Fatal affair

•XIX•

Billie paced back and forth in the hospital room waiting on the news about her husband. She was still in her wedding dress wondering what went wrong.

Billie's world seemed to crumble around her as she grappled with a maelstrom of emotions. The sight of Marie, or what appeared to be Marie, at her own wedding was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Doubt gnawed at her, questioning her sanity. Was it merely a figment of her imagination, a cruel trick her mind played on her? Or was it something more?

The pain of losing Marie resurfaced, reopening wounds she thought had healed.

Billie's heart shattered once again, and the weight of it all threatened to consume her. She desperately tried to push the thoughts away, not wanting to slip back into the darkness of depression. But the haunting image lingered, haunting her every waking moment. It was a cruel reminder of what she had lost and the torment she still carried within.

Billie needed to hear her voice again. She wanted an answer. She wanted the truth.

Billie couldn't help but feel a pang of longing as she dialed Marie's number, the digits etched in her memory. She had deleted Marie's contact after the devastating news of her passing, hoping to find solace in letting go. However, every time she called, her heart sank deeper into despair.

Marie's number remained unchanged, never turning green or disconnecting. It was as if a glimmer of hope lingered, that someone would answer and she could hear Marie's voice once more. But each time, someone else picked up, a stranger on the other end, reminding Billie of the void that Marie's absence had left behind.

The pain of losing her love intensified, and the unanswered calls became a haunting reminder of what could never be.

Billie's heart was heavy with sorrow as she mustered the courage to dial Marie's number, her fingertips trembling with anticipation. The memories of their love flooded her mind, each moment etched in her heart. She had deleted Marie's contact, thinking it would bring solace, but instead, it only intensified her longing.

"Marie" Billie cried as soon as she heard someone else on the other end. She had hope.

Billie held her breath, her pulse quickening with hope. And then, a voice, soft and distant, answered. It was Marie, but there was an eerie silence on the other end. Billie called out her name, her voice quivering with a mix of desperation and fear.

"Marie?"

She yearned for a response, for any sign that Marie was there, that their connection was still alive.

But all she heard was the haunting emptiness of silence. It echoed in her ears, a painful reminder of the void that had consumed their once vibrant love. Billie's heart shattered into a million pieces, tears streaming down her face, as she called out Marie's name again and again, her voice cracking with each desperate plea.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the line, Marie wept silently, her tears flowing freely. The weight of the past, the memories of Billie's father's threats, crushed her spirit. She remembered the fear in his eyes, the venomous words that had torn them apart. The thought of the consequences, the punishment that awaited them if they dared to defy his command, filled her with dread.

In that moment, their tears mingled with the bitter realization that their love was a forbidden dream, a cruel twist of fate. Billie cried, believing Marie to be lost forever, her heartache consuming her. And Marie, in her anguish, wept for the loss of the one she loved, convinced that Billie had met a tragic end and she was merely hallucinating their connection.