Bound by Forbidden Vows

Author’s point of view “Finally, it's over!” Ella felt a wave of exhaustion as she finally walked out of the hospital. It was 4 in the morning. She had just finished a long, difficult surgery that lasted eight hours, but the feeling of success made her smile. She saved a life……a life that meant everything to the patient’s family, to his children, and his wife. As she stepped into the cool morning air in the parking lot, she took a deep breath, feeling both tired and proud. She looked down at the small gift she had prepared. It was for Fred, her fiancé. Fred had been her boyfriend for ten years and proposed to her last year. Ella’s heart warmed as she thought about him. He was waiting for her at home, completely unaware of the surprise she had planned. The hospital’s parking lot was nearly empty at this hour. Only a few cars were scattered around, belonging to doctors and nurses who were also on long shifts. The sky was dark, with a few stars still visible, but there was a hint of light coming from the horizon. Morning was on its way. “He thinks I won’t be there today,” she murmured to herself with a small smile. She had told him she would be busy at work and too tired to see him. But that was a little lie. She wanted to surprise him, to show him just how much he meant to her. As she got into her car, she clutched the gift tighter. It was something special, something she knew would make him smile. She could already imagine the surprised look on his face, his eyes lighting up with joy. “Fred Williamson, you mean the world to me,” she whispered, feeling her heart beat a little faster. Ella started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel. She couldn’t help but think about all the moments they had shared over the years the laughter, the support, the love that grew stronger with time. She was grateful to have someone like Fred by her side. He had seen her at her best and her worst, and he loved her through it all. As she drove, she passed quiet streets and dark buildings, the city still asleep around her. She pushed the gas a bit harder, eager to reach his apartment. Every now and then, she glanced at the gift on the passenger seat and smiled to herself, thinking about his reaction. “I hope he likes it,” she thought, biting her lip. “It’s small, but it comes from my heart.” She felt her own heart racing a bit faster with every passing street. She could almost feel his arms around her, his soft voice telling her he missed her. Finally, she turned onto Fred’s street and saw his building up ahead. She parked the car in front and took a deep breath, looking up at the building with a smile. This was it. Her surprise was ready, and she was just moments away from seeing the love of her life. She stepped into the building, a happy smile still on her face. As she reached his floor, her heart started to beat a little faster. Reaching his door, her hand lifting to ring the bell, but then she decided against it. She wanted to surprise him, so instead, she quietly used her key to unlock the door. She slowly pushed it open and tiptoed inside, careful not to make a sound. But then, something made her stop. From somewhere in the apartment, she heard faint sounds, strange sounds. She tilted her head, trying to understand. There were voices, low and hushed, but they seemed… wrong. Moaning and grunting! Her heart started to pound harder, a strange feeling creeping up her spine. “What is this?” she thought to herself, her smile fading. She took a few slow steps, her ears straining to catch the words. And then, she heard it clearly. “Please go slow…” a woman’s voice said, soft and pleading, full of breathes. She froze, her heart beating wildly. She didn’t want to believe what she was hearing. She told herself it could be anything, maybe just the TV. But then she heard another voice—a voice she knew very well. “You want me to go faster, and now you want me to go slow. What do you want?” It was Fred’s voice, unmistakable. Her heart sank. She felt like the floor was disappearing under her feet. She gripped the gift even tighter, her knuckles turning white. A cold wave of disbelief washed over her. This can’t be true. This can’t be happening. Her mind was racing, her breathing becoming shallow. She stood there, paralyzed, clutching the gift close to her chest, not knowing what to do. Every part of her wanted to run, to escape, but something held her back. Her legs, though shaky, moved forward. She didn’t want to believe it, but she had to see for herself. “No… this has to be a mistake,” she thought, praying silently. “Please, God, let it be someone else.” Her steps were quiet as she walked closer, each one feeling heavier than the last. The sounds grew clearer, confirming what her heart refused to accept. Her heart ached with every word, every noise, every bit of proof that Fred, her Fred, was with someone else. Her hands trembled as she clutched the gift against her chest. She felt her chest tighten with pain, a deep, sharp ache that made it hard to breathe. