The day was warm but carried a sense of anticipation. I had been pacing around the mansion since morning, preparing for Alice's visit. My grandmother, who had shown me nothing but kindness, insisted on meeting Alice, the one friend who had been there through the worst of times. It felt surreal, bringing Alice into this space that had seen so much of my suffering, and even more so to have her meet Samuel again—my tormentor, my husband, in name only.Alice arrived just before sunset, her hair catching the last rays of light. As soon as she walked through the door, I felt a wave of relief and anxiety all at once. She greeted me with a tight hug, her smile reassuring. "You look tense," she whispered, pulling back to look at me closely."I’m just… it’s complicated, Alice." I looked away, not sure how to explain the tight knot in my chest.Alice gave a small nod, her eyes scanning the room. "I’ll handle it," she said simply, a spark of determination in her voice. And just like that, I knew
It was early morning, and the Edgewood mansion was as grand and quiet as ever. My days had become a routine of endless learning sessions, as Grandma had taken it upon herself to ensure that I received the education I had missed out on. After realizing that I had never gone beyond basic schooling, Mrs. Margaret Edgewood was adamant about fixing this gap.She arranged for the best tutors to homeschool me. It felt overwhelming at first, but deep down, I knew she meant well. I spent hours every day pouring over books, studying subjects I had never imagined I would need to know. It was exhausting, but also liberating in its way. Each lesson was like a step forward into a future that I was slowly reclaiming.While I spent my days buried in books, Samuel… well, Samuel was doing what he did best—enjoying the privileges of the Edgewood name. By marriage alone, he had access to the wealth, power, and influence that came with being associated with our family. And he reveled in it. The title of "
The tension was palpable as Samuel stormed out of Anna’s room, his footsteps echoing angrily down the hallway of the grand Edgewood mansion. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—frustration, shame, and the unmistakable sting of Alice’s revelation. Lara. Pregnant. The words still buzzed in his head, and now, he had to find a way to regain control of the situation before it slipped completely out of his hands.As he rounded a corner, his path was blocked by Henry, Mrs. Edgewood’s personal assistant and the man who handled much of the estate’s day-to-day affairs. Henry had always been an unassuming figure, quietly efficient and fiercely loyal to Mrs. Edgewood and her granddaughter, Anna. But there was something in his posture tonight—an edge to his gaze that Samuel hadn’t noticed before."Leaving in a hurry, Samuel?" Henry’s voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it, like a predator waiting to strike.Samuel scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Not that it’s any of your busines
The evening was cozy, a soft golden glow from the lamp illuminating the guest apartment where Alice was supposed to be staying. But over the past two weeks, she had barely spent a night in her assigned room, choosing instead to curl up with me in my bedroom like we used to when we were younger. Those nights, full of whispered conversations and shared memories, had become a source of comfort in the midst of everything else.Alice stretched her legs out on the plush carpet, leaning against the edge of my bed, her face framed by the soft glow. “These past two weeks have been beautiful, Anna,” she said, a smile playing on her lips. “I’m so happy for you. It feels like you’re finally starting to live again.”I couldn’t help but smile back, even though her words stirred something bittersweet within me. The truth was, these last few weeks had been a small escape from the heaviness of my reality—filled with laughter and warmth that had been missing for far too long. Alice’s presence had remind
Alice stood up quickly, her eyes wide with alarm. “What is he doing?” she asked, her voice tense.“I don’t know,” I whispered, my mind racing as I moved toward the door. Panic surged through me. Despite everything Samuel had put me through, the sound of his voice—filled with fear—set off every instinct to run to him.The night had been quiet, filled with the warmth of Alice’s company and the shared memories of our youth. But all of that shifted in an instant when the door burst open, and Samuel stumbled into the room, his face pale and panicked.“Anna, please,” he gasped, his eyes wild as he moved toward me. “I need you to talk to Mrs. Edgewood for me. I didn’t mean it.”He spoke as if he were being questioned, but I hadn’t said a word. The room was frozen in silence, the only sound his frantic breathing and the pounding of my heart.I stood there, rooted in place, staring at him with a mixture of confusion and dread. What was he talking about? What had he done this time?My mind raced
It had been a week since Samuel's panicked plea and his desperate attempt to drag me into whatever mess he had caused. In that time, Mrs. Edgewood had been silent. Not a single word about Samuel’s outburst or whatever had happened in the hallway. Her silence was unnerving.I tried to push it out of my mind, focusing on the routine of my responsibilities, but the uncertainty loomed like a shadow over me. What had Samuel said to her? And why hadn’t she brought it up?I was in the study, going over some paperwork, trying to distract myself, when there was a soft knock on the door. The maid, timid as always, peeked her head in.“Miss Anna,” she said, her voice low. “Mrs. Edgewood is asking for you.”My heart skipped a beat. It felt like the moment I had been dreading for days had finally arrived. Nodding, I set the papers down, smoothing my dress as if it could somehow calm my nerves.“Thank you,” I murmured, rising from my seat.As I made my way to Mrs. Edgewood’s sitting room, I couldn’
