“Where are we going?” Bree struggled to get her hands from his hold as he dragged her up the stairs. “You don't know where this is headed?”“Why are you taking me there?”Silence followed after her question. Finally, they got to the end of the stairs and he kicked open a door, leading them to the rooftop. Dragging her to the middle, he let go of her hands. Bree gazed at him in suspicion, her eyes turning to look around her. Slowly, she took steps backward. “Dont you even dare.”“Ar…are you trying to ki…kill me by throwing me down?”His eyes flickered in surprised and in the next minute, he burst into laughter, gazing at her in disbelief.“Oh, you're scared?”“You look like that's your plan. Why did you bring me here?”“If I wanted to kill you, Bree. I'll do it with my hands not throwing you off some goddamn building,” his foot moved toward her. “That will be so unsatisfying.”“Either way is death. Why are we here, Spencer?”“Who is she?”Bree’s breath hitch at his question. Her hea
“Boss, she's here.” Spencer raised his head from his tablet as the voice of his secretary resounded in the room. “That is good. Bring her in.”Keeping his tablet beside him, he placed his hand on his chin and watched as the lady with high heels walked to him. With a signature smile dancing on her lips, she made her way toward the man, her red heels clicking loudly on the floor. “It's nice to see you again, J.” He nodded at her to sit on the chair astride him. “What do you have for me.”“Eish, good to be here again after that bitch of your fiancée chased me away with her scheming words. How is she?”He chuckled. “You’re suddenly asking about her. Here I was thinking that you dislike my fiancée.”“Trust me, I do. Just asking.”“Anyway, back to business. How's the investigation going?”The lady placed her hand in the hidden large pocket of her suit jacket and brought out an envelope which she pushed to his side. “All the information is here. I did a good job at it.”“Surely. I'll have
Bree paced around the hallway, right in front of Ariel’s room. In her hands were packs of Ariel’s favorite snacks and she held them tightly like her future depended on them. Perhaps it does. Ariel has been giving her the silent treatment for the past three days and honestly, she couldn't take it anymore. It was the first time they were ever in the same house without speaking for a good three days. Ariel would only come out when she wanted to take water or have something to eat, otherwise, they were like two strangers in the same house and no matter how she tried to persuade the child to forgive her, it was futile. She wished the child hadn't found out the truth in such a manner. It was boring living in the house without Ariel's vibrant voice and annoying teases. Finally, she heard a click from Ariel’s door causing her to stand still waiting for the child to come out. To her relief, Ariel’s door flung open, her footsteps stopping at the sight of her mother in front of her with diff
“What the hell is this? What kind of report is this?” Bree had her hands behind her back as the middle-aged man flung the documents at her face in disgust. “I reviewed them again, sir.”“You clearly did not. Is this all you can do?” His eyes threw daggers at her as he yelled, her colleagues fidgeting outside the office. The report in question, she had written and edited it time and time again but her so-called boss was never satisfied with it. She’d come to submit the latest report, one she’d spent the whole night perfecting but still, he threw it at her face. Her boss was known to be cunning, unsatisfied, and harsh but not this way. His attitude towards her suddenly worsened recently and somehow, she knew the cause of his change. He became ten times more of a bully than he has always been. “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll look into it again.” “That’s all you say. You never do anything perfect, Miss Boston. Besides, how dare you look me in the eye?”She immediately broke gazes with him and
The two friends cocked their heads to the side to have a better view of the person who had Ariel in his arms and as the realization dawned on them as they finally caught sight of the person, their breath hitched in disbelief and they gasped. “Spencer?”“Spencer?”Bree’s eyes widened at the realization. What on earth was he doing at the child’s school? How did Spencer know Ariel's school? She couldn’t remember telling him the child’s school but then again, he’d said he has his ways. Surely, those ways had fetched him information. “Bree, omo. What the fuck is he doing here? Did you show him Ariel’s school?” Iris latched onto her arms, her voice hushed as she tried to connect the dots. “I’m just as surprised as you are. I didn’t. Come on, let’s hide for a while, I’m sure he’s up to something.” He might sneak Ariel away for all she cares. She held Iris’ hand, trying to lead her to the back of the car but she refused to move, her feet rooted to the ground in defiance. “Come on, Iris.”
