“Girl. She stays with my father at home.” She replied.“Why didn't you bring her with you?” I asked with my eyebrows raised.“Mr. Adrian would hear nothing of it,” she replied, sounding helpless.I heaved a deep sigh and muttered. “It is well.”We rose up and started walking again. Helen discussed the different parts of the estate as we walked further. She gave accurate details like she was the owner, making me baffled. There was a little orchard in a corner filled with trees and lovely fruits, purifying the atmosphere with its gentle breeze. We reached a vegetable garden where we plucked some tomatoes for dinner. And lastly, we went to the greenhouse with a glass see-through wall.“I would urge you to come here whenever you're heavy with burdens or grief, this place is a therapy on its own,” Helen said intently. You're not always happy. Everyone in the house knows about it, but I just wish you strength to pull through.”My heart overflowed with appreciation as I glanced at her, she s
Adrian had returned last night, and although I heard him blare his horn, I stayed put in bed. I prepared my mind in case he showed up to scold me for blackmailing him yesterday. But fortunately for me, he didn't come, but fear didn't let me sleep with my two eyes closed.This morning I woke up feeling renewed. I just hoped this energy lasted long because now my life was full of uncertainties. The early morning sun, golden yellow, and toning streamed through the lacy curtains and cast its rays on the walls of my room. I was in front of the mirror taking a final glance at my outfit for the day. I didn't want to look too serious or intentional so I just went for a simple loose gown and a hat with sunshades to compliment it. As I buttoned my coat but winter was still around, my mind filled with anticipation and excitement. I was totally leaving my shell today, my comfort zone and my lonely haven, to go out and explore the places I listed down in my diary.I picked up my phone and powered
“Awwwwnn, you're going to make me blush.” She said, mimicking a baby's voice, and we burst into laughter. We later waved goodbye and I continued my walk to the garage.Once we were settled in the car, two bouncers in the front seat and I alone in the back seat, we set off. I hung behind the window as usual watching people and features along the road. I felt a hush of relief wash through me as though I were unbundled for a bundle.We first stopped at the park. It was quite near to our house so it was just a short drive down there. The whole place was screaming green and I loved the sight of it. When I arrived I saw little children playing and having fun, couples strolling in their romance frenzy, and joggers going on their morning workout filled with energy and glamour.I spotted a bench under a massive almond tree with sprawling branches and went to sit on it. From there I could have an overview of the serenity of the park. I grabbed my purse and unzipped it to remove my phone. Only a
I fell on the bed immediately and grabbed my duvet to cover up myself, still trying to fathom the fact that I can't even enjoy the least thing like privacy in this huge mansion. Shit! And to think that I was literally wearing only a G-string and a bra made me want to cry. I just felt like the ground would just open and swallow me up.Adrian just stood at the door, his expression unreadable.“Why are you staring at me like a lost puppy?” He asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.“You barged in without knocking.” I stuttered, feeling offended and violated. And to think that he wasn't feeling remorseful or apologetic saddened me more.“Why do I have to knock on a door in my house before entering?” He had one eyebrow raised as he asked. “Besides you're mine for the time being”.“Courtesy demands it.” I stammered my voice betraying me at the end.He peeled off his body from the door frame where he was leaning and started moving around the room.“Courtesy indeed.” He scoffed.I was already get
The next came promising as usual. I left my bed early and joined Helen in the kitchen. Since it was Saturday, she said it was a clean-up day for them. As the head maid, she divided chores for other maids and workers, and I just sat back and watched her display her expertise. When she was done, all of them dispersed leaving me with her alone in the large kitchen.“Good morning ma'am,” She greeted, smiling and yawning at the same time.“Helen, you already greeted me this morning, and I responded,” I said, smiling in return.“Well, it's not a crime to greet twice. I mean, I and other maids literally greet Mr. Adrian all round the clock anytime we come by him, so I'm kind of used to it.” She explained heartily.“Poor thing,” I whispered. “They must have been through hell in Adrian's hand.”“Ma'am, did you say something?” She asked.“No I didn't,” I replied hesitantly. “How's today going to be like?” I chipped in trying to change the topic.“Hectic.” She breathed. “It's clean-up day so thi
I landed on Adrian, my hand on his chest. I let out a sharp gasp and pressed my hands on his left breast to gain balance. I couldn't help but comment to my subconscious mind on how soft his chest was; though they were muscular, it still felt so cozy. We were staring into each other's eyes as his warm breath showered on my face. Some strand of my hair fell on his face across his nose and it tried shoving it out. Then, all of a sudden he pushed me off and sneezed violently.“You have added clumsiness to the list of your flaws. Why exactly do you have to fall on me? He snapped, trying to recover from the sneeze, but his nasal cavity wasn't done yet because he sneezed two more times.I took a few steps back to keep a reasonable distance between us because I feared Adrian's temper. “It was a mistake,” I muttered looking down. “You pulled me too hard and I lost my balance.”“Why do you always have to apologize?” He asked, turning around with his hands on his waist. “First, you came home lat
