celeste had to really sharpen her senses to catch her words.
"I'm having trouble believing that. You were never brave enough to pull something like that."
Alice was silent for a moment, then her voice came in louder, though breathless, as if she had been running, "If that's how you think of me... then you'll be really surprised at my guts today..."
"What do you mean? And Alice... I hear cars in the background... You're not in your room?" It was Saturday. The Hughest couple were both renowned makeup artists, often busy with celebrity clients. More than once, Celeste and Ezra had been under their care during their shoots. They also owned a salon that was extremely busy on Saturdays. Celeste knew they wouldn't be able to accompany Alice outside today.
Moreover, Celeste doubted Louis, after hearing about Ezra's condition, would be in any state of mind to frolic around with his sister. Aunt Evelyn had forbidden them from contacting Louis again, his actions having crossed even her bottom line of patience.
Aunt Evelyn still maintained a suitable, not too friendly nor too distant relationship with the Hughes couple, and she had nothing against Alice, so she only allowed contact with them. Thus, it was only through his family members that Louis could find out anything about Ezra when, in the past, he was the first to know every little detail about his best friend before anyone else could. Saying Louis might be in a terrible mood would be an understatement. He must be in a disastrous mood.
"Alice, where are you?" Celeste's voice was tinged with urgency. She could feel a knot of worry forming in her stomach. "You're not with Louis, are you?"
"No," Alice replied, her voice firmer now. "I'm not with Louis."
Alice these days was not allowed to be by herself for a long time, let alone go outside without someone accompanying her. She had heard as much from Aunt Evelyn. So Alice being outside was a very questionable thing.
"Alice... You better tell me honestly. Are you by yourself right now?" Celeste's tone was getting colder and more anxious by the second.
On the contrary, Alice, unlike her usual demeanor and mood, was very calm and even sounded somewhat chirpy. "I promise to tell you everything. That's why I called. First of all though, Celeste, can you come to the old abandoned building near our school's vicinity... It is very important... Also. Be careful. Don't let anyone know you are coming here... Please."
The more Celeste heard, the more confused she became. Deep in the pit of her stomach, she felt an odd and ominous sensation. It was so profound and stubborn that she couldn't shake it off, almost making her feel nauseated. Without realizing it, her legs started moving, propelling her with desperate speed.
She headed towards the bus stop to catch the bus that passed by the area near their school, but suddenly her feet halted. Something in the back of her mind told her not to leave traces that could be used to track her activity to that building.
Celeste found the thought ridiculous, but it clung stubbornly to her heart. Finally, with a click of her tongue, she changed course, taking an almost opposite path from the bus stop and running as fast as she could. She used as many twists and turns as possible to reach the school location, trying to follow her gut instinct while pushing aside the rising sense of foreboding.