Weeks had passed since Ethan had learned the devastating news. Grace remained in a coma after the surgery, and every day that passed felt like a reminder of his past mistakes. Ethan couldn’t help but feel as though this was his punishment a retribution for everything that had gone wrong, from Ella’s disappearance to his twisted marriage with Tania. Tania, once vibrant and cunning, was now confined to the house. She had started losing touch with reality, her mind slowly unraveling. Since Grace’s accident, she seemed more detached from the world around her, frequently slipping into a daze.
Ethan had kept his distance, feeling the weight of guilt and dread, but today, Tania had reached out. She had asked him, along with Ella and Fabian, to meet at the house. She claimed she wanted everything to stop. Unsure of her intentions, Ethan found himself standing in front of the very house he once shared with her, now full of ghosts from the past.
When he arrived, Tania was seated, her eyes vacant, lost in thought. She barely reacted to his entrance. Ethan cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
“Why did you call me here, Tania?” he asked cautiously.
She blinked slowly, her lips curling into a twisted smile. “I want to talk. I want everything to go back to normal. Just you and me.”
Ethan stared at her, bewildered. “And what about Grace? Is she not part of this equation?”
Tania’s eyes flashed confusion before dark amusement clouded her face. “Who’s Grace?” She laughed, unsettlingly. “Oh, my daughter, right. Isn’t she dead yet?”
Ethan’s anger surged. “Shut up!” he yelled, fists clenched. He was about to say more when the door opened, and Ella and Fabian walked in, both with looks of confusion on their faces.
“What are you two doing here?” Ethan demanded.
Ella crossed her arms, glaring at Tania. “Ask your wife. She called me here.”
“Same here,” Fabian added, keeping his distance from the chaos swirling in the room.
Ethan turned back to Tania, who was now rocking slightly in her seat, her eerie smile growing wider. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked, his voice hard.
Tania tilted her head, playing with the ends of her hair. “Oh, this?” She gestured lazily. “I just wanted the four of us to talk, you know. I’m tired of the fights.” Her voice turned sly, her eyes gleaming with malice.
“And what do you want to talk about?” Ethan demanded, growing impatient.
“How about how I hired Fabian here to kill your dear love, Ella,” Tania said, bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
The room fell into stunned silence. Fabian’s jaw clenched, but there was no surprise on Ella’s face. Tania’s laughter echoed, but when she noticed that no one reacted, her amusement faltered.
“What? Not surprised?” she scoffed.
“I already knew that, Tania,” Ella said with a huff. “I found out a long time ago. And then you sent Fabian to me for mock empathy, remember? Is this why you called us here? To gloat?” Ella turned to leave, clearly done with Tania’s antics.
But Tania’s next words froze her in her tracks.
“Fabian is the father of Grace.”
Tania’s laugh was deranged as she spat out the revelation. The room seemed to contract, the weight of her words pressing in on everyone.
“What?” Ethan screamed, spinning to face Fabian, who stood like a statue, eyes wide with disbelief.
“You heard me,” Tania sneered. “Grace is his child. I bet you didn’t know that, huh?” She looked between them, her deranged smile only growing wider as if she had just delivered the ultimate blow.
Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest. “Is this true?” he demanded, looking at Fabian, who remained silent, his eyes locked on Tania.
Fabian shook his head, breaking out of his stupor. “What…what are you doing Tania?
Ethan’s anger boiled over. Without warning, he lunged at Fabian, throwing a punch that sent him crashing to the floor. “Grace is your child?” he yelled, his voice full of rage.
Ella screamed, trying to pull Ethan away. “Stop! Ethan, this isn’t the solution!”
But Ethan wasn’t listening. He grabbed Fabian again, fury coursing through him. “My daughter is in the hospital because of this madness, and you knew she was your daughter right?” His voice cracked, the weight of weeks of stress and pain finally erupting.
Fabian, struggling to stand, held his head, dazed. “Wait…what did you say? Grace…what happened to her?” His voice was filled with confusion and dread. “Where is my daughter?”
Ethan, worn and mentally drained, let go of Fabian’s collar and walked out without another word.
Fabian turned to Tania, gripping her arms tightly. “You told me if I followed your orders, you’d keep her safe! You promised you wouldn’t harm her, Tania. What did you do to my child?” His voice was filled with disbelief, his eyes searching hers for some sign of remorse.
Tania only laughed, her smile growing more unhinged. “Nothing. I did nothing. That stupid child fell down the stairs all on her own. I loved it, though. Watching her roll down, the way her little body thudded against each step. It was…beautiful.” She closed her eyes, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
Fabian recoiled in horror. “You’re insane,” he whispered. “You’ve completely lost it, Tania.”
Ella stood frozen, staring at the shell of the woman in front of her. “You…your own child, Tania. How could you do this?” She turned and left the room, her stomach churning with disbelief and disgust.
Tania’s laughter echoed behind her, filling the empty spaces as Fabian remained, staring at the woman he once trusted, now lost to madness.
Fabian stood in stunned silence, Tania’s cruel laughter still ringing in his ears as Ella left the house. His mind spun, trying to process the truth she had so casually revealed. Grace, his daughter his flesh and blood had been harmed by the very woman who was supposed to protect her. How had he allowed himself to be manipulated into such a twisted, tragic situation?
Tania’s laughter finally died down, her eyes glazed over as she swayed in place. Fabian took a step toward her, his fists clenched.
“You’re a monster,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “You don’t even realize what you’ve done, do you?”
Tania blinked at him, tilting her head as though she hadn’t heard him correctly. “What have I done? I’ve given you freedom. No more obligations. No more messy entanglements.” She grinned, her teeth bared in a grotesque smile.
Fabian took another step, his heart pounding with anger and grief. “You took my child from me. You took everything from me. And now…now you’ve destroyed yourself.”
Tania’s face twisted in confusion. “Destroyed? No, no, Fabian. I’ve won.”
With that, Fabian turned and walked away, leaving Tania behind laughing, lost, and utterly alone.