CHAPTER 51He stood still, his expression unreadable and numb. He looked broken and sober about my tears but he didn't want to show it. How would he have his steeze reduced because of me? He braced his ego a lot and valued his pride like a treasure. I knew everything about it.I wrapped my palm around my shoulder as if to extract the pain from it but it only intensified. Hot tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes tightly, trying to breathe through it all. He started walking towards me and fell on his knees beside where I sat on the cold floor. He helped me to my feet and led me to the bed.“That wasn't intentional. I just forgot that you're female, soft, small, and fragile.” He muttered, his voice laced with remorse, but he tried to hide it. I could hear it loud and clear but I stayed put.He touched my shoulder, and I shrugged, frowning. He tried again but I maintained a stiff face. I wanted him to know that I was hurt; I felt abused and misused.“Com
“Just let me go,” I cried, my voice cracking.He wanted to reply but his phone beeped.“Pass me my phone,” he said pointing at his phone behind me. I stared at the phone and back at him, then gulped hard. I picked up the phone and held onto it.“Pass it already,” he snapped with furrowed brows.“No, I won't. You will give me the duvet first before getting it.” I replied feigning seriousness. I don't know what I was doing but I continued anyway.“Don't be silly.”He sighed and stretched his right hand to get the phone from me. Immediately I shoved my hands under my dress and hid the phone there.“What do you think you're doing,” he asked, his brows furrowed slightly.“Adrian, just give me the duvet to cover myself up and leave, then I'll hand over your phone to you. It is that simple.” I explained my voice gently but steadily.“Huh, where exactly did you put my phone?” He asked, his eyes narrowed down to my abdomen area.I tucked my hair behind my ear and sniffed. “Where I put the phon
JENNY POVContrary to what I vaguely recall about the trial, with little less than half a month to go, I walked my final tour of the evidence. I took a long walk up the stairs toward the safe box where all the documents and evidence were kept, my heart racing.When I opened the safe box, the second surprise awaited me; it was empty. All our evidence was missing! Panic swept over me, and I reached in to search frantically, hoping maybe I had mislaid the documents. But the truth was clear: everything was gone.Unbelievably so. Everything we had worked for and all our evidence had vanished. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me. How could this happen? Who took the evidence?Panicking, I called Adrian and the lawyer, stuttering. "It's gone," I said. "All of it."Adrian was calm. He reassured me: "We'll figure this out. We'll get to the bottom of it. Don't worry. We'll find a way to move forward."But I felt uneasy now. That meant our case was in trouble. Samuel's team would probably
JENNY POVWe had amassed all the evidence and, with Gabriel's expert counsel, we were quite confident of a solid case against Samuel. Upon consulting our lawyer, we scheduled an appointment to discuss the next steps and finalize the court date.There was a nervous energy fluttering around me as I followed Adrian into the lawyer's office. What would the lawyer say? After that, will it be possible for us to carry on with our case? Just the sight of Adrian's stoic demeanor reassured me, and I inhaled deeply again to control my nerves.Gabriel was inside the room, coffee in hand. He gave a little nod of acknowledgment as we settled in, while the lawyer began to go through the evidence.She finally said, after looking through the papers, "Let us go over the plan one last time. We will be bringing the lawsuit.” Then, we prepare for Samuel's team to respond, which will probably include trying to discredit you or the evidence."Adrian nodded, jaw tight with determination. "We are ready for th
JENNY POVWhen we broke away from each other after the hug, the memory of him really made me grateful for Adrian. Surely he was that support system I needed at this moment. "Thank you for being here for me," I said with quavering words.Adrian smiled at me, took my hand, and replied, "For always, I am here with you." "We'll face everything that comes."Rejuvenated, we took our seats one last time to review the evidence. The lawyer had told us that the case was strong, but we had to be prepared for every event. Adrian and I were going through the adaptations, underlining the crucial points, and exchanging views on strategies.As the day darkened, the tension in the room built up. Both of us were waiting for the return of this breath-holding event, wishing it would end soon so that we could all finally move on. But it was obvious that this required patience and tenacity.And then, just when we were seeming to take a break, the doorbell rang. Adrian went to answer it, and I could hear so
