30. Purple Daisies

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The bell rings above her head as she opened the door of the flower shop.

"Welcome to La Vida!" The florist greeted Erin enthusiastically.

She reached for her phone and started searching for flowers for recovery. She didn't want to send a wrong interpretation in giving gifts, especially to Will.

"What we can do for you, darling?" The florist inquired.

"Bouquet for recovery, please." Erin decided to better leave it to them.

"For a woman or a man?"

"Man." Her automatic reply. The florist then immediately gave her a teasing smile.

"No, not with what you are thinking. I don't want to give him a wrong interpretation about it." She said giving her a long face.

"Alright, purple daisies then for that man. Meet you at the register." The florist leaves her immediately.

"Any note?" The florist asked wrapping up the purple daisies.

"For your fast recovery, and you can write it yourself," Erin said as she was busy fishing her card for the payment.

"All done." The florist announced and handed her the bouquet. She then gave her the card to swipe.

"Anything else you might add?"

"I'm good."

"Alright, thank you for coming. See you next time!"

"Thank you and for writing the note," Erin said leaving her a tip with a smile. She was envious of how bubbly the florist was while her, woke up with a pit in her stomach.

She was now walking on the white hallway. Her hands were equipped with the fresh flowers she picked up along the way. The visitation starts at 9 AM giving her extra thirty minutes to ready herself before facing Will.

Erin was standing at his room door waiting for his nurse to let her in.
She was staring at the floor blankly while her other foot was busy tapping the floor.

"Mrs. Ferguson?" The nurse said and Erin knew that it was her.

"It's Erin Mendez." She corrected her.

"Oh, you are not the wife the patient was asking for." The nurse looked at her now from head to toe.

"I am, was... it's a long story." Erin said her hand up in the air.

"Ah, just got divorced." The nurse assumed.

"Neither."

"I don't understand. Anyway, I just want to make sure you are..."

"Yes, I'm the person he was talking to over the phone yesterday," Erin remembered her voice now.

"Alright. I just wanted to let you know that Will is out of danger now but still, he needs a lot of days to recover. He just woke up yesterday and I can only give you one hour to talk."

Erin nodded. One hour is already too long to talk with Will.

"I'll leave you two then. I will be back later to replace his IV bag." The nurse said and opened the door for her.

Erin went inside and immediately saw Will looking at her at the entrance.

"Erin..." It was soft. Erin walks towards Will and saw his sorry state on the bed.

"Flowers for you. Where should I put this?"

"Thank you. You can put it on the table."

"How are you feeling Will?" Erin asked decided to fill the empty vase with the flowers. She is not ready to talk to Will's face to face.

"Just leave the flowers there. You can sit here." Will pointed to the chair next to him.

"I'll finish it first." She excused and filled the vase slowly. Will knew what she was doing so he decided to get up but ended up groaning in pain.

"Okay, okay..." Erin abandoned her plan, she put the flowers on the table and walked towards Will.

"I'm so sorry, Erin." Will cried. Erin was not sure if it's because he was in pain or the other way around.

"Please take your seat here beside me, so we can talk properly. Where do you want me to start?"

"To where it started Will..." Erin took her seat and Will tried to hold her hands but failed.

"I don't think you have the right to touch me, Will." She said and hurt was seen on his face. Erin was confused by that.

"I called it destiny when I met you for the first time..."

"Please, Will. I don't take further bullshit. I have enough of that." Erin said. I guess one hour is not enough for this conversation.

"Just listen, Erin. I promised you, no more lies just the truth."

"Okay, go on." She let her.

"I called it destiny, but later on learned it was all part of the plan. I'm also a victim, Erin."

"No, you can't bring it up, Will. You are not a victim here. I am, my father and the company are the victims here." Erin almost shouted. Will regretted his last statement, he just hoped Erin will still hear the rest of the story.

"In what way you are the victim here, Will? Tell me in detail I can understand or else I will slap you senseless even in your state." Erin warned.

"They let me fall in love with you and use it to control me and follow them like a puppet."

Erin looked at Will. He is in love with her? She refused to believe it.

"Who is they?" She asked.

"My father and my sister. They made sure you are my weakness. I was supposed to break up with you on the day I asked your hand for a marriage, but I cannot. They threatened me to kill you, I knew them well and what they are capable of."

It was hard to believe. Erin was shocked that there was more to it. It was not simple deceit, but a life and death to Will.

"I cannot make love to you knowing I deceived you. You deserve the best Erin. You are not just a pretty face but a beautiful soul who happened to be a pawn of my father's plan. I intentionally assigned Maric Pacheco my model best friend to let you fall for him, but we failed. Your genuine love for me made it hard for us that we decided to make it up, to hurt you and you will eventually hate me that you will ask for a divorce. It should have ended there but my plan was discovered by Victoria. Maric Pacheco needed to run away or else he will die young in helping me."

"Oh, my god!" What Erin could only utter.

"The documents were my last hope but I also failed. I jotted down all the transactions and information that I can use to report to the authority. They are not my family Erin, no family can do that to their member. They must end their greed. Too many lives lost due to their illegal activities. Victoria was once a sweet sister, but now, I don't know who she is anymore."

Her heart ached seeing how devastated Will was. Erin reached for his hand and squeezed it to comfort him.

"I didn't know Will. I didn't know." She said sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Erin," Will said with all his sincerity.

Erin stood up and hug Will.

"I don't know to say, Will." She said still hugging him. Will softly pat her back and how he wished that time will stop at the moment while staring at the door of his room.

The door slowly opened and soon his expected visitor emerged in the room. Will especially requested Xander Grant for the case. He slowly raised Erin's shoulder that they were now staring at each other. Not wasting the opportunity, Will kissed a vulnerable Erin.

Will was waging a war. She will take Erin back.



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