“It must feel good to call me a bastard, hmm?” Spencer asked as she got into the car. She gasped. Did she say that out loud? “You didn't hear that.”“You wish.”Rolling her eyes, she looked ahead as they drove silently to the destination. She wanted to ask him how he knew Ariel’s school and confirm her doubt whether it was really Ariel who let it known to him but she remembered his words the other day. He has his way around information. Considering his status, he could literally get his hands on any information that he wants. She was sure of that. He was no longer the reserved Spencer that she'd once known. The man beside her won't even hesitate to throw someone off a six-floor building. The man beside her would harm someone and go scot-free. That was how powerful he was. From his act that day at the hospital, she could tell that he was no newbie at stuff like that. He could unalive her and go free with it. She hopes it never comes to that extent. “Where are we going?” Bree asked f
“Spencer? What are you doing here?” Bree awkwardly broke away from him, her eyes staring at everywhere but him.“This is my room.” He looked around for any change, hoping nothing was lost in the woman’s presence. As if he knew she’d come to his room, he had immediately followed after her when she left the dining earlier. She was predictable, so predictable. “You were having dinner.”“None of your business. What are you doing here?” His deep voice asked, staring into her soul so that she was forced to look back at him.“I wasn’t snooping around or anything. I was only wondering how this room changed drastically through the years.”Taking steps toward her, his deep body towered over her as she backed away until she was caged between him and the hard wall. “I told you, things change all the time.”She looked away, staring down to her toes.“I know. But how can anyone change so drastically? I can’t find the old Spencer.” Her fingers weaved together. “Where did he go?”Spencer’s cold chu
“Ariel, are you okay? Come on, talk to mommy, please.” Bree pleaded, her voice tingled with anxiety as she gently sat Ariel up on the bed, her face laced with worry. She laid a concerned hand on the child’s forehead only to flinch from the searing heat. Her daughter was burning up.“Oh my goodness, Ari, you’re burning up. Where does it hurt?” She asked, panic slowly creeping into her voice. “Mommy, my headaches.”“Oh my.” Bree’s head darted to the wall clock, the ticking hand marking the passage of time. It was nine in the morning and her daughter was only just waking up. She’d tried waking the child up twice but she’d slept through her attempts only stirring when Bree noticed her shivering and temperature. “Your head? I’m so sorry, I’ll get you something for the pain. Wait here, okay.”Ariel gave an obedient nod as her mother rushed to her closet, searching through the neatly folded clothes until she brought out a box. Returning to Ariel’s side with the box in her hand, she popped
Netherlands for honeymoon was a dream come true for Bree. The whole wedding, in fact, had been a fairytale come to life. Oops, did someone forget to say that a good four months has passed? It was hard to believe that just four months ago, their relationship had been haywire. But after the reconciliation and their rekindled love, Bree and Spencer insisted on having their wedding immediately. Their wedding had been a whirlwind of emotions. Laugher, tears of joy, excitement. And now, as they strolled hand in hand through the city of Amsterdam where they came for their honeymoon, Bree felt like the luckiest woman alive.Unlike other couples on their honeymoon, they decided to bring their little bundle of joy with them. They couldn’t imagine themselves having fun on their honeymoon alone without their daughter. And so, even though Ariel had wanted them to go alone, they’d taken her with them like a third wheel and they had every intention of bringing her with them wherever they went. Arr
Spencer didn't wait another second before he dashed out of the room, closing the door slowly behind him. He took a deep breath, combed his fingers through his hair, and began to take slow steps to the living room. Once he got there, he looked around for Bree and when he didn’t find her in the living room, he made his way to the kitchen, taking slow and silent steps. Bree sprang up from the island table where she’d been sitting immediately she saw him step into the kitchen. She pushed her hair backward and stared at him awkwardly. “Hmm, do you want something?”She looked around the kitchen.“I don’t.”“Why are you here then? We shouldn’t leave Ariel’s side. She’s going to be upset.” She intended to walk past him and go to the child’s room but he stepped before her, blocking her path, his hands dipped in his pocket. “She’s not going to get angry. She gave me a go-ahead.”“She asked you to leave?” She gazed at Spencer in disbelief. He nodded. “She did. Gave us time to talk, right?”Br
“Enough, Ariel,” she repeated, her chest heaving in anger. “Who’s even feeding you all these thoughts? You have to tell me this instant.”When Ariel refused to say anything, she slammed a hand on the bedside table and leaned in. “Speak to me, Ariel, I’m talking to you.” She let out a sigh and squeezed her eyes shut to calm her nerves. She wasn’t usually this angry, especially at Ariel. But the whole situation and the events of the weeks had her burned out already. Plus Spencer was in the same roof as her and just the thought was enough to have her heaving in anger, not at him, but at herself, at her heart for still fluttering at the sight of him. When she opened her eyes again, the previous anger was gone and she now stared at the child softly. “Forgive Mommy for yelling, okay? I just want to speak to you. Remember what Mommy said about communication?”Ariel let out a low, ‘en.’“Good girl. Mommy won’t yell anymore so all you have to do is to tell Mommy who told you that a child has
