AbigailAs I pulled up to the dinner that evening, my determination wobbled like jelly. The house, with its grand columns and sprawling driveway, was lit with the soft glow of evening lights, but it felt nothing like home.“You said you’d go,” I muttered to myself. “You’re not a coward.” My stomach twisted as I sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. I could leave. I could turn the ignition, drive off, and call Marceline with some excuse—headache, sudden work emergency, anything to avoid stepping into that house again. But I’d given my word. And if nothing else, I always kept my promises.“You’ve faced worse, Abigail,” I added in a whisper, straightening my posture. “It’s just dinner.”It took several deep breaths, and a silent pep talk before I convinced myself to open the car door and step out. I smoothed the front of my emerald dress. It was understated but elegant, just enough to show I hadn’t come unprepared but not so much as to look like I was trying
AbigailDinner turned out to be a far more intimate affair than I had anticipated. Instead of the crowded gatherings typical of the Remington family, the table was set for only the four us: Marceline, Alexander, Conrad, and me. No crowd of curious onlookers, no whispered gossip, and most importantly, no Susanna.It was a small mercy that she wasn’t present. I wasn’t sure if her absence was deliberate on Marceline’s part or if Susanna herself had chosen not to attend. Either way, I was grateful. Marceline and Alexander carried most of the conversation, their polite exchange drifting across the dining table as we ate. Marceline asked Alexander about his recovery, her voice warm with genuine concern. He described the plane crash with a grim clarity that made my stomach twist, and the difficult days that followed, when life had tried to strip him of everything.Marceline’s voice was edged with curiosity as she dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin and asked Alexander, “I can’t
AbigailI waited for Conrad to protest, like he always seemed to do when it came to Susanna, but to my surprise he said nothing. Then again, there was no mistaking the weight of Alexander’s words, or the look in his eyes—he wasn’t asking for permission, not that anyone in this family ever truly did.Alexander turned to me, his expression contemplative. “Abigail,” he said, his voice low. “Thank you. I’ve heard from everyone how helpful you’ve been, looking after Susanna during… everything.” He hesitated briefly, his tone softening. “I owe you a great debt.”I barely had time to respond before the door to the master bedroom swung open, and out stepped Susanna. Her face was a mess of tears, her voice cracki
AbigailI nodded at the apology, not trusting myself to speak just yet.“Susanna,” Conrad said quietly. “I think Alexander is right. You should go home with him. Your husband is back now.”The moment he finally agreed to let Susanna leave with Alexander, a weight seemed to lift from my chest.Alexander nodded. “Thank you again, for taking care of her.” He turned to Susanna. “Start packing your things. You’ll be leaving tonight.”“At least let me leave tomorrow,” Susanna said, her voice tight with barely concealed anger, but she didn’t dare show it in front of Alexander. “I can’t possibly pack all my things tonight.”
AbigailConrad froze for a moment, his eyes darting between me and the direction of Liliana’s wails. His face twisted with the conflict he wasn’t even trying to hide. “But Susanna’s situation is more urgent,” he said anxiously, his tone pleading.I stared at him, willing him to see the betrayal that his words carved into me. “I came here for—”“You’re just here to follow up on your foot injury, Abigail,” he interrupted, his voice becoming more pleading in a futile attempt to reassure me. “There’s no rush for that, but Susanna…” He trailed off, guilt in his eyes. “Look, you heard Liliana, she fell. That can’t be good for a pregnant woman. Once I confirm she’s fine and report
AbigailConrad grabbed my wrist, his grip tight. “Come on,” he said, pulling me along. “We’re leaving.”He paused only long enough to nod curtly at his brother. “Goodbye, Alexander.” He didn’t acknowledge Daniel.We walked past Alexander and his assistant and into the parking lot, Conrad not letting go of me till we reached the car. The drive home was suffocating. Conrad’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his jaw set in that stubborn way of his, as though sheer silence could erase the fact he had left me on my own in the hospital. I didn’t bother speaking. What could I say that hadn’t already been said?What could I say that hadn’t already been ignored
AbigailThe park was as loud as a zoo, with the sounds of children running around playing with each other, and the chatter of other adults.Roxy and I sat side by side on the park bench, our feet brushing the mulch under us as I told her about the fight Conrad and I had gotten into after coming back from the hospital. I knew the question that was coming before she even opened her mouth.“So?” she asked, her voice breathless as she listened. “What happened next? After you slapped him?”The memory flashed through my mind—the anger, the unbelievable accusation Conrad had hit me with, the sharp sting of my palm against his face. I stared down at the mulch beneath my feet, scuffing it with the tip of my shoe
AbigailThe first thing I felt when I woke up was pain. The coarse rope binding my wrists had rubbed the skin raw, and every movement sent a sharp, burning sting shooting up my arms. My head pounded in a way that made it hard to piece together what had happened. The hands carrying me roughly dropped me to the ground, deliberately brushing up against the side of my body, and I shuddered in disgust.I groaned in agony as I landed on my shoulder, forcing my eyes open. I was in a dimly lit, grimy room, and the air heavy with the stench of sweaty bodies and cigarette smoke. A low murmur of voices reached my ears, followed by gruff laughter. Panic cut through me like the sting of ice water as the pieces fell into place—I had been kidnapped. I struggled to sit up, my breathing ragged.
