Chapter 1 - The Kneeling In-Laws
The warm, golden ambient lights of Room 801 at Saint Jude VIP Pavilion reflected softly off the floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a sweeping view of the city skyline below. The air smelled faint of lavender and sterile cleanliness. Sitting upright on the plush hospital bed was Emily Ashford, her long dark wavy hair flowing over a white silk nightgown and robe. Her left leg was encased in a heavy white cast fitted with a frightening array of external metal fixation pins screwed directly into her bone. Her arms were tightly crossed over her chest, her dark eyes looking out the window with absolute, lethal coldness.
Beside her bed, two people knelt on the polished hardwood floor like desperate beggars.
Andrew, her handsome husband of four years, wore a dark suit with an open-collar white shirt. His dark hair was disheveled, and his hands were clasped together, trembling as he looked up at her. Beside him knelt Margaret, her mother-in-law, clad in a expensive cream tweed jacket, her eyes swollen and red from frantic panic. Standing sternly behind them was Harold, the family patriarch, his gray hair and dark suit failing to mask the cold sweat glistening on his forehead.
"Emily, please... listen to us," Andrew whispered, his voice cracking with pathetic desperation.
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Margaret reached her trembling hands toward the edge of Emily's silk robe, tears spilling down her foundation. "We were wrong, Emily... please don't ruin our family. We can fix this!"
Emily didn't even turn her head. She sat like a marble statue, her chin held high, her expression completely devoid of mercy.
