Cassy POVDuring the party, I could feel that something was bothering Caleb. It's not that I was suspecting him of anything. It was more like I was just puzzled at the antsy behavior. From time to time, he would leave me to talk on the phone, and my lips formed a straight line in displeasure. I am sure it was business, but can’t he postpone business for a while to enjoy the children’s party?“You look lonely, babe. Where is your husband?” Reynold approached me when he noticed I was standing alone in the corner, watching the event while my husband was out of sight. Caleb just stepped out of the room, purportedly to answer Gordon’s call, and it is honestly pi*sing me off. I shrugged my shoulders and looked murderous. The day began magnificently. Caleb and I rose before dawn and tiptoed our way to the twins' bedroom to spruce it up with birthday decor. We wanted to surprise the twins, and we did!The smile on their faces was priceless. Caleb and I could not contain our tears whe
Cassy POVCaleb spun me around in excitement, and I squealed in delight. When the children noticed what we were doing, they abandoned the toys scattered in the playpen to run toward us. “What’s happening?” Oakley asked.From the background, I could hear my mom tell her. “You and Joachim will have a baby brother or a sister soon.” “Oh!” Oakley sounded surprised.By this time, Caleb had already put me down, and I was watching the enraptured emotion on my little girl’s face. A grin worked its way to her face, making her more beautiful in my eyes. She took her brother’s hand excitedly. “We are going to have a baby! Yay! I am going to be a big sister!” Oakley and Joachim jumped at the news. They were clapping, and so were everyone around us. Even Rosalie Kingston Pierre looked at us with a wistful smile. Greg and James, Caleb’s friends, proposed a toast.“Congratulations on the baby!” They both shouted and tapped their glasses with spoons.It created tinkling sounds that gave off
Sigh. Have you ever felt that you have to go but cannot make that first step? That is how I feel today. Cassy and Caleb’s story has ended, yet I feel sad at the thought of saying goodbye. I started this story December 2023, and since then, it has brought me so many firsts: * First book with more than 200 chapters, * First book with 200k+ words, * First book with a banner promotion, * First book with highest reads at 70.2k to date, and * First highest-grossing book. This book wouldn’t reach those milestones if it weren’t for you. So, on this page let me thank some of the people who left their marks in my book: First is my editor Lyra Pinter. Thank you for the patience, support and tips you provided to make this book where it is at the moment. Also for GoodNovel. This platform gave me the opportunity to reach out to more audience. Thank you for the gems Chi, Lean Cantara. Jennifer Gonzales, Lhyn, Susan, Yolly Villanueva, Maria Theresa Sant
“Cassy, the food has gotten cold. It’s late, and Caleb has not shown up for dinner. Do you want me to pack all these and put them in the fridge? You can reheat it later.” Old Mrs. West, our housekeeper, suggested. I heard the implication in her words but refused to acknowledge it. Caleb will show up, says the tiny glimmer of hope in my heart. “Just let it be, Mrs. West. Caleb might be stuck in the office and does not have dinner yet. I will wait for him here.” I told her, trying to sound cheerful despite the situation.I averted my face - partly because I did not want the pity I am sure to see from her and also because I did not want to let on how disappointed and hurt I was that my husband ditched the anniversary dinner I painstakingly prepared for him with the help of the older woman.A lengthy pause followed my pronouncements as I am sure Mrs. West watches me in disbelief because who am I kidding?Caleb never came home for dinner. Since our argument last week, Caleb has
My vision blurred as I watched Caleb’s receding figure. He had turned his back on me and was now continuing his climb up the stairs - presumably to retire for the night - leaving me standing on the landing with my head tilted backward, chasing his rigid back with shadowed eyes. I did not move from my position until he was well out of my sight. Then, his words slowly sank in, and something in my head shifted. Caleb’s brushing me off shouldn’t be the end of us. Hurriedly, I followed him upstairs. My feet created a staccato rhythm as they landed hard on each step. I went to our bedroom, disappointed to find it empty. My eyes swept over the still well-made bed and grimaced. The bed looked lonely, as desolate as I was feeling. Since our heated row last week, Caleb stopped sharing the master’s bedroom with me. I thought it was his way of cooling his head off, of giving us space to think. I did not realize that he was already making a bold statement - that he was about to impos