After the long conversation with Grandma in her room, I felt a weight settle on my chest. There were so many things she had told me, things that made me realize just how much my life was tangled with Samuel’s, whether I liked it or not. But more than that, I had to face the truth: I needed to talk with him. I couldn’t keep avoiding him forever. My future, and the care of Mrs. Idris, hung in the balance.Walking down the hall, I found myself thinking over every possible scenario of how this conversation might go. Could I stay calm enough to get through it? Could I finally get Samuel to understand that his presence in my life was unwanted and that I had to move on? But then, what if he reacted badly? What if he exploded the way he used to? I couldn’t afford for things to go wrong, not with Mrs. Idris in the nursing home, her care under my guardianship. Samuel could easily make things difficult. He always knew how to disrupt my life in ways that hurt the most.As I made my way downstairs
The restaurant buzzed with the sound of soft conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the quiet hum of background music. I sat across from Samuel, my fingers lightly tracing the edge of the menu in front of me. My eyes skimmed the dishes, but my mind was far from the elegant descriptions of salads and entrees. The table between us was small, but the distance between our lives felt vast—so much pain, anger, and betrayal that no menu could paper over.I glanced up at him, sitting there with his usual calm demeanor, his eyes fixed on the menu as if this was just any other lunch as if we hadn’t spent years locked in a twisted, bitter marriage. Samuel looked composed, almost too composed, like he had rehearsed this moment. Maybe he had. I knew why he was here, and what he was trying to do, and it made my stomach twist with resentment. I was no longer the naive girl he could manipulate, yet here I was, sitting across from him, playing this game.As I stared at him, my thoughts drifted bac
“Welcome back, Miss Anna,” Lydia said, taking the bags from my hands before I could protest. She was always like that—quietly efficient, never allowing me to do too much myself.“Thanks, Lydia. It’s good to be home,” I replied, though my voice felt hollow. Home. This house used to feel like that, but now... now it just felt like an empty shell, haunted by my grandmother’s absence.“I picked up some groceries on the way,” I added as she took my things.“I’ll take care of them,” she said, her hands already full but still moving with that same quiet grace.I was about to head toward my chambers when I heard it—a sound that shouldn’t have been there. A rustling, followed by the faint thud of something heavy being moved. My brows furrowed. It was coming from my grandmother’s chambers.Her room. The room that was supposed to be mine now, but I couldn’t bring myself to move into it. It had been two months since she passed, and I still refused to rearrange the mansion or even touch her belong
I sat quietly beside my mother, watching her frail hands resting on the blanket. There was something unsettling about seeing her so vulnerable. A woman who, once upon a time, was full of life, now appeared fragile and worn. I couldn’t help but feel a wave of guilt rush over me. I should have been here more often. But, then again, when had I ever been good at staying?I was deep in thought when the door opened, and someone stepped inside. I turned my head and froze for a second, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. It was the nurse- that nurse- the one I had been flirting with outside the nurse’s station earlier today.Her name was Jennifer. I’d seen her outside my mother’s room and we’d exchanged flirtatious glances, harmless small talk, and a few compliments. But seeing her now, walking into my mother’s room, caught me off guard.“Well, well, Jennifer,” I said, my voice laced with amusement, “didn’t expect to see you here.”She smiled politely, though her eyes held a flicker of
I stood outside the door for an eternity, my hand shaking before the handle. The last time I visited my mother was brief, awkward, and honestly, unremarkable. It had been Anna who insisted on keeping my mother here, in this place, tho safe, comfortable, well taken care of. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Anna had taken care of so much. More than I deserved, to be honest.Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open gently. The room was beautiful, and tastefully decorated, with nice flowers and warm light spilling from the large window that had the view of the garden. A slight breeze moved the curtains, letting in the faint scent of jasmine. My mother lying in bed with her thin, frail body swallowed by the thick knit blanket draped over her body. She didn’t notice me at first, but when I cleared my throat, she turned, and the surprise in her eyes was… too much.Her gaze locked onto mine, wide with total disbelief, almost as if she were looking at a ghost. I felt a pang of guilt in my che
