❥𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐋 || 𝑀𝐽 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 ❥/𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑/•

🌸𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈 𝙾𝙽𝙴🌸

𝙾𝙲𝚃𝙾𝙱𝙴𝚁 𝟹𝟷𝚂𝚃, 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟽.
𝟷:𝟶𝟺𝙰𝙼.

"Michael. Michael!"

Michael's eyes opened slowly as the sound of Frank's voice drew him out of unconsciousness. As his eyes adjusted to the bright lights above him, he felt a searing pain in the back of his head, making him let out a deep groan. He was still a little disoriented, but he could tell that he was in a hospital room.

"Mike!" Frank broke into a smile when he saw Michael's eyes open. "Oh thank God, for a moment I thought you weren't ever going to open your eyes in time," he breathed a sigh of relief.

Michael winced as he opened his eyes completely, taking a quick scan of the room he was in. It was empty except for him and Frank, who was seated by the side of his bed. His eyes coincidentally landed on a calendar that hung on the wall near the door - indicating that it was the 31st.

Then, he remembered the elevator, and how it had malfunctioned whilst he had been in it. He remembered everything going dark right before he had lost consciousness, but more importantly....he remembered what he had....seen. He remembered the dream sequence of events that he felt as though he had been forced to witness as a present bystander that could do nothing but hope for a different outcome. He remembered seeing things that he hadn't even known had happened until now - seventeen years later.

A sick feeling took over him as he remembered seeing the murder of his wife - a scene he never hoped to view the way he did. He'd watched it happen and it broke him to know that he could do nothing to save her.

Frank noticed Michael's eyes tearing up, and he immediately assumed that it was merely because he had noted the date.

"Hey, it's okay, we're all here for you," Frank spoke up again. "Listen, after that dumbass elevator malfunctioned, you took a bit of a nasty fall - so you cannot afford to internalize your grieving right now Mike," he added as gently as possible. "You-"

"Where's Helen?" Michael's eyes shot to Frank again, this time bearing unimaginable fury.

"Uh....she was here yesterday, when you were first brought here," he answered. "But she's been trying to handle the wedding plans whilst taking care of-"

"Where is she?" he demanded again, taking Frank by surprise.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Probably at home? She said she would come by today again,"

Michael let out a breath, frowning a little as he grew distracted again. "What....actually happened to me?"

"Well....according to the doctors, you fell unconscious when the elevator malfunctioned...." Frank trailed off. "But it was rather strange how it all happened," he took in a deep breath and then shook his head. "But never mind that - the main thing is that you're awake for Sarisha's anniversary....because I know it would have killed you to have missed it," he sighed.

"Right," Michael released a shaky breath as the memories of his recent visions plagued his mind again. "Uh Frank.....can I....have....some time alone?" he swallowed.

In a very understanding fashion, Frank rose to his feet with a reassuring smile. "No problem, Mike, I'll let you be," he nodded. "I'll drop by later, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Michael dismissed absentmindedly.

Frank took his leave, his absence only establishing itself at the sound of the door being closed - reminding Michael that he was now alone. Almost instantly he began to cry silently, as though he had been waiting for release ever since he had awoken from his staten of unconsciousness. He didn't know how to feel about the visions he'd seen, he didn't know if they were even true.

The emotions were mixed, because in some way, it made sense. Yet on a completely different note, it overwhelmed Michael to have seen Sarisha again as though she had been right in front of him, for it was no secret that he missed her dearly. She had appeared so real, so-

"Sarisha?" his jaw fell open when he became aware that he could see her in the room again, just like he had seen her two nights before.

He couldn't believe it.

She wore the softest smile on her face, her features bearing the youth he remembered on the day he'd first met her. She walked up to him, and though he knew she wasn't real, he could feel his heartbeat pick up pace in the way it always did whenever she'd approach him.

It felt exactly as it had seventeen years ago.

"Michael," her voice was soft and sultry, as he remembered it to be. "I am sorry," she whispered. "For allowing you to be hurt, even for a moment," she paused, staring at him intently. "But it needed to happen...so that you could know the truth before you made such a grave mistake,"

It became clear that Sarisha was referring to the elevator incident, and it was even clearer that it had been she that had influenced the event.

Though still in disbelief, Michael managed a response. "It....was....her?" he choked as she nodded. "No," he whispered, feeling as though his heart had been torn out of him all over again.

He couldn't reconcile himself with the fact that he had come so close to marrying the woman that had brutally murdered his wife and his unborn baby.

The reality was unbearable.

"I am sorry that you had to wait this long....but I cannot bear being the hand that hurts you. To show you the truth, I had to push you into this state - something I have never been able to bear until I needed to," she replied. "It was easier for you to not know the truth than for me to let you into the pain of seeing what truly happened - but I have also sworn to protect you," she broke into a sad smile. "I could not let you marry her without knowing what unfolded. I cannot change whatever you decide from here, but...now that you know - I am truly free,"

"I'm....sorry....that I couldn't protect you," his voice cracked as she got closer. "That I couldn't protect...our daughter,"

"You did not fail to protect me, for no one can protect someone from another's betrayal - because even if you did prevent what happened that night....I'd long been betrayed by her. The moment she decided to do it, I had been betrayed,"

He shook his head as she extended her hand to touch his cheek lightly, the sensation bringing back every single memory he'd ever had of her.

"I must go now....but if there is one truth that you should know, it is this," she leaned down to kiss his forehead tenderly, knowing that this was the last time she would ever get to see him that way.

With nothing but love in her voice, she whispered as the vision of her began to dissipate.

"I love you. We will always love you,"

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