Page 12 of Ruthless Lullaby

"Why?" he would inquire, as he doesn't believe in discretion.

"Because I drank and ate myself into a stupor."

"Miss Williams, why did you make that decision when you are aware of the potential consequences for the company?

Fuck the company.

"Well," I'd reply, "let’s just say that the nudes I accidentally sent to you instead of my fiancé, didn’t work. So now, my fiancé has dumped me. And on top of that, you’ve seen me naked, pleasing myself.”

"Well Miss Williams, that doesn’t sound like my problem. See you at the office.”

That’s what happens when you down an entire bottle of champagne. Having ridiculous thoughts about what your boss might say to you when you try to call in sick. But I’ll worry about Maron Korolev later. Right now, I’m feeling comfortably numb, and that’s all that matters.

I don't remember falling asleep but I must have. The empty bottle of champagne lies on its side next to the couch, and the remnants of my food binge are scattered across the coffee table. Sunlight streams through the half-closed curtains, making me squint. My head throbs, and my stomach churns uncomfortably. I groan, realizing it is morning and that I've spent the night passed out on the couch. As I struggle to sit up, fighting waves of nausea, my phone starts to ring.

For a split second, I hope it's Maurice, begging for mercy but reality crashes in when I hear my sister's, Alexis's, trembling voice.

"Mindy?" The urgency in her tone sets my teeth on edge.

"Alexis?" I mumble, instantly on guard. Alexis and I are not exactly on good terms, so a call from her screams trouble. "What's wrong?"

"It's Mom."

My heart plummets. "What happened?"

"She's in hospital," Alexis says, accusation seeping through her concern. "She got sick last night. Neighbors called an ambulance. I just talked to Dr. Walker."

As the news sink in, Alexis's unspoken blame stings worse than her words.

"Which hospital?" I choke out.

"St. Mary's. Oncology, Room 501."

"Thanks for letting me know." The formality in my voice surprises even me.

"You know this is your fault, right?" she spits.

And there it is. Classic Alexis, twisting the knife she knows exactly where to stick.

"Cut it out, Alexis," I snap. "I'm going to see Mom. Now."

She lets out a bitter laugh. "Don't bother. Mom doesn't need your fake concern. She needs a miracle, and we both know you can't deliver that. I'm just keeping you in the loop."

"Alexis-" I start, but she's already hung up.

I stare at the phone, replaying my sister's words in my mind. She knows exactly how to make me feel even more guilty for everything that happened. For what I’ve done.

Ever since that tragic day that changed our lives forever, she's been blaming me for it all. The car accident that took my twin sister, Emily, away from us, caused her own addiction to painkillers, and now even Mom's cancer – according to Alexis, it's all my fault. And the worst thing about it is that she’s right. I know I made a terrible mistake, -I drove that car- but does she really believe I wanted any of this to happen? The weight of Emily's death, Mom’s illness, and Alexis's resentment is something I carry with me every day. I wonder if we'll ever beable to move past it, if Alexis will ever see me as her sister again instead of the person who destroyed our family.

I take a deep breath, trying to push aside the flood of guilt and regret. Right now, I need to focus on Mom. I have to go and see her. With a pounding head and a churning stomach, I force myself off the couch. I'll deal with my pain over Maurice, the IVF, and Alexis later.

Right now, Mom needs me, and I won't let her down again.

Chapter Six

Maron

"Where's Cordelia?" my mother asks the same question for the fifth time today. Maybe fifteenth.

---