The Call from the Kindergarten Bridget The office buzzed around me, keyboards clicking, phones ringing, voices murmuring in hushed conversations. I shifted in my chair, rolling my shoulders back to relieve the stiffness that had settled in from hours of work."Bridget, have you checked the updated client list?" My colleague, Mark, leaned against my desk, holding a steaming cup of coffee. His tie was slightly loosened, a sure sign that the day was beginning to take its toll on him too.I tapped my fingers against the desk, staring at the endless rows of numbers on my computer screen. "Not yet," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I was just about to go through them."Mark smirked. "You need a break. Want to grab a coffee?"I smiled, considering it, but before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the desk. I glanced at the screen, Davis, My sister rarely called during work hours. A strange feeling settled in my stomach as I reached for the phone."Hey, Davis, what's up?" I answered, still h
The Weight of a Single Call*The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, casting a glow over the small waiting area outside the emergency room. I paced back and forth, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, as if the pressure could hold me together. My sneakers squeaked against the linoleum floor, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent space. Davis sat on a plastic chair nearby, her leg bouncing uncontrollably, her hands clenched into fists on her lap.Every second stretched into an eternity. My mind raced with terrifying possibilities. What if they couldn’t bring Liam’s fever down? What if it wasn’t just a virus? What if it was something worse…something irreversible? The thought of losing him, my sweet, bright-eyed boy, was like a knife twisting in my chest. I couldn’t breathe."Bridget," Davis said softly, her voice cutting through the fog of my thoughts. She reached out and grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stop pacing. "He’s strong. He’s going to be okay."I nodded, but the
A Stranger In Her Life.Derrick The sterile hum of the hospital filled the air, a constant reminder of the fragility of life. I sat in the waiting room, my mind drifting back to the past, back to Bridget, to baby Liam, to the life we once shared. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet the memories were vivid, as if it were just yesterday. Vera’s betrayal and downfall had brought me a strange sense of closure, and now, with Bridget back in my life and my son Liam who I've made up my mind to be there for, I dared to hope that things were finally falling into place.Bridget had gone into the emergency room to check on Liam, who was undergoing treatment. My heart ached for him, for her, for the time we had lost. She had always been beautiful, but the woman I just saw was a completely different version of Bridget. She was stronger, more radiant, as if the trials she had endured had polished her into something extraordinary. She was no longer the same girl I had once known; she was a woman who h
Derrick I left the hospital in a daze, My chest felt heavy, like a weight had settled deep inside me, pressing against my ribs with every breath. The image of Bridget leaning into Smith, his hand resting on her shoulder, played on a loop in my mind. *Fiancé.* The word echoed in my head, a sharp, unrelenting reminder of what I had lost or maybe what I had never truly had.I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I walked quickly to my car. The parking lot was quiet, the occasional sound of a distant siren or the hum of a passing car breaking the silence. But all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat, pounding in my ears like a drum.I slid into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. The engine roared to life, and I sat there for a moment, staring at the hospital through the windshield. Liam was in there. My son. And Bridget was with him, with *him*. Smith. The name felt like a punch to the gut every time I thought abo
The Weight of ChoicesBRIEIt was 6:22pm in the evening. The fluorescent lights of the emergency room buzzed faintly overhead, casting a sterile glow over the tense atmosphere. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, a persistent reminder of where I was and why I was here. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. fear, guilt, exhaustion, all battling for dominance.“I’ll be taking my leave now, Brie,” Smith muttered, his voice soft but firm. He rubbed his hand on my shoulder, the warmth of his touch offering a fleeting sense of comfort. “I have to be at a short meeting with some clients. I was headed there before I got your call and decided to rush here to meet up with you.”I looked up at him, forcing a smile that felt more like a frown. “It’s fine, Smith. Thanks for stopping by.”He nodded, his kind eyes filled with concern. “My pleasure, Brie. And get some rest, okay? He’ll be fine.” With that, he turned and walked toward the exit, his polished shoes clicking against the ti
A Deal with the DarknessDerrickI sat in my car, the engine off, the silence pressing against my ears like a weight. The parking lot was empty, save for a few scattered vehicles, and the faint glow of a street light flickering above. My hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, as if holding on tighter could somehow steady the storm inside me. Bridget’s face flashed in my mind. Her smile, the way her eyes lit up when she laughed, the way she used to look at me before everything fell apart. And then there was Liam. My son. The boy I’d barely known, the life I’d missed out on. The guilt gnawed at me, a relentless ache that had only grown sharper since I’d seen him again.I’d spent years running from it, burying the regret under layers of denial and excuses. But seeing Liam at the hospital, really seeing him had shattered all of that. He was a bit older now, with Bridget’s eyes and a quiet confidence that made my chest tighten.I wanted to be part of his life. I needed to be. B
A Glimmer of GraceBrieThe hum of the office was a distant buzz as I rested at my desk, my fingers hovering over the keyboard but not typing. My mind was elsewhere, replaying the image of Liam lying in that hospital bed, his small frame dwarfed by the machines and tubes surrounding him. The memory of his laboured breathing, the way his tiny hand had gripped mine, sent a fresh wave of guilt crashing over me. I should have been there sooner. I should have noticed he wasn’t feeling well before it got that bad.“Brie?” Lisa’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. She stood in the doorway of my office, her expression a mix of concern and apology. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come see Liam at the hospital. I didn’t even know he was sick until Mark told me. How is he doing now? Is he okay?”I forced a smile, though it felt brittle on my lips. “It’s fine, Lisa. You don’t owe me an apology. And Liam’s doing better, thank God. The doctor said he’ll be discharged today.