I looked at my phone in a daze. Somehow, Caleb’s mom’s tirade did not surprise me. Caleb’s mom did not like me, but she could not do anything three years ago to stop Caleb from marrying me. But even so, she would let her disgust of me froth her mouth every time Caleb brings me to her home. She did not want a lowly secretary for his son’s wife. Shaking my head from my trance, I went to the bathroom to do my morning rituals and then got down. “You look like h*ll." Mrs. West looked worried as she ran her eyes over my face. Feeling self-conscious, I tried to evade her scrutiny and asked what was on my mind. “Have you seen Caleb?” “He left very early this morning.” She replied. Then, in a kinder tone, she added, “Did something happen, Cassy?” I shook my head. Until now, I still could not wrap my head around the idea that Caleb is divorcing me. Turning around, I went back in the direction of the staircase. “What about breakfast, Cassy?” Mrs. West’s voice held me
After leaving Caleb’s building, I walked aimlessly, letting my feet take over and not minding where they would take me. My mind is in shambles. My phone rang and I took it to answer the call. “Cassy, where are you?” Tory. my best friend asked. She sounded frantic. I looked around me and saw an unfamiliar place. “I am not sure,” I admitted morosely. “Well, get the h*ll to this place.” She mentioned the name of a luxurious five-star hotel, before adding, “ Your man is being stolen by another woman.” I smiled wistfully. “A man would never be stolen if he was truly in love with his girl,” I said sagely.“What are you talking about? Your man is dating another woman and she was hanging by his neck as of this moment. Your man is cheating on you!” Disbelief colored Tory’s words.I could feel her seething in rage.“He’s not cheating. We are divorcing.” I admitted with a calmness that belied the wild beating of my heart. “What?” Tory could not believe her ears. “You are letting him d
Thirty minutes after nine the next day, I checked my watch for the nth time before consulting my phone for any messages from Caleb. A feeling of apprehension spreads all over my body because for the first time, Caleb was late for an appointment and he was never late. As in never. "Do you think he was suddenly struck by conscience and changed his mind?" It was Tory. We were talking on the phone when I mentioned Caleb's unusual tardiness to her. A shot of excitement rolled over my body when I heard the suggestion, but I dispelled the thought immediately. "I lived with the man for three years, and if there is anything I learned from him, Caleb never changes his mind once he makes a decision about something." We both became silent after that. Another minute passed before I saw a familiar black BMW parked outside the building. The door to the passenger side opened, and Caleb got out. As usual, he was dressed smartly in his olive green three-piece suit. I looked at my own attire
Sigh. Have you ever felt that you have to go but cannot make that first step? That is how I feel today. Cassy and Caleb’s story has ended, yet I feel sad at the thought of saying goodbye. I started this story December 2023, and since then, it has brought me so many firsts: * First book with more than 200 chapters, * First book with 200k+ words, * First book with a banner promotion, * First book with highest reads at 70.2k to date, and * First highest-grossing book. This book wouldn’t reach those milestones if it weren’t for you. So, on this page let me thank some of the people who left their marks in my book: First is my editor Lyra Pinter. Thank you for the patience, support and tips you provided to make this book where it is at the moment. Also for GoodNovel. This platform gave me the opportunity to reach out to more audience. Thank you for the gems Chi, Lean Cantara. Jennifer Gonzales, Lhyn, Susan, Yolly Villanueva, Maria Theresa Sant
Cassy POVCaleb spun me around in excitement, and I squealed in delight. When the children noticed what we were doing, they abandoned the toys scattered in the playpen to run toward us. “What’s happening?” Oakley asked.From the background, I could hear my mom tell her. “You and Joachim will have a baby brother or a sister soon.” “Oh!” Oakley sounded surprised.By this time, Caleb had already put me down, and I was watching the enraptured emotion on my little girl’s face. A grin worked its way to her face, making her more beautiful in my eyes. She took her brother’s hand excitedly. “We are going to have a baby! Yay! I am going to be a big sister!” Oakley and Joachim jumped at the news. They were clapping, and so were everyone around us. Even Rosalie Kingston Pierre looked at us with a wistful smile. Greg and James, Caleb’s friends, proposed a toast.“Congratulations on the baby!” They both shouted and tapped their glasses with spoons.It created tinkling sounds that gave off
