It was evening and James was still busy on his PC when he heard a knock on his door. He didn’t bother to look up before he asked the person in. The door opened and unbelievably, Fred walked into the office. James raised his head and when he saw it was Fred, he knitted his eyebrows in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?” He asked, and Fred let out a soft smile. “Take it easy, James. I’m not here to fight you.” “Then why are you here?” “I came to check up on my friend, Amelia. I thought she would be busy at work, but it turns out I was wrong.” James slammed the table with his hands angrily and stood to his feet. “I can vividly remember she called you this morning and told you not to worry about her. Honestly, I don’t know what you are trying to prove.” “Can you just calm down?” Fred asked, acting like he enjoyed how paranoid James was about him coming to pay a visit to Amelia. “There’s no reason to calm down. Stay away from my wife, okay? We are good and she doesn’t n
“What are you going to do about the truth you’ve just found out about your dead parents?” James asked Amelia as they sat in the living room. Amelia heaved a sigh and looked at his face before talking. “I am going to confront them first. Then I hand them over to the police afterward.” James’ eyes widened and he moved away from her in surprise. “Hand them over to the police?” “Why are you so shocked about it? They killed people. They should suffer the consequences.” “Amelia…” He called slowly and reached for her hand. He sweetly squeezed it and began to play with her fingers. “Have you thought about this well? This could be dangerous. You can end up regretting this at the end of the day.” He said, and she withdrew her hand from him. “Why do I feel you are trying to be on their side?” She muttered. “No, Amelia. I’m not on their side. I’m on and always on your side. I’m just worried about you. It’s your father and Uncle Freddie we are talking about here. Do you really want to do t
Amelia got ready to leave for Freddie’s house. She got to the living room and met James all dressed up too. “I’m going with you.” He said, and she shook her head and walked up to him. “Babe, you have a meeting with an important client in thirty minutes time. You should go there. I can sort this out myself.” She said to him, and he shook his head. “No, I want to be with you on this one, okay? You don’t have to do it on your own.” Amelia exhaled and cupped his face in her palms. “Trust me, Freddie. I can do this alone. I’ll tell you everything when I get back. I won’t keep a single thing from you.” James lowered his head and slowly nodded. “You’re telling me everything, without removing anything, okay?” He uttered, and she bounced her head. “I promise.” She lifted her pinky finger and wagged it, waiting for him to touch it with his. Instead he pulled her hand to his mouth and planted a soft kiss on it. “You smell so good.” He mumbled against her skin, sniffing hard. Amelia laug
“Hudson, what is wrong with you? Why do you keep doing things that make me regret you were ever born?!” Freddie smacked as Hudson tried to stand up. He wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his hand and lifted his face to look at Freddie. “Can we just stop pretending that you are always the good guy for a second? You think I didn’t know?! All these years, I have known you are not the man people think you are!” Hudson responded in a loud voice. “What the hell are you talking about?” “You think I’m stupid? You think I didn’t know you killed your brother? You think I didn’t know you once tried to rape his wife even when mom was still with us!” “Shut up, Hudson!!” “Why? You’re surprised I know all your secrets and how filthy you are? I got that stupid attitude from you, but you are always scolding me. Why?” Freddie’s eyes heated up and watered as he listened to Hudson speak. He clenched his jaws and lowered his head. “Why are you crying? Did you think no one would ever find out
~ After Six Months~ Amelia got out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom. Her legs were shivering and her back was hurting like hell. She needed to pee but it seemed like a big deal. She sat on the toilet and spread out her hands and held onto the wall that was on her two sides. She shivered as the urine finally found its way out. She cleaned herself with the tissue and was about to stand up when she felt a sharp pain in her pelvis. “Arghh!!!!” She cried out so loud, making James jump out of his sleep. “Amelia!” He yelled and ran into the bathroom. He saw her struggling to stand up from the toilet. He dashed to her and gave her his hand. “Are you okay?” He asked with great worry. He got so confused and didn’t know what to do next. “I think. I think the. The babyy…” Amelia shuttered. “That baby is coming?” He hurriedly pulled her hand and placed it round his neck. He held onto her waist and made her rest on his right side. “I’ll help you walk. Can you walk?” He asked, and Amelia
