Chapter 15: Forget About The Divorce

Trigger Warning: A bit of gore mentioned.

Ashley couldn't stop her quickened heartbeat. She didn't even want to close her eyes. Every time she did, she recollected the scene of Penny falling from the roof. The image of her corpse with her head crushed and body parts dislocated also appeared. Ashley trembled even more.

But she couldn't understand these sudden memories. From what she knew, or at least she thought she knew, she wasn't with Penelope when she died nor was she really that close to her.

"Ashley." She felt a tap on her shoulder which led her to let out a scream. She almost fell off the bed but was held by a pair of muscular arms. Upon seeing that it was Nathan, Ashley relaxed. "What's wrong with you?"

Ashley stares into his eyes. She recalled the past events. Nathan never cared for her issues. She didn't think he'd even care now. "Nothing.", she whispered, getting out of his arms and crawling to her side of the bed.

She then closed her eyes. A while later, she felt the other side of the bed sink and steady breathing was heard after a few moments.

Ashley tried her best not to sleep. She even took out her laptop and tried to continue her novel but with all those myriads of thoughts in her head, she couldn't get any ideas.

Ashley woke up and saw herself on the hospital rooftop. Her mother was standing on her left side, Penelope on her right and Nathan in front of her.

Before Ashley could say a word, those around her beat her to it.

"You're a Scott, act like one." She heard Leticia say.

"Your death will mean my happiness." Penelope spoke right after.

Ashley shifted her gaze to Nathan, expecting him to say something. Anything. But the man only gave her a short glance before turning to look away. She turned to her right; Penelope was no longer in sight. And then, she looked behind her and saw Penelope. In less than a second, Ashley felt herself falling after she was pushed down the rooftop by Penelope.

The next scene that appeared in her mind was that of Penelope's dead body being taken away by the medical officers. Penelope's skull was crushed, her internal organs could be seen. Blood spurted everywhere.

Ashley held back the nausea crawling up her throat before she screamed.

Ashley was shaken awake by Nathan. Once she opened her eyes, she got out of bed, rushed to the bathroom and retched. Nathan rushed after her. He patted her back, holding her hair back. "Are you okay?"

"I just want to die." He heard her mumble, her voice breaking slightly.

…

Ashely woke up. The sun rays blinded her sight. She was not in hers and Nathan's room but rather, in her own room back in Velvet Gardens, the Scott mansion.

She rose out of bed, her pajamas still on. She walked out of the room and everywhere she went, there was darkness and emptiness. It was almost like there was no one around. She later heard voices coming from the study.

Ashley lowered her gaze and neared the door that was slightly left ajar.

"The best way is to get her to see the psychiatrist. It worked before." The voice belonged to Leticia. Ashley could her the desperateness in her voice.

Another voice then came. "And yet, she is still having those nightmares. Do you think getting a psychiatrist will work?" It was Nathan's voice. "It was by a stroke of luck she got better all those years ago and now, it seems to be getting worse."

A sigh was heard. "My child is suffering, and I don't know what to do anymore." Leticia spoke once again "Don't worry, mom. We'll figure it out." The young woman outside furrowed her brows, confused by the conversation between her mother and husband.

Ashley decided to leave before the two came out. She then went back to her room, searching for her phone.

"What are you looking for?" Nathan's voice was heard from behind, making Ashley flinch and then grow stiff. "My phone.", she replied before going back to her search. "She then turned around to see Nathan holding her phone and waving it in the air.

Ashley rushed to grab it out of his hand. She then checked the time. It was ten minutes passed two in the afternoon. She then scrolled through her phone. There were a few missed calls from Isabelle and Jonathan. Ashley was then shocked to see William's call. He had called thrice with two of the calls being missed and one answered.

"He called you last night.", Nathan said while Ashley's eyes stayed glued to her phone. At his words, she raised her head to see an indifferent looking Nathan. "I picked up the third time he called. He wanted to speak to you, and I told him you were asleep."

"You answered my call?", Ashley asked.

"He disturbed my sleep. It was only right that I quieted him down.", Nathan replied boredly.

Ashley tried to cool herself down. "That gives you absolutely no right to answer my calls. What if it was someone else?" Ashley's voice raised by a few decibels.

"Someone like who? Your lover?" Ashley balled her hands into fists as Nathan lips curved into a smirk. "You don't want me hearing your conversation with your lover?" She hated the look on Nathan's face. He was so indifferent when making these kinds of statements as though nothing mattered to him. And Ashley wouldn't lie, although she had no feelings for the man, it hurt her.

"Why do you always do this?", Ashley whispered, her head lowered and tears forming in her eyes.

Nathan looked down at her as her eyes glistened with tears, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion. The smirk had been wiped off his face. With his hands in his pockets, he lowered his head, his lips next to Ashley's ear. And then, he spoke the words Ashley did not want to hear.

"Forget about the divorce, Ashley. It won't happen."