AbigailThe smell of the food filled the entire room, and something about the presence of Alexander beside me dulled the tightness I’d been carrying all day. The tension behind my eyes had started to fade as I picked at the grilled fish, letting the flavors roll across my tongue, my limbs slowly unknotting with every bite.“I’ve been getting calls from Liam,” I said, my voice tired but audible. I didn’t know why I chose now to bring it up; maybe because I finally felt safe enough to say it out loud.Alexander’s hand stilled mid-motion, his chopsticks hovering above the container of scallops. “Liam?” His eyes flicked to mine, sharp. “How long?”I nodded and swallowed. “It’s been a few times now. He says he’s changed and keeps asking to see me.”His brows drew together, and I could see him piecing something together. “He’s been coming to me too and asking to see you.” He paused. “He’s not been released from Ridgewell officially, but this is part of the treatment program; they release so
Abigail I didn’t know where I was going, I just kept driving. One street turned into another and headlights flashed past me in a blur. The city was quietly winding down while something restless stirred in my chest. My fingers were clenched so tight around the steering wheel, they ached. I told myself I would find a hotel. Or maybe I would go to Roxy’s, even though it was too late and she’d worry. But the truth was, I wasn’t thinking clearly at all. I wasn’t thinking at all.I just didn’t want to go home.And somehow, without meaning to, I ended up here. The car rolled to a slow stop in front of the tall, glittering building before I fully realized where I was. I blinked up at it, dazed and slightly breathless, my stomach twisting into an uncomfortable knot. I knew this place; it was the high rise I had met Alexander before we went to Ridgewell to see Liam. The lights shimmered against the glass like stars in a city that forgot what the real ones looked like. But I wasn’t looking at
AbigailAfter work, I found myself walking to the park instead of driving straight home.I told Roxy I’d leave early today, mostly because she looked ready to duct-tape me to my chair if I didn’t. But now that I had, I didn’t know what to do with myself. My body wasn’t worn down enough, and that small sliver of energy still lingering in me made me restless. If I’d had my way, I would’ve stayed in the office till one a.m., working until even my thoughts couldn’t keep up with me anymore. But Roxy had been especially worried lately. So, I’d smiled, packed up, and walked out like someone who had a life waiting for her outside those walls.I didn’t.So, here I was, wandering through the park with my coat still buttoned, my shoes making soft sounds against the path. The air was crisp but not cold, and the faint scent of blooming grass and wet earth filled my lungs. It was peaceful, in a way that made the ache in my chest feel sharper.To my left, I noticed a picnic spread out on a checkered
RoxyAnd yet he always asked as if he had nothing to do with it. As if it wasn’t his driver who opened the door for me, or his expense account that covered the seafood platter I’d been daydreaming about since 3 p.m.I settled in, crossing one leg over the other. What I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what I never could was how a man like Alexander could share even a single drop of blood with someone like Conrad.Conrad Remington, the walking ego. The emotional toddler. Every time I thought about him, it made me want to demand a DNA test on Alexander’s behalf. Maybe they swapped cribs at the hospital. Maybe one of them was adopted. Maybe God just wanted to play a particularly cruel practical joke.Still, why was I thinking about Conrad with what was in front of me?Sitting beside Alexander was one of the most delicious motivations I’d ever had for showing up anywhere on time; Daniel Woods, his secretary. The tall drink of sin I’d been lowkey thirsting over since the first moment I l
