After the howl Mr. Frederick let out, his secretary burst into the room. The sight of blood froze her in place before a scream tore out of her throat. Within seconds, more people rushed in, voices overlapping in panic.
An ambulance arrived swiftly. Mr. Frederick was rushed to the hospital
While Fay was arrested on the spot.
The news reached Dominic's house first. Elena was with him when the call came. She watched his expression harden, then darken.
"What happened?" She asked
He ended the call, "There was an accident. Fay attacked Mr Frederick."
The moment she heard, panic seized her.
"We need to go see her," she said breathlessly.
"I'll go alone," Dominic replied.
"No," she insisted immediately. "I'm coming with you."
At the station, Elena saw Fay through the bars of a small holding cell. Wrist cuffed in front of her. Her back against the wall, head slightly tilted forward. She looked hollow, like something essential had been drained from her. Her eyes were open, but empty.
"Fay," Elena called softly.
There was no response.
Dominic was speaking quietly with a senior officer when a woman walked in. Who seem to be in her late twenties, strikingly beautiful, dressed in the latest designer outfit, her confidence bordering on arrogance. The sharp click of her heels announced her presence.
She stopped when she saw Dominic. Slowly, deliberately, she removed her sunglasses.
"Dominic", she said coolly.
"Vera" he answered back.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
Her eyes slid past him, straight to Fay, her lips curled.
"I'm here to press charges," she said to the officer.
"Assault with intent to kill."
Elena gasped.
"What? Is Mr. Frederick dead?"
At that, Fay finally lifted her head. Her eyes focused for the first time, and then, shockingly, her tense body relaxed.
"He's dead," she said barely a whisper
"Finally… finally no one will touch my daughter."
She kept repeating the word finally, over and over.
Vera stiffened,
"He's not dead. He's in critical condition. She dared to do this to my father. I'll make sure she pays."
"We don't know what happened yet ," Elena said firmly. "Fay wouldn't just attack someone for no reason."
"I don't remember asking for your opinion," the woman scoffed.
"That's enough," Dominic cut in. "We can discuss this calmly."
She looked at him in disbelief.
"You're going against me? Seriously?"
"I'm asking you to be smart" he said quietly. "You know my relationship with Mr. Frederick."
After a tense pause, she nodded. Sliding her sunglasses back on, she cast Fay one last look of contempt.
"Fine," she said
"I'll be expecting you," then turned and left.
Elena rushed to Dominic's side.
"What do we do now?" she whispered anxiously.
"Don't worry," he replied. "I'll see what I can do."
As they left, Dominic never once looked back at Fay.
...
That evening, Sally sat on the steps in front of the house, her knees hugged to her chest, eyes fixed on the road.
Mommy is sick, she thought. She shouldn't stay outside in the cold night.
Then she saw someone approaching.
She jumped up and ran forward.
"Mommy!"
But as she got closer, her steps slowed. It wasn't Fay.
"Aunt Elena" she whispered.
"Hey, Sally," Elena said gently, crouching in front of her. She touched Sally's hands and frowned. "Your hands are so cold. Why are you sitting outside?"
Sally glanced behind her, disappointment settling in.
"Where is Mommy?" she asked quietly.
Elena sighed.
"Mommy has something to take care of. She asked me to come get you."
She smiled softly.
"You'll stay with Auntie, okay?"
Sally stepped back.
"No. I'll wait for Mommy. She won't leave me. She'll come back."
Elena swallowed.
"How about this, I'll take you to see Mommy tomorrow. But you have to stay with me tonight. Mommy would be worried if she knew you were alone here."
At the promise of seeing Fay, Sally finally nodded and followed her.
Later that night, Elena had just tucked Sally in, listening patiently as the girl insisted, once again, that they would visit Fay the next day.
She returned to her room smiling.
Dominic had just ended a call and set the phone down. He smiled when he saw her, took her hand, and kissed it.
"You look happy," he said. "What's making you smile?"
"It feels...nice," she said softly "Having a child around."
Her voice dipped slightly.
Dominic knew why. He still remembered the doctor's words then: conceiving would be difficult, if not impossible. Though he hadn't minded, it had remained a silent ache in Elena's heart.
After a long pause, Dominic spoke.
"Do you want to keep her?"
Elena looked up, startled.
"What do you mean?"
"Fay may have to leave for a while."
The smile vanished from Elena's face.
"She's going to jail? We can't let that happen."
"No one is going to jail," Dominic said, holding her shoulders.
"We declare her mentally unstable. But temporarily."
Elena's breath caught.
"That means...?"
"She'll be confined," he said. "For observation. The police will suspend the case"
"They'll lock her away."
"Yes."
Silence filled the room
"And Sally?" Elena asked.
"She stays here," Dominic said. "With you. I'll handle the paperwork."
Elena stared at him.
"You're asking me to take her...while her mother is alive."
"I'm asking you to keep her safe," he said. "This is the only way."
After a long trembling pause, Elena nodded.
"I'll talk to Fay," she whispered "I'll assure her I'll take good care of Sally."
"Thank you for understanding," Dominic said, kissing her neck, making her smile.
"Tomorrow I'll go shopping for Sally's things," she continued. "She's been out of school, we should find her a better one. She shouldn't suffer for adults mistake."
Dominic smiled, watching her talk.
Neither of them noticed the narrow gap in the door.
Or the small figure standing behind it.
They're taking Mommy away.
Sally crept back to her room and locked the door. Her eyes drifted to the window.
"I'll go find Mommy myself."
She struggled it open and looked down. The house was a storey building, but the ground looked far below.
She gathered every soft thing she could find, pillows, the duvet, blankets, and threw them out.
Then she jumped.
"Ouch."
Ignoring the pain, she stood up and ran toward the road, barefoot, heart pounding, disappearing into the night.