Elena - POV

“There is no way that’s true.” Tears streamed down my face as I sat in the doctor’s office and learned it would end my life in a year.

“I apologize, Ms. Hayes. I wish we could do more to help you recover from this disease.” Dr. Marsh’s voice took on a sympathetic tone as he spoke.

“I am just 26 years old. I am not prepared for this chapter of my life to end in a year.” My sobs became more intense, and Dr. Marsh gave me a mournful look.

“I’m willing to pay whatever you need to come up with a cure for this disease,” I begged.

“Ms. Hayes, we will try, but I cannot guarantee that we will have the drug ready in time. We will need to do research. Since this ailment has never occurred to anybody before,” Dr. Marsh said. I didn’t know what to say, since I was too numb to even move from my chair. Despite hearing this, I got out of Dr. Marsh’s office and strolled to my vehicle to take me to my office.

I don’t want anybody, not even Jake, to know about my condition because I’m afraid he’ll become worried. I will find a means wherein I may cure myself. I got out of my vehicle and got to the building as Dr. Marsh’s words reverberated in my thoughts; I trembled.

“Ms. Hayes. Are you all right?” Janice remarked while directing her worried gaze at me.

“I’m OK, Janice. If you don’t mind, get me the manuscript, so I can read it,” I asked.

“Ms. Hayes, could you kindly tell me if you have any problems that I may help you with?” Janice inquired.

“You are my secretary, not my babysitter; fetch my manuscript immediately, Janice.” I snapped at her, and she flinched as the entire staff gazed at me.

“Yes. MS. Hayes.” She whispers and walks away, and my harsh glare forces every employee to return to their task.

I removed my coat and slung it over the chair before turning to stare out the window at the significant, towering buildings. My circumstances made me feel so frustrated and enraged. I put in a lot of effort to get to where I am now, which is living the life of a celebrity and having my ideal job, but things are going downhill.

When I looked at who was calling me on my phone, I noticed it was Jake. The thought of picking up the phone filled me with dread. I should tell Jake he deserves to know about my health. However, I will let him know when I get home later tonight.

“Come in.” Janice. She came in with a screenplay I needed to read before signing on for the next movie. I felt like snapping at her. But I thought about asking Janice to help me find the doctors.

“Janice, I’m going to tell you something, and you need to assist.” She agrees and keeps the script on my desk. I explained everything to Janice about my condition and asked her not to tell anybody about it, not even my fiancé.

“Ms. Hayes, don’t worry; I’ll locate the physicians that cure these diseases,” Janice said, and I nodded. Janice walks away, and I glance out the window as the day turns into twilight. I have friends, but I’m reluctant to trust them since they have betrayed me in the past, and it’s difficult to talk about my difficulties with anybody. I didn’t go home anxious and unable to come to terms with the reality that I was ill. I sent Jake a message telling him I would be late. While reading the movie script, I was trying to get my head into the game to focus on my job. Janice walked in with a grin, and I looked at her with optimism.

“Did you track down the physician?” I asked as she nodded and handed me her phone so I could see the article and the background.

He discovered a treatment for Lupus, a condition that gradually weakens the organs and causes them to cease working in a year. That piece of garbage, Dr. Marsh said, that the drug is difficult to locate, and I experienced the same thing when reading the paper.

“Can you tell me where the doctor’s office is?” I inquired.

“The address is here, Ms. Hayes; Dr. Rudolf is in Minnesota,” Janice said.

As she checks the watch, “Dr. Rudolf will be on leave in the afternoon and won’t be back until the beginning of next month, so I’ve already scheduled an appointment for this morning.” I glance at my watch, and it’s already 3:45 in the morning.

“Which time slot am I booked for?” I inquired as I was putting the manuscript away in the drawer.

“At 6:30 a.m., Ms. Hayes, that is the best that I could get the appointment as he pre-booked, and I arranged your private jet so that you may reach your destination on time,” Janice remarked, and I nodded, bringing my suitcase and my security guards with me to the airport. The flight from New York to Minnesota was short, so I felt confident about arriving on time.

I let Jake know I would travel to Minnesota for business and would return soon, and I suspect that if he hadn’t responded to my messages yet, he could be busy with shooting.

The vehicle was waiting for me when we arrived at the airport, and I could stroll into the hospital unnoticed since no paparazzi had heard about my arrival. When I arrived, the receptionist asked me to take a seat, for Dr. Rudolf was not yet in the office. I felt compelled to yell at the receptionist. Why is the doctor not at the office when he is going to leave this afternoon? But I didn’t; instead, I sat down and looked through my phone to catch up on the news.

Jake Smith cheated on Elena Hayes. The headlines said, and my pulse quickened as I scanned the image of Jake and Lucy Mathew, seeing them kissing and holding hands while walking around the city. This cannot be real! I quickly contacted Jake, but he did not pick up the phone when I called him.

Jake only sent me a single text message: “It’s true, Elena, because I have fallen in love with Lucy. Our relationship can no longer continue.”

I wipe away tears as I think of the day Jake proposed to me with a diamond ring I am wearing on my finger. I felt everything falling apart.

“Bring the car to the upfront gate,” I instructed my guard, who nodded and stared at me with worry before walking out. I got up from where I was sitting, and the other security guy ushered me out of the hospital. The vehicle is waiting for me in the lobby.

“I’ll be driving, and I don’t want security following me,” I instructed the security guard. The guards glanced at me with worry but said nothing. The moment the driver exited the vehicle, I drove away. As the text reverberated, I hurled my phone out of the moving car. As I increase the speed of my car, the wind hits my face, and I feel tears forming in my eyes. I’m unsure where I’m going, with nothing to guide me except empty highways.

The towers had vanished, and the forest was emerging. I slowed the speeding vehicle as I noticed in the distance an enormous wolf standing on the road. He transformed into a human, and, standing in a bare frame, he looked like Hercules in build, and it startled me as his blue eyes met mine. He didn’t move away from the road and blocked my path; the car was still moving at speed. I pulled the brakes, but the vehicle drove off the road, struck the tree, and my head hit the steering wheel hard.

As my eyesight becomes more distorted, I can still make out the same guy who had scared the shit out of me—helping me to get out of the car. The blue orbs are staring at me. While I wanted to resist and get away from him, my body was weak as the darkness enveloped me.