(Lydia)Mama was in the ICU. She had been there for the past three days. I could not believe that she would have risked her life like that. She was too old and feeble to take glaring risks such as these. The police had caught my father’s companion but there had been no trace of my father yet.It appeared as though he had vanished into thin air.“I’ve got the intelligence on his tail,” Thomas had told me firmly, “There is absolutely no way that he is going to get away with harming our children.”Mabel and Miles had been very shaken after the incident. It pained me to no end. I had spent the entirety of their lives trying to ensure that the environment around them was always safe, comfortable, and free from drama.And, yet, they had endured something as gruesome and morbid as a kidnapping.The thought kept shattering my heart to pieces. Ruby had been trying her best to revive the children. Jack had brought them an entire basket full of toys and kept bringing in new flavors of ice cream
(Thomas)Sarah was still in the hospital but it was not her that I was here for every day. I came here for my baby girl. Mabel needed extensive psychological care in order to be able to overcome her trauma.When I walked over to Lydia and the others today, she was crying into Adam’s arms.I clenched my fist. Why was he here again?I did not want Adam to be around Lydia but understood that she needed him as a friend right now. After all, he had been there throughout the years that I had not. He had been there to support and help her through the first three years of raising her children.Still, it infuriated me that now that I was here, Adam was still around.I could have hurled a fist at his face. But now was neither the time nor the place.Lydia looked up at me, red eyed, when I walked towards her. “Thomas!” she sobbed, running up to me.“What is it, Lydia?” I frowned.The next words that she spoke tore my universe apart and sent me off into the most reeling rage that I had ever expe
(Lydia)“How could you do this?!” I raged at him. My father raised a brow. His mouth had become bloody and, disgustingly, he swallowed it.“What did you expect of me, girl?” he inquired.I wanted to smack that stupid grin off his face.“I’m going to make you pay,” I fumed, raising a finger at him, “You had better be certain of that!”“What are you going to do?” he shrugged, “Put me in jail? You’ve already done that.”I could not believe this man – at the complete lack of remorse that he felt. Suddenly, my head began to throb.“YOUR PARTNER MOLESTED YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER!” I screeched, “HAVE YOU NO HEART?!”My father paused for a second. Then, he leered again. “John only likes little girls,” he said, “But, relax. Nothing happened.”He winked.Thomas flung another fist at him. I heard a crunch. My father looked up at us again. A streak of blood began pouring from his nostril.“We think that he’s under heavy influence,” said Anders, “It was in a casino that we found him.”I gazed at my fath
(Lydia)I rolled my eyes at her. “What do you want now?” I groaned.Sarah grinned. “What a precious child!” she exclaimed, extending a hand towards Mabel. I swatted it away. She looked at me, stunned.“If you’ll excuse us,” I said through gritted teeth, “My daughter has an appointment with her doctor.”“Oh, so she’s in the same hospital as I!” Sarah batted her lashes at me.“I don’t have time for this,” I said, leaning for the doorknob.She grabbed my wrist.“I thought that I told you to back off!” she snarled, the corners of her eyes curling as she sneered.I shook Sarah’s hand off and opened the door to the doctor’s office.“You’re pathetic,” I murmured to her before I took Mabel inside.***“She’s deranged,” Thomas shook his head. We were back at my house and Mabel was building a tower of blocks with her brother.Ruby had taken Mama to the park. It was just the four of us here.“My only concern,” I said to Thomas, “is that my child should not witness her crazy behavior. It doesn’t
(Thomas)My blood had boiled at seeing Adam at her house again. I could tell that he cared for Lydia. But it was over my dead body that he would ever get together with her!Lydia had said that my engagement with Sarah was enough to keep us apart. So, I would have to end the engagement.I wanted to do that myself. But Mother had been so insistent about my marriage to her. She was right about the potential for scandal that underlined this whole situation. The bloggers and news reporters would have a field day out of it.And my company was not performing so well in the international market at the moment. I could not afford to have it drop a few more points.But … spending the rest of my life with Sarah? During the time that I had spent with her at the hospital, I had come to see her for what she truly was: petulant, needy, childish, and immature.The very act of trying to hurt herself and the baby, was in and of itself, sufficient grounds for Mother to have understood that she was not fi
(Lydia)I was baking a cake: sponge with meringue and almonds and a delicious custard filling. Mama used to bake it for Ruby and I when we were little. It was a difficult task, putting it all together, but that only made me realize how much love Mama had poured into us while she had dealt with an abusive husband.I had spent so long resenting Mama for everything that I had forgotten all of the good memories. After the incredible sacrifice that she had made in an effort to help the police catch my father – he had still escaped but that did not mean Mama had not tried her best – I wanted to dedicate an entire evening to her.So, I had asked Ruby to take Mama to the park while I made the preparations at home. I had also brought home some knitting equipment – Ruby had acquired that skill from Mama – as well as a whole lot of art paraphernalia.I wanted Mama to return to art. She was so incredibly gifted that it made no sense for her to stay away from this line of work. I had already depos
(Thomas)Mother’s eyes widened for a second. Then, she regained her composure and set her iPad aside. She removed her spectacles and raised her brows.“And why is that?” she asked.I was still overcome with emotion. “That woman is indecent, rude, and tacky. She is in no way fit to be my wife!” I exclaimed all in one breath. I was panting.Mother looked quizzically at me. “And what about the child?” she asked.“I’ll raise it!” I declared.My heart was pounding. I was overwhelmed. But this had to be done.Mother got up from her seat. She slowly turned her figure.“I know,” she grimaced, “That you have feelings for Lydia, my son. But there is absolutely no way that I will allow this to happen.”I gazed at her, stunned. “What?--”“Our shares are dropping every day,” she said, “The board has called a meeting.”Mother looked up at me and stepped forward.“I understand how you feel, my child,” she murmured, “And, if I’m speaking the truth, I no longer have any particular affinity towards Sar
