Chapter 9 living in nightmare

The nurses swiftly transferred Natalia onto the hospital cot from the ambulance, rushing her to the emergency room. Her lifeless body lay on the bed, blood oozing from her head and dripping onto the floor of the hospital.

"We need to operate on her immediately!" the doctor urgently declared. The nurses swiftly gathered the necessary surgical tools and prepared the operating room.

Pi pi pi, the continuous beeping of the vital signs monitor echoed in the room. The doctor's face tensed with concern. "We are losing her," he stated grimly, reaching for the defibrillator paddles. With a sense of urgency, he delivered a shock to her chest, the electrical jolt coursing through her lifeless body in a desperate attempt to revive her.

"She's losing a lot of blood," the doctor exclaimed. "Quick, administer another blood transfusion," he instructed, and the medical team swiftly carried out his orders.

"Looks like she's giving up on life, her heart rate is dropping. Everything is going down!" one nurse shouted in alarm. "Quick, get me the life support!"

Natalie lay lifelessly on the hospital bed, surrounded by a team of doctors working tirelessly to save her. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions and memories, with Richard's voice echoing in her head. The haunting words of divorce continued to play on a loop – "I want a divorce from her." Memories flashed before her eyes, from the moment they first met to their struggles and triumphs, to the day he asked her to be his wife and the celebration of their success.

"We're going to Hawaii for our sixth anniversary," he declared. The words echoed in her mind, bringing back memories of their last trip. As the memories played like a film in her head, she found herself questioning if this was a dream. In the recollection, she pondered, "This can't be true. We just came back from one of our best trips together. He told me he would never leave me. This can't be real."

In a world where lies abound, even those closest to us can never be fully trusted. I lived for only one person and breathed each day because of one person. Now, my life has crumbled, my dreams obliterated, and all I worked for, lived for, has been taken away from me. What's the point of returning to this cruel world? I can't continue living; there's nothing left to live for," Natalie uttered these words as she lay on the operation bed. With a deep breath, she succumbed to a profound slumber.

The vital signs on the monitor emitted a piercing sound, indicating danger. "We're losing her again," the doctor exclaimed in frustration.

"We did all we could," he added, removing his clothes and exiting the room.

At exactly 2:34 am on the 25th, a nurse noted it down...............

Richard drove in a desperate search for any sign of Natalie, but as the realization of her absence sank in, he returned home. A sense of hopelessness engulfed him as if the very thing he sought wasn't what he truly desired. Despite the numerous maids, guards, and security present, the mansion now felt lonelier than ever. He sank into the sofa, surrounded by the haunting emptiness, contemplating the choices that led to this desolate moment.

The next day, Richard, still groggy from a sleepless night after the events, was awakened by Brindle. "Hurry, Richy, get dressed. The media is waiting for us," she exclaimed. Richard, still looking sleepy, positioned himself on the bed, eager to hear what Brindle had to say. "Media at my house for what, and on a Sunday?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice. "I invited them. They wanted to know what happened, and I want the world to see me as the new Wood, from your workers to everybody around you," Brindle explained. Was this necessary he said and got up from the bed to the washroom.....................

Brindle was already speaking to them downstairs when he came down from their bedroom. "Come," she boldly called out to him with a smile. Richard had no choice but to join her in speaking with the media. She held him closely, making sure their hands locked together. Brindle positioned herself and cleared her throat as the media personnel asked the question again, "The world wants to know if what happened yesterday was an act or a real thing because they know how showbiz or industry works, and they know how they always want to be on top of the news every year, and also I can see you're pregnant, congratulations on that''.

Brindle looked at Richard, who was visibly not pleased. She smiled and raised her head high to answer, ''Yes, I'm five months pregnant we're expecting a baby boy soon, little wood she said, "Well, she added, I am no actress, and I don't even have time to act. All that happened yesterday night was real. Nothing was fake. Richard here was tired of his marriage with Natalie and wanted to bring everything to an end," she said. The media man then asked, "So is it safe to say you came in between them?"

"No, I did not," Brindle replied. "Richard and I have known each other since we were eight, so ask yourself who came in between who, me or Natalie." The media man was about to ask another question following her answer. "Well, that is another topic for another day. We can't say it all here," she continued. "If you can excuse me, we have a life, and my soon-to-be husband is a busy man."

Richard silently went to sit at his dining table, harboring a storm of emotions after the media interview Brindle had orchestrated. He waited for his usual cup of coffee, but when it didn't arrive, he decided to the Kitchen himself. Upon entering the kitchen, he was surprised to find a new chef at work.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" he sternly inquired. The new chef nervously introduced herself, stating that she was hired to replace the previous staff. Richard, taken aback, left the kitchen in disbelief. Confronting Brindle, he demanded an explanation for the sudden dismissal of his maids and chef.

Brindle nonchalantly revealed that she had terminated the staff, justifying it by claiming they were hired by Natalie. Richard, already overwhelmed by recent events, expressed his frustration. "Are you twerking right now?" he snapped. "Why would you do such a thing without informing me?"

In response, Brindle casually defended her actions, assuming Richard's approval. "Oh, darling, I thought you would be okay with that. Since they were all hired by Natalie, I thought you didn't want to see them in the house again," she explained. Richard, visibly drained, walked away without uttering a word in response to her rationale.