“Ey, Amigo, I’ve been waiting on you for the Smith guy’s details and the transfer. You waste more time, and it’ll cost you double of that money, you understand?” Tyrell’s voice crackled through the phone, low and menacing, like the growl of a predator circling its prey.I clenched the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles whitening in the grip. The weight of his words pressed down on me, a reminder of the stakes I was playing with. These Gang members weren’t the kind of people you play around with. They were the kind who made people disappear when they were disappointed. And right now, I was dangerously close to becoming one of those people.“Hey, man, I’m on my way to the location where I’ll get you what you want. Trust me, I won’t take long,” I replied, my voice shaky despite my efforts to sound calm. The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. I wasn’t sure how much longer this would take, and every second felt like a ticking time bomb.Tyrell grunted, a sound that could have meant anything,
D.N.A TEST. BrieAt the office, I couldn’t get my head to focus on the load of paperwork sitting on my desk. My fingers tapped restlessly against the mahogany surface, the rhythmic sound doing little to drown out the storm of thoughts raging in my mind. I couldn’t focus.My mind kept drifting back to Derrick. I had a gut feeling that he wasn't going to stop, and it amplified my worry. I knew Derrick, I've been with him almost all through college, and he wasn't the type that gives up that easily. Once he set his mind on something, he pursued it with relentless determination. And now, that determination was fixated on Liam.A cold feeling of anxiety tightened in my stomach. What if this changes everything between Smith and I? Smith had been nothing but patient, understanding, but how long could that last? What if one day he woke up and decided this was too much..that I was too much? He hadn’t called since I’d told him about Derrick’s threats, and the silence was deafening. Was he pulli
Legal WarfareDerrickThe next morning, I sat on my bed as light filtered through the half-drawn blinds, casting jagged stripes across my rumpled sheets.My head pounded in rhythm with my heartbeat, a relentless drumbeat of regret from last night's whiskey.Frank's words played on a loop in my mind.. leverage, DNA test, lawyer. Each one a stepping stone toward Liam, a reminder of how far I'd let myself fall. I dragged a hand down my stubbled face, the grit of exhaustion clinging to my skin. Time wasn't just ticking; it was slipping through my fingers like sand, and I had to make quick moves.I reached for my phone, the screen blinding in the dim room. The number Frank had given me was saved under Mercer - Last Resort. I almost laughed. Everything about my life felt like a last resort these days. I clicked on the green call button and waited patiently for a pick. The call connected on the third ring. "Law offices of Daniel Mercer." The voice was polished and impersonal. The kind that
DerrickThe Plan.The amber liquid in my glass swirled as I clenched my fist, the ice cubes clinking softly—a pathetic symphony to match the storm in my head. Forget and move on? Bridget’s words still burned in my ears, sharp as shattered glass. I exhaled hard, my grip tightening around the whiskey before taking a slow, bitter sip. The burn down my throat did nothing to dull the frustration. Frank sat beside me on the leather couch, his usual easy-going demeanour replaced by a rare, pensive silence. He swirled his own drink, watching me with that calculating gaze of his—the one that always made me feel like he was three steps ahead. “Dude she told me straight up on the call that I should forget about Liam and move on. Isn't that absurd?” I asserted, my gaze slowly drifting to Frank, who was sitting next to me with a glass of whiskey in his hand.She actually said that?” Frank finally broke the silence, his voice low. Forget and move on? Like, you're not the father of her kid?”
