It was almost three days after Zoe departed without talking to anyone before and during the trip, and she returned on a Saturday evening, back to the house of the Meyers, which she had not been to for almost a week. It kept everyone on their toes, especially the maids when they saw her make her way into the mansion, every one of them rejoicing inwardly because peace could finally reign in the mansion. The ambiance that caused anger and malice was palpable in the mansion during her absence, but was more intense for the past three days with vicious rages flying everywhere. From what they could decode, it seemed like the boss of the house, Malcolm, had been distraught ever since she suddenly disappeared without telling anyone as they all gossiped about the information they all secretly picked from the family's conversations. “I heard she doesn't even love Mr. Meyer,” one of the maids stated as they all gathered briefly to gossip. “What?! Such a gorgeous man? How is that even pos
“How much did you tell her?” Irina sat by her bedside as one of the maids in the mansion oiled her legs smoothly and gave them a soft massage, her posture rigid and her eyes sharp as she scrutinized Audrey. “I told her nothing. I swear,” Audrey, who had been standing before her for what felt like hours after she sent for her, gave a response, her cowering eyes twitching under the weight of her mother-in-law’s scrutiny. Irina's lips curled into a tight sneer, her eyebrows arching high so contemptuously, “How am I supposed to believe you?” her tone dripped with condescension and suppressed disdain. “I promise I didn't,” Audrey raised her eyes to meet Irina's in a convincing way, even if she knew there was no way to move the frigid woman's heart if she chose not to believe her. Irina's eyes narrowed doubtfully, and she tilted her head slightly, studying Audrey with a critical gaze, “You both were seen together in the kitchen, and she talked over your shoulders,” her voice was grave
Zoe drove down the sloppy, lonely road, through the beautiful sea that seemed to bring some kind of happiness that she couldn't quite describe. The beautiful sight of the water made it feel like she could breathe without being under the scrutiny of anyone she knew at that moment, as she moved along the road leading into the small countryside town where she was led to by what was mentioned on the news Martin showed her. She stepped out of the car, her eyes scanning the old, quaint houses that were around, nestled between rolling hills and vast fields of wildflowers. Cobblestone streets meandered through the town, flanked by charming cottages with ivy-clad walls and neatly trimmed gardens arranged in vibrant blooms.The town seemed eerily quiet with quite a few shops along the main street, barely with any customers, the smell of newly baked bread waffling from the small bakery which stood in an open space, while the local café which was a few feet away, seemed to have a few people seat
Tired of spacing out and getting roped into more confusion, Zoe made her way back to the large oak tree that had stood at the entrance of the town, and parked her car a few miles away from it. She slumped against its sturdy trunk that had been made into a fine chair, and stared at the patchwork of fields and meadows that were around where she sat, as the scent of wildflowers and fresh hay filled the air, mingling with the distant, earthy aroma of tilled soil. As she gazed out at the peaceful landscape, trying to enjoy the sight that she was looking at, the silence around felt so heavy upon her, reminding her that she might have been plunged into an illusion that had been created in her head just because of some cheesy news. Zoe struggled to focus on the beauty of what she could see and not the pain that had settled in her heart, as she brought out one of the breads she had purchased a few hours ago, and began to eat the cold dough. Sighing wearily and heavily the more she thoug
Malcolm had been unable to come to terms with the fact that Zoe had asked to stay separately, and it had been eating him up in sadness even if he didn't show it. It was so unexpected that it was the first thing she requested after she returned home, which to him was a way of severing the smallest tie they had with one another. He thought of how cold and lifeless his room would be once again without her, even if he had loved his space in the past without any disruptions in the order of things. But now, he loved sharing his space with her more than not doing that. His mind had been trying to piece together the puzzle of her sudden coldness and distancing, which had him wondering where she had gone to, and what she had gone to do. The thought of saying yes to her gnawed at him as a persistent and painful thought, and saying ‘No’ to her wasn't even a choice, because he was now learning to respect her decisions and wants, regardless of how inconvenient it was. ‘What could she be up to
It had been a few days since Zoe returned to work and started coming home, and things had slightly changed as preferred by her. She had a new room across Malcolm's perfectly decorated and set up to her taste, and the only maid that was permitted to come to their lounge area was Erin, and the newest one, Hailey, which made others oblivious of the room split between the two. However, Malcolm made it a routine to go and visit Zoe at her office after work, even though she ended up giving him a few excuses regarding work as to why she couldn't spend more than a few minutes with him. And as for Martin, they had been unable to meet since the last time, because he had been busy shooting his restaurant promotional commercial. Retrieving the card and other documents which she had taken a picture of inside Irina's safe had been her utmost goal in the house again, but it was almost impossible because getting into Irina's room without her being there was more difficult than before, and it seemed
