The Second Marriage Chance

Sarah

As I descended the stairs, the assistant who had come to fetch me from Chairman Benner's suite called out urgently, "Ms. Mitchell, wait!" Her voice conveyed desperation, making me pause despite my haste.

"What?" I snapped, barely holding my composure. Didn't she see the anxiety on my face and my trembling hands? My heart was racing, and stress and fear were almost too much to handle. My family had abandoned me for years; my life revolved around Philip and the twins.

"Damn it! Why can't I reach Philip?!" I muttered, already on edge, and her presence was only making me worse.

Just then, my phone vibrated, the screen illuminating with hope. But it wasn't Philip. A message from Jakob appeared:

Jakob: 'Doll, according to my investigation, Madam Olsen is still in custody. No changes reported.'

I was taken aback. So, Chairman Benner had been telling the truth? Did he see my mother?

"You must end Marcus," the assistant said urgently.

So, it's true! I can't think of anyone else who would do this but Marcus. He always struck during family events, and his timing was perfectly cruel. It felt like he was determined to ruin any bit of happiness I had.

My shock deepened as I saw the woman's eyes widen. I drew a concealed weapon and fired at Chairman Benner's guard. The shot echoed loudly in the fire exit. Something clattered to the floor.

"Stay calm!" she commanded, her voice steady despite the violence. "He was about to stab you. I saw the blade."

My heart raced as I looked at the fallen guard. A sinister-looking knife lay just out of reach, its blade gleaming dangerously. So, is there a spy among Chairman Benner's guards, too? Without hesitation, I snatched up both the knife and the guard's sleek. 45 caliber pistol.

"Listen! You need to finish off Marcus Blackwood, or it won't end while he's alive!" the woman insisted.

"I don't need convincing. He murdered my mother in cold blood," I replied, my eyes narrowing.

"No, you don't understand," she pressed, grabbing my arm. "You need to do this because he's set his sights on your children next."

"What do you know?" I demanded, trying to make sense of her anger. I had many questions, but I didn't want to give Marcus the satisfaction of knowing how much he mattered to me.

The woman replied, "You'll find out everything. Marcus has a mental problem. Your mother had to keep him suppressed for years, making sure he stayed in prison..."

Gunfire erupted from the lower part of the building. Damn it! The bursts of shots sent a chill through me-my children! I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to them because of this twisted game.

"I have to go!" I said.

My questions were overwhelming, but my urgency to see my children outweighed them.

When I saw Marcus aiming his gun at Philip's forehead, I summoned every ounce of strength I had to make him vanish. This monster had shattered the Benner family and killed my mother!

The first bullet tore through my shoulder. Another ripped into my side, and more impacts followed that I couldn't even identify. I lost track of the pain; my body was wracked with suffering. But it didn't matter. All I cared about was making Marcus disappear and ending this nightmare for good.

Suddenly, I felt weightless, as if lifted off the ground. The world tilted and spun. Through the pain, I saw Marcus Blackwood's face-my mother's abductor, the torturer, the source of all my suffering.

I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing fear or recognition. He would not claim even my final moments.

The rapid gunfire was deafening; the sound seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Sarah!" Josh's face appeared before darkness claimed me.

I don't know how long I was out. It was so dark... A persistent beeping filled the room. I could hear the rustling of movement and Dr. Ethan Vanderbilt's emergency tone.

Dr. Ethan Vanderbilt's voice pierced through the fog, full of urgency: "Her heartbeat is slowing down! This mission is impossible, but we must save Ms. Mitchell!"

Fragments of memory came back. I saw Philip with blood on his shirt from Marcus's shot. Panic set in. Why was Ethan focusing on me? What about Philip?

My pleas and questions went unheard as I slipped away again.

I was transported back to my 17th birthday. My eyes were swollen from crying as I drove through a fast-food drive-thru to appease my hunger. The open road stretched endlessly before me, a ribbon of asphalt promising escape. When drowsiness became too much to fight, I pulled into a parking lot and surrendered to a fitful two-hour sleep before pressing on.

Drive...

Drive...

Drive...

Perhaps this was my fate-endlessly driving my mother's cherished sports car, searching for a peace that always eluded me. The road symbolized my life-always moving, never arriving, constantly chasing a horizon that remained just out of reach.

***

Philip

Consciousness returned slowly as if wading through a thick fog. The white ceiling came into focus, along with the steady beeping of medical equipment. I noticed the tubes and wires connected to me, each one linking me to this painful and uncertain world.

My vision still wavered from dizziness, making it hard to focus.

My shoulder was numb, but I knew it was nothing compared to what Sarah had been through. The thought of her brought a new wave of pain, and tears started falling. Was she even alive?

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"Boss!" Trey's voice cut through my haze. He approached swiftly, having sensed my distress. A fragmented memory returned to me-handing my children over to him during the chaos. "T-the kids?" I could barely speak, my voice a rasp in my parched throat.

"They're fine," Trey said quickly. "The twins are safe; they're with Boss Alex and his wife," Trey said, though his eyes hinted at something unspoken and tense.

Summoning what little strength I had, I grasped Trey's collar.

"Sarah?" I needed to know about my wife. My shoulder, which had been operated on to remove the bullet, throbbed painfully. The gauze on it had soaked through with blood from my restless movements.

The door opened, and Ethan walked in with a severe expression. I let go of Trey, suddenly gasping for air as a wave of fear hit me.

"Where is Sarah?" I asked urgently.

"Philip, I won't sugarcoat this. You'd see through it anyway..." He took a deep breath.

Damn it! Just tell me what's going on.

"Sarah's condition isn't good, Philip," he said with a grave expression. "She's flatlined twice during surgery and had cardiac arrests while we were removing the bullets. Several doctors worked on her. She's stable now, but she's in critical condition... her heart is extremely weak."

"I want to see her..." I choked back sobs, my vision blurred, fresh tears burning my eyes. Maybe this is my fault...

"Please," I whispered, not caring how broken I sounded. "I need to be with her."