It had been a while since I’d visited Mrs. Idris, and as I walked through the quiet halls of the nursing home, a heavy sense of guilt settled in the pit of my stomach. The scent of antiseptic mixed with the faint smell of lavender drifted through the air, and I found myself clenching and unclenching my fists to keep my nerves at bay.Mrs. Idris had been under my guardianship ever since her health began to decline. I’d ensured she was taken care of, well-fed, comfortable, and treated with the respect she deserved. But I hadn’t been here as much as I should have lately. With everything happening—my grandmother’s death, the business responsibilities—I had let too much time slip by. I entered her room quietly. The pale yellow curtains let in a soft, golden light that bathed the room in warmth. Mrs. Idris lay on her bed, propped with pillows, her frail frame barely making an impression under the blankets. Her eyes fluttered open as she heard the door click shut.“Mrs. Idris,” I called sof
It had been a week since that unsettling lunch with Henry, where I saw the woman staring at me through the window. The memory still played in my mind, a gnawing discomfort at the back of my thoughts. I hadn't mentioned it to Henry, trying to brush it off as a coincidence, but I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that her eyes were filled with something more than curiosity. Today, however, all of that would come to light.I was sitting in the library, going through some paperwork, when the housekeeper knocked on the door, her voice timid. “Miss Anna, there’s someone at the door asking for you. She says her name is Lara.”I froze, my pen hovering over the page. Lara. The woman from the restaurant. I cleared my throat, setting the papers aside. “Send her in.”As the housekeeper left, my heart raced, my thoughts swirling. What could she possibly want? And why now?Moments later, Lara entered the room. She looked different from that day—worn, perhaps, but with a determined expression. She
Sitting across from Henry at the small, cozy café, I couldn’t help but smile as the afternoon sun bathed the room in a golden glow. The atmosphere was warm and intimate, the kind of place that made you forget about the world outside. We had been talking about everything and nothing for the past hour, letting time slip by unnoticed as we enjoyed each other's company.Henry looked at me with that familiar warmth in his eyes, his fingers gently playing with the rim of his coffee cup. “You know, Anna, you’re beautiful,” he said, his voice soft but filled with sincerity. The way he said it, like it was a fact he couldn’t help but notice, made my cheeks flush.I let out a small laugh, trying to brush off the compliment, but he wasn’t having it.“No, really,” he continued, leaning in slightly. “You have this light about you. The kind that draws people in. I’ve felt it since the moment I first saw you.”I glanced down at my plate, suddenly feeling shy. "Henry, stop, you’re making me blush.”B
I was awoken by the soft clinking of china against the tray beside me. At first, the sound felt distant, like it was part of a dream, but as my eyes fluttered open, I was greeted by the golden rays of the morning sun streaming in through the curtains. The warmth of the light made everything feel soft like the world was wrapped in a comforting glow. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness, and then I saw him.Henry was standing by the bed, a small, proud smile playing on his lips as he arranged the tray on the bedside table. His eyes caught mine, and I couldn’t help but smile back. He had asked the maid to prepare breakfast for us, the thoughtful gesture warming me from the inside. The smell of fresh tea and warm croissants filled the room, making the moment feel even more surreal and peaceful.“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Henry whispered, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. His lips lingered for a second longer as if he was savoring the simplicity of the mome
I sat at the edge of the bed, dressed in the black gown I hadn’t taken off in days. It had been two months since Mrs. Margaret Edgewood, the woman who had been like a mother to me, passed away. And I hadn’t left my room since the funeral. The outside world felt distant, like a memory that no longer belonged to me. My world had shrunk to the size of this room, this bed. I couldn’t shake the hollow emptiness that settled in my chest like a permanent weight. Grief had consumed me, and with each passing day, it grew harder to remember what it was like to feel anything else.The door creaked open, and I glanced up just in time to see Henry stepping inside. His face softened the moment he saw me, concern etched into every line of his expression. He walked slowly toward me, as though afraid that too much movement might cause me to break."Hey," he said softly, sitting down on the bed next to me. His presence was calming and familiar, and for a moment, I felt a small spark of warmth.“Hey,”
"Are you ready, Anna? To serve Samuel his divorce papers?" His voice was gentle as if he could sense my hesitation.I nodded slowly, unable to find the words. This was it. After years of suffering, I was finally taking back my life. The papers felt heavy in my hands, symbolic of every battle I had endured. Every tear, every sleepless night.The maid, standing by the door, glanced at Mr. Mike, awaiting his signal. "Go and call Mr. Samuel. He’s in the guest house," he instructed.I could hear the faint thump of music coming from the guest house, the sound of Samuel’s "good life." The man I had married had turned into a stranger, indulging in the company of others, in everything that had nothing to do with me. I had long since stopped wondering where I went wrong because I knew now—it was never about me.I glanced toward my grandmother, Mrs. Margaret Edgewood, lying weakly in her bed. She had been my rock through all of this, her frail hands still able to hold my spirit together even as