“You know we can’t stop once we start right?” He broke away from the kiss to stare into her eyes. Without a word, she ran her hands through his arms before throwing his shirt off him, her hands running through his chest. Like she expected, he was a lot more muscular and broad than five years ago. His body was so hard and glistening that she couldn’t resist the urge to run her hands through it. “I don’t want us to stop.” She sealed her fate. His lips returned back to hers, kissing her with reckless abandon. His hand was on her hair while the other moved to unbuttoned her pyjamas shirt, pulling it off her revealing her plump breasts to him. “Fuck, I’ve missed this.” He parted from her already swollen lips, his lips clamping on her nipples causing her back to arch from the bed as a moan fell off her lips. “You have to be quiet, love,” he whispered into her ears. “We don’t want to wake Ariel up.” She was right in the next room. He returned his attention to her breast, sucking on it li
Was she in hell? Perhaps for all the sins she committed in the world? Her whole body was fucking sore, her head pounding like she was hit with a hockey stick. Bree’s eyes slowly fluttered open, flinching at the light. Her hands touched the other side of the bed expecting to touch the hard body of the man who owned her body the previous night only to touch the cold surface of the bed. She suddenly stood up, eyes on everywhere in the room hoping to find him but he was nowhere in sight. Her eyes fell on her naked self. Last night, he’d taken her like it was his last. Their bodies had fit in perfectly and she thought they might die together. Running her hands through the purplish bruise on her breasts and neck, she smiled, the memories of the previous night washing over her like a wave. Once, twice, thrice, Spencer had taken her, whispering sweet nothings into her ears, promising her the world. Finally, they were fine. They would finally return to couples that they were years ago before
“You’re here, Bree,” Gaspher greeted as Bree walked into the terrace of Gaspher’s home. She smiled at the evening lights and flowers that made the room shine bright. “This setting is so beautiful. Who arranged this?”“My fiancee. Anyway, where is little Ariel? Did she insist on staying home?” He asked when he looked behind Bree and the child was nowhere in sight. “That can never be Ariel. She follows me wherever I go, sticking to me like a magnet.” Just then, Ariel ran into the terrace. “Oh, she's here.”“Uncle Gaspher.” She ran into his embrace. “Our little mermaid. How are you?”“Uncle, I'm fine.”“I can see that. Plus you look super pretty in this pigtail. Super cutee…” His laughter died down when his eyes fell on the tall man who came to stand beside Bree, his hands buried in his pocket as he stared around, uninterested. The awkward silence broke as Ariel squealed and jumped to her grandfather who just arrived beside Gaspher.“Grandpa, you look younger than the last time we saw
“Oh dear, are you going to watch these people call your mother a psychopath? You know very well how alike we are.”“You and Bree are nothing alike,” Gaspher stepped forward, his index finger pointing at her in a warning. “It hurts that my family decided to have a gathering without me. Do you all hate me that much?” She feigned to be sad, her fingers riding up to her face to wipe her dry tears. Bree rolled her eyes. If it were five years ago, she would have fallen for the woman’s ploy. She would have forgiven her and taken her back. But not anymore, not when she was the devil in her life. She would rather not have a mother at all than have a mother like Nary. A failed mother. And for all she cares, she was not like her, she would never be like Nary Marsden. She loved Ariel with all her heart and would rather die than treat her the same way that her mother did with her. She would rather jump from a six-floor building than traumatize her daughter. Finally stabilizing herself, she step
“Nary, let go of me,” Bree yelled, her hands wrapping around Nary’s hand on her hair in a futile attempt to yank it off her. “What makes you think you're so useful in anyone’s life,” Nary started, speaking through her teeth, her hands tightening on Bree’s hair in anger. What made her think she could say whatever shit she likes and it would be fine. She'd tried to talk so calmly with her, to put sense in her and get her to do her bidding. But as always, her daughter always proved to be stubborn, she proved that she needed physical force to be able to do anyone’s bidding and she was so ready to give it to her no matter what it took.“I was speaking so calmly so you would listen. Do you think you hold value? You think anyone wants you? Let me tell you, Breanne, people are with you because of their benefit, they will never love you as long as I do. ““You’re the only one who thinks like that, ahh.” Nary’s hold tightened. “Let me speak, kid. Look at your boss at work, he uses you to get
“I hate her so much,” Bree cried as she buried her face on Caspian’s arms, her tears streaming freely down her cheek. She hates her so much, her very own mother. If she was given a chance to choose her mother, she would’ve never chosen Nary, the woman who always made her feel like shit, the woman who was no mother and was just a birth giver. No mother would harm their daughter’s mindset without even a ounce of regret. Her hatred for her keeps increasing day by day. “Bree?”“Bree.”“Mommy.”Spencer’s turned to the direction of the voices to see Gaspher and the rest family members climbing down the stair hurriedly. They ran to Bree’s side and squatted beside her. “Bree, what’s wrong?” Gaspher asked, his hands on her shoulders. She refused to say a world and clung onto Spencer the more, her tears wetting his shirt. “Mommy.”Even at the call of Ariel, she still refused to speak. All she did was hug Caspian and held his arms to herself like it was a possession she never wants to release
“Where should we have dinner? My house or yours?” Spencer asked as they walked out of the ice cream shop, heading back to Bree’s condo. “Mine of course. Besides, I don’t even know where you live.” Bree locked her hand around Spencer’s arm and with the other, she brought the ice cream cone to her lips. It has been two days since the Nary incident and everything has been fine with them. Unlike the other day when they had sex and Spencer blacked out, he repeated his words to her again and again after she woke up.Her joy knew no bounds. They were finally a couple even though it hasn’t been made official. What was important was that she loved him to death and he loved her too.“This is a good chance to know it then.”Bree fake yawned. “What if I don’t want to? The condo is closer. You know everything about me but I don’t even know your home.”“We should go to mine. I’ll cook.”“You, cook?” She laughed. “Ariel was the one who taught you how to make an ordinary sandwich. Cereal too.”“Who
Mommy, Daddy. Are you two like… a couple?” Ariel asked the next day during breakfast. Throughout the night, her parents had refused to leave each other’s sight. They were glued at the hip that she felt abandoned and slept without anyone’s kisses for the first time in her life. She was beyond pissed when she woke up but her anger soon disappeared when she got out of her new room and saw her parents cooking together, holding hands lovingly.“Wh…who told you that?” Bree stuttered, trying to remove her hand from Spencer’s hold. He held her throughout the night and even refused to let her go now that they were having breakfast. “What? I’m not stupid.” Ariel leaned closer. “I know that Mommy and Daddy are dating.”“And how do you even know what dating means?”“I do know what it means. After all, I have a boyfriend.”“What?”Spencer spat out his food at the child’s words. His eyes snapped to her, glaring daggers at her. “What did you just say, Ariel?”“I have a boyfriend.”He felt his blood
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. “