JADE I opened my eyes and realized I was in a hospital room. I looked around me and saw Max sitting by my bedside.I immediately sat up as I recalled what had happened the previous night. I was still in the same clothes I had on when I slept off and my heart was thumping so fast. Max had caught me in the act, what was I going to do?"How do you feel now?" Max's voice was etched with concern.I thought about what to tell him to get myself out of the situation I had woken up in. How could I be so stupid that I ended up falling into my trap? It was a big blow to my pride and everything else."What happened to me?" I decided to feign ignorance as Max's reply would provide me with the perfect story to come up with."You don't remember?" He asked and I shook my head. "I'm not sure I remember, everything's a blur."He sighed, "Well, you suddenly slumped after drinking the cup of coffee you gave me last night. I was so worried that I quickly rushed you to the hospital.The doctor confirmed t
JADEI gasped in shock and turned, only to see that the person who caught my hand was one of my bodyguards.I sighed in relief and looked around to confirm that there was no sign of Max.My other bodyguard also appeared and asked, "What's going on?""I need to leave here and get back home as soon as possible," I explained. "I can't let Max find out that I left through the back gate.""I'll bring the car around," one of the bodyguards said and quickly left."I'll take care of the security cameras," the other told me before walking away as well.I went out through the back gate and true to his words, the first bodyguard was waiting outside with a car."Thank you so much," I gushed as I got inside."You should do something about the way you look," he told me.I sighed, "I will. But how did you guys know I was here?""Have you forgotten we were keeping watch outside your house?" He asked. "We saw you being carried away in an ambulance last night and carefully followed behind.We didn't kn
JADE "First things first, come on and have your bath, then we can proceed from there." As I spoke, I led my sons toward their bathroom.It was important for them to change into new clothes before Max came or Aurora woke up.I filled their toothbrushes with paste and instructed them to brush their teeth like I taught them.After that, they took their baths, I wore them dresses and quickly added some makeup to their faces to hide some of their facial features.Once that was taken care of, I led them both to the living room with a first aid box in my hand.They both stood in front of me and watched as I took out a pack of needles, cotton wool, plaster, and a few other items."Mummy, what do you want to do?" Phyna asked.I stared at the clock on the wall, it was a few minutes past seven and I had been gone from the hospital for more than forty minutes. "Quick, I need to prick one of you with a needle," I told them. "I don't have much time. Please one of you should help mummy."Ella took
JADE"Your brother? Who are you talking about?" Max went on one knee and asked Ella.I quickly got off the bed and pulled Ella's ear, "Naughty girl. Why are you being foolish? Haven't I told you not to refer to Aurora as a boy? She is a girl and she's your sister.""But mummy...""Shut up, Ella. No buts!" I cut him off. "Phyna, how does mummy feel about stubborn children who don't listen?""Mummy doesn't love them," Phyna replied."Good," I turned Ella to face me and asked, "Do you want mummy to stop loving you?"He pouted and shook his head, "I'm sorry, mummy." He threw himself into my arms and began to cry."Shh, it's okay, baby." I wiped his tears. "Mummy loves you, Phyna, and Aurora so much. Always listen to mummy, okay?"He nodded."It's okay, Daisy," Max said. "If they want me to stay...""Come with me, Max. Both of you, don't come out." I held Max's hand and took him out of the room."Listen, I don't want to tell you how to raise your kids but don't you think you are being too
JADEI looked at where my phone was, got up, and turned on its recorder.Afterward, I turned my attention back to Aurora and said, "It's okay, Honey. You can tell me.""I'm afraid of my mummy," she said.Seeing the fear in her eyes, my heart broke as I wondered what my daughter must have suffered at the hands of Stacy. No matter what, I needed to find out what it was.I spoke softly and gently coaxed her, "It's okay, Honey. You are safe here. I won't hurt you and I won't let your mummy hurt you, I promise. Tell me the truth and I won't tell anyone."She hesitated for a while but I waited patiently until she began, "My mummy was angry with me because I accidentally poured her cup of coffee.Aunty Agatha was not around so, my mummy took me to her room and burnt me with her cigarette. When I began to cry, she told me sorry and bought me ice cream.She asked me not to tell anyone otherwise she would burn me again."My mouth fell in shock as my eyes brimmed with tears, "Did you tell your d
MAXSomething didn't seem right. Too many things were happening all at once and Daisy had an explanation ready for every single one of them. There were suddenly too many convenient excuses that I was forced to believe that something was going on. Daisy was certainly hiding something from me and I was going to find out what it was.Stacy suddenly called my phone and I went out to take it because I could not let Daisy overhear my conversation with her."Where the hell are you, Max?" She asked angrily. "My daughter didn't spend the night at home and neither did you. You knew my flight was landing first thing this morning and nothing would have made me happier than being welcomed by you and our princess.""Relax," I told her. "You just got back and you are already so angry. How would our princess feel if she saw you being so upset?"She sighed, "I can't help it, Max. You know how much I love Aurora. I feel so much at ease when she is around me. I don't trust other people, they may hurt m
