(Lydia)The shrill sound of the doorbell ringing punctured the peaceful quiet of my hotel room. I glanced at the wall clock. 11 p.m. Who could it possibly be?I pulled the blanket over my daughter’s back. Her sweet face glowed like an angel while she slept. Padding along the plush carpet, I peered through the peephole and felt my stomach churn.Sarah.I drew in a steadying breath, unbolted the door, and opened it a crack. “What do you want?” I exhaled in a harsh whisper.Sarah’s face was ashy white and her lips were drawn into a tight line. “Let me in!” she shrieked.She thrust herself against the door but I stood firm, blocking entry. “You need to leave. Now.” I said, quietly but firmly.A soft whimper came from the king-sized bed and my heart clenched. I couldn’t let this racket wake up my children. As I stepped aside to check on my daughter, Sarah took advantage of the distraction and brushed past me into the room.“Quiet. You’ll wake them up!” I hissed.“Is that … Thomas’s?” Sarah
(Lydia) “And after we’re done getting candy, we can then go to visit my house.” Thomas said. He stroked Miles’ chin and then cast me a look, seeking permission but all that I could feel was dread and overwhelm.What in the world was happening here?“Do you have a car?” Miles asked him.“Yes, I do,” Thomas replied.“Which one?” Mabel hopped up and down.“Well, let’s see. I have a Mercedes…”“A Mercedes!” Miles shrieked happily.“Mommy, can we go to see the Mercedes?” Mabel looked at me and Miles joined his sister. The twins gazed up at me expectantly, hope welled up in their eyes. Thomas’s eyes mirrored the same look.“No!” I snapped. And all three of their faces fell.I grasped Thomas by the arm and pulled him to the side. “What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered harshly.“Lydia, I’m just trying to get to know my kids.” Thomas reasonably explained.“They’re not you—”“Seriously? You expected me to believe that that boy,” he gestured towards Miles, “is not my son?”I didn’t thin
(Lydia)My jaw dropped when I stepped inside the mansion. I had been expecting that, after all these years, Sarah would have completely redecorated it. Or, perhaps, Thomas’s mother, at least. But the rotating crystal swan centerpiece that I had carefully selected and gotten installed inside the lobby was still glinting and shimmering in its spot. The wall-sized mirror with the gold rococo frame that I had hung up on the wall by the doorway had not been moved a single inch either.I turned towards the other side. The painting. Raphael. Thomas’s mother had never liked it. And yet it was still hung on the wall. I looked up at the ceiling. The golden chandelier. I took a step towards the corridor on the side. The tables. The décor. The candle-holders. I opened the door to the drawing room and let up a quiet exhale.The whole mansion, insofar as I had seen it yet, was exactly the way that I had left it.A torrent of memories carried me away: Thomas kissed my hand as he led me into this d
(Thomas)Mabel and Miles ran in circles all the time. The twins were an energetic bunch. Outside, their laughter soared the breeze like a beautiful melody that I had been waiting to hear my whole life. Every word that spilled out of their baby mouths was like music to my ears. Soon, the house was full of their toys.I had never been a happier man.Mabel hopped with her arms outstretched. My phone was ringing and she was trying to grab it. It was Lydia.She had been the first to Facetime me since she left. I felt my heart beat faster and joy well up in my chest. But it was not me she wanted to speak to.“Where’s Mabel and Miles?” she had asked as soon I answered the phone. So, I turned the camera around and showed her a live video of the twins playing with their new train set.“You don’t need to worry about them, Lydia,” I had said.“It’s the first time I’ve been away from them since they were born.”I understood her hesitation. So, I made sure to call her at least three times a day to
(Lydia)The last three weeks have been a whirlwind. We have traveled through Aspen, Aurora, and Boulder before making our final performance at Colorado Springs. I received so much praise and accolade from the audience there that I was glad I signed up for this.While I was touring, Adam phoned to let me know that he had signed on to a contractual research position for the Children’s Welfare Foundation for Leukemia. Since Adam had been one of the top candidates for the job, CWFL had been chasing him for a while now. But now that he was finally here, he had accepted the role.“Good luck for your tour,” he had said, sounding genuinely pleased at my report to him, “I know you’ll do great!”I had dreamed of acting since I was a little girl. And I felt that pursuing this goal now was important in the upbringing of my children. I needed to set a strong example for them so that Mabel and Miles, too, would grow up to chase after their passions.Even though we FaceTimed every day, multiple time
(Lydia)I examined my glittering champagne evening dress in the mirror. The buckles of my creamy heels sparkled as I turned around.I chugged down a glass of water. The thought of meeting Thomas at this party had my stomach turning knots all afternoon. Mabel and Miles sang along to the chorus of a nursery rhyme that their sitter, Ella, had played on TV. She seemed like she was good with kids, and I at least felt relieved about leaving the twins in her care.I glanced at my silver wristwatch and realized that Adam would be here any minute. I was dreading the very sight of Thomas but it would be easier to go through this with my friend by my side. Just then, my phone chimed. It was Adam.My palms moistened when I read the message. “I’m running a bit late. Will join you there.”I sighed. Very well.My taxi pulled up at the venue and I exhaled deeply, steadying myself.The party was being held outdoors. The glowing orange lights, din of chatter, and music was causing quite a commotion an
