Embers of Betrayal

Chapter 3: The Accident

As Bernadette drove back from Cherene's office, her mind swirled with conflicting emotions. The conversation had only intensified her fears about Maxim's behavior. Her focus was scattered, thoughts bouncing from suspicion to denial, then back to dread. The afternoon sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the road, but Bernadette barely noticed.

"I need to get to the bottom of this," she muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "I can't keep living like this, constantly second-guessing him... second-guessing myself."

Lost in thought, she barely registered the red light ahead. Her foot didn't move fast enough to the brake pedal. The blaring of a horn snapped her back to reality just as a truck plowed into the side of her car. The world spun around her, metal crunching, glass shattering. Then, everything went black.

When she came to, the sounds of a hospital filled her ears—distant beeps, hushed voices, and the soft shuffle of footsteps. Her body felt heavy, her head pounding. She tried to open her eyes, but all she saw was darkness.

"Where am I?" she thought, panic rising in her chest. "Why can't I see?"

She heard a door open and then a calm, steady voice spoke. "Mrs. Lacuesta, you're in the hospital. You were in a car accident," the voice said gently. "My name is Dr. Kevin Simtim. I'm the attending physician here."

Bernadette tried to speak, but her throat was dry and raspy. "W-what happened? Why... why can't I see?"

There was a pause, a moment of hesitation that made Bernadette's heart race faster. "You suffered a serious head injury in the accident," Dr. Simtim explained. "There was significant trauma to your optic nerves... I'm afraid the impact has caused damage that has left you blind."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. "Blind?" she repeated, her voice breaking. "No, that can't be. I... I can't be blind."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Lacuesta," Dr. Simtim continued, his tone filled with empathy. "We ran several tests, and it appears that the damage is severe. We will continue to monitor your condition and run more tests, but for now... we have to prepare for the possibility that this could be permanent."

Tears welled up in Bernadette's eyes, spilling down her cheeks. Her world had already felt like it was falling apart, and now this—this was something she never could have imagined.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and disbelief. "How... how am I supposed to live like this?"

Dr. Simtim took her hand gently. "We're here to help you, Bernadette," he assured her. "We have specialists who can assist you in adjusting, and we will explore every option available for treatment. You're not alone in this."

But Bernadette felt utterly alone. The darkness that surrounded her was more than just the blindness; it was the realization that her life had changed forever in an instant. She thought of Maxim, of all the uncertainties that plagued her mind just hours before. And now, this new, terrifying reality overshadowed it all.

"Maxim," she whispered. "Where is my husband? Does he know?"

Dr. Simtim hesitated for a moment before responding. "We've tried to contact him, but we haven't been able to reach him yet. Do you have another family member we can call?"

Bernadette's heart sank even further. Alone in the dark, with no one there for her, the pain of both physical and emotional wounds overwhelmed her. She felt the sting of her tears and the weight of uncertainty pressing down harder than ever.

"I'll be okay," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Dr. Simtim or herself. "I have to be okay."

Through the haze of pain and confusion, Bernadette tried to focus on the doctor's words. Her mind was still reeling from the shock of the news, her world plunged into darkness in more ways than one. She swallowed hard, fighting back a fresh wave of tears.