“You came all the way here and stayed till I gave birth. Come in already.” Amelia insisted on Elena coming in. Elena slowly nodded and opened the door. She walked in, keeping her eyes locked on Amelia’s face. She waited at the door so that the nurses could also clothe her with the gown too. After they finished, she fiddled with her fingers in the glove and slowly asked to Amelia’s bed. She stood next to her and lowered her head. Elena wanted to say something to her, but she was too scared to find the right words. After how much she hated Amelia, she really didn’t know any nice thing to say, as she was confused. Amelia noticed how guilty Elena was and helped her out by starting the conversation. “Are you not going to see her?” Amelia asked and turned her head to look at her baby’s cradle which was surrounded by James and Penelope. Elena looked at the cradle and felt reluctant to move closer to it. Penelope looked back and saw Elena staring. “Elena, come here, come and see your
Amelia got discharged and was driven home by James himself. Amelia sat at the backseat with Elena next to her. She refused to leave Amelia’s side all the time she was at the hospital. Penelope and the others headed back to the Parker’s mansion, waiting for James to arrive with Amelia. As he drove them home, James constantly kept looking back at Amelia and Alice through the interior mirror. Alice was in Elena’s arms and James wasn’t so comfortable about that. He knew she couldn’t do anything to Alice in front of them, but he still wasn’t comfortable with her being so close. He had always known Elena to be manipulative, and he hoped this wasn’t another way of her getting into their lives and hurting them again. Getting to the house, they saw a few cars parked in front of the mansion. James knew they were all there to welcome Amelia home. After he posted “I am now a father” on his Social Media handles, he expected nothing less. He drove into the compound and switched off the engine
The day finally came. The day of Hopper and Freddie’s sentencing. Hopper and Freddie sat in between their lawyers, looking so nervous. Amelia, James and the rest of the families were seated in the courtroom, waiting to hear what the judge had to say. “After listening to all the evidences in the murder case of Mr. Stanley and Mrs Clara Copper, which took place on the 10th of October, 1997. And after the defendants, Mr Hopper Richardson and Freddie Cooper had pleaded guilty, I hereby pronounce both of them guilty!” Amelia shut her eyes tighter and lowered her head. She gulped hard and held into James’ lap pretty tight. James touched her hand and tapped it slowly. ‘Amelia, did you make the right decision to bring them to court?’ She asked herself, waiting for the most important part of the judge’s decision. “This is my judgement! Mr. Hopper Richardson and Mr. Freddie Copper is sentenced to twenty years imprisonment with hard labor!” The heads of Hopper and Freddie fell low in sadn
~After Five Years~“Amelia!” Elena called as she pulled up the dazzling white wedding gown she wore. “I’m coming! Can’t you stop making it so obvious that you’re nervous?! It’s your wedding day, not a horror show night.” Amelia rushed out of the room to the living room where Elena and a few friend that were the bridal trains were waiting for her. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I had to make sure I got my makeup right since I insisted on doing it myself. I have been practicing for over three years for this day. To do my makeup myself!” She said proudly. “And you didn’t disappoint me! You look absolutely stunning, sister.” “Thank you! You look so beautiful too! I bet you’ll look even more beautiful when you walk down the aisle with our father today.” She answered with great excitement. “Do you think he’ll make it? Do you think the judge would grant him a temporary release just to attend a wedding?” “Don’t worry about it too much, Elena. We already talked, okay? They have bee
~One Year Later~ “Bababa!” Alice called out to James, who was busy eating Amelia out in the kitchen. “James… James… Alice has been calling on you for minutes. Won’t you go and see her?” Amelia’s voice was barely heard by James. He raised his head from between Amelia’s legs and looked at her face. His lips curved out a smirk slowly and he stood up. He kissed her lips so she could taste herself in his mouth. “Can’t you just take her to school already? She doesn’t let me get freaky the way I want.” He whispered a few inches away from her lips. Amelia chuckled and pulled him closer with her legs. “I already told you that I’m working on that. I don’t want her to go to school in Alabama. Let’s go somewhere far from here.” “To where exactly? You’ve been saying this for months and I keep asking you where we should go. Are you yet to figure it out?”“I told you to let me know when you can leave the business here and relocate. Have you found someone competent to look over things here?”