BrieShadow Of The Past: Continued. I hesitated, unsure of how much to share. Davis had always been my rock, the one person I could count on no matter what. But I just didn't want to talk about this. I was tired of bringing up Derrick, talking about a past I had tried so hard to leave behind.“It’s Derrick,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “He called. He wants to be a part of Liam’s life.”Davis’s eyes widened in surprise. “Derrick? After all this time? What did he say?”I recounted the conversation, my words tumbling out in a rush. As I spoke, I could see the concern written all over Davis’s face. She knew how much I had struggled after Derrick walked away, how hard I had fought to build a life for Liam and myself. “I don’t know what to do,” I confessed. “I can’t let him waltz back into our lives like nothing happened. But what if he tries to take Liam away from me? What if he goes to court?”Davis reached for my hand, her grip firm and reassuring. “Listen to me
The Shadow of the past: A fight for Liam.It was my second day off. The director had given me some days off to go spend time with Liam, who had just been released from the hospital. I sat on the couch, my gaze fixed on Liam as he slept peacefully in his cradle. His tiny chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, a reminder of how fragile life could be. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions. Fear, hope, and now, relief. Liam was finally home, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to breathe. Liam, He was my world, my everything. When I almost gave up on life, he was the only thing keeping me going. He was my lucky charm, and I was just so overwhelmed by joy to see that he was finally recovering well.As I stood up to go get the drugs the doctor had prescribed for Liam, my phone rang out, the screen flickering. I averted my gaze towards the phone, wondering who that might be calling me by this time of the night. I picked up the phone and saw an u
“Ey, Amigo, I’ve been waiting on you for the Smith guy’s details and the transfer. You waste more time, and it’ll cost you double of that money, you understand?” Tyrell’s voice crackled through the phone, low and menacing, like the growl of a predator circling its prey.I clenched the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles whitening in the grip. The weight of his words pressed down on me, a reminder of the stakes I was playing with. These Gang members weren’t the kind of people you play around with. They were the kind who made people disappear when they were disappointed. And right now, I was dangerously close to becoming one of those people.“Hey, man, I’m on my way to the location where I’ll get you what you want. Trust me, I won’t take long,” I replied, my voice shaky despite my efforts to sound calm. The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. I wasn’t sure how much longer this would take, and every second felt like a ticking time bomb.Tyrell grunted, a sound that could have meant anything,
A Glimmer of GraceBrieThe hum of the office was a distant buzz as I rested at my desk, my fingers hovering over the keyboard but not typing. My mind was elsewhere, replaying the image of Liam lying in that hospital bed, his small frame dwarfed by the machines and tubes surrounding him. The memory of his laboured breathing, the way his tiny hand had gripped mine, sent a fresh wave of guilt crashing over me. I should have been there sooner. I should have noticed he wasn’t feeling well before it got that bad.“Brie?” Lisa’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. She stood in the doorway of my office, her expression a mix of concern and apology. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come see Liam at the hospital. I didn’t even know he was sick until Mark told me. How is he doing now? Is he okay?”I forced a smile, though it felt brittle on my lips. “It’s fine, Lisa. You don’t owe me an apology. And Liam’s doing better, thank God. The doctor said he’ll be discharged today.
A Deal with the DarknessDerrickI sat in my car, the engine off, the silence pressing against my ears like a weight. The parking lot was empty, save for a few scattered vehicles, and the faint glow of a street light flickering above. My hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, as if holding on tighter could somehow steady the storm inside me. Bridget’s face flashed in my mind. Her smile, the way her eyes lit up when she laughed, the way she used to look at me before everything fell apart. And then there was Liam. My son. The boy I’d barely known, the life I’d missed out on. The guilt gnawed at me, a relentless ache that had only grown sharper since I’d seen him again.I’d spent years running from it, burying the regret under layers of denial and excuses. But seeing Liam at the hospital, really seeing him had shattered all of that. He was a bit older now, with Bridget’s eyes and a quiet confidence that made my chest tighten.I wanted to be part of his life. I needed to be. B
The Weight of ChoicesBRIEIt was 6:22pm in the evening. The fluorescent lights of the emergency room buzzed faintly overhead, casting a sterile glow over the tense atmosphere. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, a persistent reminder of where I was and why I was here. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. fear, guilt, exhaustion, all battling for dominance.“I’ll be taking my leave now, Brie,” Smith muttered, his voice soft but firm. He rubbed his hand on my shoulder, the warmth of his touch offering a fleeting sense of comfort. “I have to be at a short meeting with some clients. I was headed there before I got your call and decided to rush here to meet up with you.”I looked up at him, forcing a smile that felt more like a frown. “It’s fine, Smith. Thanks for stopping by.”He nodded, his kind eyes filled with concern. “My pleasure, Brie. And get some rest, okay? He’ll be fine.” With that, he turned and walked toward the exit, his polished shoes clicking against the ti