RoxyI yawned so hard I swore my jaw cracked. My screen dimmed in front of me, signaling the finality of another day. With a satisfying click, I shut down my computer and sat back in my chair, allowing myself a tiny internal cheer.Done. All of it. Not only had I cleared every task on my to-do list—emails, reports, that ridiculous revision James from Marketing demanded this morning—I had also accomplished the almost-impossible: I’d managed to convince Abigail to leave on time. No 11 p.m. grind, no haunting the office like a lonely ghost with the cleaning crew. She actually packed up and went home like a normal person. That was a victory in itself.I stretched my arms above my head and yawned again, this one longer. All I wanted now was to kick off my heels, boil water for some scandalously sodium rich ramen, and fall asleep in the middle of an episode of Love & Lies: Southside Edition. It was my guilty pleasure, that trashy little reality series with way too many slow motion breakups
AbigailI told myself not to let that reflection haunt me. It was just a slip. I had slept poorly last night and barely remembered to eat breakfast this morning. I was tired, yes. A little thinner? maybe. But I wasn’t broken. I wouldn’t let my own reflection, however unfamiliar it seemed, get to me.By the time I returned to the office, the feelings of listlessness still clung to me like damp clothes, but I pushed through. I had too much to do to afford even a second of moping. The artificial white lights overhead buzzed softly as I walked through the open-plan floor, sandwich bag in hand, ignoring the curious glance Elle shot me from her desk.She didn’t say anything. But the slight furrow in her brow and the tight purse of her lips told me exactly what she was thinking.She didn’t like that the small bag in my hand was far too small for the elaborate meal she had wanted me to return with. I sat down without acknowledging her and unwrapped the sandwich like it was the key to world pe
“You don’t have to stress yourself over me,” I said quietly, watching Elle storm around like a small, angry thundercloud. She spun around sharply, her eyes flashing. Before she could say anything, Roxy stepped forward. Without a word, she pulled her credit card from her pocket and thrust it toward me. “Go get lunch,” she said, her voice firm. “Anything you want. Expensive, greasy, complicated, I don’t care. But when you get back, I better see a substantial charge on that card, or I swear I’ll put you on forced vacation.” I opened my mouth to protest, but Roxy narrowed her eyes at me like a predator eyeing its prey. And Elle looked like she’d physically drag me to the nearest restaurant and force feed me if I dared say no. So I just nodded, accepting the card with quiet obedience, even though I felt like a child being scolded by two very determined mothers. I grabbed my bag and left the office, their combined gazes hot on my back, daring me to come back empty-stomached. As I stepp
AbigailI stared at the list for a few moments longer, letting my thoughts drift. Allan would be the last one I would target for a while. Things were heating up too fast. Conrad was furious with how successful I was; Elle often gossiped about how her old coworkers were walking on eggshells around him, flinching at his temper and avoiding his gaze. And he’d threatened me two more times since that embarrassing outburst in the hallway, his words carrying warning. Ha, all bark, no bite.He didn’t scare me. What did I have to lose? There was a meeting coming up in a few days and something about the way the internal memo had been worded told me there was going to be a vote. I wasn’t totally off guard, I had heard things from the talk making its way around the company. It had to be about that risky new project Conrad proposed a while back. On paper, it looked promising and bold. But the risk was astronomical, and I knew most of the board members were hesitant to sign off on it.This was my
AbigailAfter Conrad dragged me into that conference room and tried to intimidate me, I walked away with my heart steady and my head high. Trying to rattle me and drag me back into the little box he once kept me in had failed. If anything, it only lit the fire under me.Ross Delaney had only been the beginning.Elle submitted her transfer request the very same day. I’d barely finished going over a few client files when she popped her head into my cubicle and asked, “Still want me?”I nodded, smiling. “More than ever.”By the time the sun dipped below the skyline that evening, Roxy strolled by my desk, leaned against the frame of my door with her usual languid elegance, and quipped, “You work fast.” Her mouth lifted in a smile. “I saw the transfer request from Acquisitions a while ago. Mr. Hayes already processed it. Elle’s yours.”“Thank you,” I said, smiling back at her. I liked the way Roxy often looked at me these days. I had always seen respect there, but now, there seemed to be mo