Davina’s POVI was too tired.Not the kind of tiredness that a nap could fix. The kind that sat in your bones and made everything feel like too much. I made it through most of the board meeting just nodding and scribbling in my notebook even though nothing I wrote made sense. I think I made one or two useful comments. Maybe not. No one said anything.When it finally ended, I walked out slowly. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I didn’t stop by my office. I just went straight to the elevator, took it down, and sat in the backseat of the car.Tim wasn’t with me. He had gone to some off-site review I didn’t remember agreeing to. I didn’t even ask the driver where we were going. I just told him to drive around for a while. No destination. Just… away from the building.I sat there in silence for a long time, phone in my hand, screen black. I didn’t turn it on. I didn’t want to read another message or calendar reminder or missed call.I rested a hand on my belly. There was a small kick. Then
DavinaI arrived at home and was perplexed by the oddity of the at, manosphere. I checked the time, it was a little past six. The house is usually bubbly by this time. I took a pause before making my way to the dining room. Mother and father are nowhere to be seen. “Hi miss,” a maid passing by greeted. “Would you like anything to eat?” “No, thank you” She replied with an ‘okay’ and moved to go about her job but I called her back. “Hey, are my parents in?”She turned to face me completely. “Your target stepped out a while ago but your mother is in her room.” “Okay, thank you.” I flashed her a small smile. I made my way to the staircase but paused. Am I sure I want to do this? Can I really put my fear aside and let her in? I continued and soon arrived at the entrance of her room. I raised my hand to knock but stopped. It just occurred to me that I have never been here. I have never seen the inside of my parent’s room. I took a shaky deep breath before knocking. There was no
DavinaWe just sat there for a while. Her arms were around me. My head was on her chest. Neither of us said anything, but it didn’t feel weird. It felt okay. Like silence wasn’t something we had to fix.I wasn’t thinking about the office. Or the emails I hadn’t read. Or the meetings I’d probably have to reschedule. I wasn’t even thinking about Sebastian. Or the company. Or the weight I usually carried on my back every day.I was just there.With her.I had things I could’ve said. A thousand questions are buried deep. Stories I had stuffed so far down that I didn’t even know where they began anymore. But I didn’t open my mouth. I didn’t ask. I didn’t explain.I just let myself be held.And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to fill the silence with something smart or useful. I let her be a mother. I let myself be a daughter.A soft knock broke it.Then the door creaked open.“Rose?” Father’s voice. Softer than usual. Careful.I turned a little, lifting my head.
DavinaI stood up and was ready to retire to my room for the night when Mother called me back. “Stasha,” she called softly, “come watch a movie with us.”I turned halfway down the stairs, confused for a moment. “A movie?”She nodded, walking toward the hallway that led to the theater room like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Yes. You can spare two hours, right?”My first instinct was to make an excuse. I was tired. My brain was full. I needed to breathe. But the way she said it—like she actually wanted me there—made me pause. The fact that I also wanted to go there also made me hesitate. My father walked past me with a small nod, following her. “It’s been a while since we had family movie night,” he said.Family movie night? I almost laughed. I didn’t remember ever having one. Not with them, anyway. But maybe that was the point. Maybe we were starting fresh. Or maybe they were just trying and this was the only thing they could think of.I found myself stepping down fro
Davina pov Sitting in the restaurant with my family and my husband's family, I couldn't help but notice one person who had made it her life's mission to make my existence miserable—Courtney, my sister.Courtney had finished her education and had now returned.My husband, Sebastian, and my sister were eating and laughing, discussing things as if it were their first date, while I sat there, feeling like a third wheel—even though it was supposed to be a family dinner. I sat across the table, watching the scene unfold as I gently rubbed my small belly, which held the unborn child I had recently discovered I was carrying. This was supposed to be a family gathering, but as usual, I felt like an outsider. None of them even noticed that I wasn't eating, as they were all too busy listening to whatever it was Courtney was saying to my husband. I watched Sebastian gaze at Courtney with so much longing as she passed him the salad bowl. His first love had returned, and I was left
Davina Courtney stood up to make her announcement, and the room fell silent as everyone waited for her to speak. "So, I just want to share with you all... I'm two weeks pregnant," she said, a smile spreading across her face. Everyone’s mouths dropped open, and confused glances were exchanged as they tried to process her words. "Then who is the father of the child?" I asked, breaking the silence in a mix of curiosity and disbelief. Courtney smiled before answering. "Sebastian is the father." My eyes widened in shock at her statement. "What?!" I exclaimed, standing up in disbelief as I tried to process what I had just heard. Everyone turned to look at me—Sebastian remained silent, and Courtney wore a smug smirk. “Davina, sit down. You’re embarrassing us,” my mother hissed, glancing nervously around the restaurant. All eyes were on our table now. I turned to her, fuming. “I’m embarrassing you? Not your whore of a daughter, who slept with my hu
Davina’s povI sat in the cold, dimly lit cell, replaying the events at the restaurant in my mind. How had it come to this? Ending up in jail was the last thing I ever expected. Why did the woman I once called "Mother" hate me so much? The question burned in my mind as I leaned back against the wall, letting the memories drag me to a time when I was just a child. ---I was in a grand living room, the kind of place you’d see in magazines. My eyes wandered over the ornate furniture and glimmering chandelier, but none of it felt familiar. In truth, nothing did—not the house, not the people, not even myself. All I remembered was waking up in a hospital bed with a man and a woman watching me nervously. Now, here I was in their home, sipping on a juice box the woman had handed me. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said gently, her voice warm but cautious. She watched me as if I might break at any moment. “Hi,” I mumbled, taking another sip. “Do you remember anything? What happened to you?”
