Alexandre slowly opened his eyes, grimacing at the pain in his head and chest. He had gone shopping with Ellise for the baby two days ago. He got out of bed, stretching his stiff muscles before going into the bathroom. He took his bath and got dressed. While he tamed his messy hair, the door opened and Ellie stepped in. She was wearing a purple maxi. She seemed to have gained a bit of weight but she was Ellise. To Dre, even if she put on an old sack, she would still look beautiful. She made him sit down. Then, she picked up the scissors and a hairbrush.
"Are you okay? Xanthis told me about your recent visits to the hospital. Have you been having chest pains?" She asked as she began to reduce the length of his hair. He lowered his gaze.
"It's been going on for a while now. But, it's not that bad" he told her. She let out a sigh. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stay with you for the rest of our lives. You must've been in so much pain" Ellise said.
"It's okay. I'm just relieved that you're home"
"Xanthis found something pertaining to Nadine. Her real name is Cornelia Maurice Burns. Her name was found among the patients admitted in Franklin Mental House" Ellie said and Dre's eyes went wide.
"What was she diagnosed with?" He asked.
"That's what we're about to find out. Xanthis and the others, are coming here"
He nodded.
They were close. He could feel it.
"There, a nice man bun" Ellie said, patting his hair. He grinned and he rose to his feet to kiss her.
"I think they're here now. Let's go" Ellise said after they'd pulled away.
They ascended the stairs and she opened the entrance door. Xanthis, Tasha, Valentino and Noelle stepped in.
"Woah, someone is looking better than I last saw him" Xanthis whistled as he sat down. Dre rolled his eyes, taking a seat beside Ellie.
"Well, here are her ID's, tax records, medical records..." Xanthis said, placing several papers on the table.
"What's her name again?" Tasha asked, looking dazed.
"Cornelia Burns" Val replied
"Can I see her photo?" She rasped, her eyes turning glassy.
"Here" Noelle said, handing her a photo. Tasha's eyes widened, her breathing ragged. She looked like she was being haunted by something.
"Tasha, what's wrong?" Xanthis asked.
"I know- I mean, I-I knew her " she breathed.
Everyone looked at her curiously.
"How did you know her?" Dre asked.
"It's a long story" she sighed.
"Well, we aren't going anywhere" Ellie shrugged.
Tasha sniffed, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.
"I met her during senior year in high school. She was my best friend" she said and everyone's eyes went wide with shock.
"She was nice but she was a nerd. I loved her like a sister even though she was an orphan who lived with her aunt. Her aunt wasn't a good person, she used to abuse her. I was the only one who knew about it. I wanted to help her, but Cornelia refused to let me get entangled in her own mess. She got depressed and was always having a panic attack. She never made new friends because she was sort of anti-social"
Dre didn't really like where all this was going. He understood how Cornelia must've felt because he had been a victim of abuse too, but it didn't mean she had to turn that evil. Valentino's gaze met Dre's and he understood what was in his mind. He was probably thinking the same thing his brother was thinking.
"It got worse. The bullying at school didn't go unnoticed but she was dying inside, locked in a shell of misery. Then, just before prom, she met this good-looking guy. His name was Gomez. He was a player but he fell for Cornelia and her imperfections. They both found love in each other. His presence in her life, brought happiness to her and she began to smile more. She began to recover from the depression. He taught her to be strong. He even made her leave her aunt's home. They lived together until college.
Cornelia and I became room mates. She told me about Gomez's plan to get married to her. I told her that she was too young to get married but she insisted. As her best friend, I supported her and they got engaged"
Tasha sobbed, her eyes were blood shot. Ellie had tears in her eyes and she was at the verge of tears. Xanthis frowned, holding Tasha close to himself.
"A day before the wedding, something happened"
"Gomez drove Cornelia and I to our apartment that night. They were both nervous about the wedding and I was trying to encourage them. We all came out of the car and he got out too. Right there in my presence, he hugged and kissed her. Just as he bade us goodbye and took a step back, he was shot in the head by someone we couldn't see. Several bullets were fired into his chest and torso. There was no way he could survive it. He died before his body touched the ground. Cornelia screamed for me to help him but I couldn't do anything. I was frozen. He was dead and there was nothing I could do. But she believed that I could save him. I kept telling her that I was sorry over and over again. Her eyes changed. They became wild and dark. She screamed at me, told me she hated me and she was going to kill me for killing Gomez. Right there, she vowed to his dead body that she would avenge for him. She vowed that she would scatter every happy marriage because she wasn't able to get her own happy marriage. She vowed to ruin homes and leave the couples broken. I was shocked. It was like she'd gone mad. She grabbed a pocket knife and pounced on me. She tried to kill me. She stabbed me on the shoulder, barely missed my heart" Tasha said, moving her jacket aside to show them a jagged scar on her shoulder blade. Dre was holding Ellie in her arms as she cried.
Cornelia was indeed crazy, but it was the pain of loosing a loved one that had driven her to the edge.
Dre didn't know what to say.
"She was admitted into a mental house and diagnosed with Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. She was pregnant. She was carrying Gomez's child"
"Wait- when did all this happen?" Dre asked.
"Eight months ago" Tasha said.
"You never told me about the scar" Xanthis said.
"I'm sorry, I just hated to remember it" Tasha sniffed.
"Oh great, now we know that she's actually more dangerous than she's letting on" Valentino sighed, running a hand through his hair.
....
"Ellie? What's wrong?" Dre asked, stepping into the bedroom. She was facing the window with tears flowing down her cheeks. He cupped her face, wiping away her tears.
"Nobody deserves to go through all that" she sobbed.
"I know, I know" he whispered.
"I can't imagine the pain she felt watching him die right in front of her" she said, resting her head against his chest.
"I don't want to ever feel that kind of pain. I don't want to loose you, Dre. I can't loose you. To think that I'd almost lost you months ago....." Her voice trailed off as she sobbed.
"You didn't loose me. I'm right here with you" he assured her.
She placed a hand on his chest and closed her eyes.
"I love you" she whispered.
He kissed her forehead tenderly.
"I love you too" he replied.
His phone rang and Dre frowned, picking the call. It was Dominic.
"Jade is at the hospital. She's just put to birth. It's a girl" he said and Dre smiled.
"Congratulations, man" he said and Dom laughed nervously.
"Yeah.... It's crazy" he said.
"You're a father now, good luck with that" Dre said.
"Oh well, I'll try. Ellise can come over. Jade wants her around"
"Don't be silly, we'll all be coming" Dre said and he laughed.
"Okay, I'll see you later"
"Was that Dominic?" Ellie asked
"Yeah. Jade has given birth to a girl" he told her and she gasped.
"That's amazing!"She squealed. "When are we visiting?"
"Anytime you're ready" he replied.
"Today has been filled with surprises" she sighed, pressing a kiss to his collarbone.
"We're making progress" he said and she nodded.
"I'm glad"