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision, but she didn’t let them fall. She didn’t want to cry, not here, not now. What is going on? she thought, her mind a mess of confusion and hurt. How could he do this? How could he betray me like this? She took another step, her feet moving as if they had a mind of their own, though her heart wanted to turn and run. Her heart was breaking, yet she couldn’t look away. She wanted to burst into the room, to confront him, to scream and demand answers. But her voice was stuck in her throat, her courage lost. Her mind was filled with memories—of their plans, their laughter, the dreams they had shared. She had trusted him with everything, with her heart, her future. And now, in a single, terrible moment, it all felt shattered. Her fingers loosened on the gift, and it fell to her side. She realised she couldn’t move forward anymore. She was done. She opened the door slowly, her hands shaking. As she looked through the half-open door, the scene before her shattered her heart completely. There, on the bed, were two people she trusted most in this world. One was Fred, her fiancé, the man she had loved for 11 years, the man she was supposed to marry in two months. The other… was her best friend, Laura, who had been by her side since she was six. Entangled to each other in a way that made Ella’s stomach turn. The gift she had held so tightly slipped from her hand and fell to the floor with a loud thud. The noise made both of them freeze. Laura gasped, her face going pale as she realised what had happened. “Oh my God, Fred… Ella is here,” Laura whispered, panic filling her voice. Fred laughed at first, shaking his head. “What? No way. I’m not falling for this again, Laura. She’s in the hospital, remember? She told me she wouldn’t be back today. Stop trying to scare me.” Laura’s voice grew more anxious. “Fred, I’m serious. She’s standing right there, at the door.” But Fred still didn’t believe her. “Come on, love, don’t play games with me. You’re imagining things.” He chuckled, but something in Laura’s expression finally made him turn around. His face changed instantly when he saw Ella standing there. Her eyes were wide, filled with shock and hurt, her cheeks wet with tears she couldn’t hold back. She didn’t say anything; she just stood there, broken, looking at the two people she trusted most. “Ella…” Fred stammered, his face full of panic and guilt. “What are you doing here? You… You said you were in the hospital. You told me you wouldn’t come today.” A bitter, sarcastic laugh escaped Ella. “So that’s all you have to say?” she said, her voice trembling with anger and pain. “I told you I wouldn’t come today, so that gave you permission to… to do this? To sleep with my best friend?” Fred’s face went pale. “Ella, it’s… it’s not what it looks like.” ““Shut the f**k up, you bastard!” Ella screamed, rage flooding her as she grabbed a lamp and threw it at Fred. He managed to dodge, but the shock was clear on his face. “What? Have you lost your mind?” Fred got up from the bed, his expression shifting from shock to anger as he walked toward her. “Yes, I’ve gone mad!” Ella shouted back, her voice cracking. “I wasted eleven years of my life on you, Fred! Eleven years!” Fred’s eyes narrowed. “You think you wasted those years on me?” he said, his tone cold. “Do you even remember the last time we even kissed properly? It’s been six years, Ella. Six years! All you care about is your hospital, your surgeries. We didn’t even kiss properly anymore. I’m a man with needs.” Ella’s eyes blazed with fury. “Needs? So you decided my best friend, Laura, would be perfect to ‘deal’ with those needs?” She shook her head in disgust. “Wow. My best friend… Are you planning to keep her as your little mistress even after our wedding?” Fred’s face darkened. “Shut up, Ella. You’re going too far.” “Going too far?” Ella let out a bitter laugh. “And you’re here trying to justify what you’ve done? You’re a disgusting liar, Fred.” Before he could respond, Ella took a step forward and slapped him hard across the face. His face turned red with anger and disbelief. Fred was a man of power, the son of a multimillionaire. No one had ever dared to touch him like that. “How dare you, Ella?” he spat, fury burning in his eyes. “You’ve gone too far. You’re going to pay for this, do you hear me?” “Oh, shut up!” Ella shot back, her voice raw with pain. “I wish I’d seen your true face sooner.” “Stop it, Ella!” he shouted, reaching out and grabbing her wrist tightly. But Ella’s rage was stronger than his grip; she yanked her wrist free and slapped him again, her hand stinging with the impact. Fred’s face twisted with rage, but before he could react, Ella turned and ran out of the apartment, her heart pounding. She didn’t know where she was going, she just had to get away. Tears blurred her vision, and her chest felt tight with hurt and anger. She reached the street, her legs moving on their own. Her heart was racing, and her mind was a mess. She didn’t see the car speeding toward her. She was too lost, too broken. The car hit her, and she felt a sharp pain as she fell to the ground. Everything around her seemed to slow down. Blood pooled beneath her head, and her vision began to fade. If this is the end… she thought, a sad, broken thought passing through her mind. And then, darkness took over as she closed her eyes.