Four Brothers and a Bride

Chapter 192: Chapter 192

ASHAL

For the first few seconds after the doctor speaks, all I hear is a high-pitched sound ringing in my ears. Gradually, my vision wavers, then blurs. Every sound fade and every movement around me slow to a crawl—nurses pacing, monitors beeping, mouths opening and closing with no sound uttered.

Faces meld with the white walls of the hospital. My breath catches as doctor Ezra continues to speak. I see his lips moving, feel the weight of his words crashing toward me—but I can’t hear any of it. I feel someone grip my hand tightly. Mother? My entire family surrounds me.

But I still can’t hear anything that’s being said. Instead, I feel everything; the immense pain clawing up my chest, the trembling hands fisting in my shirt. Like the pain isn’t enough, the visceral scene of the incident plays in a loop in my head. My mind reels—spins backward—to the last moments. To Maddi curled against the floor, her lips parted in a scream I couldn’t hear. To her panicked eyes fluttering shut.

To Olivia—God, Olivia—with her arms cradled over her belly, hunched and bleeding from the nose, her teeth clenched in agony. Her eyes were wild, not just with fear, but with something deeper—protectiveness. She wasn’t scared for herself. She was terrified for her baby. For our baby. She had never looked more maternal than in that moment.

The images shred my heart.

No! They both have to survive. Neither of them deserves this. But the silence stretches on yet no one is saying their name. And with every second that passes, the less curious I am to know exactly what the doctor is saying. Because whichever name rolls off the doctor’s tongue will automatically mean one thing... the other is gone.

"Ashal? ASHAL!"

My mind snaps back to consciousness. My brothers are huddled close to me. Mother’s hands are indeed squeezing mine in support. Even father is still reeling with shock. I finally find my voice but it’s thick with raw pain as I ask him the dreaded question.

"Who died?"

***

A WEEK LATER

"Ashal?"

I burrow my hands between my thighs and draw a sharp breath. It’s been a week since the horror of the sit-down meeting yet nothing has changed about the way I feel; empty, hurt and dead inside.

of ’what Ifs’ and the things I could have done differently to prevent the worst day of my life, I press my eyes shut and try to silence the noise

Welsh’s hand on my knee. "Take a deep

my eyes, they’re blurry and wet. "It still h-hurts." Breath thick, hands trembling slightly, I clench my fists as visions of

will, Ashal, eventually. But you’ll have to

of pill to numb the pain and stop

lot of people who were very dear to me. I remember feeling lost too but one truth I garnered from my experience is that with

I nod at her.

Now, tell me what you felt when you woke up six days

till everything goes completely silent.

"Are you sure?"

after all, but in

I asked, a

sweeping glance. "Are

to sell it. It holds more painful memories of a past I want to forget than of special moments that I will treasure for a long time. I run a hand over my face exhale sharply. How soon can things go back to being normal for me? When will I wake up without the pain

wrap their arms around me, reassuring me of their support. After we have

let us know." Asher says,

"I will. Thank you."

and the ugly. The different shades of Olivia that I never could decipher until I stepped through the door. Lily with a faux smile that masked her wicked intentions. Then that one-time Maddi

can still smell all three women in every corner of the house. It gets so overwhelming that I immediately leave, only to find myself at the station thirty minutes later, sitting

been expecting my visit, and realizing that makes me regret my decision to pay her a visit. I loathe her for what she did but somehow, I loathe

trim. And your hair..." She visibly stops herself from reaching forward to touch

teeth. My fists are

I scoff at her reply but she continues, a plea on her lips. "I did what I thought was best for you. Ashal, you deserve as much love as you give. I couldn’t bear to see those women toying with

them would

fright as I slam my fists on the table between us. Catching myself, I take a deep breath while an

to...they lied to me." She leans forward with desperate eyes. "Ashal,