Episode 3(The great decision)

Sterling and Vanessa froze at the top of the stairs as Mira’s body hit the ground with a sickening thud.

For a moment, there was nothing—no sound, no breath, just the sharp echo of what they had done ringing in their ears.

Sterling was the first to regain consciousness from the shocked and shouted, trembling,

“God… Mira?”

They ran down the stairs, tripping over each other in panic. Sterling reached her first, falling to his knees beside her and hold her in his arms.

Mira lay on her side, eyes half-open, her breathing shallow but still there. Her hands were curled protectively over her stomach.

“Mira—baby—Mira, hey—stay with me,” Sterling said, voice cracking in panic.

Vanessa hovered behind him, shaking. “Is… is she dead?”

“No!” Sterling snapped, placing a hand over Mira’s nose. “She’s breathing—Vanessa, she’s breathing!”

Mira’s lips moved weakly.

Not begging for her life.

Not even looking at Sterling.

Just a whisper so fragile it barely existed:

“Please…save my baby… don’t… hurt my baby…”

Sterling’s eyes widened, horror and guilt clashing in his chest.

“I need to get her to the hospital,” he said, voice rising. “We can still save her—Vanessa, help me carry—”

Before he could finish, Vanessa grabbed his arm shakily.

Her nails dug in.

“Sterling, stop.”

“She’s alive!” he shouted.

“And she saw us!” Vanessa hissed, panic twisting her features. “She walked in on us! And don't forget you pushed her, If she lives—if she survives this—our lives are over. Do you understand?”

Sterling looked torn, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to push her! I was trying to stop the fight—Vanessa, this wasn’t supposed to—”

“Wake up!” Vanessa snapped, trying as much as she could, so that Sterling will reason with her. “She’s going to tell the police you pushed her. And the baby—Sterling, the baby—this is attempted murder!”

Mira let out a faint groan, her fingers twitching toward her stomach.

Sterling whispered her name again.

“Mira…”

But Vanessa’s eyes hardened.

“This is our only chance.”

Before Sterling understood what she met by that statement, Vanessa reached for the flower vase on the console table. She lifted it with trembling hands.

“Vanessa—no—”

“Sterling, if she wakes up, we’re done!”

She swung.

The vase hit Mira’s head with a dull crack.

Sterling covered his mouth from the horror he just witnessed, stumbling backward from the body.

“What have you done?” His voice was barely a breath.

Vanessa dropped the vase, her chest heaving and her hands till shaking. “What you didn’t have the courage to.”

Sterling sat heavily on the floor, fingers digging into his hair. “This is murder. Oh God—Vanessa, we killed her—”

“We killed the problem,” Vanessa hissed and lift Mira's body to drag. “Now get up. We need to dispose the body.”