With a touch of her thumb to the small pad on the door handle, her Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé clicked open and Celina slipped in.
A deep sigh activated Aria, the MBUX. The dashboard lights flashed blue, displaying numbers and letters that looked like coordinates on a rectangle screen.
The ignition kicked in as well as the AC, the gentle hum filling the quiet car.
“Welcome, Celina. Where do you want to go next?” Aria asked.
She burst into tears, covering her face with both hands. The MBUX was just an artificial intelligence but it was more caring, attuned to her needs than the man she'd lived with for five years.
All it took was an admission into the hospital for her to discover a part of his life that he'd kept hidden from her.
She'd found Ethan's code to his safe by accident when searching for his insurance documents. The set of numbers were tucked in a brown envelope and looped with other documents.
Her curiosity got the better of her and she went on a full search of his private study.
A wall safe lay hidden behind the tall bookshelf in a corner. A spot that no rational person would think to look for a safe. But it was there, and the numbers were the key that unlocked it.
Celina's world shattered as she discovered weapons and documents that pointed at a life completely alien to the man she thought she knew.
And then the small diary of death records—names of people he'd been hired to kill, their aliases and addresses, mode of death and places of burial.
Celina rushed out of the study in time to expel her dinner into the toilet. Acids burned her throat as she washed her face in the running tap.
She needed time to think. Making a quick stop at the hospital to hand the documents to his doctor, she gazed at Ethan in bed. His handsome face, peaceful in sleep almost made her change her mind.
No, she whispered just as his eyes blinked open. “Babe?”
Confusion spread across his face as she shook her head. Then she ran out of the room. “Celina!”
“Where do you want to go next, Celina?” Aria's automated voice repeated, dragging her back into the present. She sniffed. Maybe she was being a coward. Wasn't it better to face him and talk it out? What if he doesn't want to 'talk it out'? A voice in her head chided.
“Just - just guide me home, Aria,” she whispered, leaned back and closed her eyes. Her car, engaged in autopilot, drove for about an hour while she napped.
“We have arrived at your home, Celina,” Aria announced before turning off the ignition.
Celine opened her eyes to find her aging parents coming out of the house, their brows raised in mild surprise, their hands ready to hold her in their warm embrace.
“guide me home”.I hope you enjoyed this short piece inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Image created using leonardo.ai
Posted Using INLEO