Davina's POVI blinked in confusion, staring up at the guard. A lawyer? My pulse quickened. I wasn’t expecting anyone—certainly not so soon. Slowly, I stood, my boots echoing against the concrete floor as I followed him out of the murky cell block. As we stepped into the hallway, my gaze landed on a young man in a sharp navy suit. He stood tall, exuding quiet confidence. His dark eyes locked on mine, and he offered a faint but reassuring smile. “Mrs. Campbell?” he asked, his voice calm and steady. I nodded, too stunned to speak. “I’m Cole Daniels,” he said, extending a hand. “Your lawyer.” I hesitated before shaking it. His grip was firm, his hand warm against my freezing skin. “Who… who called you?” I managed, my voice unsteady. He gestured for me to follow him down the corridor. “Your assistant, Jane. She’s worried about you and thought I could help.” Jane. A wave of emotion surged through me, tightening my throat. Despite everything, she still believed in me. I no
DavinaI stood up and was ready to retire to my room for the night when Mother called me back. “Stasha,” she called softly, “come watch a movie with us.”I turned halfway down the stairs, confused for a moment. “A movie?”She nodded, walking toward the hallway that led to the theater room like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Yes. You can spare two hours, right?”My first instinct was to make an excuse. I was tired. My brain was full. I needed to breathe. But the way she said it—like she actually wanted me there—made me pause. The fact that I also wanted to go there also made me hesitate. My father walked past me with a small nod, following her. “It’s been a while since we had family movie night,” he said.Family movie night? I almost laughed. I didn’t remember ever having one. Not with them, anyway. But maybe that was the point. Maybe we were starting fresh. Or maybe they were just trying and this was the only thing they could think of.I found myself stepping down fro
DavinaWe just sat there for a while. Her arms were around me. My head was on her chest. Neither of us said anything, but it didn’t feel weird. It felt okay. Like silence wasn’t something we had to fix.I wasn’t thinking about the office. Or the emails I hadn’t read. Or the meetings I’d probably have to reschedule. I wasn’t even thinking about Sebastian. Or the company. Or the weight I usually carried on my back every day.I was just there.With her.I had things I could’ve said. A thousand questions are buried deep. Stories I had stuffed so far down that I didn’t even know where they began anymore. But I didn’t open my mouth. I didn’t ask. I didn’t explain.I just let myself be held.And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I had to fill the silence with something smart or useful. I let her be a mother. I let myself be a daughter.A soft knock broke it.Then the door creaked open.“Rose?” Father’s voice. Softer than usual. Careful.I turned a little, lifting my head.
