A Mother's Wrath
Ashley paced to and fro, her fingers trembling as they hovered over her phone. The weight of Ethan’s threats was suffocating, his voice still echoing in her mind.
"You’ll regret what you did, Ashley. I’ll make sure you pay for humiliating me like that."
She shivered, her pulse quickening at the memory. Irene, Demitri’s mother, stood nearby, her expression a mix of concern and determination.
“You can’t keep this to yourself,” Irene said firmly. “Call someone you trust. Your parent preferably.”
Ashley sighed and shook her head. “My mother won’t help. She’s too stubborn, too set in her ways. She’d just tell me to fix my mistakes like I always do.”
“Then call your father,” Irene suggested. “He might be more reasonable.”
Ashley hesitated, her thumb hovering over the contact on her phone. Her relationship with her father was strained, their conversations often tinged with disappointment. But she had no other choice.
“I don’t know if he’ll even listen to me,” Ashley murmured.
“He’s your father,” Irene said gently. “He’ll listen. You just have to make him understand.”
Taking a deep breath, Ashley pressed the call button. The phone rang several times before her father finally answered.
“Hello,” he said, his voice as stoic as ever.
“Dad…” Her voice broke, and she quickly wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. “Do you know what Ethan and his father are planning?”
There was a long silence on the other end. Ashley’s heart sank, but she forced herself to continue.
“They’re planning to kill me,” she said, her voice trembling. “Is that what you want?”
“Kill you?” her father finally said, his tone sharp with disbelief.
“Yes,” Ashley said, her voice cracking. “I know I haven’t been the daughter you wanted. I’ve made mistakes, but this… this isn’t something I deserve. I’m your only child, Dad. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
Her tears flowed freely now, and she made no attempt to stop them.
“I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me,” she continued. “I almost married Ethan because you wanted me to. I gave up my happiness for the sake of your business deals. But Ethan… he’s not just cruel. He’s dangerous. And now, because I finally stood up to him, he wants revenge. I don’t want to die, Dad. Please, don’t let this happen. If not for me, then for your grandchild.”
The silence stretched on, and Ashley’s chest tightened.
“Dad?” she whispered.
The call abruptly ended, leaving her staring at the screen in disbelief. She slumped against the bed, the phone slipping from her hand as fresh sobs racked her body.
“It’s okay,” Irene said softly, wrapping an arm around Ashley’s shoulders. “You’ve done your part. He’ll come around.”
Ashley shook her head. “He hung up on me. He doesn’t care.”
But before Irene could respond, the phone rang again. Ashley scrambled to pick it up, her hands shaking as she answered.
“Dad?”
“No,” a familiar voice snapped. It was her mother. “What did you just say Ethan tried to do?”
Ashley blinked, her breath hitching. “He… he threatened to kill me.”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, followed by a string of furious words directed at someone in the background.
“Harold!” her mother shouted. “Did you hear what she just said? That bastard threatened to kill our daughter!”
Ashley’s heart raced. She could hear her mother pacing, her voice growing louder with each word.
“I’m going to kill that son of a bitch myself!” her mother spat. “No one threatens my child and gets away with it!”
The line went dead again, and Ashley stared at the phone, stunned.
“Well,” Irene said with a small smile. “That’s one way to get your mother involved.”
Ashley let out a shaky laugh, her tears slowing as relief began to wash over her.
“She’s angry,” Ashley said, almost in disbelief. “She’s actually angry for me.”
“Of course she is,” Irene said, squeezing Ashley’s hand. “You’re her daughter. No matter what’s happened in the past, a mother’s love doesn’t just disappear.”
Ashley wiped her tears, a faint smile tugging at her lips. For the first time in what felt like forever, she didn’t feel completely alone.
She had a mother ready to fight for her and a glimmer of hope for the future.