I was there, the blood rushing through my veins; it was in a nightmare where Adrian's voice echoed with desperation and denial: "How...please, I didn't kill your mom and your dad." His words spilled in a stream of incoherence; they were desperate attempts to convince me of his innocence. "Perhaps some other person could use my name for that."But I hardly forgave him; I was angry and grief-laden, like a ten-ton cauldron left to boil without supervision. "Shut your mouth up, Adrian!" My voice spat through clenched molars. "You know what I'm talking about. Shut up your mouth, my friend. You know what I'm talking about." The weight of my malediction stared him in the face.Adrian spoke into the receiver; his voice shook and descended to lower planes, quickly shot into the protective skies. Even as he braced himself to defend his innocence, he uttered: "You wouldn't want any company to overrule you, would you?" My words dripped with venom. "Just shut me up, Zan." The time when silence rei
ANDRIAN FLASHBACKThread by thread, it began to untwist. "'I came back from work that day and received a message that my office would be on fire,'" Adrian spoke with a quaver in his voice that bore the weight of memories.Tightly gripped around the mobile phone, Zan's knuckles turned white with tension. "Your father, Hilbert, threatened me," Adrian went on, fearful with the sound of it: "He held my mom captive for months," he broke into tears.Zan's mind reeled, the implications racing through his thoughts. "I called him that night, and he said he would release my mom," Adrian shouted back, desperate. "I gave your wicked father one hundred thousand dollars for my mother to come back," he spat out, filled with anger and hurt.The silence that ensued was tedious and burdensome on his chest. Pain and desperation streamed from the other end of the line, and Zan could sense them, but he himself was paralyzed in an emotional freeze of shock and horror."But guess what your dad did," Adrian'
The swirling emotions danced across Zan's face at that moment, where Adrian knew very well the reason why. His deep-set eyes seemed to pierce through, revealing an ancient sorrow balanced with a raging urge for justice. The very tone of his voice impassioned as it turned into words, dripping with bitterness that encapsulated that suffering Adrian's family visited upon him."I think I need some compensation for the damage you have done," he said with total entitlement. "You must compensate me, Adrian." Adrian's eyes dropped, his shoulders slumping under burden after being guilty. He knew he could not undo whatever had happened, but he thought he ought to make some kind of reparation.In his desperation, he asked her, "What is it you want so that I can atone?” He would do anything to make this up and start healing the pain he had caused. The tension rose as Zan narrowed his eyes with a glare."Fifty percent of the profit in your company will be okay," answered Zan, firm and resolute. "F
Adrian, on the other hand, had had his heart set on finding Jenny, come what may. Unfazed by any obstacles, he shed the vestiges of warmth that clung to him inside the car and walked under the full glare of the sun, into the bush. Clutching his GPS device with impotence, he felt the dark curtain of the bush enveloping him as he trudged deeper, the rising sounds of wilderness catching up with him; the rash of creaking leaves and snapping twigs underfoot only amplified the message that he wanted in on the whole operation.As he traveled deeper into the bush, he felt like the trees thickened, their branches intertwined above him while the dappling shadows danced across the ground below. Adrian's alertness heightened; he cast surveying glances around him, hoping to hear anything that pertains to Jenny. But the more he walked, the more palpable the silence grew. It became a heavy burden for his shoulders.This was when Adrian found himself ensnared. The bush seemed to conspire against him.
Adrian's voice broke through the heavy silence: asserting calm with soothing tones, he said, "Calm down," looking deeply into Adrian's eyes. Adrian answered immediately, trembling with emotion. "I'm Adrian," he said, eyes pleading for help.Isaac's face showed empathy for Adrian's plight. "Okay, I'm Isaac," he said softly. "I will help you, but..." At this point, not to be outdone by a hundred years of tradition, one of his colleagues interrupted. "No, Isaac, you can't help him!" his colleague shouted, the sound reverberating throughout the clearing. "Remember one of the rules here - you are not supposed to have human sympathy!"Isaac remained looking deep into Adrian's eyes, seemingly piercing through to his very soul. He did not blink, did not even respond to his colleague's scream. Instead, he remained fixated on Adrian, his expression impenetrable. The colleague was getting louder, more aggressive: "What's going on, Isaac? I'm talking to you, Isaac!" Adrian's observation seemed t
The voice of Adrian, who asked the question, quivers barely above the whisper-soft tone. Not wanting to stir more wounds, he asks: "How did you lose her?", as eyes lock-on in a stream of empathy towards Isaac. The face of Isaac creases-up like a twisted combination of pain and sorrow, then tears from two well-ups."Mmmfff," said Isaac, struggling to keep his voice from cracking with emotion. "My sister was pretty bright, and very beautiful," he began his monologue in a compulsion for a confession. "One day she was married off by a billionaire. Haven't seen her since." Pain dominated his voice, as if it was mirroring the air vibrating with his sorrow."On behalf of Adrian, deep pity reflected that expression in his eyes glimmered with compassion; "I'm so sorry for that, Isaac," he said, voice full of harmony. Isaac trained his curious deep eyes at Adrian, perhaps looking for something, probably just understanding. "What's her name?" Adrian's voice was gentle and soft.Isaac was just ab
