Sabrina closed her eyes as warm water dripped, mingling the droplets with her tears. Standing there in the warmth, she wished she could wash her heart turmoil with soothing warmth. The echo of Benedict's words clung in her mind; every syllable dug into her hurt soul even further.She did love him, she reflected, her heart breaking because of the admission. "But does he even care?" Not a whit, it would seem. She could sense the warmth of the bath enveloping her as small comfort, but no heat could numb the chill over marriage the apathy had cast for her. She clenched her fists, letting sadness and hurt into her. But also, she said, determination that churned beneath the surface.As she scrubbed at her skin, trying to get rid of the leftovers of the evening—the smell of alcohol, the bitterness of betrayal, the weight of loneliness—her will began to harden. "I can manage this pain for now," she whispered to herself, voice quivering but resolute. "I will survive, I will survive. But if he
Sabrina caught her breath, shook off the bittersweet memory of the previous night, and knew that for Benedict, it was just a whim, one he would soon forget. For her, it just strengthened the bitter truth of their one-sided relationship.It echoed off the quiet walls of their house, and Sabrina's heart tightened at the thought of her husband returning. He would probably sweep past her without even casting a glance her way. Then there would be an aside or a word of faultfinding, and it all again was a reminder of the way he treated her—another reminder of his inaccessibility. But today Sabrina steeled herself. Today, she wouldn’t allow his coldness to cut as deeply.She headed into the kitchen, making him breakfast as she had done each morning since they had gotten married. It was a ritual she knew all too well, but even though her hands moved methodically through the process, her head wandered to the promise she made herself: hold onto this new strength and sense of self, no matter wha
Less than an hour passed, and Teresa arrived. The room filled with warmth Sabrina hadn't known she desperately needed, sitting with Teresa at the kitchen table, and unspoken words hung in the air between them.Moments passed and Teresa reached out to take Sabrina's hands across the table.. Her eyes were soft with concern. "Sabrina, my dear. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for all the pain Benedict has put you through.".Sabrina's lips trembled as the words of Teresa pierced through the walls she built around her heart. She turned her eyes downward so that Teresa would not see those tears form in her eyes. But Teresa gently prodded up her chin, making her look at her."You do not deserve this, Sabrina," Teresa said, and now her voice cracked with emotion. "I don't know how to begin to explain just how embarrassed I am because he is my son, and I brought him to you. I raised my son to be better than this – to love the woman I'd chosen to stand by him. And yet. Forcing him on you had made him a
After her emotional talk with Benedict's mom, Sabrina spent most of her day planting flowers in the garden. It was her way of trying to forget the stress and emotional turmoil she felt because of Benedict. As evening fell, she found herself alone again. She never expected Benedict to come home just to have dinner with her. After everything that happened last night, when they were together in the shower, she thought he despised her. To him, she was just a maid, and he saw no feelings involved, only lust. But for Sabrina, it was different, as she loved him deeply.She took a warm shower and changed into a nightgown, hoping for some peace. But around midnight, she heard the doorbell ring. Everyone was asleep, so she had to go downstairs to know who it was. And it was Benedict, but this time he was drunk. He had been drinking much lately, perhaps owing to the problems at his company, but he never spoke to her about it.The door creaked into her nostrils with a strong whiff of alcohol. No
She tilted her head to his face, dark eyes, hard face, but none of the vulnerability she so desperately wanted to see reflected anywhere on his face."Benedict," she stuttered, a little voice shaking. "What… what are you doing?"He burst into a laugh, humorless as it was, and at the same time reeking of bitterness."What are you doing, Sabrina? Isn't that exactly what you agreed on, the doting wife for me to command when so pleased, no need for questions?Sabrina blushes, but she isn't embarrassed; more rage is burning within. All these months, she kept carrying it inside of herself; she allowed all the twisting to seethe like a burning fire in the pit of her abdomen."So you really think that is all I am?"She said low, but firm as she could muster the strength for."A convenience to you?"Benedict raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes, disgust clear in his face. "What else would you be here for, Sabrina? You're not exactly my first choice." Each of his words stung her, sharper than
Sabrina waited, her phone glued to her eyes, almost as if it were to magically flash a message from Benedict. Every passing hour without one only grew the ache inside her chest. She found herself occupied cleaning up the garden, reorganizing closets. Anything to not feel the chasm of silence stretching between them. But with each task accomplished, she could only see that she was alone in a marriage she was promised to feel treasured for.With night again falling two days running, Sabrina could no longer wait up for him to come back home. She settled down by the edge of their bed; her fingers played over the phone on her lap for what felt like the millionth time, as the calls to his number hadn't received an answer once, the messages she tried to send went unanswered - they'd gotten more panicky than ever, one every few minutes."I'm your wife, Benedict. Don't I at least deserve an explanation?""I'm here, waiting for you. Please just come home. We can talk."But the messages sat on h
