For the first hour, Chloe just laid there exactly as Axel left her. Deep emotions stirred with no other outlet but through her long-lasting sobs. The sheets were drenched with her tears.

The second hour, she began to realize that she took it too far that she had hurt him too badly. It was stupid of her to blame all this on him but she didn't know what to do. The morning she woke up and saw her lower drenched in blood, she got terrified. Thinking about abortion and actually going through with it was gut-wrenching. The guilt of killing her child was too overwhelming. She sat up and picked up her cellphone. She called Axel, it was late at night. He must be tired and he must be wandering in the street here and there because of her. The guilt multiplied, she waited for him to pick up her call but he didn't.

The third hour was tortuous, she kept calling him again and again but he never picked up. Horrible scenarios played in the mind, they lived in a shady neighborhood. What if something bad happened to him? What if he's hurt?

The fourth hour was the end of her patience. She couldn't take it anymore. She decided to go look for him. She walked out of the building and wandered the street alone. She called him again and again.

In the fifth hour, she decided to go to his workplace. He must be there, she thought. She went to Jayden's garage but it was closed.

She waited...

She waited for four hours...

The new day dawned but Chloe was still stuck in last night. The moment Axel stepped out of the door. She kept replaying it over and over again. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to apologize.

"Axel... I'm sorry, love... I love you, I love you so much..." She sniffled

A few moments later, Jayden opened the garage door and Chloe stood up.

"Hi..." Chloe squeaked

"What do you want, sweetie?" Jayden asked

"I'm here to see Axel... He works for you" she said in a low voice.

"He left with his father," he told her.

Chloe shook her head. "His father isn't---"

"Dominic King. He came in a Porsche and took him with him. I haven't seen Axel after that"

Chloe's breath hitched. "When did that happen?"

"Yesterday evening" he grumbled

A frown appeared on Chloe's face. But he was with her last night... A few of Jayden's workers came and they all eyed Chloe. She felt uncomfortable. She turned to walk back home, she pulled out her cellphone and called Axel again. She noticed a guy was following her, she fastened her pace.

"Chloe?" He called from behind and she halted in her tracks.

She turned. "How do you know my name?"

"Axel came to my house in the middle of the night," He told her

Chloe's lips parted. "What did he say? Where is he now?" She asked

He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. "He told me to give you this... He came in a car with some bodyguard-looking dudes and told me to give you this and he also told me to tell you that he loves you" he explained slowly but Chloe's mind stopped. Why did it feel like he was trying to say goodbye?

With trembling fingers, she took the paper from him. She took a deep breath. "Thank you" she squeaked

She turned and continued walking. Fear became a tangible, living force that crept over her like some hungry beast, immobilizing her, her brain, holding her captive. She kept staring at that piece of paper, too afraid to open and read it.

Her hands were shaking so bad that she couldn't even hold the paper in place. She slowly unfolded the crumpled piece of paper.

Her chest heaved up and down rapidly. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe atmosphere become tighter and tighter. Her heavy lungs suppressed any efforts she made to inhale. She dropped to the ground in the middle of the street. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream, her eyes wide, tears rolling down continuously. She was suffocating like a fish out of water.

She looked around her and saw people staring at her with a look of pure horror. She suddenly felt so alone and vulnerable, he was her strength.

"Lady, are you okay?" A voice echoed

"What is wrong with her" Another echo

"Do you need help?" The echoes multiplied

"I... I..." Her words coming out as interspersed wheezing. "Ax--- Axel... I n---need Axel"

Like a madwoman, she stood up continued walking down her path. She reached their apartment building and stopped. She pulled out her cellphone and called him. A phone vibrated in distance. She hung up the call looked around. She again dialed his number and heard that distant vibration again. She mindlessly followed it and found herself before a trashcan.

For ten whole minutes, she dialed and hung up his number standing before the trashcan. She opened the lid and rummaged through the trash.

There she found it. Their smiling picture... under a pile of trash. She called it again from her cellphone and saw her picture illuminating his lock screen with bold Love written on top. She slowly closed the lid again and entered the building.

Reaching their bedroom, she looked around. She went and sat back on her bed just like she was sitting last night. She imagined his last heartbroken expression before he stormed out.

"Axel, don't go. Please, I'm sorry but don't go. I love you, don't leave me, please. I promise I won't fight with you again. I'm sorry I called you a murderer. I took those pills willingly, Axel. It's unfair that I blamed it on you after that. I'm sorry... Don't leave me"

She sat there for an hour...

Replaying their last moments together...

She saw him walking out of that door a million times...

"Axel left me"

Three words that shook her soul...

She got up, leaving her cellphone and all her belonging in the apartment. With the money she had, she mindlessly sat on the train for Richmonte. She came here for Axel, with Axel, and without Axel, there was no point in staying here.

It was all a blur for her. Buying a ticket, boarding the train, arriving back in her hometown.

Her senses only returned to her when she found herself outside her home.

She smiled. "Dad?" She called

"Dad?!" She called a little louder this time.

She huffed. "I think you passed out again. Why do you drink so much?" She asked the front door.

She kneeled and pulled out the key from under the rug. She put it in the keyhole and walked in. A strong smell of rotten flesh and a swarm of flies met her.

"Dad? You need to do some chores too. I can't do everything alone all the time!" She shrieked covering her nose and mouth with her hand.

"Dad, where the hell are you?" She asked

She walked into her living room and the smell intensified. The flies made it difficult for her to see. She turned on the switch but the lights were cut off. She walked to the window and opened the thick drapes. She unlocked the window and opened it as well. A cloud of flies flew out.

She turned and a powerful splintering noise filled the room. She screamed so loud that she lost her voice. She dropped to the ground and scooted back on her hips until her back met the wall.

Before her, laid a rotting corpse of her father. His mouth opened, flies gliding in from his mouth and coming out of his nose. His eyeballs turned to stone as flies walked all over his eyes. His skin was pale and purple.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She panicked, she slapped her throat multiple times for a sound. She put her finger deep in her throat trying to make a sound but nothing came out.

"DAD!" A scream in her mind that never slipped from her lips.

She crawled towards her father's corpse and tried to slap away all the flies and insects. She ran to the kitchen and dampened a washcloth. She came to his corpse and started to clean it. She took off his shoes from his stiff feet. It was difficult but she did it. She cleaned his hand and feet and his face multiple times. She gently slapped on his face multiple times trying to awaken him.

She heard a knock on the door. "Chloe?" A soft female voice.

Then again a soft knocking...

The door opened and someone stepped in...

"Ugh!" A disgusted tone, probably because of the smell.

"Chloe?" Muffled voice, muffled by a hand to get rid of the smell.

"Here!" Chloe answered.

Eyes widened in surprise, she finally found her voice.

"Chloe?"

Footsteps approaching...

Getting closer...

And closer...

Until...

"AHHHHH" a scream just like Chloe did.

Someone grabbed her from her shoulders and pulled her away from the corpse.

"Chloe, get away from there!"

Scooting back on her hips just like Chloe did but taking her along...

Trying to save her from her father, maybe...

"Chloe, look at me! We have to get out of here!" She screamed hysterically.

Chloe turned to look at her. "Ella?" She asked

"Yes! We have to get out!" She screamed again.

"Ella..." A helpless sob.