But the words of Desmond struck like a sword into the air, and Isaac did not feel like he had been suddenly punched hard into the gut and knocked breathless. "Your sister is dead," he insisted with a firm voice stirring a tinge of sadness. "Stop deceiving yourself." Horror widened Isaac's eyes; his mind reeled in denial.He started to shake his head, lips quivering while saying, "Don't be negative, okay? Please," he pleaded with a breaking voice.Desmond's face-and voice-were steely, even when Isaac begged him. He relaxed his grip on the gun, now letting it fall unattended to the floor, looking into Desmond's eyes. And took one slow deliberate step forward, almost as if he was wrangling his body to move itself, saying, "I am set to leave with Adrian," his voice was emphatic, while Desmond flared into anger.Desmond's face darkened with that, his eyes blazing with an inferno, and he said, "What shall I tell the boss then when he asks if you're here?" Isaac's eyes were fixed on Desmond'
As Desmond continued talking, "One day, I went to his house," and the voice was quite humble; the answer to that emotion was attached to each word."And asked him secretly," the memory floated by his conscience, "to give me her contact number." The air indeed bore the memory of that moment when he dared to find the one person, the very last, who had ever figured himself capable of so much kindness.Isaac narrowed his eyes and suddenly felt as if a frown had formed on his face. "Wait up, please," he spoke down, but with an edge of skepticism; "Your auntie means your uncle's sister, right?"A flash of pain and anger crossed Desmond's eyes as he remained shut-mouthed but caught glimpsing a very tight clench of his jaw. "Not really, my auntie," he replied with venomous words, "she wasn't really my auntie." The world seemed to vibrate with the tension thus created because one could almost feel the weight of Desmond's emotions."My uncle is a bad man," Desmond continued in a lowered voice,
JENNY POVWe strolled to the living room and there, illuminated by the soft glow of the lights illuminating the path from the entrance, we found Grace (or so she claimed) standing with head downcast, turning eyes to the floor in a gesture of abandonment and with shoulders slumped in an act of discomfiture. "Good day, sir and ma'am," she addressed, her whisper almost inaudible, trembling slightly as she spoke, the words formed by hardly fluttering lips."Yea, Grace," he replied in a neutral tone, without a discernible expression, right when we sat together, as I was sitting on him, arms wrapped around me while holding me to himself, a hand softly placed on my stomach. Adrian then turned to Scarlett, his eyes narrowing as he studied her with a furrowed, working overtime with his brain to decode whatever she was ruminating upon."Grace, who are you?" he asked in a commanding tone that seemed to challenge such pronouncement, laced with some measure of skepticism, his tone even dripping wi
JENNY POVThe onset of this incident will forever remain my awakening hour, with the night still darkened. I became more aware of my surroundings, with the first thing in sight being Adrian, my husband, seated next to me with a most concerned look on his face. That dim bedside lamp light warmed him, throwing the depths of his worry into bold relief."What happened?" I pictured me demanding, but my voice was edged with confusion and alarm. Just as I attempted to rise, dizziness would encompass me, my husband's hands there to gently yet quite firmly assist me."You fell; you fainted," Adrian said. I kept on repeating it to myself in an attempt to fathom what it meant to faint. "I fainted?" I was finally able to whisper, the word now hanging in the air as if challenging my perception.He looked at me for a long moment, concerned but slightly annoyed. "Yes, love," he said gently but firmly. "I've told you to take it easy on yourself." Even as his tone reproached, his eyes showed the quick
JENNY POVMonica left my mother behind, with Grace, the maid, for services in the house. The next day, I woke as if with no energy; my body felt heavy and completely pregnant. "Honey," I called, sweet and gentle, hoping that Adrian would respond. But there was only silence. I waited for a moment expecting him to walk into the bedroom, but nothing.Sighing, I arise and manage to put all my strength into moving toward the kitchen. The instant Grace saw me walk through, she seemed to stop whatever the action was that she was engaged in and smiled, saying "Good morning, ma'am." In that voice, there was this plural, respectful and welcoming tone. I returned the gesture but instinctively put my hands on my huge tummy to rub it while feeling kicks from the baby inside. "Good morning, dear," I added just to sound a little more cheerful than I really felt.It was an exceptionally warm and inviting room that within one breath, would include coffee brewing. I found my usual place on the table an