The gleaming marble floors of the high-end shopping mall echoed with the clicking of designer heels of different sophisticated and alluring wealthy ladies, who moved from one luxurious store to another searching for the perfection they all sought. The air was permeated with the whiff of different expensive and luxurious cologne, and the huge neon-lighted banner was intricately designed to highlight the exclusivity of each boutique they entered. Amid the opulence of the mall, a lady was seen trudging behind her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, her arms laden with countless shopping bags as she struggled to keep up with them. “Hold these properly for goodness’ sake! Is it so difficult to do?!” Irina snapped in anger as soon as she turned behind her to see Audrey slacking off, her voice laced with disdain, “And do not drag your feet like a filthy maid!” She spat. “Tsk,” Ivy rolled her eyes spitefully, her rosy red lips curving to a sneer, “Such a dummy!” She hissed and began to wa
Audrey's days at the Meyers mansion had become harder than they had ever been in her entire life, and she soon realized the pain of having to be treated like a piece of trash by the family. She had to get up from her bed as early as 4:00 AM to begin to cook three-course dishes for everyone, and she had to complete each variety before 7:30 AM, when everyone would come out to eat breakfast. She worked tirelessly every morning, the clock ticking mercilessly forward. It became worse because it was hard to keep up with the unnecessary meals that would end up wasted that she had to cook, and Isla, who had been away from home for about two weeks, suddenly returned, making her work more hectic. Every time in the dining hall where she stood to confirm if everyone was satisfied with what they got, she would watch Zoe walk into the dining room, take her seat, and barely eat much from whatever was served for the day without complaints before turning to leave. And, she never met her eyes no
“How did it feel to see her?” Malcolm, whose eyes were already shutting in weariness brightened at the mention of Zoe, saying she met her mother. “To be honest, I was so glad. I was exhilarated because it felt so surreal to know I still have a family,” a small smile graced her lips as she spoke of it, “She doesn't know yet, but I like seeing her every time. She is a gorgeous woman. Full of dreams, and beautiful. Fun fact, we have similar eyes,” she was so excited to talk about Jasmine to someone. Turning to look at her, Malcolm stared into her eyes with a smile, “Really?”“Yes. She is stunning,” her lips widened in a deeper grin. His heart, suddenly hurting at the thought of his mother again, Malcolm was curious, “You don't resent all the times you spent away from her? Or her?”“If I say I don't, I lie,” a soft sigh escaped Zoe, as she looked up at the beautiful chandelier that was sitting up on the ceiling of the living room, while staring at it dreamily like a new kind of attra
Ding dong! The shrill chime of the doorbell outside the door instantly cut through Jasmine's thoughts and her back to the present from her room. For a moment, she couldn’t move. Her body remained frozen as if her brain had paused, and her heart, hammered. It was when her phone which was by her side sounded with a loud notification, that she fully kicked out of the reset mode her mind had gone into. She grabbed the phone so languidly as if something was sucking life out of her. A message notification from Justine flashed through her face when she swiped the screen up, and it read, ‘I’m outside. Please come get me.’ Turning on the lights in the room, Jasmine rose to her feet and hurried out of her room with light steps, careful not to wake Raine up. When she opened the front door of the house, a silent gasp escaped her as soon as she saw her. Justine was looking like life had chewed her up and spit her out. Her eyes were red with weariness and swollen with tears, and her sho
The bedroom showed no sign of life because the lights there were off, but someone was sitting by the window side, staring out into her uninteresting compound, while lost in thoughts. She sat at the edge of her armchair with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. The air around her felt so thick with tension, and it felt too heavy to pull into her lungs, because it was constricted with pain. It had been almost two hours since Zoe left, but Jasmine’s heart had not known rest because of what she said. The most shocking part of her life was all exposed in just one evening, and she was still trying so hard to process it. Her truths were wrapped in so much pain.She had been trying to keep up with the chaos inside her head, but it was as if Zoe's pain now lived in her lungs.‘She was married?’ Jasmine could not get her mind off that part, because that piece of information was not included in her public biography. There was no news about it. ‘If she was
Zoe adjusted the face cap she was wearing and bent her head, her eyes boring deep into the floor as she entered into the elevator with Malcolm. It was when they entered and the doors shut, that she thought to herself that it would have been better if he had gone up first. ‘What could be worse than the tip-off of where she was staying the night? Meeting up with Malcolm Meyer in his private penthouse? It would look too good on paper. The speculations would be terrifying and suffocating!’“You can remove the cap now,” Malcolm told her as soon as they reached the penthouse of the forty-five floored building, and stepped out of the elevator. “Okay,” she muttered, even if she didn't pull it off immediately. She was still a little bothered that someone might see them. The penthouse was quiet when Zoe stepped in after Malcolm opened the door, and it was the kind of stifling silence that made her heartbeat echo in her own ears. And maybe somehow, because she had seen what his house looked
“Those two must have been planning it since! They must have!” Irina’s flare cut through his thoughts, as she gritted her teeth hard, “I have never even thought of her ever coming back. Mill assured her everything was over, and that she would never have reasons to return anymore!” Her heart continued to beat fast, as a raging headache began to rise within her head. She had been having that for days now, and it had just worsened. “This was his silent comeback?” A bitter scowl escaped her, as she sucked in a shaky breath of fury before taking her seat as she shut her eyes tight because of the terrible headache. “No wonder that bastard wasn't saying anything and just watched us run things behind him. He was planning to bring his mother back to the company,” Irina groaned. “Then we should tell the board. This might change their minds,” Andre blurted out without even thinking. “You stupid fool!” Irina cursed under her trembling breath, “What has that got to do with the shareholders?
