She hurried into the hospital, as she scanned the emergency room, searching for any sign of the officer she had spoken with earlier. Her eyes landed on him, seated on a bench, not too far from the reception desk.
"Officer!" she called out, as she hurriedly moved towards him. He turned, recognizing her immediately. "Where is Ashley?"
The officer stood, his expression softening. "Ana, I'm so sorry about what happened to your friend. The doctors are doing their best. She's going to be fine."
Before Ana could reply, a nurse emerged from the room where Ashley was, her face expressed exhaustion and relief.
"Officer, the girl is awake. You can go in and see her."
"No, I don't think I need to. Her friend is here already; it will be better if she sees a familiar face," he replied, directing his gaze to Ana. "I'll check on you both in the morning. Here's my card," he said, reaching into his breast pocket and handing it to Ana. "Call me if you need anything," he added calmly before leaving the hospital with Rachel.
"Let's go," the nurse stated. Ana's legs felt like jelly as she followed the nurse down the corridor. They reached the room, and the nurse gently pushed the door open.
Ashley lay on the bed, her face pale and bruised but her eyes were open. Tears welled up in Ana's eyes as she rushed to her side. "Ashley," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Ashley turned her head slowly, her eyes welling up as she saw her friend. "Ana," she called, her voice weak, filled with sorrow. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want this to happen." Her words echoed in the silence.
Ana rushed to her side, taking Ashley's hand and squeezing it gently, letting the warmth of her touch soothe her friend. "None of this is your fault. I'm so glad you're awake. We're going to get through this together." Their grip tightened as their eyes met in the dim light, her presence making Ashley's burden lighter.
"You're safe now," Ana whispered, her voice a soothing balm against the raw edges of fear. "Nothing like this is ever going to happen again."
Ana's words were a fragile promise, but in that moment, they were everything. As the minutes passed, the exhaustion of the day began to weigh heavily on them. Ana's steady breathing and comforting presence soothed Ashley into a state of calm she hadn't felt in a long time. Slowly, the two of them drifted to sleep, finding solace in each other's company.
The next morning, Ashley awoke to the soft light, filtering through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. She blinked, momentarily disoriented, before the events of the previous night came rushing back.
Ana was by her side, a tray of breakfast balanced carefully in her hands.
"Good morning," Ana said with a warm smile, placing the tray softly on Ashley's lap, "I thought you could use a little pampering today" she chuckled.
Ashley returned a faint smile, her heart swelling with gratitude. As she took a bite of her toast, a sudden realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
"Oh my God," she gasped, nearly choking on her food.
"My wedding… it's today."
Ana's expression softened with concern, "Ana you're still under medical observation. You need to rest."
"But I have to go." Ashley insisted, her voice trembling. "My dad is going to hate me if I don't."
Ana placed a reassuring hand on Ashley's arm.
"Maybe this is a sign, Ashley. A miracle even. Do you want to marry Alex? After everything he's done to you?"
She let out a heavy sigh as she thought about Alex, the man who bullied her and belittled her for so long. The thought of spending the rest of her life with him made her heart feel like it was squeezed by an invisible hand. "I just don't know," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Ana gently wiped Ashley's tears. "You deserve so much better, you deserve to be happy."
Ashley nodded, her heart which has been pounding with anxiety, started to calm.
She took a deep breath then reached for her phone and dialed her mother's number. "Mom, I'm at the hospital" she whispered, her voice shaking. "I…I don't think I can go through with the wedding."
There was a pause, her mother's gentle voice filled with concern, breaking the silence. "Sweetheart, what happened?"
Before Ashley could respond, she heard her dad's voice in the background, "Go and find her; what are you waiting for?" He grabbed the phone from his wife and placed it on his ear. "Ashley, where are you now?"
Ashley took a deep breath, trying to stabilize herself. "I'm at the general hospital, Dad," her dad responded sharply "Good, stay there." He hung up.
Ashley turned to Ana, "This is all my fault" she said, wavering her head.
"Don't be hard on yourself, Ashley. You couldn't have stopped it; I'm here for you, okay." Ana said softly.
Shortly after Ashley's mom arrived at the hospital, she gasped at the sight of Ashley on the hospital bed, her body bearing marks and bandaged wounds. A deep gash ran along her forehead, neatly stitched but still red.
She rushed to Ashley's side, enveloping her in her warm hug. "Oh, my sweet girl, how are you feeling? I'm so sorry," she whispered.
The picture of her daughter lying helpless on the hospital bed cut her deep, like a knife piercing her heart. Her chest tightened and she struggled to breathe, bringing back the memories of the pain she shared with her daughter. She tried to hold back her tears but they betrayed her, slipping down her cheeks.
Ashley, noticing her mother's distress, reached out, placing her uninjured hand on her arm, and whispered, "Mom, don't cry. I'm going to be fine," her voice was soft but filled with strength despite her fragile state.
Her mom forced a smile, her voice trembling as she replied, "I know you're my strong girl." She reached into her bag and pulled out Ashley's favorite chocolates, hoping it would bring some comfort.
"Look what I brought for you," she said softly, placing it on the bedside.
As Ashley reached to grab the chocolate, just then her dad emerged from the shadows, his face set in an unforgiving expression, his presence like a dark cloud covering the sun.
The air grew thick, almost suffocating, as if the walls were closing in.
Ashley's heart pounded in her chest, the fear she felt intensifying with every second; her father's gaze was cold, and his eyes locked into hers, filled with anger.
"Ashley, my daughter," he said, his voice without any warmth or compassion, "you think pulling off a stunt like this would save you? You're still going to marry Alex. The wedding is in a few hours. If you don't, you can forget about calling me your father."
The words hung in the air, heavy and oppressive.
Ashley felt a huge lump in her throat, finding it very difficult to speak, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to muster the strength to respond. "Dad, please…" her words are flattering under the weight of her emotions and physical pain.
Before she could continue, her dad cut her off sharply. "I don't care about what you have to say," he said coldly, his voice like ice. The harshness of his words stunned everyone in the room, leaving a void filled with shock and disbelief.
Ashley felt a fresh wave of tears water up in her eyes, her father's rejection cutting deeper than any physical wound. She looked at him, her eyes pleading for understanding, for some sign of love she once knew. But his face remained hard, his expressions unchanging.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and left the room, the door closing behind him.