~ CharlesJanette’s admission echoed through the room, her voice trembling with heavy emotions of guilt, fear, and desperation. I maintained my mask of indifference, watching her carefully as Megan’s gaze shifted between us.“No, Janette, please don’t say that,” Megan said, genuine worry etched on her face.Janette collapsed onto the floor, her hands covering her face as Megan ran to her side. “It is all over social media. My career, everything I have worked for is crumbling,” she sobbed.“Janette please stop,” Megan cooed, then she shot me a suspicious look, narrowing her eyes. “Charles, did you have anything to do with this?”I shrugged nonchalantly, playing the innocent card. “Why would I? I didn’t even know Janette sold her body to wealthy people for fame.”Janette, now sobbing uncontrollably, managed to break free from Megan’s comfort to crawl to my legs. “Charles, you have to believe me. What they are showing isn’t the full truth. Please hear my own side of the story."I scoffed
~ CharlesTime froze as I stared at Janette’s lifeless form on the cold kitchen floor. The pool of blood around her wrists expanded slowly, as if echoing the fading beats of her heart. The shock of the scene pierced through my calculated exterior, leaving me momentarily breathless.Megan, too, stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. The kitchen, once a place of routine and sustenance, transformed into a haunting tableau of tragedy. The air thickened with a mixture of regret and despair.Without thinking, I rushed to Janette’s side, my hands shaking as I fumbled for my phone. “Call an ambulance,” I barked at Megan, who was slowly regaining her composure. The weight of Janette’s life hanging in the balance was a reality check, a stark reminder that my revenge had spiraled into a chaos beyond my control.Megan immediately pulled out her phone from her purse and dialed emergency services, her voice shaking as she told them the situation on the ground. While I attempted to stop the flo
~ Charles.“Charles, I know I should be using the " I told you so" card right now but I just want you to know that I am here for you, if you ever need someone to talk to,” Megan said, her voice firm.I nodded, a mixture of argument and uncertainty whirling within me. For a brief moment, I felt vulnerable. “Megan, I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted her to pay for what she did to me all those years ago.”“I know,” Megan said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder.”But revenge rarely brings closure. I hope you know that. It only opens doors to more pain.”We sat in silence, absorbing the gravity of my predicament. Now Megan had become my accomplice for defending me publicly . She was finally seeing the McCall family as her own too. She had become like my father; always cleaning up the mess I make.“I’ll face the consequences,” I finally said, determination replacing the shadows in my eyes. “But I will do restitution in my own way…. Although I need your support.”A sens
~ Megan“Because I am the best husband in Miami,” Charles jested.I raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest. The car whisked us to the marina, where the yacht waited in serene elegance. The crew welcomed us aboard, and we set sail into the open sea. I was led to a cabin where I was given a red sleeveless evening dress to wear.One of the attendants helped me with my hair and makeup. In less than an hour, I was transformed into a beauty goddess. I descended to join Charles on the yacht’s deck. He was also sharply dressed, ready for our dinner date.The gentle breeze kissed my skin as we sailed into the open sea. The Miami skylines gradually faded, replaced by the vastness of the ocean.Dinner was served in a private setup on deck, surrounded by the calming sounds of crashing waves.As we enjoyed our meal, Charles shared stories about places he sailed in the past with his father, stories about his family history, and the significance of various landmarks.The ambiance was surreal, and I fo
~ MeganI stifled a yawn, stretching my limbs, and cracked my neck towards Charles’ side of the bed. He wasn’t there. All my actions immediately paused. Groggily, I opened my eyes, the hazy memories of the previous night slowly coming back to me. A slight smile played on my lips as I remembered the passionate encounter with Charles in my cabin.Confusion crept in as I sat up, scanning the room. The realization hit me that I was alone in the cabin. I felt a mixture of disappointment and irritation. Had last night been a mere moment of heat for Charles? Was it just a way to distract himself from the chaos surrounding his life? Or was it a way to compensate me since he couldn’t reciprocate my feelings for him? Those questions flooded my mind, and a knot formed in my stomach.I reached for my phone on the bedside table, checking for any chats, messages, or calls. There were quite a few but none from Charles. My heart sank a little, but I tried to push away the tears forming in my eyes. Ma
~ CharlesI was dead serious, but it seemed as if my question had sent Megan into a state of shock as her eyes remained unblinking.“I mean, we could be friends with benefits, you know,” I tried to cajole her.At long last, Megan blinked, but a tear escorted it. “Charles, you jerk. How is becoming one of your bedmates going to be beneficial to me?” She asked, her voice rising. “Can you assure me that I would be the only one? Huh? Answer, Charles.”I couldn’t answer her. Neither could I look her in the eyes. Because deep down, I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit just yet. Megan didn’t know it, but she was the first woman I was sleeping with in weeks. All through the time Janette was with me, she couldn’t make me sleep with her, and it had been that way for some time now.I had tried to sleep with countless ladies, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to, no matter how hard I tried. So, I assumed it had something to do with Megan.True to my speculation, I was only able to sleep wi
~ Charles“That car,” Megan muttered, “that car looks exactly like the one that knocked down my late friend Jenny.”My heart leaped into my mouth as I felt my pulse quicken. “Wh-what? No, it can’t be,” I tried to hide my stutter.Megan, however, was not convinced. She pointed insistently at the car. “No, it has to be.”At that moment, I lost my voice. My heart racing, fear that I might have gotten caught, but before Megan could press on the matter, an unexpected help came for me.Jake began with a chuckle, “Megs. What are you talking about? That’s my car.”His admission shocked me to the bones. We were only three that went for that trip, and it was my car that was parked in the background, not Jake’s. But I kept quiet, waiting to see where it was leading.“What?” Megan sounded as confused as I looked.“That’s my car,” Jake admitted confidently, “and it was last in use the week of the camping trip before I returned to England.”Megan’s argument instantly weakened. She looked dejected a
~ CharlesFeeling suffocated in my room, I stepped out and went to the rooftop to stargaze. It was something I did whenever I had something on my mind.Hands in pockets, I was lost in contemplation, I didn’t notice Megan’s presence until she spoke softly behind me.“Charles, why are you here all by yourself? Is everything okay?”I turned to find her standing there, concern etched on her face. Her white nightgown danced with the wind like a sea on a windy day.Her eyes, a reflection of true empathy, seemed to pierce through the thick layers of my guilt.I tried to force a reassuring smile, but the weight on my shoulders made my attempts useless.“Just… dealing with some things,” I mumbled, my gaze shifting to the sparkling city of stars above.Megan stepped closer, her hand gently resting on my arm. “You know, Charles, you can talk to me. I’m here for you.”The sincerity In her voice tugged at my heart, and for a moment, I considered opening up to her. But the fear of her reaction to m