I sank into a chair, lost in thought contemplating my decision. But in the end, I realized I couldn't afford to betray Isla, especially not now, when she was carrying our child.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I smiled as I saw the caller ID, Harry Blaze had been so nice to me. He had employed Isla as a maid in his house and treated her with so much kindness. I was grateful.
"Hello Damen!"
"Hello Mr. Blaze"
Harry's warm voice filled with laughter boomed through the phone, "I have forbidden you from calling me Mr. Blaze, remember? Call me Harry, I am not that old!"
"Of course, Harry, you are only twenty years older than me," I said with a hint of teasing amusement.
Harry laughed. "Don't mention my age in public, my wife still thinks I'm younger than her."
"Of course she does!" I genuinely laughed. Harry always had a way of making me smile.
"Come to my house. My truck's broken down and I could use your help fixing it."
Most people praised me as an exceptionally skilled mechanic and they were right, I loved cars. Before my life took a dramatic turn, everything revolved around automobiles. But despite the changes, I was still secretly pursuing my dream. I had even taken bold steps recently, putting some of my innovative car design manuscripts on the market. A potential deal with Trey Carmanship had come up. My plan was to sell my first design, use the funds to pay off my father's debts, and reclaim the land. With my finances secure, my future with Isla will be filled with happiness and love.
"Snap out of it, man! Are you thinking of Isla again?" Harry teased.
I chuckled, my face breaking into a wide smile. "You know me too well, old man. I just can't wait to marry her."
"Then hurry up and get here to fix my truck! Maybe Isla will even fix you a few pastries afterwards."
I laughed. "As you say, Sir."
I could hear laughter in the background "Not again, I'm not that old!" He complained.
I burst out laughing. Harry knew exactly how much Isla meant to me, and was glad to see me happy. He was treating her well, and that's all that mattered.
I arrived at the Blaze Mansion and immediately started fixing the truck. Harry had discovered my exceptional talent for cars, and since then, no one had been allowed to touch his prized vehicles but me. As I worked, I couldn't help but whistle a happy tune. Today was going to be a life-changing day. I was finally going to receive the contract from Trey Carmanship, and I couldn't wait to see the look of shock and delight on Isla's face when I told her that we were going to be rich.
I froze, screwdriver still in hand, and abandoned the truck. My heart racing, I sprinted to the end of the building. A blood-curdling scream had pierced the air, and I was certain it belonged to Isla.
"Isla! Isla, look at me! What happened?" I exclaimed, panic rising in my voice. "Quick, give me your phone, we need to call an ambulance now!"
"She is… she is dead, Damen," her voice was shaken, trembling with fear.
I dropped to my knees, my hands trembling as I reached for Mrs. Blaze's wrist to check her pulse. I confirmed my fears, she was indeed dead. I jumped away from her lifeless body, internally shaking but I didn't show, for Isla's sake, I needed to be strong.
"Isla, Isla, look at me," I coaxed. Finally, she slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with tears and her body shaking with sobs. I pulled her into my arms, holding her close as she wept.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice soft and gentle, as I held her trembling body close to mine.
"I don't know, she came to scold me, like she always does," Isla sobbed, struggling to form her words. "She was shaking me, asking about her red dress, accusing me of stealing it. I stepped back and she... she slipped and fell. I kept calling out to her, shaking her but then she just stopped breathing." Isla's voice trembled as she dissolved into tears again.
"I killed someone, Damen. I killed her," Isla whispered, her voice trembling with horror. She kept backing away from me, her eyes were wide with fear and guilt, her face pale.
I pulled her closer, comforting her. "No, you didn't," I whispered. "It was a mistake, she accidentally fell and hit her head."
She nodded, lifting her hands to wipe her tears, then her eyes widened. "My hands!" She stared at them in horror, shaking them as if trying to scrub away the blood that coated them.
"Shhhhhh, it's okay," I whispered, trying to coax Isla into calmness. "Come here." I opened my arms, and she collapsed into them, her body shaking with sobs. But honestly, I was scared too. Why did this have to happen? And today of all days.
"What's going on here?" a deep voice boomed, cutting through the tension. We all turned to see Harry standing in the corridor, his eyes scanning the scene before him.
Harry rushed past us, dropping to his knees beside Zoey's lifeless body. "Zoey, Zoey, Zoey, love, please wake up!" he begged. "Wake up, what happened to you? Zoey, please!" He quickly pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed a number.
"This is the Blaze mansion," Harry barked into the phone. "Someone needs help, immediately. Yes, it's extremely serious. Hurry!" He paused, listening to the response, before snapping, "Don't ask questions, just get here, now!"
His eyes hardened as he turned to us. "What happened here?" he demanded, his voice firm but controlled.
Isla and I exchanged a nervous glance, we both remained silent.
Harry's face darkened, his jaw clenched in frustration. "What happened here?" he shouted. I took a step back, startled, I held Isla closer to me.