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
“Mrs. Hamilton! Mrs. Hamilton. Are you okay?” Were the voices that went off in the air as a group of maids began to run in one direction, their anxiety and fear amplifying by each second. Irina, who was pale and visibly in pain, was being carefully carried on the back out of her private quarters by one of the maids, while another one fanned her, trying to keep her calm.“Please hang on,” another muttered, as they ran as fast as they could, knowing nothing could go wrong on their duty. “There are rashes on her face, and it is increasing! What do we do?” The one fanning her cried in fear, as she pointed to the red, visible bumps beginning to swell on her skin. "Get the antihistamines! Now! And get a call across to Dr. Felix!” Cordelia, who got to the scene in less than three minutes from being informed of where she was coming from, barked out orders authoritatively, her voice laced with urgency. The other maids scattered instantly, some rushing to the medical cabinet, others fumblin
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Audrey, who had been singing while preparing to cook lunch, moved to the other side of the kitchen the moment Zoe entered. “No,” Zoe didn't turn to look at her, as she walked to the refrigerator to grab a life lobster, and casually placed it on the kitchen countertop. “Goodness. She must have changed the layout of her room, and hidden it somewhere else. Do you want to try again?” She walked casually to where the gas cooker was to place a pot on it, and turned on the fire. “I will just have to get in another time, and end this once and for all,” Zoe mumbled without moving her lips. “What?” Audrey didn't hear her properly. “Nothing,” she responded, “I probably don't need it again.” “What were you looking for though?” Audrey began to sprinkle diced onions into the already sizzling oil she had added to the pot, as she did a little dance. “Audrey?” Zoe suddenly called, her attention still on the lobster that she had begun to cut carefully
A stunned silence followed as Zoe's words hung heavily in the air, and Audrey’s face went pale, her mouth falling open as if to speak, but no words came out, her eyes filled with confusion and fear, “Lost your memories?” she finally managed to whisper, her voice trembling.“Yes,” Zoe's answer was firm, willing to take the risk of telling her, if it meant finding out the truth. With confusion spiraling in her mind, Audrey freed her collar from Zoe's grip and walked away from her, as she intentionally threw one of the bowls of peppers that she was using to cook on the floor. She got down behind the counters immediately with the aim of packing them, and whispered, “Wait for me in the garden. Someone will be looking at the cameras in the kitchen.”Overwhelmed by what she had just heard after Zoe left, Audrey let out a soft gasp as she continued to pick up the peppers, while trying to process her words again and again. She quivered with shock, her eyes darting around the room as if searc
“What is wrong, Audrey?!” Zoe tapped her as she jolted her out of her deep thoughts, the moment Zoe shook her by the shoulder. “Yes,” she breathed out. “You seem lost.” Taking a deep breath, Audrey began to speak, her voice low but urgent, “I know you don't remember much about your past, Zoe, but I will tell you the little I can right now,” She hesitated, as if gathering the courage to continue, “This family... they weren't always kind to you. In fact, they were downright cruel.” “What do you mean?” Zoe's voice was barely above a whisper. Audrey looked away for a moment as the muscles along her jawline clenched, before she turned back with a fierce and resolute expression, “Everyone has hidden a lot from you, Zoe. Everyone! And that is all of us, including Malcolm, and your grandfather,” she pursed her lips, as if under pressure. “The way they treated you... it was horrible, Zoe. They belittled you so much, made you feel like you weren't worthy of being here, blamed you for 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
Malcolm's face turned pale as soon as she heard her question, and cats got his tongue so bad because he had not even expected her to ask on such a serious note. Words suddenly eluded him and his mind became a blank mark. “I just had to ask you know,” She let out a breathy, humorless laugher, the wine making her bold, or maybe just honest, “I mean my life is still pathetic even if I am rich, and I still cannot be happy. You would never even be happy with me. Just like we never were,” she smiled. Malcolm's heart sank the moment she said that, and his eyes, dark and weighted with things he never said, locked onto hers.“Find another woman,” she murmured as if compelling him, “One you don’t have to share so much guilt with, and have to atone to, for the rest of your life. And maybe I might find someone too someday. Someone I don’t have a love-hate relationship and very bad memories with.” “Love-hate?” Malcolm echoed, his voice less composed, or quiet now, his confusion betraying his co
The balcony doors of the Grand MEL-CO suite were open on the fifteenth floor to the cool night breeze, which carried the faintest scent of the sea not too far away from the beautiful view. Seated there comfortably were two dear friends, who took the evening to meet up and get lost in the reverie of the moment while sharing how their days had gone without seeing one another. A glass of whiskey sat between the fingers of Justine, a stunning woman at forty-nine with beautiful striking features, as she leaned back against the cushioned chair she was sitting on, with two of her legs stretched out to the front, while delicately swirling the stem of her half-empty wine glass. A long, satisfied sigh escaped her, as she stretched her arms overhead, her eyes glistening with admiration of the beautiful sight before her. “You have no idea how much I needed that spa today,” she mused, tilting her head toward her friend, “I swear, Jasmine, it was divine. You would have loved it.” She sighed d