ADRIAN POVIn the warmth of home, the weak lights of evening embraced us in lazy comfort. "Well, this is home; I was checking on Jenny," I muttered, sadly and tenderly gazing at her with concern. "No need to worry, babe. Jenny was fine," I comforted him with a smile, gently pulling him into hugs.As we moved on toward the room, the only sound from out two feet padding softly across the floor. "We need to hire a maid," I soothingly suggested, trying to approach the subject slowly. But Jenny interrupted, her voice very clear and very strong. "No, baby. I can do all the housework," she opposed right away, with a determined glint in her eyes that dared me to argue with her.My heart reeked of love and guilt towards her. I smiled sweetly and said, "No, my love-no." "You are expecting and I cannot allow you to submit yourself to doing that." Please, let me take care of this." I pleaded as I caressed her hair softly, as though that might somehow soften her resolute spirit.She regarded my w
ADRIAN POVFour hours later, the wait finally ended. Dr. Dazzy walked out of the emergency room, a mask of professionalism on his face, his eyes revealing but a sliver of concern. He called out my name, voice laden with reassuring authority like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man, "Mr...?" Suddenly his gaze shifted towards the waiting area, raking in one after the other until at last, it rested on yours truly.I jumped up, my heart racing. Oh yeah, that's me, I whispered back. "How is she? How's Jenny?" The floodgates burst open.The treatment softened the doctor's looks a bit as he nodded. "I'm with your wife now," he said, almost holding out a glimmer of hope. "Let's talk," he said, sending a gesture toward one of the waiting room's quiet corners. My heart drummed in my chest like a drummer preparing for some primitive ritual. What was he going to say? Was Jenny okay? The uncertainty was murder.I quickly marched into the doctor's office, purposeful stride like a man on a mission,
ADRIAN POVAs we lay there, Jenny's body tensed, muscles broiling under the skin like waves about to crest. A grotesque distortion of her face came into view as her eyes were closed shut, and a strangled, guttural cry, "Hpppp!" escaped her lips, followed closely by a heartbreaking wrenching sound. This tearing sound ripped irrevocably through the very fabric of that moment. Eyes that once sparkled with humor and fun turned into tight, scrunched-up furrows of mixed terror and discomfort." And I, exhilarated, turned toward her, speaking soft, reassuring words, almost like a summer's warm, gentle breeze."What is it, baby?" I asked, leniently. Distracted by pain, Jenny barely perceived my touch as I brushed a straining hand from her forehead. In that instant, I felt an electric jolt through my fingers. Slowly, her eyes opened, and she gazed up at me- her expression blurred and hazy, breathing labored. Each rise and fall of her chest steered with ragged breaths alongside cowering flickeri
ADRIAN POVFive months laterSoftly I entered the room calling for my wife. "Honey," I said very softly, very lovingly. "I'm over here, baby," she said, warm and inviting, as I turned in the direction of her voice.Jenny was in the room, snacking and gently rubbing her stomach. She had dancing happiness in her eyes, and her face shone with a glorious smile. I, at that moment, couldn't help but smile back at her, as time seemed to make my love grow stronger for her."You are eating too much baby," I said, staring right at her, mischief ringing in my voice."Funny. It's that time of the baby." She replied, "I'm eating for two now, you know." And I laughed and shook my head, awestruck by the miracle in her womb.Looking at her, he could not stop the gratitude that he felt for all that was in store for the couple. The joy of becoming parents was getting real for them, and the dreamy excitement of meeting their little one was almost tangible. Then Jenny held my hand, intertwining her finge
ADRIAN POVAll fit to burst with happy joy, and really not in any way able to keep joy controlled, I ran straight towards Jenny's ward; and my heart beat like a train's wheels running on the tracks. Cracked the door ajar, I peeped in. But, no sooner did my eyes lay on my beautiful wife lying down there, with her eyes locked onto the television-"Honey," I called softly so as not to startle her.She turned her gaze to me, and a slight smile fell across her lips. "Yea," she replied soft and gentle. I moved to the edge of the bed and sat on it beside her, our eyes shining into each other. I was lost staring into those beautiful eyes and getting all the more lovely toward her.Before the evils of my mind settle, I kissed her lips very lightly, "I love you very much," he whispered-voice barely audible as he choked with emotion. She smiled and wrapped her arms around me, drawing in tighter. "I love you too," she murmured, still kissing me.Kissing her made euphoria and gratification wrap aro
ARROW POVCrack of dawn with blurred golden rays peeking through the wrappers of my curtains woke up my senses. As I turned my head, there was the soothing sight of Jenny sleeping beside me; what a rare sight. Normally, J would be awake, ultra-busy preparing for her day most probably hours ahead of me. With my finger, I touched her shoulder softly, even while talking-low and concerned. "Honey?" I said quietly, but no stir. Her gently comforting breath indicated she was still fast asleep.Looking at Jenny, my face turned into a mask of concern. I knew I should take her in for an immediate checkup. "I think we should go to the hospital," I said, maintaining a naturalness in my voice. But all of her answers were a slight shake of her head along with a presence in her playing lips-a weak smile of assurance. "No, baby, I'll be fine; maybe it's just stress," she said, her words at a whisper.I nodded my head, in understanding, with my concern still at its peak. "It's stressful, I know, but