DavinaI arrived at home and was perplexed by the oddity of the at, manosphere. I checked the time, it was a little past six. The house is usually bubbly by this time. I took a pause before making my way to the dining room. Mother and father are nowhere to be seen. “Hi miss,” a maid passing by greeted. “Would you like anything to eat?” “No, thank you” She replied with an ‘okay’ and moved to go about her job but I called her back. “Hey, are my parents in?”She turned to face me completely. “Your target stepped out a while ago but your mother is in her room.” “Okay, thank you.” I flashed her a small smile. I made my way to the staircase but paused. Am I sure I want to do this? Can I really put my fear aside and let her in? I continued and soon arrived at the entrance of her room. I raised my hand to knock but stopped. It just occurred to me that I have never been here. I have never seen the inside of my parent’s room. I took a shaky deep breath before knocking. There was no
Davina’s POVI was too tired.Not the kind of tiredness that a nap could fix. The kind that sat in your bones and made everything feel like too much. I made it through most of the board meeting just nodding and scribbling in my notebook even though nothing I wrote made sense. I think I made one or two useful comments. Maybe not. No one said anything.When it finally ended, I walked out slowly. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. I didn’t stop by my office. I just went straight to the elevator, took it down, and sat in the backseat of the car.Tim wasn’t with me. He had gone to some off-site review I didn’t remember agreeing to. I didn’t even ask the driver where we were going. I just told him to drive around for a while. No destination. Just… away from the building.I sat there in silence for a long time, phone in my hand, screen black. I didn’t turn it on. I didn’t want to read another message or calendar reminder or missed call.I rested a hand on my belly. There was a small kick. Then
DavinaThe days blurred together after a while.Wake up. Stretch a little. Do some light exercise even though I hated every second of it now. Shower. Get dressed. Eat breakfast—something plain. Usually toast or fruit. I didn’t care much about taste anymore, just routine. Then straight to work.That was it. Every day. Over and over.I kept thinking it would get easier. It didn’t. I just got better at not reacting.Somewhere in between, I stopped trying to mark time. But the calendar kept moving anyway. And now, somehow, I was seven months in. Seven months pregnant. I was already used to it except a certain level of fear lingered at the back of my mind. People stared a little more now. Not in a bad way-except the people at the office of course-just in that polite, curious way people look when a woman walks into a room obviously pregnant and still in heels.A few colleagues had started offering to carry things for me or telling me to sit more. I appreciated it. I just never said thank y
Davina’s POVI woke up with a headache I couldn’t really explain. Not sharp or painful, just there. A reminder that sleep hadn’t done what it was supposed to. I stared at the ceiling for a while, not thinking about anything specific. Eventually, I sat up. There wasn’t a reason to stay in bed.Routine helped. I changed into workout clothes and moved around a bit. Nothing serious. I just did enough to feel like I did something. After that, I showered, got dressed, and ended up standing in front of the mirror.I looked at myself for longer than I meant to. Not because anything was wrong—just because it felt like maybe something should be. Or maybe I was waiting for something to change. Nothing did.Downstairs, breakfast was already on the table. Mom moved around the kitchen like she always did. Dad was reading something. I sat down and ate in silence. No one said much. I didn’t offer anything. It felt fine that way.A car pulled up outside.“I’ll be back before dinner,” I said. I didn’t
DavinaI took out my phone and stared at that message again.I KNOW YOUR SECRET, STASHA CHAREZ.It had been two months, but the words hadn’t lost their weight. They sat heavy in the back of my mind like unfinished business. Like something rotting in the corner that you could ignore during the day but smell at night.He never followed up.Not a single call. Not a text. Nothing.Not even a coward’s attempt to apologize or explain.I had told him not to reach out again. I had said I didn’t want to see him. I had made it clear.But there was a difference between respecting someone’s boundaries and hiding behind them like a shield.And Alex? He hid.He didn’t own what he did. He didn’t even try.It was like he dropped a bomb and disappeared.So now, with the meeting coming up tomorrow, with his name reappearing all over the expansion files, with that stupid anonymous message still lodged in my head—I was unraveling, slowly and silently.I didn’t let it show, but I felt it.All day I’d been
DavinaI had barely made it to my desk when Tim knocked and pushed the door open slightly.“Ma’am,” he said, “it’s time for the meeting.”I glanced at the digital clock on my desk. Right on time.“Alright,” I said, standing up.He waited just outside the door as I collected the file I needed and walked past him without a word. He fell in step beside me like he always did. Nothing unusual about it.But inside, my head wasn’t as focused as it should have been.The meeting today was just a follow-up. Status updates from directors, new proposals, nothing too demanding. I had gone over the agenda last night and again this morning. Still, as we moved down the hallway, my mind drifted somewhere it hadn’t in a while.Alex.I hadn’t thought about him in days—weeks, maybe. Not deliberately. I didn’t let myself.But as I walked to that meeting, something about the silence in the hallway, or maybe just the weight of the day ahead, made him slip back into my mind.It wasn’t the usual thought eithe
Davina Tim was standing by the car when I walked out.He looked like he had just gotten out, probably about to come in and get me. When he saw me, he paused, gave a short nod, and opened the back door without saying anything.I got in without a word.He closed the door gently and got into the driver’s seat. The engine came on, and we pulled out of the driveway.The silence settled in almost immediately. Neither of us spoke.Tim wasn’t usually talkative, but this time the quiet felt different. Like he knew something was off and didn’t want to make it worse. Or maybe he didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know either, so I didn’t bother trying.I leaned my head back slightly, eyes on the moving scenery. My thoughts were jumbled. I didn’t want to think about last night, but it was hard not to. The look on Alex’s face. His voice at my door. That knock that wouldn’t stop. All of it sat heavy on my chest.I knew Tim knew. He had sent me the message. He figured it out. Which meant he knew exa