82 Hallucination

The following morning, Michelle woke up to a whimpering sound. 

She slowly opened her sleepy eyes and saw Isobelle sitting beside her, she was holding her hand and sobbing. 

"Isobelle," She called out in a dull voice. 

 Seeing her awake Isobelle cried harder, "I'm sorry El.." Her words immediately refreshed her memories of the previous day. 

Michelle's hand instinctively moved to her belly. The truth that she had lost a child washed over her making everything around feel dull and lifeless. 

"I'm sorry El, it's all my fault." Isobelle continued crying. 

"How is it your fault Isso? You weren't even here." 

"I should have been, none of it, 'none of it' would have happened if I was with you." She repeated and stressed on the 'none of it' part as if there was more pretext to it. 

"It's okay Isobelle stop blaming yourself." 

"No." She frequently shook her head. 

"I should have accompanied you to South-hills no matter what and I should have accompanied you to Paris back then. It's all my fault, I let my insecurities get the best of me." She sobbed. 

"What insecurities?" Michelle asked. 

She inhaled a few whimpering breaths and continued,

 "That year everyone got to know that I was.. I am an illegitimate child and even if I didn't let anyone know, I was very insecure because of it. I couldn't bring myself to leave mom's side and accompany you even if I wanted to." It was the first time Isobelle openly expressed her feelings to anyone. 

"It's completely fine Isso, we all have our own issues, I don't blame you for anything." 

Isobelle bent over and hugged Michelle. 

Michelle gently stroked her back. 

Lyla who was at the door heard their heart filled conversation. Even though Isobelle wasn't her biological child, she had loved her as her own and was much more protective towards her given the way society treated an illegitimate child. 

She stood at the door and entered only after Isobelle regained her composure. 

"How are you doing now?" She asked Michelle. 

"Better." She replied and picked her phone to check if Alec had called or messaged. 

She was disappointed to not find anything from Alec. 

However, there was a text from Ricky asking about her health. 

"I've made an appointment with a gynaecologist tomorrow. You need to rest as much as you can for faster recovery." Lyla informed Michelle. 

For the rest of the day, Isobelle didn't leave Michelle's side and made several futile attempts to cheer her up. 

Michelle could only  force a faint smile towards Isobelle's efforts. 

Every few hours, Michelle's hand would instinctively touch her belly and the heart wrenching realisation of losing a child would dawn into her stimulating a fresh wave of pain and agony within her. 

Later that noon, Alec had woken up after his long sleep. The moment he gained his senses he picked the whiskey bottle and started drinking again. 

He had drowned himself in his sorrows the moment he entered Alwils Villa after getting the news about Michelle's miscarriage. 

The fact how strongly El felt towards kids only intensified his guilt. 

He continued drinking for the rest of the day. 

That evening, Alec went to Rags and Riches, for the days to come he had made the bar his second home. 

"Why are you here and how is Michelle doing?" Ricky asked him when he saw Alec at the bar. He had recently returned from the hospital after checking on Dwane. 

Alec ignored his presence and continued drinking. 

"Slow down Buddy." Ricky was growing concerned about Alec's state. 

"Did something happen?" 

Alec stiffened at his question, those were the words he dreaded. 

Bringing himself to phrase his worst nightmare into words was much more tormenting than dealing with it in silence. 

Wording his pain only made it more real and excruciating.

Ricky could see the pain in Alec's eyes; it only made him more alarmed about Michelle. He also remembered that Michelle hadn't replied to his text. 

"Tell me" he asked anxiously. 

"El…" 

"What?" Ricky was growing impatient. 

Taking a long breath Alec replied, 

"She had a miscarriage." 

Ricky froze at his words. 

Both of them sat in silence for a long while. 

"How is she?" Ricky asked, breaking the silence. 

"She is at her parents'." 

Alec's answers slightly perplexed him. 

"I asked 'How' is she?" 

"I don't know." Before Ricky could act in a reprimanding manner, Alec stood and left the bar with the whiskey bottle in his hand. Truth to be told, Alec didn't have the courage to face Michelle. 

Ricky sat still dejectedly, exhausted with recent events. He hoped for the adversities to come to an end but found himself helpless. 

The only thing he could do was 'Talk'. Talk to Alec about reconciling with Michelle and most importantly talk to Dwane about letting everything go and move on. 

The second task seemed next to impossible but Ricky had to try. 

The following day, Ricky visited Dwane at the hospital. 

"How are you now?" He calmly asked Dwane. 

"Why are you here?" Dwane seemed agitated. 

"Didn't you always despise me and tried to turn Alec against me? I know all of it, you haven't done a good job hiding your true intentions." 

"I didn't do any of it, I have only disagreed with you when I thought you were wrong." Ricky was calm and unaffected with Dwane's words. 

"I'm here because even you are my friend just like Alec, irrespective of our differences." 

Dwane scoffed at his words, finding them 

superficial. 

"You need to stop at what you are at, you've already harmed her enough." 

"Harmed her?" Dwane exclaimed. 

"I'm the one who got stood at my wedding four years ago, I'm the one lying in a hospital bed with a deep wound on my chest and Daniel Ford has already caused me loss of millions." Dwane's expression grew bitter. 

"So tell me Ricky, who is the one being harmed?" 

Before Ricky could answer anything Dwane continued, 

"I won't stop at nothing to kill her. No matter how Daniel Ford retaliates." 

Ricky tried to maintain his calm composure. Reluctantly he decided to use his one last straw to change Dwane's mind,

 "Michelle.. had a miscarriage that evening." 

Taking a huge sigh he continued 

"Michelle and Alec lost their unborn child because of what you did." Dwane was stunned at the new revelation, he didn't want to confront himself about how he felt about it. 

"This feud won't get you anywhere Dwane. It'll bring nothing but more harm to the both of you along with your loved ones who are innocent." Ricky's voice was empathetic. 

'Who are my loved ones?' Dwane scoffed at himself feeling completely alone. 

"Stop, before you end up doing something that you'll regret forever. Please, I sincerely request you to think on it." Ricky said and walked away without waiting for Dwane's reply. 

"BILL" Dwane screamed at the top of his voice. Bill hurried to his side, 

"What about the discharge?" 

"It'll be Tomorrow." He timidly replied. 

"I want to leave now." Dwane fumed. 

Bill couldn't help but agree to his commands. 

In no time Bill got Dwane discharged. 

After an hour, 

At the old Farehya's Villa, Dwane stepped out of his bathroom after taking a shower. 

He tried not to think about what Ricky said and fixed  All his attention on the fresh scar on his chest. 

His sight was hazy because of the hot shower. He felt someone standing close to him touching his scar. 

"Does it hurt?" 

The woman in front of him asked as she slowly and softly moved her delicate fingers on his scar. 

He looked at her soft facial features, to his disbelief it was Michelle standing in front of him. 

"Not more than the heartbreak." Dwane replied in a deep husky voice. 

She laughed melodiously and disappeared into thin air. The gentle Michelle was only a fragment of his imagination. 

He was hallucinating her presence.