Cassy POVDuring the party, I could feel that something was bothering Caleb. It's not that I was suspecting him of anything. It was more like I was just puzzled at the antsy behavior. From time to time, he would leave me to talk on the phone, and my lips formed a straight line in displeasure. I am sure it was business, but can’t he postpone business for a while to enjoy the children’s party?“You look lonely, babe. Where is your husband?” Reynold approached me when he noticed I was standing alone in the corner, watching the event while my husband was out of sight. Caleb just stepped out of the room, purportedly to answer Gordon’s call, and it is honestly pi*sing me off. I shrugged my shoulders and looked murderous. The day began magnificently. Caleb and I rose before dawn and tiptoed our way to the twins' bedroom to spruce it up with birthday decor. We wanted to surprise the twins, and we did!The smile on their faces was priceless. Caleb and I could not contain our tears whe
Caleb POVWe started milling around, stopping by some tables to talk to some parents. From the happiness wreathed on the children’s faces, I could see that everyone was having a good time. My two best friends arrived, and I immediately snaked an arm around Cassy’s waist when I noticed Greg smiling at her. I still hadn’t forgotten what he told me before - that he had a crush on my wife. Cassy was surprised but did not remove my arms around her waist while we talked to my best friends. This alone made me shoot Greg a gloating look. If I didn’t need them for my proposal later, I wouldn’t have invited them, especially Greg, but they are the only people I could rely on.A crowd gathered around us, and my two best friends entertained them, allowing Cassy and I to extricate ourselves from the circle to welcome Adam and Cassy’s friends as they trickled in one by one. Martin Crest, Cole Higgs, and John Collins came in one after the other, bearing boxes of gifts for the twins. When Joach
Caleb POVWarmth filled my heart as I listened to Oakley divulge their wish for everyone to hear.My chest felt stuffy when I learned that their wish was me.Even though they did not know me or had no idea about me, my kids longed for me like I longed for them the past years.“I am happy, too,” I responded before grabbing them to kiss the top of their heads.Oakley climbed into my lap. Her little hand started caressing my face.“Thank you, Daddy! I love you!” Oakley declared.My shoulders started to shake. I don’t know what I did before to deserve these children, but I was so happy.“I love you, too, Oakley. You, Mommy and Joachim, are Daddy’s treasures.” I admitted and realized that my voice sounded guttural, even to my ears.I looked at Cassy and saw her smiling through her tears.I don’t think I will ever
Cassy POVDays passed by quickly, and before we knew it, it was already the kids' birthday.“Shhh!”Caleb said when I giggled because, for the first time, it was us barging in on them, not the other way around.The kids were still sleeping soundly.Oakley slept with her arms spread wide. She had kicked off her blanket to the foot of her bed.On the other bed, Joachim slept on his side, facing the wall.“I could not believe they were four years old.” I gushed.Caleb walked to the bed holding the cake we ordered at Felicity&rsq
Cassy POVUnfortunately, thechildren’splan to spend the weekend with their grandparents did not materialize because Mom and Dad told me they were leaving the next day.“Why? Thekids’birthday is only days away?”I could not hide the disappointment in my voice.The children look forward to having the family on their big day. They
Cassy POVI watched my parents, and the happiness radiating on their faces was enough to put a smile on my face.“Now, we can eat,” Oakley interjected.Her declaration broke my embracing parents apart.“Sorry, my little darling!” Mom said awkwardly, chucking Oakley on the chin.Oakley giggled and ran to the dinner table with Joachim in tow.The elder Burkes followed them and helped them with their seats while Caleb and I looked on with smiles painted on our faces.Then, I nudged him. “Tell me, how did Dad manage to order the flower arrangement this fast?&rd
Cassy POVThe children giggled, but they didn’t protest. They wallowed in the attention Mom gave them.“Come on, grandma, let’s eat,” Oakley said after a while. She scooted to the edge of the bed, her feet dangling.Dad took her little hands to hold her while she slid down the bed and her feet connected to the floor.“Wax, let’s go!” Oakley turned around and beckoned for her brother to do the same.Joachim followed Oakley. Dad helped him, too.They both ran to the door, trying to open it. They both jumped, hands touching the knob, but since they were not tall enough, they could not turn the knob open.