Page 2 of Malevolent Secrets

"Hello?" My voice is thick with sleep and a growing sense of dread.

"Is this Daniella Morgan?" a stern, unfamiliar voice asks.

"Yes, this is she. Who’s calling?"

"This is Officer Ramirez from the CPD. Are you sitting down, Ms. Morgan?"

I sit up, the weight of his words pressing down on me. "Yes, I’m sitting down. What is this about?"

"We have some news about Jeremy Foster. I'm afraid it's serious."

The world stops. My heart races, my mind grasping at straws. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"I'm very sorry, Ms. Morgan. We found your contact in Jeremy’s phone. He was involved in an incident tonight, and he didn't make it."

"No...no, that can't be. There must be some mistake."

"I’m truly sorry. We need you to come to the morgue to confirm his identity."

I hang up, my hands trembling uncontrollably. I sit in the darkness, the words echoing in my head. Jeremy is dead. My Jeremy. The love of my life. The man I was going to marry. How can he be gone?

I force myself to move, each action feeling mechanical and distant. I throw on the first clothes I can find and rush out of the apartment. The night air is cool, but I don't feel it.

My thoughts are a whirlwind and fear grips me as I drive through the empty streets of Los Angeles. The city lights blur past me, each one a distant, mocking reminder of life moving on for other people.

When I arrive at the morgue, it stands stark and cold against the night sky. Inside, the fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting a harsh, sterile glow on everything. Officer Ramirez meets me at the entrance, his face a mixture of professional sympathy and fatigue.

"Ms. Morgan, please follow me," he says gently.

We walk through long, silent hallways. The scent of antiseptic is strong, mingling with a coldness that seeps into my bones. We pass rows of stainless steel doors, each one a grim reminder of mortality. My heart races with every step, dreading the moment I know that is coming.

We stop at a door and Ramirez nods to an attendant who pulls out a drawer. A sheet covers the body, leaving only the outline visible. With a gentle nod from Ramirez, the attendant lifts the sheet.

I stagger back, my breath catching in my throat. It’s Jeremy. His face is pale, almost serene, but the unmistakable stillness of death is there. Tears blur my vision as I reach out, my fingers grazing his cold cheek.

"Jeremy...no," My voice is a broken whisper, my heart shattering with each word.

Officer Ramirez looks away, giving me a moment of privacy. The attendants leave the room, closing the door behind them. My sobs echo in the sterile silence. I clutch Jeremy's lifeless hand, my tears falling onto his cold skin.

"Why…..I’m so sorry... I’m so sorry..." I whisper over and over, my heart breaking with each breath.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally start to run out of tears. My legs feel weak and unsteady. I wipe my eyes. Ramirez re-enters the room, his expression somber.

"Do you need a ride home, Ms. Morgan?" he asks softly.

I shake my head. "No, I’ll manage. Thank you."

The drive back home feels like an eternity. The world outside moves on, indifferent to my pain. When I finally step into the apartment, it feels hollow and lifeless, just like me. Jeremy's things are scattered around, untouched. His shirt hangs on the back of a chair, his scent still lingering in the air.

I collapse onto the couch, clutching his shirt to my chest. The tears come in waves, each one bringing a new depth of sorrow.

My grief is a tempest, threatening to consume me entirely.

As the sun rises on this first day without Jeremy, I’m left alone with my heartbreak, struggling to breathe under the weight of my loss.

Hours blur into days as I navigate the fog of grief. Friends and family come and go, their words of comfort a distant echo in my heart.

I eat when prompted, sleep when exhaustion finally overwhelms me and I wake to the harsh reality of Jeremy's absence. The apartment feels cavernous, filled with memories that haunt every corner.

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