Back at the Meyers mansion, the moment of peace shattered the moment the front doors burst open, and Irina stormed into the mansion like a hurricane still pompously dressed in her extravagant ball dress.Her hair was still perfectly curled, but her face, which was shining so beautifully, was scrunched up in anger that made the maids scatter as soon as they saw her coming. They hadn't expected to see her so early and had rejoiced endlessly since the plan was to be gone for five days on a nice trip. It made them so disappointed.“Where is my son?!” she barked, tossing her coat and purse aside as she turned to the terrified ones that remained. One of the maids that worked directly with her hurried forward, as she looked to the floor instantly, “Ma’am, Master Andre is in the….”Irina didn’t wait to hear the rest as she stormed past the lady, only for her heels to hit the huge vase along where she passed, causing her to stumble. However, she was fast enough to catch herself against a gil
Driving away from Jasmine’s beautiful and peaceful neighborhood, Zoe struggled to breathe behind the steering wheel of her car. Her entire body was trembling and she was so tensed up, because of the heated encounter she had with her minutes ago, and she had not yet regained herself even after the short discussion she had with Raine. She didn't even understand why she had ranted uncontrollably and talked about her entire life in just a few minutes. She had screamed about her past, pain, and everything she had buried under fine clothing, and business smiles to no one else but her mother. Of course, in the most bitter way ever. ‘Goodness!’ Zoe screamed in her head, mortified that even if she wanted her to see the good side of her, she had failed. Her hands struggled to steady behind the steering wheel as she drove and gripped it so tightly as if it would help her calm herself down, her breath coming in shallow draws. She was confused. ‘Should she call Jasmine back and apologize for
A bitter smile curved Zoe’s lips, “I am sorry I have made you uncomfortable all this while. To be honest, I just really want somewhere to feel at home,” she shrugged slightly as if it was nothing, even if she was crumbling within her. “Growing up with my granny, I had a very rough life. Was bullied endlessly because I had no Mum, and was dirt poor. I worked my ass trying to get an education, but it didn't pay off because I had too many debts. Then an old man my granny knew agreed to take away my debt if I got married, so I did, hoping to escape my lowly, but it was way worse. I suffered a lot,” Zoe began to recount everything that she had been wanting to let out, at least to the very woman she desperately wanted to tell the truth to. She wanted her to know that even if Emily had been her biological Mum, she had a trashy life in the past either way. She had never truly had a family. “You.. you've been married?” Jasmine's incoherent words stumbled out of her trembling lips, as she st
“What do you mean?” Jasmine, who had been pretending not to listen to their conversation almost asked, her eyes widening in shock at what Zoe had just revealed.But Raine took the words right out of her lips before she could say it. “What? Really?” Her eyes sparked up in curiosity.Zoe shrugged lightly, as if trying to make the conversation as natural as possible, “She told me she is not my Mum.”“How?” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “You were adopted?!” Her voice rose in speculation. “No,” Zoe laughed.More confusion crossed Raine's features, making her more puzzled than the last, “Then how? She picked you up?” “Maybe because she has lost her mind or something. She rambles on these days. That was when she told me,” she mumbled. “Lost her mind?” Raine's voice lowered in pity. “Yeah. She did pretty bad things, and I guess maybe that is her reward. She doesn't even recognize me,” Zoe laughed like it was some bad joke. Genuinely, Raine's eyes lowered in worry, as she questione