(Thomas)Two days had already gone by and I had only met with four potential investors and secured a deal with one of them. While the alliance had boosted our shares up by five percent over the past two days, I still had twenty percent to cover. And only two days left.I was swamped with meetings and work. In fact, I had spent the last three days at the office. I was very disheveled and disorganized with papers splashed across my large wooden desk as I finished my pack of cigarettes for the day when Jack walked in.“You have got to leave this office, man!” he said, looking around. He was right. The whole place looked like a mess.But how could I leave this office until I had figured out how to solve my problem! This was my only shot at fixing things.I shook my head at Jack. He sat down. “I know you're upset,” he said, “But it’s going to be alright. I’m here and ready to offer whatever help that you might need, okay?”“Thanks, man,” I said. I handed him some files, “Please go over the
(Lydia)I did not know what to do. Everywhere I looked, there was news of Thomas and Sarah’s upcoming wedding. And, if I was being completely honest, it devastated me. I had told Thomas that I would not be with him for as long as he was still engaged to Sarah. I had bridled my hopes, but could not deny their presence.I had still wished that he would come back to me. And I hated myself for it.I sighed and put my phone down after watching yet another video of Sarah’s interview to a news reporter. She was beaming. She was so incredibly happy.“Hey,” said Ruby, stepping in through the door. She shut it gently behind her.“How are you doing?” she asked me.“I’m okay,” I said, holding back my tears. But Ruby could see through it all. She sat down beside me, took my hand into hers, and squeezed.“I’m here for you,” she said.And that was all that it took for me to break down.“I just—I just thought that he would choose me, Ruby,” I sobbed, looking at her through my streaming eyes, “I reall
(Lydia)It appeared as though I was losing everything --- the man that I loved as well as my career.I slumped into Ruby’s arms after I told her. But she was surprisingly calm about this whole thing. Evidently, so was Mama.“Hey,” said Ruby, hugging me tight, “You can’t win at everything, Lydia. Sometimes, things just don’t go as you plan.”“You need to extend some grace towards yourself, my child,” said Mama, “You’ve been through a very difficult time. It was normal for you to feel low and exhausted after having dealt with such difficult circumstances and emotions. Be kind to yourself. You’re doing better than you think you are!”I wept and whimpered. Perhaps, I was letting out all the pain that I was feeling at the news of Thomas’s wedding. It was in three days. And, maybe, if that had not been the case, losing this play wouldn’t have meant so much to me.But I had wanted to focus on my life and my accomplishments now. And, just as I had started to pick myself back up, this bomb had
(Lydia)I sat down in my seat and took a deep breath. In a few minutes, the curtains would be pulled back. And then, I would watch as what I had created sprang into life.And I would watch my children – my very own Mabel and Miles – participate in it!This was it.I wanted to record the whole event. I bent down, unclasped the purse at my feet, and fished out my phone. On the other side of the auditorium, I caught sight of Ruby holding up a camera.“Ah, well,” I thought, “That’s taken care of!”I felt someone sitting next to me. They must have come in while I was looking the other way.When I turned my head, I froze. It was Thomas!But Thomas was looking straight ahead. I doubted that he had seen me. I looked closer. Despite his outwardly crisp appearance, Thomas was disheveled somehow -- perturbed. He was lost deep in thought and looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.He felt my gaze and turned towards me. I blushed. I had not meant to be rude.“I’m sorry,” I murmured hastily, turn
(Adam)I drove over to Lydia’s house, the backseat of my car filled with toys and presents for the children. Mabel was doing a lot better now, but I wanted her to know that she was loved and cared for. So, I had been trying to give her extra attention. I did not want for her to grow up and recall this incident and to feel horrible about it then. No, that would be awful.And I knew that Lydia would be feeling low about Thomas’s upcoming wedding but I also knew that she was a very strong person. Lydia had always been able to hold herself together. She had always managed to pull herself out of whatever situation that she landed in. She was an exceptionally strong woman. In fact, it was this very strength, bravery, and vitality that had always drawn me in towards her. I was certain that, over time, I could convince her to see me for who I was rather than hold feelings for Thomas in her heart. And when I did, she would be happy again.So, I was not especially worried about her.But when sh
(Jack)The boys, Thomas, and I were gathered around in a private club. Today was Thomas’s bachelor party.I had met with ten potential investors and closed a deal with three of them. Thomas had closed one with another. Overall, our shares had gone up twenty percent over the last six days. But Thomas was still devastated.“The scandal will bring all of these down,” he had said to me, “Sarah has announced the engagement to all of Colorado, possibly more. We’ll lose a lot of money if I refuse to marry her.”He was sitting in a corner right now, getting started on his second bottle of whisky for the night.I had never seen a man look so glum in my life. I had been upset about what had happened with Ruby. She had denied any involvement with me. Since then, we had only had a few brief awkward interactions with each other at the hospital. But we had not had a proper conversation. And even if we had had one, I would not have known what to say. What was there left to speak of?I had thought th
(Thomas)I had been standing on the table of another, much larger country club. “Here’s to me!” I had exclaimed, chugging down whisky directly from the bottle.“Whoa, there,” Jack had said, but he had been laughing, “Easy, now. Hand that over to me.”He had reached his hand out for the bottle. I had held it away, out of his reach.“This one is for me!” I had declared.Jack had shaken his head at me. He had then taken a huge chug out of his own glass.I had tapped at the bottle with my finger. It had only let out a dull sound, but everyone had turned towards me.“Gentlemen!” I had declared, smiling ear to ear, “In the morning, I shall be a married man!”They had all cheered.“And let me tell you, men,” I had slurred, “Love is beautiful! Life is beautiful!”“You’re not very eloquent, man,” Jack had jibed, “You know that, right? Never write a book!”“Hey!” I had frowned, still laughing, “Don’t you rain on my parade!”Jack had held his hands up. “Alright, alright,” he had said, “I’m just
(Lydia)The doorbell rang. Ruby got up to get the door. Upstairs, Mama was tucking Mabel and Miles into bed. Tomorrow was a Saturday, but we had strict bedtime rules for the children.“I’ll get it,” I said to Ruby, wiping off my face and heading for the door. I had been crying constantly for the past two days.It was so difficult to find strength right now. It felt as though the whole world was a strange illusion and I was walking around in it, unable to make any real sense of anything.Thomas was getting married tomorrow. I did not want to face it.But when I opened the door, I found that I was facing him instead.I was startled and stared in shock.And maybe just a hint of delight?Thomas was swaying on my curb. He reeked of alcohol.What was he doing here now?I did not know whether to let him inside or not.“Lydia,” he said, “I can’t …”He looked as though he was going to faint. In all honesty, I felt that way too.“Come in,” I said, making way for him.He clambered inside and gri
(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