DOES IT MATTER?
863 Words
It had been three years, yet no matter what Ethan did, he always felt Hazel’s slightest pain as his own. Every time he hurt her, he hurt too, though he knew he shouldn’t.
It seemed insane. He should hate her—he should have hated her the day she snuck out of the car and left them to die. If Ivy hadn’t woken up earlier that day and pulled them out, they might not have survived.
She had risked her life for them, enduring what doctors called “broken heart syndrome” as a result. It was obvious that Ivy had done the most for him, yet he couldn’t stop caring about Hazel.
“Ethan…”
He snapped out of his thoughts at Ivy’s gentle voice. She stood before him, a bowl of soup in her hands. He hadn’t noticed her arrive; he hadn’t even realized when. His mind had been consumed with Hazel.
“Ivy… why are you here?”
“You left the table without eating. I thought you might be hungry, so I brought this.”
“You didn’t need to.”
“Why? Don’t you want to eat? Is it because my sister hasn’t eaten either?” Ivy’s face, pitiful yet tense with suppressed frustration, betrayed her feelings. She had tried to make him hate Hazel, but he still cared.
“What?”
“I know you’re worried about my sister, that’s why you couldn’t eat either, right?”
“No… that’s… that’s not it,” Ethan denied. Deep down, though, he knew part of the truth: Hazel’s pallor and frailty at the table had gnawed at him.
“I’ll drink the soup,” he said, taking it from her hands and swallowing it in one gulp, trying to convince himself he wasn’t worried about Hazel. He wasn’t… a woman who had abandoned him to die.
“Ethan…” Ivy sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I know you’re worried about Hazel. I am too, you know.”
“No, that’s…”
Ethan’s protest was cut off as Ivy pressed her index finger to his lips.
“I know, Ethan. You’re kind-hearted. Perhaps my elder sister had her reasons that day—we can’t truly blame her. The accident traumatized all of us; she was probably terrified for her life.”
She sounded like she was defending Hazel, but her words only deepened Ethan’s conflicted feelings.
“She loves you so much, she probably regrets her mistakes.”
“What does it change? It’s in the past.”
“You’ve been married to her for so long, Ethan… do you love her?”
“What?!” The question rang like a bell in his mind. He hesitated. He loved Ivy—yet why did thoughts of Hazel stir something in him? Ivy had saved him, given herself to him, yet he found himself conflicted over a woman who had done him nothing but harm.
“I want you to make love to me,” Ivy said.
“What…?”
Before he could respond, she kissed him, her hands tracing his chest. He didn’t push her away but he didn’t react as he had the first time. Then, as her hand reached for his belt, he caught it.
“Ivy… the perfume… why is it different from that night?”
Her eyes widened. A small detail, yet he noticed.
“I… I changed it. But does it matter?”
“I…” Ethan hesitated. It shouldn’t matter, but it did.
“Forget it. I’m tired. You should go rest.”
He pulled away, leaving Ivy embarrassed yet secretly frustrated. She had hoped this night would change everything, but now her plans were thwarted. Hazel, still in his thoughts, remained the invisible barrier between them.
The next morning, Hazel dressed in a lovely white flouncy gown, a red belt tied around her waist. Her chest still ached, reminding her she needed to go to the hospital soon.
“Going out so early, sis?”
Hazel froze at the sight of Ivy, arms crossed by the door. She had long dreaded these encounters.
“Why are you here? Planning more schemes? Wasn’t last night enough?”
“Sister, what are you saying? Everyone knows I’ve done nothing but care for you. Ethan confirmed it.”
Ethan’s confirmation came exactly as Ivy intended—another of her cunning manipulations. Despite Hazel’s help with her nursing school and studies, Ivy now sought to destroy her from within.
“I don’t have time for you.” Hazel walked past, her jasmine fragrance lingering, a scent Ethan would unconsciously remember. She hadn’t realized Hazel’s natural scent could inflame such feelings in him.
“Huh… sister, that smells nice. What perfume is that?”
“Why do you ask? Planning another scheme?”
“I just… think it’s nice.”
“Save it for yourself. You won’t find it anywhere else.” Hazel walked on, unaware of Ivy’s growing rage. She might even wish to harm her sister, but with cameras in the house, Ivy had to plan carefully.
“Just wait… sister,” Ivy muttered, her eyes burning with calculated malice.
- Writer