(Sarah)I did not want to look fat, even if that meant putting off wearing the cushioned band that I had bought for myself. Surprisingly, it had been Lydia’s theater where I had picked it up. And that is what had given me the idea. Actors pretend to be all sorts of things. Why couldn’t I pretend to be pregnant?It would get rid of that awful Lydia. It would get me the man of my dreams.The man of my dreams. I smiled as I looked into the mirror.Thomas may not have feelings for me at this time – he had rushed out of my house yesterday – but I knew that he was a man of honor. He would not let me have a child outside of wedlock.So I had patiently endured his rude behavior. After all, he would have no choice but to come back to me!I tucked away the ultrasound reports back into their original files. Both folders lay on the table before me: one, now empty and one now full. The former said, “Sarah Winchester” –me! And the latter … it said Rebecca Waters.Rebecca had charged me a hefty sum
(Lydia)By the time I reached Ruby’s apartment, I could hardly breathe. My legs burned from climbing the stairs two at a time, but I didn’t care. My mind was racing, filled with every worst-case scenario I could imagine. Ruby’s phone going unanswered and her not showing up at the mansion had sent my thoughts spiraling into dark territory.I pounded on her door, my fist landing hard against the wood.“Ruby? Open up! It’s me!”The hallway was eerily silent, my frantic knocks echoing off the walls. I pressed my ear to the door, hoping to catch even the faintest sound of movement inside.“Ruby, please! Are you okay?”The seconds stretched unbearably. Then, finally, I heard the muffled shuffle of footsteps. Relief surged through me, but it was fleeting.The door opened just a crack, and Ruby appeared, peeking through the gap. Her face was calm, but her eyes held a flicker of something…annoyance? Discomfort?“Lydia,” she said, her voice carefully even, “What are you doing here?”I pushed th
(Lydia)I spent the car ride back home in relative silence, my thoughts consumed by everything that had happened in the past few months. The whirlwind of Nathan’s threats, Jack’s complicated relationship with Ruby, and Mama’s illness. It felt like I was constantly running a marathon with no finish line in sight.Now, as I crossed the threshold into the house, a surge of relief washed over me. At least for a few hours, I could breathe.My speech in the Assembly Hall had been well-received and I was grateful for that. What I had done was a long time coming because I had been worried about Mabel and Miles’ school for quite some time. Ever since they came home one day and told me what the kids were talking about, I had a thought in the back of my mind that this was going to be a problem moving forwards. And it was.Well, I hope all of that was settled now. As I walked into the living room, I saw Mama sitting in a recliner, bundled in a blanket despite the warmth of the room.“Back alread
(Ruby)I left the boutique in the afternoon to go to my apartment. I had some chores to do and I knew the apartment was probably a mess. When I reached there, I immediately started to do laundry. It took time, but I got it done just in time.As I folded the last of the laundry, I couldn’t help but think about what to eat since I’d planned to grab a quick bite before heading to the mansion to look after Mama. One of my workers was closing the boutique for me today, a rare reprieve I desperately needed. I had just gathered my things when a knock at the door startled me. I paused, glancing at the clock. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Peering through the peephole, I saw nothing but the empty corridor. My first thought was that it might be another bouquet. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the door. What I saw made me gasp so loudly I nearly dropped my bag. “Jack!” He was on his knees, his face pale and sweaty, twisted in pain. Blood stained his shirt and pants, and his han
(Jack)The tension had been building inside me all morning, a storm of frustration and unanswered questions I couldn’t shake. Thomas’s decision to meet with Nathan still gnawed at me. It wasn’t just the secrecy of it, though that alone was bad enough, it was the recklessness. The risk. But as much as that boiled my blood, there was another matter weighing heavily on my mind, and this one had a name: Marco.By midday, I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to get anything productive done sitting in my office, stewing over things I couldn’t control. I grabbed my jacket, told my assistant I’d be out for the rest of the day, and headed for Amanda’s apartment. If anyone could give me answers about Marco, it was her. When I reached her apartment, Amanda opened the door, her eyes widening slightly in surprise as she asked, “Jack? What are you doing here?” “We need to talk,” I said, stepping inside before she could protest. She frowned but didn’t argue, closing the door behind me. Her apartme
(Ruby)The boutique was quiet that morning, the kind of peaceful hum that made it easy to focus. I was in the back office, hunched over my sketchbook, refining designs for a new collection. My desk was strewn with fabric swatches, colored pencils, and notes scribbled on sticky pads. A rich emerald green satin caught my eye, and I reached for it, envisioning how it could drape into a gown. The chime of the boutique’s door opening filtered through the walls, followed by the light footsteps of customers browsing. I barely looked up, trusting my small but capable team to handle the sales floor. “Ruby,” Mia, one of my new hires, called from the doorway. She was a petite girl with a shy smile who had started just a week ago. I glanced up, pushing my hair back from my face, “What’s up?” “There’s a man asking to see you,” she said, shifting nervously, “He’s...um...he looks important.” I frowned, setting my pencil down. Important? My mind immediately went to Adam. Maybe he was here t
(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