JENNY POVThen she turned to us with a playfulness glinting in her eyes and said, "I have a question for you two." Adrian and I exchanged curious looks, and I asked, "What is it's, Mom?" She fixed her gaze upon us, darting between Adrian and me, before eventually saying, "When should I expect my grandchildren, please?" The question hung expectantly between us, twinkling as a little playful tip made both of us smile and ponder on how to answer it.Adrian stared at me, a sly smile spreading across his face as if he was daring me to respond to my mom's query regarding grandchildren. "Soon, Ma," he said, his voice teasingly mischievous as he tried to deflect her curiosity. My mom's eyes sparkled with mischief while teasing me: "I know Jenny won't say anything." Her words hung in the air, humorous but full of innuendo, and made me laugh loud, feeling my cheeks burning.The night pressed on: the ambiance of darkness shielded us, and we were slowly traveling back to our rooms, slowly paying
JENNY POVThe days morphed gradually into weeks, while weeks would gradually morph into months, and my mom was really okay after that. "Thank you so much, Jenny," she said to me, holding my hand. Her voice was much better now, and we were chatting well. She didn't get sick anymore, and the doctor visits were not frequent by now since the workers kept caring about her with kindness and compassion.Adrian and I used to go and visit the hospital together to bring her favorite food and flowers. We sat down to watch movies or even play games, but even though it was at a slow pace, she was getting back. The hospital room of care was now much brighter with laughter than it had ever been used to and filled with sadness and concern.It was like any other day; we were just chit chatting when suddenly, a glittering tear glistened in Mom's eye. "I'm very grateful to you, Jenny," she said with a shaking voice. "You have been my stronghold during this journey." A warm hug followed from me, elated a
JENNY POVIn the course of her recovery, I fleeted back home to refresh myself often. The workers would live with her, looking after her needs, and updated me about her conditions through regular phone calls, sometimes giving me a good laugh or two while hearing stories on her improvements.We began to develop a bond through these talks, and soon I would be on the edge of my seat waiting for their calls. They told me all about the jokes she told, her smiles, and how determined she was to recover. I laughed and appreciated their kindness.One day, I asked them all over for breakfast in appreciation of the small things they did for my mom. They came with huge, toothy grins and gifts of sunshine-dripped fruit and fragrant flowers. Here we were around the table, sharing together in a hearty meal.Mrs. Jenkins said, "We're so proud of your mom's progress, Jenny. She's a fighter." I smiled, feeling all the more blessed to have them with me. "Thanks to you all, she's getting a little better
JENNY POVAt first, the workers got busy setting up my mother for the transport to the hospital. I watched as they transported her into a stretcher, their faces serious."We'll get her the help she needs," Adrian said, his voice reassuring. "We'll make sure she's okay."I nodded, and hope washed over me. Maybe, just maybe, we could get my mom back on her feet. Maybe we could undo the damage that Samuel had done.But for some reason, all along the way that took us out of the house into the open, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the opening act--the warm-up--for a longer and tougher journey ahead.As the workers placed my mom in a car, an entire jigsaw puzzle of emotions filled the air: relief because actions were finally being taken; then apprehension of what could come to pass in future. The workers whose eyes had been somber just a few moments ago suddenly spoke."Pleeeeeeease, Jenny, let us help,” Mrs. Jenkins said, her voice being a little shaky. "We'll assure that y
JENNY POVAdrian took my hand and squeezed it gently."Let's go," he was saying in a steady voice. We walked together toward the little house, hearts heavy with concern for the ahead.I carefully entered the house with a pounding heart and a twisty stomach for anticipation and nervousness. Workers followed close behind, looking concerned. Adrian stayed near me, offering supporting comfort.A piece of cloth had been laid over something on the floor as we entered the room. My instinct told me it was my mother, but that thought was unbearable. "Where is she?" I managed to whisper to the men working.Mrs. Jenkins paused, speaking with a trembling voice, "Look at her here," extending her hands toward the cloth.My throat constricted as Mrs. Jenkins pulled back the cloth. I almost choked. My mom was lying on the floor with her eyes closed. I screamed, "Jezzzzz!"All hell broke loose in my mind. I staggered backward, feeling lost and disoriented. I never thought I could see such a thing: My
JENNY POVThe moment I stepped into the house, some feeling of discomfort seemed to wash over both me and Adrian. The staff had welcomed us with uneasy gestures, and one could almost taste the tension. Mrs. Jenkins, the housekeeper, came towards us smiling uneasily."Jenny, dear, we need to talk to you about something," she said in whispers.I exchanged the same puzzled glance with Adrian and followed Mrs. Jenkins into the living room. The others had entered, too, and their expressions were serious."What are we talking about?" I asked with an authority in my voice, betraying hardly any nerves.Mrs. Jenkins took a deep breath. "We have been looking after your mother for a while now, and...and there is something about which we have been doing...that we should not."I had felt that my intuition might be right: a knot was tightening painfully inside my stomach. "What do you mean by that?” I demanded, trying to add firmness to my tone while being cautious.The staff exchanged anxious look