Ethan's POV :“What?”I reply, completely flabbergasted at her statement.Not because it wasn't my intention, but because she remembers about that day, when she is currently in the state where she might not even remember her fake name!Then how in the world does she still remember what I was about to do… more precisely, what I really wanted to do at that time.“You… kiss… ummmaahhhh!!”She breaks down her statement into three words, as if I was having a problem understanding it, and puckers up as she releases a kiss into the air. All this while, her hands are desperately trying to pull my neck to the side, almost trying to bite my ear with her teeth.She has never been this feral! Thank God that by the time she pulls this stunt, we are already out of the building, relatively safe from prying eyes, and I just need to open the door of my car now. “Ashley! Behave, princess, we are in public–”“So? I don't care… I want to kiss you… ummmmahhh… like this! Come here, I will give you a kiss.
Ethan's POV:“Nothing, as compared to you!”I mumble under my breath as I start the engine, focusing on the street, which is already too narrow to navigate comfortably. But even though her general awareness is running at half the capacity, somehow her hearing ability has become much sharper.All this to say, she seems to hear me and yells back instantly. “No!! No you have done things… done things to me! I miss you… I miss your touch, I miss your hugs… your kisses… come kiss me–”“Ash! Darling, please try to relax and go to sleep–”I plead, knowing that if she continues like this, I won't be able to resist her and control myself even till the time we reach the farm house.It is a blessing that the farmhouse isn't really far from here, and we would be reaching there shortly; honestly, it might be my only saving grace at this point.Right now, I'm more tense about the hospital; knowing the fact that she is not just drunk, but she is drunk and behaving the way she used to behave back w
Ethan's POV:I finally let out a sigh of relief that she has fallen asleep at last, and has finally given me the opportunity to breathe normally. Otherwise, she was pretty determined to kill me by any means, either with her actions or through her words… and she still might be when she wakes up. Because not only am I still lost in the mesmerizing spell she has cast over me because of that fucking kiss we shared after the starvation of eternity, but I also find myself stuck in a void of mystery regarding the words she has just uttered.Lifting her up in my arms, I start to walk inside, knowing that even though the sheer force of my curiosity is killing me slowly from the inside, I have to stay tough from the outside.For now.First, not only do I need to call a doctor to make sure she is okay, but I also have to inform the hospital that she can't make it there till afternoon. In fact, it seems to be difficult to say for certain whether she would be perfectly fine to go to the hospita
Ethan's Pov :This thought makes me so intrigued that I jump out of bed and get to my feet, walking from one end of the room to the other. With another labored breath, I realize that it has started to become difficult for me to breathe.The thought isn't just making me anxious, but the pain of reality has started to hit me from inside. The burden of the thought that I might have missed the first years of my son's life, starts to push me into the ground. The flame burning inside me pushes me towards the ground floor of my farmhouse; the bar isn't just calling me, but the bleakness of reality is making the urge for liquor stronger… demanding some kind of distraction to tame it down.Or else, my emotions are ready to rip my heart apart, and make me bleed internally.Pulling out my strongest whiskey, I decided to ditch the glass and go for a better and more traditional way to drink it: putting the bottle directly to my mouth. “Why!!! Why!!! Why!! Why do I have to be the asshole, even i
Ashley's POV:I open my eyes and immediately regret it on feeling a sharp pain in my head, as soon as I try to get up from the bed.It takes me a few minutes to regain my composure, when I notice that even though everything around me is completely familiar, I don't exactly remember where I am. Because it isn't my room, or any other room in my or Mike's house.This is when I noticed someone sitting by my side, whose head is buried in both his hands, and he has placed his head on the bed.“Ethan…”I whisper his name and the realization hits me then: we are currently in his farm house… the place which had, once upon a time, started to become my home.The place where I have spent the most memorable moments of my life… the place which has made me fall in love with life…with him…The place, where I never imagined that I would ever get the chance to return. After what has happened in our lives, there was supposed to be no chance that I could ever return here anyhow, or with anyone– especiall
Ashley's POV:“You… you love… I think I have misheard something. But anyway, I am getting quite late already. Thanks for yesterday, I need to go to my son… as he might be up, and waiting for me.”I have heard his words loud and clear, there was absolutely no confusion in hearing any single word he has just spoken. My brain has registered every single thing perfectly.But my heart… my heart has denied it from scratch, to accept any of that.I know there was a time when I wanted nothing more than that… in fact, this was all I wanted from my life… in this entire universe.This is something which I have literally prayed for, in the past. I was ready to pawn off everything I had, just to get to hear these words for once… Maybe, I wouldn't even have hesitated to beg in front of anyone, who could promise to give me this dream life of mine.If only Ethan hadn't said those words, which he did in the past… if only, he had not thought about asking me to commit the sin, which I couldn't even ima
