Chapter 6 - The Wooden Box on the TableEthan drove his dark luxury SUV through the snowy, winding roads of Willow Creek, Ohio.
The town hadn't changedâthe old brick buildings, the diner, the oak tree behind the middle school gym still stood beneath the falling December snow.
He walked into Ruth Bennettâs small yellow house on the south side.
The house smelled of old cedar, dried lavender, and old tea. Ruth sat in an armchair by the radiator, frail, gray-haired, holding a small floral wooden box in her trembling hands.
Beside her sat a quiet, handsome doctor named Julian, and a Golden Retriever sitting peacefully on the rug.
Ethan stood in the doorway in his expensive dark wool overcoat, his jaw set in a hard, guarded line.
âRuth,â Ethan spoke, his voice deep and guarded. âI came because my mother asked. If you need financial help for medical bills, I will write a check.â
Ruth looked up at Ethan, tears welling in her tired eyes. She didn't accept the offer of money. She simply set the wooden box on the table before him.
âEthan,â Ruth whispered, her voice trembling. âItâs time for you to stop hating my daughter.â
âShe left me for Marcus Vanceâs money, Ruth,â Ethan sneered, a sharp edge of old pain slicing through his composure. âShe made her choice.â
May you like
Ruth unlocked the wooden box with a small silver key and lifted the lid.
Inside lay stacks of medical charts from Columbus University Hospital, a worn leather journal, dozens of unsent letters addressed to Ethan Walker, and a worn silver pawn shop ring.
Related Stories
