Chapter 5

As Hailey's frantic pleas for information reached a fever pitch, the nurse grasped her arm with a calming firmness. "Hey!, please, try to compose yourself. Fiona's vital signs are stable, despite her unconscious state. Just get to the hospital and we'll keep you updated," the nurse assured her, her voice a soothing balm to Hailey's frazzled nerves.

Hailey nodded, still trying to process the chaos unfolding before her. "Okay, ma'am...thank you," she stammered, her voice cracking with worry.

As the nurse returned to the ambulance and sped away, Hailey's gaze lingered on the receding vehicle before drifting back to the accident scene. That's when she saw it – a glint of object on the floor, partially hidden by the tangled wreckage. Her curiosity piqued, Hailey cautiously approached the spot, her heart racing with a mix of trepidation and hope.

And then, she saw it clearly – Fiona's phone, its screen cracked but still functional. Without thinking, Hailey picked it up, and in an eerie coincidence, the phone sprang to life in her hand, its ringtone piercing the air as if waiting for her touch. Hailey's breath caught in her throat as she hesitated, wondering who could be calling.

As Hailey's gaze fell upon the caller ID, her heart skipped a beat. The screen read "My Sweetheart", a moniker that sent a shiver down her spine, for she knew it belonged to Fiona's husband, Fredrick. A mix of trepidation and curiosity wrestled within her, as she deliberated whether to answer the call. Her thumb hesitated, then finally, she pressed the accept button.

"Hello?" she ventured, her voice laced with a hint of caution.

"Where have you been all day?" Fredrick's irate voice boomed through the line. "I've been home for almost three hours, and you're nowhere to be found. I'm starving, and our son is also starving and right now, equally pissed off!" His anger was palpable, even through the phone.

"Fredrick, calm down, it's me, Hailey," she interjected, attempting to placate him.

"Oh, so she's started giving you my calls to answer now, has she?" Fredrick's tone turned accusatory. "Where is she?"

Hailey's instincts screamed at her to tread carefully. "Fredrick, you need to calm down. She didn't give me her calls to answer."

"Then where the hell is she?" Fredrick's voice rose, his anger intensifying.

Hailey took a deep breath before dropping the bombshell. "Fiona had an accident and is unconscious in the hospital. I found her phone on the floor near the wreckage."

The line went silent for a moment, before Fredrick's voice exploded in a frenzy. "What the hell are you saying? What wreckage? Her car is at home! Tell her I want to speak to her now, or else!" The call ended abruptly, leaving Hailey reeling from the venom in Fredrick's words.

As the acrimonious call with Fredrick drew to a close, Hailey's eyes welled up with tears, her heart heavy with empathy for Fiona's plight. The venom in Fredrick's voice had been a stark reminder of the toxic reality Fiona had been desperate to escape. A solitary tear trickled down Hailey's chin as she felt a deep sense of sorrow for her friend.

With a newfound sense of urgency, Hailey swiftly departed the accident scene, hailing a cab to speed her way to the hospital. As she settled into the backseat, the phone in her hand suddenly sprang to life, its ringtone piercing the air.