(Thomas)The sound of a woman’s scream cut through the crowd and everyone froze in their tracks. I hastily grabbed a hold of Jack’s arm and instructed him, “Get the party back to normal. I’ll go check and see what happened!”Jack immediately gave the guests a warm smile and began an entertaining monologue. I shot through the lawn towards the building and skitted through the half-open doorway. Part-running and part-sliding across the floor, I caught sight of Sarah crumpled on the floor and Lydia standing over and staring down, irate but clearly befuddled.“What happened?” I panted as I helped Sarah up.“She – she pushed me,” Sarah whimpered, dusting off her dress.And then she began to wail.I looked over at Lydia. Her round, innocent face exhibited outraged confusion. Sarah continued yowling in despair. I hushed her, “There are guests outside!”I turned back towards Lydia. Her expressions had morphed into contempt. She held out a fist before I could speak.Nodding, and silently plead
(Lydia)I cleared my throat.“There is a fair behavior in thee, captain,” I said, “And though that nature with a beauteous wall doth often close in pollution, yet of thee I will believe thou hast a mind that suits with this thy fair and outward character.”We were practicing Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Randy, a new recruit, had come to me for help with memorizing his scenes. I didn’t mind it at all. In fact, I rather enjoyed applying my experience as an acting teacher here. Randy was an excellent student; he was gifted but he required polishing. I was happy to provide that push.Randy took a deep breath and began to speak, but was interrupted by a deranged screeching.“You!” declared the high-pitched voice. I looked beyond the stage towards the door and gaped as Sarah pounded towards me, her eyes wild and her mouth frothing. Her blonde hair was undone and her under-eyes were dark.“You stole my man away from me!” she bellowed, standing before the stage.“Sarah,” I responded calmly, r
(Lydia)I stretched my arms, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. The sun was peeking through the horizon and today was the day where I would be taking a stand in front of all the parents. I shoved thoughts of Clara and her cryptic messages aside. That mystery could wait. My focus now was on standing up for myself and my children against the parents who had dared to insult us in such a vile way.Mabel and Miles were already awake, their chatter filling the house as they got dressed for school. It was good to see them so excited about returning to class. Their enthusiasm fueled my resolve. I joined them in the kitchen, ensuring their breakfast was hearty enough to carry them through their day.Thomas came down just as the kids were finishing up. He looked slightly more rested than he had the previous evening, though his demeanor was still a little distant. As he grabbed his coffee, I walked over to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Good luck at work,” I murmured, my hand brush
(Lydia)The clock on the wall ticked steadily, its sound the only companion to my restless pacing in the living room. I glanced at the door for what felt like the hundredth time, waiting for Thomas to come home. My meeting with the principal had gone better than expected, or at least, I had managed to secure a proper confrontation with the other parents. But the weight of it, the anger I’d felt earlier, was still coiled tightly inside me, waiting to be shared. Finally, the sound of keys jingling at the door broke my train of thought. Thomas stepped in, his tie loosened, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His shoulders sagged, and there was a faint crease between his brows, the kind that appeared only when he was genuinely stressed. "Hey," I greeted softly, walking over to him, “Rough day?”He nodded, offering me a tired smile as he leaned down to kiss my cheek, “Just one of those days. Work’s a mess right now.”I wanted to press him for more, but the lines on his face told
(Thomas)Standing by the massive floor-to-ceiling window in my office, I watched the city skyline, its usual vibrancy dulled by the fog in my mind. The weight of what I was about to do settled heavily on my chest, but I couldn’t back down now. Nathan’s trial loomed on the horizon, and his request to meet one last time echoed in my thoughts. There was no way to shake the feeling that this meeting might hold the key to something vital, even if it came at a personal cost.I picked up my phone and scrolled to Aiden’s number. He answered on the second ring, his voice as sharp and precise as ever.“Thomas,” he said, “I assume this is about Nathan.”“It is,” I replied, my tone flat but resolute, “I’ve decided to meet him.”There was a pause on the line, long enough to make me think he might object outright. Finally, Aiden sighed, “You’re sure about this? You understand what you’re walking into.”“I’m sure,” I said, “But I want to make something absolutely clear. This meeting stays between u
