Death of a Bachelor

#6 I don't want a chaos in my life, Lewis.

Simone woke up feeling nauseous, she immediately rushed to the bathroom, barely making it before she threw up. The sensation was far worse than any hangover she had ever experienced. She groaned in disgust as she finally finished, wiping her mouth with a trembling hand. Slowly, she stood up, her legs shaky and unsteady. She leaned on the sink for support, reaching for her toothbrush. As she brushed her teeth, she could feel the tremors in her hands and the unsettling sensation in her stomach.

After rinsing her mouth, she splashed her face with cold water, hoping it would help her calm. But when she looked up at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed how pale she was—paler than usual. The sight made her uneasy, so she washed her face again, trying to calm herself down. Simone still had an hour to decide whether she was going to work or if she should just lie down all day.

The children at school would be disappointed if she didn’t show up after all, she had promised them that they would play after class. She closed her eyes, trying to assess how she felt very her heart was racing, and negative thoughts began to flood her mind, making her feel even worse. She didn’t have a fever, and she had been careful about her health lately—no more drinking and avoiding unhealthy foods. So what could this be?.

She sighed and tore her gaze away from the mirror, heading to her small kitchen to make some tea. Tea always seemed to help settle her stomach and clear her mind. Once the tea was ready, she took it to the living room and placed the cup on the center table. As she sat down, she noticed the crumpled papers scattered on the floor. Thankfully, Jordan hadn’t visited her studio recently, or she would have had a lot to say about the mess.

Simone carefully sat down on the sofa and began scrolling through her phone. There were a few messages from clients, and she frowned when she noticed one from an unknown number. She chose to ignore it for now, instead opening a message from her mother.

Mamá:

Llámame cuando no estés ocupada, te extrañamos.

Call me when you’re not busy, we miss you.

Simone took a deep breath, staring at her mother’s message. It had been five months since she last visited her family in Madrid. The thought of them made her feel a pang of sadness. She missed them dearly and was excited to see them again, but there was still so much work to be done before she could go on vacation. This was what her parents had always feared—that one day she would become so wrapped up in her own world and decisions that she would drift away from them. And of course, they had been right. When she turned eighteen, she had started making her own choices, living her own life. But despite their concerns, they had always supported her, no matter what.

Simone quickly dialed her mother’s number, and when her mother answered, she greeted her warmly. “Hola mamá! ¿Cómo estás? ¿Dónde está Papá?” Hi, Mom! How are you? Where’s Dad?

“I’m here" her father answered, his voice bringing a smile to her face.

“Did you see the painting I did? It sold for five million, Papá!”

“Sí, estoy tan orgulloso de ti, mi amor" Yes, I’m so proud of you, my love.

As they talked, Simone began to feel better. The conversation was light and filled with love until her parents asked about her health. The couple exchanged worried glances when they noticed a change in her expression. Ever since she was a child, her parents had been overprotective, perhaps because she was their only child. It could be suffocating at times, but Simone understood why they acted that way.

“Estoy bien, créeme. Te dije que te llamaría cada vez que sintiera que algo no está bien en mí. No te preocupes demasiado” I’m okay, trust me. I told you I’d call you whenever I felt something was wrong. Don’t worry too much. She reassured them, smiling to ease their concerns.

After a few more minutes of talking, she finally said her goodbyes, and silence filled the living room as the call ended. Simone stared at her phone, taking a deep breath. If her mother ever found out what had happened to her two months ago, she would definitely lose it.