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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
Sinking at the edge of her bed, her hand trembling with the phone she held in her hand, tears streamed down Audrey's cheeks, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she buried her face downward. It was two days after she had accompanied Irina and Ivy to the spa, and nothing had gotten better ever since that time. The transfer of aggression multiplied and got worse, which had the clueless maids gossiping about what was going on. Audrey had never felt so alone, and utterly desperate in her life as she sat in the melancholic darkness of her room, sobbing endlessly and uncontrollably. Her son had asked her what happened and why she was suddenly being treated in such a poor manner by his grandmother, but she was unable to give him answers. Every moment, she could hear the gossip of her flying around the mansion, as she had now become a laughingstock among them. She decided to make up her mind. ‘She would rather become a slave to someone else.’ Audrey stared at the screen of her phone
The silence in the room was heavy, almost suffocating as Audrey waited, her heart pounding with each passing second as her eyes continued to dart to the doors nonstop, while awaiting Zoe's arrival. She had practiced in her head over and over how she would act if Zoe came in, and the words she would put together to show how sorry she was for being so mean, and avoiding her like a plague for the past weeks. When the doors to the room finally opened, having waited for a long time, her breath hitched in trepidation, as her eyes caught a wind of Zoe stepping into the room so elegantly. Instantly, she sank to her knees, the pain of having to put up with so much hatred and pain in the Meyers home, driving her even more, “I am so sorry, Zoe,” she choked out, her voice trembling with emotion. Tears had begun to trickle down her cheeks as her vision blurred while looking at Zoe, who was still startled by her sudden breakdown, “I am sorry for everything I have ever done to you Zoe. Everythin
“Oh, you think you can give me anything I want?” She had shot a mocking look at him, and laughed hysterically the moment, each intensifying by each passing minute causing Andre to stiffen in anger the more even if he struggled to hold himself while clinging tightly to the suit he was wearing. “Giving me what I want is not something you can do, Andre Meyer,” she suddenly got angry.“Then why are you threatening me?!” He demanded, unable to suppress what he was feeling, “You must want something, don't you?” Isla sighed dramatically, as if expecting him to ask her that, as she leaned back tiredly, “I would not have come this far if Mum treated both of us equally anyway,” she spoke calmly as if trying to savor the intensity of her words, “But seeing you paranoid makes me happy,” she chuckled. “You are evil!” He blurted lividly. “Is that so?” She laughed, as she suddenly began to waltz carefully around the room, her fingers brushing through the tip of everything unnecessary, “I want
Still lost in thought back at RINASHONE gallery, Isla's lips curled into a slow, wicked smile as the echoes of that delicious moment replayed like a favorite melody, the moment blood drained from her brother's face when she mentioned his nemesis. “Yes, you bloodthirsty fool! You murdered your wife, and just had to ruin my plans, did you not? Or do I have to remind you?!” she had yelled at his face. ‘Oh, how she wished she had captured his expression on camera. The way he went pale, and struggled to pretend like he didn't understand what she was saying. The delight he had given her when she taunted him more after sensing the quick, almost imperceptible stiffening of his shoulders.’She loved how her unexpected accusation had struck him like a whip, and how he blinked rapidly, his throat working as he tried to force a denial past his dry lips, as if he had misheard. His entirety had trembled with the shock of his life, and his eyes widened astonishingly, when he struggled to hide th
Meanwhile, at the MEL-CO headquarters company that morning, every worker scrambled quietly to get to the main building to clock in for the day with their employee’s card, where they could stuff themselves into the elevator and get to their respective offices before their working hours for the day would begin. Inside the private elevator which led instantly to the CEO's office was Malcolm standing without a word, and beside him was Edward, who was shuffling through a neatly organized tablet of notes, completely unaware of the storm awaiting them as the elevator went up with the speed of light. Reaching the top floor of the office building, the elevator doors slid open with a quiet dinger, and Malcolm stepped out, his polished leather shoes blending with a silent click against the marble floor. He was dressed in an impeccable dark navy blue suit, which perfectly complemented the crisp white shirt beneath, and the black tie that knotted his neck. Expecting to see the usual bustling
