Cassy heard voices around her, but none of them made sense. Why was everyone shouting? She felt sick, dizzy, like she wasn’t quite there. Then it all flooded back. Pain burst through every fibre of her body.
“We’ve got her,” someone called.
Needles stabbed her skin. Maybe it wasn’t needles. The pain didn’t go away. She wanted to scream, but nothing came out. She tried to focus on the figure leaning over her. Bright light shone in her eyes. She wanted to move her head away from it, but something held her in place. There was pressure on her side. Her legs wouldn’t move. Pain burst through her again, and she was jolted and lifted.
A mask came over her face. The air changed. Someone whispered about oxygen. The world drifted away.
“We’re losing her again,” shouted a voice, rising above the rest of the cacophony.
“Pressures dropping. There must be another bleed,” said another voice, more frantic than the first.
Cassy drifted further into the darkness. The noises slipped away, and she began to remember.
It was her wedding day.
Everything was so beautiful. Despite having no family, she felt loved and wanted.
The day was perfect.
Except it wasn’t.
She’d gone upstairs to the honeymoon suite to take a breath and fix her make-up. That’s when she saw them, tangled in the sheets, panting and moaning. Maria cried out Paul’s name as Cassy stood there in shock.
Paul looked at her over Maria’s shoulder and laughed.
“Oh, well, I guess it doesn’t matter now. I have everything anyway,” he said.
Maria slid off Paul. She grabbed a robe and sauntered over to Cassy without a care in the world.
“The look on your face is priceless,” she laughed. “Paul, this is so much better. Now she can know why.”
“I don’t understand,” Cassy managed. “How could you do this? You’re my best friend, Maria.”
They both laughed. Paul got off the bed and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stood behind Maria.
“You’ve always been so innocent and trusting, Cassy. Maria has been mine since you first introduced us. Every late meeting you attended, every work trip I couldn’t accompany you on; I was deep inside her in every room of our apartment.”
Cassy stared at him.
“Then why marry me? Why not marry her instead?”
“Oh, I plan on; but I had my sights set on your company, your fortune, and that lovely inheritance that I know you have squirrelled away.”
Cassy stumbled backward, reaching for the door. Paul lunged forward and grabbed her arm.
“Now we can’t have you telling people. I was going to at least give you a taste of married life, but, well, technically you brought this on yourself.”
Maria laughed and grabbed her other arm. Cassy struggled as they dragged her over to the balcony.
“What are you going to do?” she cried.
“Us, nothing,” laughed Paul. “You are going to have an unfortunate accident with an unstable balcony railing. I may have lied about the married life bit.”
As they stood at the balcony door, Paul stood back and shoved her hard in the centre of her back. It was enough to send her flying into the railing, which jolted and gave way with a metallic screech. Cassy screamed as she tumbled forward and down.
The memory faded, replaced by pain and anger. They had laughed as she fell.
She would make them pay.
She just needed to survive first.
If she did, she would wreak havoc and take back everything that was hers.
“I can help with that, for a price,” said a voice that came from within her mind.
............
What do you think of the story so far? Would you like more? You can help keep the creative wheels turning by buying me a coffee or checking out one of my subscriptions.