JADEMax turned and stared at me quietly for a while before walking out of my room.I followed behind him as I realized I was showing too much anger. I had to control my emotions or risk losing everything I had worked hard for.It was still difficult to believe that my baby had gone through so much suffering right in her father's house. Her nannies were all useless and even Agatha had some explaining to do. Max waited in the living room while I went to my kids' bedroom and came out with Aurora. He went on his knees and pulled her into his arms as he said, "Can you show me where you were burnt with a cigarette?"She looked up at me with fear in her eyes and I smiled at her. Caressing her cheek, I told her, "It's okay, Honey. You can tell your Daddy and everything will be fine. He will punish Stacy and make sure she never sees you again."She smiled at me at turned to face Max whose eyes carried complicated emotions in them."Daddy, will you really not take me back to mummy?" She asked
JADE I saw Max's phone in his hand and heaved a sigh of relief."Aurora is fine," I replied and held his free hand, dragging him once again into my bedroom."What is the problem, Daisy?" He asked, impatience written all over his face.I took a step closer to him and said, "I'm very sorry, Max. I lashed out at you earlier without consideration for your feelings. I got carried away as a mother because I couldn't bear to see my child or children being hurt by others. I blamed you, whereas you were hurting as Aurora's dad. I felt very guilty after you left and didn't know how else to bring you back so I came up with the emergency story.Please do not be mad at me."He pulled me into his arms and hugged me, "Thank you so much, Daisy. I can't be mad at you. If anything, I feel immensely grateful.If not for you, my daughter would still be living a miserable life while I am under the misconception that I am giving her the best.You were right. I failed Aurora because her suffering happened
TROY After two years, I was back in the Scandinavia, the place that took everything from me. I had rented the whole beach for the evening because I wanted to be alone. I stood by my once favorite beach in Oslo and closed my eyes as memories from the past flooded my mind; Her beautiful smile, and the warmth of her body, pressed against mine as we stared at the stars together. Aislinn was everything to me until she was snatched away so cruelly. I opened my eyes and stared at the water, hoping its calmness would soothe my turbulent heart. All of a sudden, something caught my attention. Floating and approaching from a distance, I tried to make out what it was. I took a few steps closer, dipping my legs into the water. I gasped when I realized it was a person; a woman, and judging by the way she looked, I knew she was dead. I turned and wanted to leave but a question struck my mind; what if she wasn't dead? What if Aislinn was in a similar situation and needed help? Would I have
MARIANNE If it weren't for the date and time stamp on the video, I would have thought Paula was lying to me. As I watched the video, everything began to piece together in my head. I recalled when Tony had first approached me for a relationship. I had refused his advances, especially since I had just clocked eighteen, but Britney kept encouraging me to give him a chance, claiming we were perfect for each other and would be together forever. Back then, I was amazed at how Tony and I had the same tastes, interests, and even fashion sense. I believed he was truly destined for me. Only after Paula's revelation did I realize that Britney had planted him in my life and told him about my likes and dislikes. No wonder he seemed so perfect in my eyes and I ended up falling in love with him. They deceived me for so long and plotted my downfall. The false testimonies from my secretary and Tony's sister finally made more sense to me. I felt so much anger surge within me and a deep yearn
MARIANNE Everything felt like a dream. Just like that, I had been condemned for something I never did. My only crime was being too kind and trusting the wrong people. As I was being transported by ship along with a few other prisoners, the judge's words echoed in my ears, "This court finds the accused; Mrs. Tony, guilty of first-degree murder and sentences her to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian Island Prison. I recalled the triumphant look on Britney's face as I was being taken away and could not understand what I ever did wrong to her. When I met her so many years ago, I had just finished high school. Being the daughter of the richest man in the city, I lived in affluence as opposed to her who was struggling to get by. I saw her working as a waiter at a party and took her side when a guest treated her disrespectfully. We got close from that night and I got to find out that she had no family. She was an orphan who had to work from a very young age just to