Ethan's POV:“Mike! We are here!! The first room on the right.”Ashley tries to look past me and yells out the directions to find us in reply to his unnecessary, unwelcomed, uninvited screams.Because I don't remember inviting him to my home in any condition… and especially not right now.Anyway, I don't have the time to waste on that idiot. As it is, there is a mountain of questions– piled one on top of the other– stacked on my head.Questions which I need answers for, and I know with him present here, I am not going to get any single hint about those.“Ash… don't… please don't.”I murmur softly, looking at her, holding her by her shoulders and pleading– I know in my soul that I can give anything for this, just for a few more minutes with her.And for a fraction of a second, I can see the pain of my heart reflected in her eyes too.But before I could have continued, that idiot finally proves the proverb right; think of the devil, and the devil is here!“Hazel!! My darling!! How are y
Ashley's POV:The fear of Ethan's interrogation, which has been controlling my heart and dominating my thoughts, gets a little tamed down with the arrival of Mike, which he announces with a series of questions.And this is why I quickly narrate the directions to reach us, knowing that the longer I stay alone with Ethan, the more difficult it would be for me to hide Adrin's reality.But when he doesn't stop even after Mike's arrival, I decide that it would be good for all three of us if I left the place right away. No matter how poor or shabby I look and how disoriented I feel right now, I can't afford to stay here for a minute longer– or else, it would be too dangerous for me.So the moment I spot the opportunity, I grab it with both hands. But the moment I start to walk towards the exit, I end up noticing the pain in his eyes… the loneliness which I once felt when I first met him. The poor boy who has been greatly deprived of love, care, attention and affection, starts to appear in f
Ashley's POV:I take a glance at the clock, I have a few minutes to myself before we have to leave for lunch. After saying goodbye to Mike, I plan on finally telling my feelings to Ethan when he is sober… judging by the state he was in last time, he probably isn't going to remember anything about our conversation. Just as I lift the second earring from the dresser, my phone rings, vibrating with an urgency. It is a call from my assistant, and I receive it quickly. “Yes M–”“Ma'am, did you see the news? The quotations from Mr. Johnson's bids are all over the place just before the bid is due to start, and everyone is speculating that it is you. News agencies are reaching out for an interview ma'am, what are we supposed to do?”“Okay… I will see what I have to do.”I disconnect the call, feeling a pit in my stomach. Of course, the public opinion will be against me now, as he has just said over the call. But not only that, Ethan might doubt me too… because I am the single person he ha
Ashley's POV: Although I have mentioned to Mike that I have to pick Adrin up, I still drive towards the church, knowing that I have lied to him.But why do I have to lie to him? Because if we are going to marry each other, it should be normal… a normal gesture of affection between couples, right? I gulp, realizing that the answer is painfully obvious. I know I am not being honest with anyone… neither him, nor with my own self. Caught up in this dilemma, I reach home, knowing that today is scheduled as Ethan's turn with Adrin.To my surprise, I find Adrin sleeping peacefully on his bed, having changed out of his uniform. And Ethan's car is still parked by the entrance…Finally, I notice Ethan… sitting on the floor, beside the couch, which is probably why I missed him in the first place. I walk around the couch with careful footsteps, until he comes fully into my view… and so does the drink in his hand, which he is chugging like no tomorrow. Rushing towards him, I quickly snatch t
Ashley's POV:Nobody can imagine the pain and frustration I have spent my night with… aside from stomping on my own pride and having to call off the engagement for the second time, the papers of the custody were something that I was fearing the most.But now when I have them in my hands, the only emotion I have left inside me is anger.Pure rage running through my veins like molten lava…It is in this anger that I rush to his house to confront him, the house I'm extremely familiar with. And without any consideration, I make a beeline for the stairs, directly barging into his room without even knocking or waiting.But the moment I step inside, I realize what a mistake I have made, because Ethan is in there… half- dressed as he is changing his clothes. It takes me a moment to process, and I have probably been staring at him for a few minutes straight before I spin on my heel, facing the door. The word “sorry" is on the tip of my tongue, but he chuckles before that;“Umm… hey Princess!
