~ CharlesI hurriedly left Megan and headed to the bathroom without giving her an explanation. I left the house shortly after because I didn’t want to be in the same space as Megan, it was messing with my mind.The last time I felt something similar to this I ended up with a broken heart, one that could not be fixed. I had no love in my heart anymore neither did I believe in it but I also didn’t want Megan to get her hopes high. We could be nothing more than bed friends.For the rest of the day, I avoided her, ensuring to have all my meeting outside the office.I knew something was terribly wrong with me and I needed to fix it. Towards evening when all my meetings had been concluded, I sent out a call to someone that could help me regain myself. “Hey, Jasmine. I want to see you. Same room, Pride Oriental hotel.”Maybe I needed to blow off some steam with one of my lovers to regain my sanity the Megan was slowly taking.Pride Oriental hotel was owned by Lucian’s family and it had been
~ CharlesMy father cleared his throat before he began, his voice carrying an air of authority that demanded attention. We were allowed to return inside due to the weather.“Thank you all for gathering here on such short notice. As you all know, I have been away for a while now, and while I was gone, a lot happened.” He paused, using the moment to scrutinize some specific members of the family, Megan and me included. “I heard it all, believe it or not. I didn’t need to be around to hear of the challenges our family faced, and I am grateful for the strength and resilience of some members.”Again, my father channeled his gaze towards Megan and me, and I couldn’t help but feel the intensity of his stare. “In the midst of our challenges, we’ve also witnessed moments of love and support, especially from Megan, my daughter-in-law. When Charles was enduring through the tough times, she became a pillar of strength and support when truly needed.”“It disappoints me to know that my family becam
~ Megan“What is the catch, dad?” Charles asked anxiously.“I want a grandchild from both of you,” Mr. McCall declared.The room fell into a stunned silence at my father-in-law’s unexpected demand. The weight of his words pressed heavily against Charles and me. But the old man was not joking; I could feel the insensitivity of his gaze on both Charles and me.“A grandchild?” Charles repeated, breaking the silence. The astonishment in his voice mirrored mine. “Dad, can you hear yourself?”“Yes, Charles, I can. I want a grandchild from both of you,” my father-in-law repeated, his tone unyielding.I exchanged a quick glance with Charles, and I could see the future rejection and uncertainty in his eyes. “Dad, having a child is not a walk in the park. It is easier said than done!”The Idea of being tasked with such an important responsibility as producing heirs for the family was beyond my imagination. If only Mr. McCall knew of the complexities within my relationship with Charles.“Charles
~ Megan“What are you talking about?” I asked Celene, confusion etched so deep it reached my skull.“You haven’t seen it?” Celene asked, increasing my anxiety and confusion.“Just tell me what is going on, Celene?” I said impatiently, my tone rising.“Check your phone; I sent it to you,” Celene said.Dread filled my insides as I read through the article Celene sent. It contained details like the date, time, and location of where Celene’s abortion took place, but instead of Celene’s name, mine was written in bold prints.The writer went further to call me condescending names and revealed some details of Charles and my marriage, calling it a sham and labeling me a social climber who is leaching off the McCall family’s wealth.It didn't only paint me badly but also stated that my family was in debt, and that was why I seduced Charles and manipulated him into marrying me. The article went further to accuse me of seducing my former boss to get promoted.What was worst, they accused me of c
~ MeganCharles was left speechless, which was strange, but I knew he was nothing but an obedient son, so he wasn’t going to defy his father’s order.“You know what?” I asked, pinching between my brows. “If your dad wants me to tell the truth to the press, then I will, okay? So can you leave my room now? I want to be alone.”Charles ground his jaws tightly but didn’t say anything else; he just got up and left my room.After the door shut, I called my sister; I knew she’d be devastated. “Lene, are you okay?”“No, Megs, I am not okay,” Celene broke down in tears, sobs racking her voice.“Hey, just hold on okay? I am coming over now,” I said, throwing my legs off the bed.“No, don’t,” Celene interrupted me. “The house is like a news crime scene; there are a ton of reporters here all begging for statements from us. Let me show you.”With that, Celene switched the call to video, and my chest couldn’t be more hurt. True to her words, there were a ton of reporters outside our home taking pic
~ CharlesAs I dropped the news bomb about my mother’s involvement in the article, Megan’s eyes widened. The car fell into a tense silence, the cost of the revelation lingering in the air like a toxic gas.“What did you just say?” Megan finally turned to me, her voice a mixture of disbelief and hurt.I didn’t want to say it again but I knew I had to. “My mother, she’s the one behind the article, she did it with the help of Chelsea, that goddamn A-list reporter,” I revealed, watching Megan’s reaction carefully.Megan’s expression shifted from shock to visible anger; her hand was trembling as she spoke. “Your mother did what? Tell me this is a joke, Charles, because I don’t see any reason why your mother would do such a wicked act. So please tell me this is a joke even if it is a sick one.”I looked away, unable to meet Megan’s gaze. My guilt weighed on me. “I didn’t know the extent of my mother’s involvement until after it was properly investigated. When the article was released, Dad w
~ CharlesIt was as if water was poured on me again. With all my mother has done to these sisters, they were still willing to protect her from their parents?I couldn’t help but want to make my mother pay now more than ever.At long last, the Coles entered the living room, but Megan’s demeanor instantly shifted to a defensive one.“I won’t let you bully my sister about her past; I don’t care what your principles are,” she said, looking from her mother to her father.Mr. Cole looked away, but his wife looked like she had something to say. “We are Christians, Megan. It is against our belief to commit such a great sin, and I blame you.” Mrs. Cole pointed an accusing finger at her Megan. “If you didn’t take her to that clinic, your sister’s life wouldn’t have been ruined.”“Rebecca!” Mr. Cole cautioned his wife. “That is enough.”“No, Dad, let her talk,” Megan stood up, ready to defend her sister as always.Seeing her shield her sister from the world, made me wish mine was like her but in
~ MeganThe room fell into stunned silence as my father-in-law dropped the bombshell about transferring my mother-in-law’s shares to me.I blinked, unable to comprehend the meaning of what he had just said.Bianca’s eyes widened, and for the first time since I met her, I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. And it was strangely satisfying.“What?” Bianca exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. “You can’t be serious, James. You can’t just strip me of my shares! I won’t let that happen.”My father-in-law’s face remained stoic. “You have completely ruined the reputation and stability of our family with your actions. This is the consequence, Bianca, and it is not debatable.”I felt a mix of emotions—shock, happiness, and a subtle sense of satisfaction at the prospect of my mother-in-law paying for her crimes against my sister and me. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a long and suffocating battle with my mother-in-law, and I was not prepared for that