Instead of heading straight to the house, Penelope went down to the station to see Hopper and Freddie. She couldn’t keep the news of Clara still being alive to herself. She got to the station and waited till it was time for the conjugal visit. When it was time, she asked to see Hopper first. She was taken to a private room so that they could talk. She was happy she didn’t have to stay behind the desk to talk to him this time around. She was going to finally touch him after a long time. After a few minutes, Hopper arrived. Immediately he stepped into the room, a smile lit up his face. He opened his arms and embraced her. She was also fully ready to embrace him. “How are you, I missed you so much.” Hopper said as he broke the hug. “I missed you so much too, Hopper.” She responded and that both sat. Penelope heaved a sigh and gulped hard as she sat. Hopper furrowed his brows and looked at her closely. He could sense something wasn’t right with her. “Penelope. What is it this tim
“Oh please, do you think you can scare me with those words? What can you do to me, hun? All you can do is throw me into jail like you did to my husband, then I finally get to be with him. I’m not scared of you, James.” “That’s enough, Mom! I never knew she could be insensitive about this matter. You are clearly at fault and you’re still acting so strong. You’ll lose everything you’ve always wanted and the ones you had always had.” Elena uttered. Penelope clutched her jaws and looked away from Elena. Deep down, she never wanted it to play out so badly, but now it had to be like that, she wasn’t ever going to act weak in front of them. “I have always known that you miss your husband so much. But I never thought you’d go to the extent of going to jail just to be with him. Well, congratulations, your wish would be wholly granted.” James added. “No.” Amelia uttered after a long time of silence, and everyone looked at her. “Amelia…” “She won’t be going to jail. I won’t press charges a
~The Next Day~ After sedating Susan to stop her from overthinking about what Amelia told her, she got better and before she knew it, she was discharged. Only Amelia stood with her throughout her stay in the hospital. James couldn’t go home either because he couldn’t let her be all by herself. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her again. ‘I have lost her once, and that would never respect itself anymore.’ He told himself. Susan was taken to James' house after he got discharged. She was driven home in his car. She asked that Amelia let her call Tonia and explain what was going on so that she wouldn’t get too worried about her. Tonia told her she would find a time to visit her before the end of the week. She also was eager to know more about Susan, since she never caught a glimpse of her past life when she was still with her. Getting to the mansion, before they entered the house at all, the aroma of roasted chicken filled their nostrils. James smiled faintly and looked at
Throughout the impromptu ride to the hospital, Penelope was quiet and in shock. Elena kept asking her why she called that strange woman Clara, but she seemed too stunned to speak. They got to the nearest hospital shortly, and Susan was rushed into the emergency ward. They were all asked to wait outside for the doctor and nurses to do their work. Amelia seemed to be more worried than the others because she feared something bad must have happened to her. “She’ll be fine, Amelia.” James tried to console her. Amelia shook her head and exhaled pretty hard. “I asked her to come with me, and now this happens? What if something bad happens to her? She has a guardian. What should I tell her if she finds out?” She worriedly answered. James didn’t know what to do other than console her till they heard from the doctor what had really happened. He didn't know anything about her yet. “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He patted her head slowly and planted a kiss
“James?!” She called out, catching everyone unaware. The cops rushed out of their hiding places, and before Fred could realize what was going on, he was surrounded with cops who pointed their guns at him. “Your hands in the air!” They announced, and he raised his hands. James also proceeded out of his hiding spot and ran towards Amelia, who was also running to him happily with Alice in her arms. “Alice!” He called happily and opened his arms wide. Amelia ran into his arms, even though she was quite conscious about Alice that she carried in her arms. The first thing James did was carry Alice from her arms first and then embraced Amelia with his side. Alice took one side, Amelia took the other. “I have missed you so much, James.” Amelia mumbled and tears began to stream down her eyes. James shut his heated-up eyes pretty tight, and let his tears stream down freely. “I missed you so much too, Amelia. I thought I lost you.” He mumbled too. He opened his eyes after a few minutes an
“She will be going home with us, Fred.” Amelia uttered and gave Susan a reassured nod. “What? Are you crazy? I can’t let a stranger go with us to the house. You know why I can’t.” He responded in anger. “Susan, can you please look after Alice for a few minutes? I need to talk to this man.” After giving the Walker to Susan, she walked up to Fred and exhaled softly as she started talking. “You abducted me, didn’t you? Not just me, but my child.” “Why are you saying this?” He answered almost immediately. “And since this happened, after I chose to be with you, have I ever bugged you or tried to run away? We sleep on the same bed, I know where you keep the keys to the door, so if I wanted to run I would have.” She took a pause and waited for him to say something else, but he didn’t. “If you can’t trust me, I see no reason why you want to be with me and my daughter. Can’t you just trust me the way I trust you? I left my daughter in your care, not the first time, but the second, becau
Amelia, Fred and Alice got to the shopping mall shortly after a taxi dropped them off.“Here we are. Where do we start from?” Fred inquired. “We or I? Fred, you don’t have to go around looking for this woman for me. You don’t even know what she looks like. Just stick around with Alice. When I’m done, I’ll come to you. Please keep Alice safe. I trust you and that is why I’m letting you be with her.” Fred smiled widely and nodded. “You know how much I love you and Alice. I would never let anyone hurt you. We’d go around the mall, maybe to the Game Center. But please don’t stay too long. If you see or notice anything weird, call on me. I’ll come running.” Amelia divulged a soft smile and nodded too. She leaned closer to him and planted a soft kiss on his cheeks. “Thank you.” Amelia clutched her jaws slightly and turned to look. She looked around the mall and reminisced on where to start looking first. ‘The restroom.’ She thought and headed to the restroom. She often looked back at