Amid the hubbub that had filled the city’s media outlets, Isla sat in her office, with her legs crossed elegantly behind her desk. Her lips were curved in a satisfied smirk, as she sipped delicately from the porcelain mug filled with tea that was hanging between her fingers. She drew deep breaths in and out as she closed her eyes to savor the rich aroma of the tea incessantly before each sip, with her eyes glistening in the amusement of the exciting news that filled her ears that morning. The huge television that was always buried within the walls of her office and had always just served for aesthetics, played out its first purpose of displaying the scandal regarding the person, whose downfall she wished for desperately. Her lips curled in a derisive, wicked grin, as she muttered, “So many people want her ruined too,” Isla thought with delight, “It is not just me. How poetic,” she tilted her head as the anchor’s voice droned on about the chaos at the mall. To her, it sounde
Jasmine drove her car along the quite busy street that led to her flower shop in the morning after dropping Raine off at school, while tapping her fingers on the steering wheel absentmindedly, her thoughts still muddled from a restless and sleepless night. She didn't sleep well the entire night. She had too many worries buzzing around in her head, even if no one could tell just by looking at her merely. She looked as radiant as ever, her auburn hair loosely tied into a bun, and lips a perfect curve in the usual alluring manner. The tires of her car glided right across the front of her shop, and she pulled up outside it, the brakes letting out a faint squeak as the car staggered a few miles to the back before it finally came to a halt.Turning to the back to grab her bag from the passenger’s seat, she stepped out of her car and waited a few seconds before shutting the door behind her, as a brief weariness weighed against her heart.Jasmine drew in a deep, sharp breath and shut her ey
The drive to the mall had been a lot for Zoe, who was driving with the intensity that she wanted to solve what was going on in her company, only to be rammed with a memory she wanted to be very sure wasn't hers. She tried to block the absurd drunken memory that flashed through her mind out of her head as she drove and switched lanes aggressively, while jerking her steering wheel left and right. All through her drive, she was calling back a few of those who had called her incessantly to give them an order about what to do. “Come up with the fastest way to mitigate the effect of being sued by the victims, before we get to the bottom of this,” she informed the legal team. “Secure the footage for the past two weeks at the food storage and distribution centers, with the past few days in focus. Contact the heads and receive their logs for the past few days instantly, so that we can know what distribution unit brought it to the mall,” she told Hepzy, her general manager, whom she was sure
“What happened?” Zoe questioned, her voice calm and collected, even if her head was already conjuring up the worst case scenarios. “One of our food products….” Zara exhaled sharply, her head spinning with worry, “It landed three children from different homes in the hospital yesterday night. Severe food poisoning. A mother went public about it, and now it is everywhere on social media, and news outlets. The two other moms joined in too, and now it is a crazy business. The mall is being dragged through the dirt, and people are canceling their orders. Many people are saying a lot of trash, and calling for a boycott. It is crazy!” She narrated without taking a breath. Zoe's head almost tumbled hearing that, but she remained composed regardless, “Which store?”“The gourmet section. It is the new frozen chicken which was just added to the line. They said they all had it for dinner yesterday night, and that was the food they had in common. I truly hope that there will be no more casualtie
The morning sunlight filtered through the floor-length curtains of the living room which were usually barely opened, with its mild rays radiating heat against the body of the lady that was sprawled on the couch, her tightly shut eyes squinting endlessly. Unable to cope with the intensity of the sunrays, Zoe tried to turn to the other side the way she usually did on her bed, when her other hand suddenly landed on an open space causing her heart and eyes to jump open at the same time. ‘Shit. Where was she?’ she wondered, as her eyes which were initially struggling to open parted instantly from the shock that she landed on the floor from the chair. ‘She was sleeping in her living room and not her room?’ Zoe panicked, as she pulled her body up instantly, and looked around, wondering if it was truly morning already. ‘How long did she sleep?’ she wondered, her eyes scanning around as if she could tell just by that. She could tell from how she was feeling in her body that she slept a lot
“You know her?” Jasmine asked reflexively, before she shook her head, realizing what a weird question she asked, “I guess she is so popular that you even know her,” She shook her head again, “It is no news if a child born today knows her.” “Ye…es. Yes. Yes, I do,” Justine answered, almost stuttering, her voice and gaze a little distant as if she was getting lost in the thoughts of something else. Her face suddenly stiffened in a more deepened shock. “She is. She is somehow the daughter of my first love, and friend who betrayed me so terribly. It is crazy how life turns out,” she continued to rant endlessly, deeply bitter because she just couldn't help but wonder how. She ran a thumb along the rim of her glass, staring at the city as if the answers were out there somewhere, and continued to speak, “And I know that it is not the child's fault that all this happened, but I cannot help but be resentful,” she paused again, her head spinning. “Sometimes I get sentimental, which is