Ashley's POV:The incident of me falling and Ethan going completely insane because of panic, has done nothing else but to add itself in the list of evidence for something I don't want to acknowledge.His reaction was not only enough for letting me know the feelings in his heart, but his actions were enough to spread this news through the entire office too!And this is what has been keeping me awake at nights… I know that Mike obviously knows everything about that event, but that's not all. What's bothering me more than that, is the fact that he hasn't asked anything from me.At the same time, I haven't asked anything from him, either. But I know we can't go on like this… I need to tell him the truth and ask him the reason for his absence.With this thought, I step on the brakes, snatching my purse from the passenger seat as I get down in front of Mike's house. I step inside without knocking, knowing that he lives alone and my shouts are enough to tell him about my arrival.“Mike!! Mik
Ashley's POV: Even though I have committed to prepone the engagement, to save myself from the great disaster… I don't know what exactly I am supposed to do next.However, before I can do anything, my phone chimes, notifying me that I have received a text from Mike. The text is simple, with several sample invitations attached to it.“Please check these out, and let me know whichever one you like.”I quickly select the one that I have opened the first out of all, and text him back.“Should we announce a party before the engagement?”The text bubbles pop up within seconds, materializing into a reply soon enough. “Yes! I am ready to do everything which makes you happy. If you want to announce a party, then we will call one.”“Thank you!! Can you get me this invitation ready within five minutes, even in digital format? I need to send it to someone urgently.”“Whatever you want sweetheart.”With this message, he signs off and comes back within five minutes. “Here you go! See you tomorro
Ashley's POV:At last, I managed to drop Ethan off after lying to him, only to reach the hospital and find Adrin awake and sitting up on his bed. The moment I walk in, the first question Adrin has asked me is,“Mumma, where is Dadda?”But I am way too caught up in my inner conflict to give him a logical reply, or even think of one. Everything that happened in the daycare is still overwhelming my senses to the extent where I just pull him closer to my chest.Hugging him tightly, as I finally ask him a question which has been bugging me for too long. “Adrin!! Baby, why didn't you tell mumma that the kids in the day care are bullying you–”“Because Dadda has told me that I am a big boy, who has to protect his mother till he is not there to protect both of us, and anyways, I am a brave boy!! Who knows how to protect himself–”“Awww!! Come here my sweetie pie, who taught you all this…?”“Dadda!!!”Adrin exclaims, before the next words tumble out of his mouth without any breaks. “Mumma,
Ashley's POV:Even I wasn't very hopeful at first, but somehow, I have finally convinced Ethan to stand up on his feet, almost dragging him out of the church when he's practically in a waking coma. And knowing his miserable state, I know he isn't going to be able to drive at all. So the best idea that comes into my mind is to drop him to his house first, and then rush back to the hospital.Although, it is the first time I have seen him cry like this… and while seeing him in this state, the logical woman inside me has been compelling me to tell him the truth for a while now.But the mother inside me has been continuously warning me against it; and the best way to deter me is by telling me the consequences of my honesty.Since the moment he has started crying bitterly, the overly logical mother that also lives inside me, who believes in teaching her child the chapter of honesty, has suddenly turned into a bloody hypocrite. Going against her beliefs, she has started to preach another le
Ashley's POV:I have never seen Ethan as angry as he is right now; like he isn't made of bones and muscles, but thunder and rage. I don't have a single doubt in my mind that he is ready to tear down the entire building if Lily wouldn't appear in front of him within minutes.The director understands the assignment and quickly calls Lily Allen to the office; as the policies protecting her staff have gone out of the window real quick.With the summons now being sent for Miss Allen, the fear of Ethan ripping the soul straight out of her body starts to scare me. I mean I want the worst punishment for her in this entire world… I want her as far away as she could from the kids, but I don't want her to become the victim of Ethan's wrath right away! “Ethan, calm down…”I find myself tugging at his sleeve, trying to get through to him. He flashes me a look, glancing at me only through the corners of his eyes. “Calm down? Ash!! You still want me to calm down, even after hearing the crap that
Ethan's POV:The moment I heard the words of Stephanie, I could feel something breaking inside me.In my life, I have come across many monsters disguised in human appearance, and probably, I am also one of them.But none of them have turned out to be so cruel, to be capable of saying these types of things in front of not just one kid, but his entire class… and not only that, but to actually ask other kids to stay away from that poor soul and bully him!And saying that it's all okay because he doesn't have anyone to fight for his rights…“Stephanie, sweetheart! Can you please tell us what happened that day?”Ashley's words bring me back to reality at the critical moment, before my guilt would have killed me with its sharp claws. And as soon as her voice pauses after posing the question, Stephanie chimes in with an enthusiastic yes, and continues with her narration.This is the real bliss of childhood; they don't really understand the things which have hurt them in the past, but now, it