In two days, Gaspher confirmed that Ariel was fit to get discharged. It came as a huge joy to Bree as she was delighted that the issue wasn’t more than that and that her daughter was fine now. It was a confirmation that there was no other child stronger than Ariel. She was able to recover even more quickly than other children and wasn’t that a flex?This evening, they were finally leaving the hospital for home and Ariel couldn’t be more happy that she was finally leaving the place that smelled like drugs twenty-four-seven. She was hyperactive for her discharge, gathering her belongings herself and singing to the little mermaid movie song that played in the room. She gathered her clothes and sanitary in the bag and zipped it afterward. “I’m done, Mommy,” she announced, her teeth on full display as she smiled. Bree rose from the couch and walked to the child, examining the room for anything forgotten. Ariel hadn’t let her father have their belongings as she wanted to do it herself. Nod
Iris scratched the back of her neck and with her head lowered, she muttered. “Emily died! Even before she could be taken to the hospital.”“What?” Bree’s legs lost their balance and she almost fell backward if it wasn’t for her good reflex and her hold on the wall. “What did you just say?”“You heard it. Emily didn’t survive the fall. The police weren’t able to set up a preventive measure before she fell. It was tragic that I couldn’t even look at her body.”Her hands flew to her mouth as she gazed at Iris with wide eyes, her hands trembling while she tried to process the words in her head. She’d thought of the possibility of Emily unable to survive the fall but it still came as a shock to her. Who would have thought that Emily would die so soon after her obsession with them? Who would have thought that she would die so easily? Only if she’d repented and lived her life as she should, getting over her obsession with Spencer and Ariel, maybe she would’ve still been alive with them. It
“Well, I agree with being stupid. Way fucking stupid for ever letting you go.”With tense shoulders, Bree walked around the kitchen while she prepared the food instead of Spencer. She carefully picked up the shopping board and skillfully continued slicing the vegetables and meat, reshaping the shapeless vegetables that he’d sliced. Afterward, she grabbed a pan, placed it on the stove, and poured oil on it before pouring the vegetables, the fresh scent of fried vegetables and meat immediately filling the air. Turning around, she stretched her hand to the top counter, stretching her foot to get to it. When she was still unable to reach the counter, she groaned, her eyes searching for the small stool that she usually used in the kitchen. But as her eyes fell on it and as she was about to move to the other side of the kitchen to pick it up, Spencer showed up behind her, her back to his chest as he stretched his hand to the counter. “What you want?” Cold shivers ran down her spine at t
Spencer’s eyes grew wide as he stared at the words on the paper that Ariel wrote, his head shattering at the words of his daughter. God, he was a fucking failure, he cursed in his heart. He didn’t deserve to be the child’s father. All she needed was protection, love, and care and all he did was the opposite. He even tried to separate her from her mother, the person that she loved the most in her life. Fuck! He deserved nothing good.How could his daughter blame herself for something that wasn’t her fault, something that she knew nothing about? He found his feet stepping forward as his eyes fell on Bree who had her head lowered as tears streamed down her cheek. He dropped the book in the closet and brought his attention to Bree. “It’s fine, don’t blame yourself, okay?” The mother and daughter were fond of blaming themselves for situations that had nothing to do with them. They found themselves overthinking almost all the time.It was a strong feature that they shared. “I didn’t kn…kno
The early hours of the next day soon rolled in revealing Bree helping Ariel back to her bed after helping her wash up. “Do you feel alright, dear?” The child let out a yawn and lay on the bed, pulling the blanket to her chest. “I’m sleepy again.”“What? You didn’t sleep at night?”“I forced Daddy to read to me after you fell asleep,” the child confessed, letting out a mischievous grin. “He had no choice but to do my bidding.”“Ariel? You’re sick. You shouldn’t stay up late. How could you force him to do that?”“Daddy looked so helpless,” her tiny laughter filled the air around them. Bree sighed as she watched her daughter speak about Spencer and how she’d made him so helpless the previous night. Well, Spencer had insisted on staying with them in the hospital despite her protest and he’d only left when they woke up after Ariel pointed out how disheveled he looked. He needed to freshen up.Last night, he’d slept while sitting beside Ariel’s bed and she’d taken the spot on the couch. It
“No, Ariel, it’s Daddy, okay? And…and…” Why the fuck was he stuttering now. The whole shit was already driving him nuts at the moment. “I mean, I’m sorry for what I did to your Mommy, okay? I was out of my mind. Daddy admits to be wrong.” Ariel still didn’t spare him a glance. She looked around the whole room, staring at everywhere but him. “Ariel, please speak to Daddy,” he pleaded. If she so pleases, he didn’t mind dropping to his knees right then and pleading for forgiveness.“What? It’s Mommy that you should be apologizing to.”“I did and…and she didn’t forgive me. Will you at least forgive Daddy? I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll never think of taking your Mommy away from you ever.”“You tried to separate us.”“It was really juvenile of me. Why don’t we do it this way.” He gently took one of the child’s palms and brought it to his chest, gazing lovingly at her. “Why don’t you punish me instead? Give me a punishment, anyone.”“Punishment?”He bobbed his head up and down. “