Chapter: BallroomFEW WEEKS LATER“You can’t be serious.”Jessica sighed, placing the phone on her other ear. “Dad, I know this looks right, but Avery wants me to be there.”She heard her father’s disapproving silence stretched for a moment before he finally spoke up. “Jessica, this is Ethan’s family we are talking about here. They will use every opportunity to remind you that you lost custody of your daughter. Even though it’s only temporary.”“I know,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about Avery.”“She’s an only child. She doesn’t understand what this is doing to you.”Jessica swallowed the lump in her throat. She understood what her father was talking about. Every moment spent around Ethan, his world, and his family took something away from her, leaving her exposed.But her little girl wanted her to be present. That was all that mattered.A soft knock at her apartment door made her come back to reality. “I have to go, Dad. I’ll call you soon.”She hung up and pulled op
Last Updated: 2025-02-13
Chapter: Bun Bun“No, no, no...” Jessica’s voice trembled as she read through the words again, her fingers holding on tightly around the document as if she would squeeze enough and the ruling would change. Her vision began to blur with tears, her entire body going numb from the shock.“Jessica?” Ricky’s voice came but cautious this time around, the argument between them had been forgotten temporarily. She took a step closer, but she shut it down.“Sorry, but I need to be alone.” She whispered, her voice barely audible to him.“What? Jessica what’s going...”“I said I need to be alone, Ricky!” she snapped at him, her grief and frustration boiling over. Without waiting for him to leave, she grabbed a coat from the rack and stormed out of the house, slamming her door behind him. When he was ready he would leave and lock up.The cold night air hit her cheeks harshly as she walked aimlessly down the street. Her mind was a field of chaos. They had finally taken her. They hadn’t finally taken Avery. The cour
Last Updated: 2025-02-12
Chapter: Inheritance “I hope you haven’t come here to waste my time, Ethan. You know I am really busy.”Ethan exhaled sharply, running his right hand down his face as he chose to sit just across from his grandfather in his office in the Mitchell building. The old man’s piercing grey eyes watched Ethan from his mahogany desk, the weight of his grandfather’s expectations pressing on him like a chain, causing him to keep drowning in a river.“I wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t important,” Ethan replied, his voice controlled but tight as he composed himself in front of his grandfather.His grandfather leaned back in his chair, giving his grandson a listening ear. “Then get straight to the point.”Ethan hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “I would like you to meet Avery.”His grandfather’s expression remained the same when he heard that statement, his eyes gave off no sign of emotions in them. “And why would I do that?”Ethan clenched his fists in disbelief that he was hearing a question like this. “Beca
Last Updated: 2025-02-11
Chapter: Notification Ricky waited until the door clicked shut behind Ethan before turning around to face Jessica fully. Hisneus, usually filled with charm and warmth, was cold for the first time. He tossed the bouquet of white lilies onto the kitchen counter, the flowers landing with a loud thud.“You’re sure, huh?” Ricky’s voice was low, edged with something darker than jealousy, something very possessive.Jessica crossed her arms, leaning against the door as she steadied her breath. “What exactly are you trying to imply here, Ricky?.Ricky took a step closer, his jaw closing. “I’m not implying anything, Jessica. I’m just asking why was he here?”Jessica exhaled sharply, her patience thinning. “Because he’s Avery’s father. She’s been through enough today with the court hearing, and he wanted to check on her. That’s all.”Ricky’s laugh was bitter, nothing like the easy charm she’d grown used to. “Right. Just like that? No other reason?”She moved to the living room, putting space between them as she picke
Last Updated: 2025-02-10
Chapter: CompanyJessica sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the darkened window. The echoes of the courtroom still replayed in her mind. Avery’s eyes ran over with tears, Lois’s sharp words, and Ethan’s fixed gaze on her. She rubbed her eyes together, trying to push it all away, but the ache was relentless, carving deep into her chest.The apartment was painfully quiet, except for the humming coming from the city beyond her window. Avery had fallen asleep hours ago, holding on tightly to her stuffed bunny with a grip that mirrored Jessica’s own desperation. She thought about pouring herself a glass of wine but couldn’t summon the strength to do so. Instead, she sat in the silence, letting it swallow her whole.A soft knock broke through the stillness of the moment, pulling her from her own thoughts. She frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was past eight. Who would be here by a time like this?She walked barefoot to the door and peered through the peephole to see Ethan standing there. He
Last Updated: 2025-02-04
Chapter: A Way HomeThe courtroom emptied, leaving behind an air of tension that seemed to live out with Jessica as she hastily made her way through the heavy double doors. Her heels hit against the cold marble floor, each step echoing the desperation screaming in her heart.Avery’s cries still rang in her ears, fueling the urgency that she felt. She spotted her daughter in the hallway, her tiny body forced against her grandmother’s tight embrace, hiccupping as the leftover tears ran down her eyes. Jessica rushed forward, her voice filled with regret.“Avery,” she whispered, kneeling. “Baby, I’m so sorry. Please don’t cry anymore.”Avery lifted her face ruined by tears, her cheeks red from the continuous crying. “Mummy...mummy, you were yelling? Did daddy do something?”Jessica’s heart clenched when she heard her daughter’s words. “No, no, my love. Not at all. Mummy wasn’t angry at Daddy. I was...I was upset at something that was happening in there.”Avery sniffled, clinging to her mother’s arm this time
Last Updated: 2025-01-10
LOGIN