MARIANNE I sighed in relief as I thanked Britney repeatedly. "There's no need to thank me," she expressed. "You are my best friend and I will do anything for you." The next morning, just as my lawyer had promised, I was arraigned before a judge. I had been restless throughout the night as it was my first time being in a cell. I tried not to cry because I knew it wouldn't help my situation. I convinced myself that I was just unfortunate. I never should have married Tony. After the judge questioned me, I took a plea of not guilty. My attorney didn't seem pleased by that but I didn't care. No one was going to make me admit to something I never did. Since it was my first appearance, I expected that I would be granted bail and allowed to show up in court from the comfort of my home during the preliminary hearings. I planned to get the best lawyer for myself once I was released on bail and got access to my phone. However, nothing like that happened. The judge allowed a ten minut
MARIANNE At the police station, I was cuffed and kept in a dimly lit room with four chairs, one table, and a window. I was exhausted and my eyes were puffy from crying. Even though Tony cheated on me, he was the love of my life and I could not believe he was no more. In a flash, I had become a widow; the youngest I knew because I had just turned twenty, a month ago. The three policemen sat in front of me, questioning me as though I were a common criminal. "Don't you know who I am?" I asked. "I own foundations, charity organizations, and free hospitals. I help people, not hurt them. No matter what, I could never murder a man I loved with my life." "Stop beating around the bush and answer the damn question!" One of the policemen yelled at me, slapping his palms on the table. I didn't have to be a police officer or a lawyer to know that what the men were doing was not standard procedure. They were biased toward me and I had no idea why. "I won't speak any more until my lawye
MARIANNE I stepped on my brake pedal and gave myself a minute to catch my breath. My hands were shivering and I felt chilled to the bone. I still could not believe what I had just seen. I opened my phone and watched for the umpteenth time, the pornographic video that had been sent to me anonymously. My husband of almost two years was in bed, having sex with a woman that wasn't me. His face was revealed in the video, while hers was concealed. The only thing I could make of the woman was her slender wrist and the gold bracelet around it. It seemed oddly familiar but I could not remember where I had seen it. For two years, I believed my marriage was the best in the world because my husband, Tony adored me and worshipped the ground I walked on. I was the richest woman in the city and my company, RAY INDUSTRIES was the number one in the country, yet, my happiest moments were the ones spent with my husband. That was how much I loved him. How could he betray my trust? Hands still
SYNOPSIS "My husband walks about freely, lavishing my fortune, with his mistress by his side, while I am condemned to spend the rest of my life in an island prison for his death. If this is my fate, I will fight it until my last breath."~~~ MARIANNE Betrayed by the ones she trusted most, Marianne finds herself convicted for a crime she did not commit. In a desperate attempt to change her new reality, she ends up at the brink of death but gets a second chance in Troy; An unusually sexy billionaire willing to place the world at her feet. Marianne swears she is done with men and love, and her life's goal is revenge against those who wronged her. But why does her heart race uncontrollably at the sound of his voice? ***His hands reached out, framing my face as his fingers caressed my lips. I closed my eyes when he cupped my breasts and his lips settled on the crook of my neck, lavishing it with kisses until I was breathless and wet beyond control. "Troy," I panted and my eyes flung
In the morning, Ethan woke Cila up from his bed and calmly asked her to leave his bedroom and stay away from it. As she walked out of the room, she stood by the door, staring at Ethan who was watching her leave. She wished she could turn back the hands of time. If she hadn’t tried to take Laura’s place and planned for Laura to catch them in the act, Ethan would still be meeting her behind Laura’s back. She wouldn’t feel so alone. She would still have him—if only she hadn’t been so greedy for more. She had no clue Ethan was secretly seeing Laura again. He came home early, spent most of his free time with her. Little did she know, Ethan had been stealing moments with Laura during their lunch breaks, meeting at the small apartment he had rented temporarily for her. The joy of those stolen hours made time fly for them, but each day weighed heavier on Ethan’s heart. He kept counting down the days, marking them on his calendar, waiting for the moment he could bring Laura back home
"Shh......," Byron shushed Laura as he moved closer to her, cupping her face and attempting to kiss her once more. This time, however, he was met with a sharp slap across his face. The sting of it made him pause, his hand instinctively reaching for his cheek as he glared at her. "So, you’d rather sit here, pining away for a man who’s off fucking your best friend, instead of giving me a chance to make you happy?" he spat, his voice dripping with bitterness. "You know what, Laura? You deserve everything that’s happening to you. You’re foolish, indecisive, and weak. You deserve to be ditched by your husband and betrayed by your so-called best friend." The words cut through Laura like a blade, each one more painful than the last. Byron stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Laura remained standing, her legs suddenly too weak to hold her up. She sank to the floor, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Do I reall