Chapter 9 Despair

The hospital's stark white walls loomed under the pale, sterile lighting, their coldness reflecting the chill that seeped into Viviane's bones.

Outside, maple leaves fluttered in the wind like broken butterfly wings, helpless and fragile against the storm.

Clutching her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white, Viviane felt her breath quicken as though she were teetering on the edge of suffocation.

The relentless drone of the dial tone rang in her ears, each beep a hammer blow to her chest.

"Cyril! Pick up! Please, pick up the phone!" Her whispered plea turned into a desperate cry, trembling and edged with despair.

The sound of hurried footsteps pulled her attention as a nurse rushed down the corridor, the sharp click of heels echoing like gunshots in the oppressive silence.

"Ms. Collins,……