Bittersweet Billionaire

Two

Two months later

.

The night was perfect. My son and I were on our way back from the movies, he had begged to see the new ninja turtles and I thought we deserved a night out together. I was driving, our chauffeur currently busy attending to my husband and was unavailable to drive us around. I knew he had been driving my sister around, using it as her personal taxi while Kaelen and I had to make do.

It was better this way anyway, the whole ordeal making the night feel more normal then ever. I had bought the car a few weeks ago, claiming it would be quicker and easier to go places with our son then having to wait for our chauffeur to be free. Sammual agreed without care, so long as my sister was attended to I guess. This was the car I was going to use to leave in. I had been planning my departure with my Grandma for over a month now, and she was eagerly awaiting the news we were on our way.

Kaelen and I were singing along to his favorite song, loudly and off tune, but it was still magical. Tomorrow we were leaving, and I couldn't have wanted a better ending to the night.

If only it had lasted. I glanced in the mirror, a frown pulling at my brow when I realized the car behind us had taken the last four turns as me. Not unusual considering we were still in the city, but even when I turned left randomly and at the last moment, the car did the same.

We had a tail. I knew my husband and his family received death threats occasionally, but nothing ever came about it. We had security that would normally escort us between locations, however they too were busy tending to my husband and his mistress. Trying to remain calm while still singing I kept taking random turns, praying it was just mere coincidence they were going the same way. I considered heading towards my parents place, but I knew they would scold me for potentially bringing the danger to their home.

So I kept turning. I weaved in and out of traffic as safely as possible, acutely aware of my son in the back who was thankfully still oblivious to the danger. After another two turns I looked in the mirror and breathed a sigh of relief; they were gone. I let out a shaky breath, heart pounding hard against my chest as I tried to calm myself, adrenaline making my head swoon slightly. We passed through a set of green traffic lights when I looked to my right...

Bright headlights.

Honking horns

Smashing glass.

Searing pain.

metal groaning.

Asphalt scraping.

Someone screaming.

So much confusion.

So much chaos.

Darkness....

~*~

I heard a beeping sound somewhere in the distance. The blackness holding me down as I struggled to breathe. I called out Kaelan's name with no response. I struggled again, finally feeling my eyes peel open to stare at the pristine white ceiling. I blinked a few times, my eyelids heavy and vision blurry.

A whimper left my lips as I attempted to sit up, my body feeling as if it were on fire, searing pain shooting all the way to my fingertips and toes. Tears stung my eyes as I lay back down, panic threatening to swallow me as I tried to pull on the last memories I had. I closed my eyes, thinking back. It had been dark, night time. Our family chauffeur had been busy, so I had taken the car I had bought a few weeks prior. We were travelling home from the movies when...

My eyes flew open, my son's name catching in my throat as I choked. Just then a doctor and nurse entered the room, one had a clipboard, followed by my husband and both parents. I croaked out Sammual's name but the man didn't move, he didn't even look at me.

"Where's Kaelan" my voice was hoarse and raspy. The nurse gently helped me sip from a cup half filled with water. As I painfully pushed myself into sitting position I glared at my so called family. I repeated the question, panic entering my voice now. No one would look at me as the feeling of dread grew in the pit of my stomach. The doctor stepped closer, my eyes flicking to his face to lock with his. Eyes that were to use to telling family members bad news.

This is just a bad dream I thought desperately

I looked back at Sammual again, the panic from earlier now returning, the hole in my chest growing "where is my son?!" I screamed, clawing at the bed, praying that this was just a misunderstanding. That any second they would say he's fine. But it never came, the relief turning to despair as I watched the doctors mouth moving, the words not fully comprehending

"I'm so very sorry Mrs. Welsh, we did everything we could but the injuries were to severe..." there was a high pitch ringing in my ears, all other sounds had dulled to a muffled buzz, eyesight going blurry as if I were under water. Shock and pity crossed the nurses face, her hand reaching out to touch my arm in comfort. That's when I realized the high pitch ringing was my scream as I begged for him to be lying, and the blurry vision was the tears streaming down my face.

And all the while Sammual just stood near the door, eyes downcast, a sour look on his face and arms crossed over his chest, as if this whole ordeal was just a waste of time. There was no comfort, no tears shed, no sympathy given. I wailed in agony, the hole in my chest caving in as realization dawned on me; my son was dead.