(Lydia)Walking into the principal’s office, my hands felt unusually steady. The incident from a week ago rang in my mind, those mothers standing in front of the school, blocking my way, their condescending smirks and venomous words spilling out like poison in front of my children. I had been humiliated, sure, but more than that, I was enraged. Not because they had said those things to me, but because Mabel and Miles had heard every single word. It wasn’t just me they had attacked, it was my family, my children. And no one, not even a clique of overzealous parents with too much time on their hands, was going to make my children feel unworthy or unsafe.The principal’s office was predictably neat and orderly, the faint smell of coffee lingering in the air. She was a woman in her late fifties with kind but firm eyes and she greeted me with a professional smile when I entered.“Ms. Lydia, please have a seat,” she said, gesturing toward the chair opposite her desk.I sat, straight-backed
(Lydia)I kissed the top of their heads as I set plates of waffles and scrambled eggs in front of Mabel and Miles. They were buzzing with excitement, barely able to sit still as they talked about going back to school. Their little voices overlapped, Mabel describing how she couldn’t wait to show her friends the new glitter markers we’d bought last week, while Miles was eager to tell his classmates about all the drawings he had done.Their energy was infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile. This was the right decision. After taking a week off to help Mama recover and regroup as a family, it was time for the kids to get back to their routine. Their happiness depended on it, and truthfully, so did mine.Thomas had left for the office earlier, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead before disappearing out the door. His support meant everything. Knowing he trusted me to handle the school situation gave me the confidence to move forward with my plan. Today, I was determined to meet the pri
(Thomas)When I woke up, the first thing I felt was the weight in my chest. Not the kind of weight that comes from a poor night’s sleep or a bad mattress—this was heavier, like a stone pressing down on my ribs. Guilt. I hadn’t done anything, not yet at least, but the feeling was there, gnawing at me. I stared at the ceiling, listening to Lydia’s even breathing beside me. Her face was peaceful, the lines of worry from the last few weeks smoothed out in the soft light of morning. She deserved that peace. We’d talked last night, sitting on the couch like we always did when something big was on the table. Trusting each other, making decisions together, being a team—that’s what we promised. And yet, here I was, already going against that promise, or at least preparing to.Nathan.His name sat bitterly in my mind, as unwelcome as ever. The idea of meeting him, of willingly putting myself in the same room as the man who had caused so much pain, felt wrong on every level. But the truth wa
(Lydia)The sound of Thomas’s car pulling into the driveway was like a signal for the day to shift gears. I had spent the afternoon going over the details of Mama’s care and ensuring Mabel and Miles had everything they needed, but the conversation with the kids that morning still weighed on me. Their innocent expressions as they talked about missing school tugged at my heart, leaving me unsettled.I had wondered if I should talk to Ruby about it but then I thought better of it. Ruby was already under a lot of pressure with the boutique and Mama, I didn’t want to put more pressure on her by telling her about what the kids said. I had decided to wait for Thomas to arrive before letting out all of my worries.When Thomas walked through the door, his shoulders slightly slumped from what I imagined had been a long day, I gave him a small smile. He smiled back, weary but warm, and leaned down to kiss me on the forehead.“Hey,” he said, his voice low, “How’s everything here?”“Busy,” I repli
(Ruby)As soon as I got to the mansion, Lydia and Mama had just arrived from the hospital. Immediately, Lydia and I worked together to settle Mama into her room at the mansion. The space was warm and welcoming and it was Mama who had made it that way. I remember when we had shifted to the mansion. The room was filled with all kinds of furniture but something had still felt empty and cold here.I had realized later on that it felt cold and empty because no one had probably ever lived there. But Mama somehow, had changed the energy of the room in just a couple of months. Now, she sat propped up against the pillows, her frail hands resting in her lap. Though her energy was still low, her serene expression gave me hope.Lydia tucked the blanket around Mama’s legs, her movements tender and deliberate. “There,” she said, her voice soothing, “Everything you need is right here. Call for us if you need anything, okay?”Mama smiled faintly, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. “You girls spoil
(Jack)The meeting had been a disaster from the start. Sitting across from the businessman in the dimly lit, exclusive restaurant, I’d tried to keep my expression neutral as he pitched his idea with a level of enthusiasm that bordered on desperation. Expanding the company into the world of surveillance electronics? It was risky, to say the least, not to mention completely out of line with the company’s longstanding focus. He’d gone on and on about cutting-edge devices: smart home systems, discreet personal trackers, and security cameras so advanced they could identify a face in a crowd of thousands. While the market was growing and potentially lucrative, the ethical and legal pitfalls alone made my head spin. Thomas would need to hear about this, though I already had a strong sense of what his answer would be. “Let me be clear,” I finally said, setting my glass down with deliberate calm, “This company has been around for years because we’ve built a reputation on reliability and