I lifted the phone to my ear, my fingers tightening around the device as a familiar voice slithered through the speaker. Courtney. Her laughter was light, airy, dripping with condescension, but it was the words that followed that sent a cold chill racing down my spine. "Why are you calling my husband at this hour, Davina?" she asked, her tone deceptively sweet. For a moment, I was stunned into silence. I swallowed back the sharp retort perched on my tongue and steadied my voice before responding. "Is Sebastian there or not? It is him I want to speak with, so hand over the phone to him," I said, keeping my tone as composed as possible. There was no need to show her how much her words rattled me. Courtney laughed again, but this time it was edged with cruelty. "How can you be so shameless and desperate, Davina? Chasing after my husband with calls? Haven't you humiliated yourself enough? Sebastian isn’t willing to talk to you. Fucking move on. There is no way
“Tell me you have signed the contract?” No greeting. No acknowledgment of the fact that I had nearly crashed into him. Just that one question, his eyes boring into mine. My fingers tightened around the folder as I glanced around the hallway. Too many ears. This wasn’t the place for what I had to say. “Can we speak somewhere private?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. Sebastian exhaled slowly, his patience already wearing thin. For a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then, with a tilt of his head, he gestured for me to follow him. I trailed behind him through the corridors. By the time we reached his office, my nerves were wound so tight I could hardly breathe. I didn't know why I always felt this way around him, but there was something about his aura that just made me feel... broken. Aside Jane, Sebastian was the only person I used to spend time with and discuss things that bothered me because my parents didn't give a fuck about me. I do
It had been three days since I signed the partnership deal, three days of trying to convince myself that I was ready to leave this city behind. And yet, as I stood in front of my bedroom mirror on, dressed in a simple navy-blue blouse and a pair of fitted jeans, I could feel the weight of hesitation pressing against my chest. My fingers trembled as I reached for my necklace, fastening it with a quiet click. I chose to go on a Saturday because I knew that Courtney and my ex mother-in-law won't be home. Courtney always visited our parents every Saturday and Sebastian's mother never missed he'd Saturday pilates class. This way, I could avoid the drama and keep my sanity. Today was the day. The day I would finally pack up my things from Sebastian’s house and leave—leave the memories, the pain, and everything that tied me to the Campbells. I took a deep breath and turned, only to see Jane stepping out of her room, she was fully dressed. I frowned, my brows pullin
The room fell into a suffocating silence as all eyes turned to me. Forks hovered mid-air, wine glasses paused at lips, and the gravity of their stares pressed against my soul like a slow-burning fire. Sebastian was the first to break the silence. "Davina?" His voice carried a note of disbelief. His brows knitted together as his gaze darted toward her mother sitting beside him. "What are you doing here?" I swallowed, forcing the lump in my throat down. I don't like reacting like this, but I couldn't help it. I was sweating. Lifting my chin slightly, I met his gaze head-on. "I didn’t realize there was an occasion. I’m just here to pack my things." My voice was steadier than I felt. Dean, one of Sebastian’s longtime friends, leaned back in his chair, a smirk curling at the corner of his lips. "Well, since you're here, you might as well join us. We're celebrating our partnership with Carpel Myles." Before I could even respond, a sharp, synchr
The moment the blade sliced through Courtney’s skin, a sharp gasp tore from my throat. My body froze, my mind struggling to comprehend what I had just witnessed. How can someone be so... uncouth. Blood beaded along the fresh wound, then dripped down her wrist, staining her dress. Courtney’s scream shattered the tense silence. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her wrist, her cries filling the room. Tears coursed down her pale cheeks, her breathing uneven as if she was drowning in her own distress. I took a hesitant step forward, my heart pounding. I didn't know how I was supposed to react. “Courtney—” Before I could get another word out, the door burst open. Sebastian stormed in first, followed by his mother, and my mother. His eyes darted to the trembling woman on the floor, and then—just as quickly—they snapped to me. “What did you do to my wife?” His voice was a low growl, brimming with barely contained fury. "What did you do to m
Davina The dim glow of the bar lights flickered over the polished counter, reflecting off half-empty glasses and the swirling haze of cigarette smoke. A low hum of music vibrated through the walls, blending with the murmur of conversation and occasional bursts of laughter. I traced the rim of my glass with my finger, watching the amber liquid slosh against the ice. It had been nearly two weeks since the divorce, and I had successfully severed all ties with Sebastian. No more biting remarks from my mother-in-law, no more suffocating expectations, no more pretending. I should have felt liberated, but the weight in my chest told me otherwise. The memories still clung to me, stubborn shadows that refused to fade. It'd take a while, Jane told me. She had practically shoved me out of her apartment tonight, insisting I needed a distraction. And so, here I was, sitting in a bar I hadn't stepped foot in since before my marriage. The atmosphere was strangely famili
Sebastian stood at the head of the grand conference hall as the room buzzed with hushed murmurs, employees exchanging glances, speculation thick in the air. Not that they didn't know what was happening, but did not expect it to be happening so fast. It had been just over two weeks since Davina was no longer a part of Campbell Enterprises—both as a wife and as the Managing Director. The void she left behind was undeniable, but now, a new chapter was unfolding. Courtney stood beside Sebastian, her posture poised, an air of silent confidence wrapped around her like an elegant shawl. She was striking—a deep emerald dress tailored to perfection, accentuating her slender frame. Sebastian lifted a hand, and the murmurs ceased instantly. "I want to thank you all for gathering here on such short notice," he began, his deep voice reverberating off the walls, filling every crevice of the vast room. "Change is never easy, but it is often necessary. As you all know,
Davina Going back to Campbell Enterprises after vowing to never step foot there again felt like stepping into a past I had tried to bury. I had told myself over and over that I was done, that I had no reason to care anymore. The company was no longer my responsibility. But knowing the business I had once poured my heart into was in danger made it impossible to walk away. That was my biggest achievement and watching it crumble just like? I inhaled deeply, steadying my nerves before pushing through the doors. I walked past the revolving doors, my heels clicking against the floor, and made my way toward the elevators but just as I reached the reception desk, a voice called out sharply. “Excuse me, miss!” I halted mid-step and turned. A woman I didn’t recognize stood behind the reception desk, her brows furrowed in disapproval. She was young, perhaps in her mid-twenties, with perfectly styled blonde hair and an air of self-importance. The nameplate on the desk read A
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