The Welsh family stared at me, their faces stony and emotionless, as if losing their grandchild was nothing different from losing a neighbor. I was curled up on the bed, gripping my stomach and arms, afraid that at any moment I would fall to pieces just as my world had suddenly fallen apart from under me.

What felt like hours passed until there were no more tears to shed. I don't know when the others had left, the empty space where they had stood almost mocking me. The nurse from earlier was still there, she was sitting at my side and holding my hand, occasionally checking my vitals as my wails slowly turned to uncontrollable sobs, to eventually silence.

But it was the silence that seemed to worry her the most.

After calling the doctor in he examined my motionless body, eyes staring straight ahead. I opened my mouth and croaked out a question

"Can I see my son?" the look he passed to the nurse was full of uncertainty.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Welsh, but your husband had ordered the cremation of your son while you were in a coma" I felt that like a knife to the heart. My baby boy, who had been snatched from me to soon, had been cremated before I even had the chance to say goodbye. How cruel did Sammual have to be? Was losing my world not enough for him? Did he truly hate me that much?

I gripped my stomach tighter, tearless sobs shaking through my body as the last bit of my sanity shattered into a million pieces.

~*~

A whole day had passed. Or had it been a week? I didn't notice the time. I simply stared into nothing, my mind buried deep underneath my grief. I was on suicide watch, a nurse constantly at my side day and night as I had already attempted to slice my wrists open.

I didn't want to be in this world anymore. There was no point living where my sweet, gentle and beautiful son did not live.

I didn't acknowledge my parents and sister when they walked in. My sister in her arrogance walked around the room as if it offended her. When her blue eyes finally landed on me they were filled with disgust and disdain, as if I hadn't almost died. As if she hadn't lost a nephew and I a son.

"Can we hurry up? I want to make my coffee date with Clarissa" Cheyanne huffed

"Sairina, we have brought papers for you to sign" their voices all sounded muffled and distant. I didn't move to indicate I had heard them at all. My mum turned to the Nurse "What's wrong with her?" she demanded. There was no empathy. No questions on how I was. Nothing. As if I was some stranger they found off the street.

"It's a state of shock. Her brain has essentially shut down while she copes with the trauma of losing her son" the young girl explained. I heard my mum scoff

"It's not like she can't have another child" that statement stabbed me in the heart. My boy was not replaceable, he had been one of a kind. And now he was gone. I felt a tear slip down my cheek at the lack of empathy my so called family had, the nurse started to respond

"Actually her injuri-"

"Well I need her to snap out of it" Cheyanne snapped, cutting her off "These papers need to be signed and I have a schedule to keep" she added harshly. I wished they would all go away and let me slip into the darkness to join my son. But I knew I wasn't that lucky.

Using what little strength I had I turned my head to my mother, her eyes wide with shock. I noticed my father standing just behind her, eyes cast to the floor like the submissive man he was. I didn't greet them, or smile

"What papers?" my voice was a harsh whisper as I had barely any food or water for a few days. My mum walked forward, tipping her chin up as she did. Slapping the papers down on the bed I stared at her for a moment before glancing down at them

"Divorce papers" I stared a moment longer, comprehending her words. I almost burst out laughing, the whole situation feeling like a joke "I want you to step aside and allow Cheyanne to take over the responsibility of being Sammual's wife. At least she will look the part, and provide a better family for him. You are no longer needed, since you no longer have a son and heir to the Welsh family. We have deposited five million dollars into your bank account to cover the separation details and to keep your silence on the matter" she sneered. I turned my red rimmed and puffy eyes to the woman, knowing in that moment she was not my mother

"On one condition" I ground out. She looked shocked before quickly composing herself

"What?" she sniffed

"I want my sons ashes, brought to me by the coroner" again she looked shocked, glancing at her husband for a moment "No ashes, no signature. Come back when you have them" I turned my head away from them and resumed my stare out the window. Cheyanne let out an irritated groan

"seriously? What would you want with your dead kids remains" I felt something inside me snap, an unnatural growl emanated from my chest. Cheyanne looked over at me in surprise

"If you don't leave this room now Cheyanne, the staff in this hospital will be cleaning you off the walls and floor for days" she backed away in fear. Never once I had I spoken to her in that manner. Her heels clicking on the floor before fleeing out the door. I didn't speak to my parents again, only letting the tears fall once they had all left.

Why couldn't the world just split open and swallow me whole?