Almost 5days had gone by, and not a single word, message, or call from his end. The deafening silence on the other end of the line was more agonizing than anything he could have hurled at her as Sabrina walked across the living room, clutching her phone in hand with unanswered calls and messages piling up.She kept replaying the argument in her head and trying to understand the whole situation. She had bared her soul before him, hoping that he would see her pain and understand that she needed him to see her as a partner. He shrugged off everything, leaving her to drown in the echo of her own desperation. Just as she was starting to believe that no one had returned, the front door clicked open. Sabrina froze, her heart racing with every beat as Benedict strode into the room, his face blank and indifferent as he dropped his keys on the table. He didn't even look or glance at her, walking past her as if she wasn't even there and never existed. "Benedict," she whispered, trying to keep
Weeks have gone by since Sabrina last saw Benedict. Barely able to decide what to feel-hurt , anger , or maybe just numbness-Sabrina didn't know how to handle the pain. Its absence had grown so ordinary that it almost felt easier to bear the load when he was not around, but loneliness weighed heavily on her during quiet mornings. She had grown accustomed to the sound of silence, but now it felt louder than ever.Recently, something else had changed. She hadn't been feeling well. Almost every morning, nausea greeted her, making it hard to keep anything down. She was exhausted, too, as if she were carrying a weight she couldn't see. At first, she dismissed it, thinking it was just the stress of everything with Benedict. Then her period didn't come. Days turned into weeks.With each passing morning as the cars rolled down the driveway while she lay there, she grew worried about whether she had to see where his car was or wasn't. She felt both a flicker of hope and a chill of fear at what
Taylor Elite Hotel's grand ballroom became a wonderland for Saben's 8th birthday. Balloons in shades of blue and silver floated near the high ceiling, cascading ribbons adding a playful touch to the elegant space. A massive cake, shaped like a superhero fortress, stood at the center of the buffet table, drawing excited gasps from Saben's classmates.There were giggles in each corner of the room; children running around playing tag near the decorated tables. The room was full of freshly baked pastries and chocolate fountains, and everybody could enjoy such a feast in a view of great-moving music.Saben was dressed in a sharp blue suit with a little red bow tie. He darted across the room, his eyes shining bright with excitement. His energy was infectious. Every few minutes, he would take a friend by the hand, leading them to a different corner of the party, eager to explore everything that his great-grandmother Wendy had prepared.Benedict stood near the entrance, his arm resting on Sab
Delacruz nodded. "We have been monitoring Clara's bank accounts and any possible activity. She has not been using her main account, but we found something else. She accessed an offshore account a few days ago. Small withdrawals, nothing large, but it's enough for her to stay off the radar."Vargas sat forward, his interest piqued. "Could she be preparing something? Something big?""Could be," Delacruz said. "We do not know what exactly she's up to, but that's enough to give me concern. We even tracked her being close to some private jet hangar."Ramos raised his eyebrows. "A jet? She's flying the country?"Possibly, Delacruz answered cautiously, "But she's smart. She could plan here, wait for the right time to make the move."Vargas stood up, the weight of their failure hanging over him. "Then we need to move fast. We can't afford to wait. Every second we lose, she gets closer to whatever it is she's planning."Ramos slammed his hand on the table. "Alright, let's pull everything we've
Clara's eyes turned icy, a fire burning in her chest. "I'll make them regret ever crossing me."He gave her a slow, almost reluctant smile. "Okay then. I'll keep collecting the pieces. But remember, don't go rushing this. If you do, you're walking straight into their hands. Take it slow. Wait for the perfect moment.Clara nodded firmly. "I'm not leaving until I've done what I came for."The man stayed a moment, his eyes furrowed to study her as if trying to read her deeper. "You're not some woman to underestimate. But tread carefully. Those kinds of people don't just fall."Clara said lowly, saying it more to herself than the man. "I'm not afraid of them. They will not know what hit them.He gave her one last glance before he was out the door and leaving, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. Clara stood by the door, gazing after him. The quiet in that room had become deafening, but it wasn't the silence that bothered her. It was the wait.But waiting didn't scare her. Clara knew th
Her mind was already racing ahead, thinking about the next steps. The safe house was just a temporary stop, a place to regroup. She couldn't stay there forever. She needed to plan, to figure out her next move.But one thing was clear. She wouldn't be stopped. Not by anyone.The van veered hard onto a quiet dirt road and down from view, where city eyes and noise wouldn't see. Clara felt her heart ease some but didn't calm at all; it settled and hung inside, weighing against the pain. It cost a great deal to what she was to do. Clara was uncertain whether she had been ready to take that risk of its coming result. Yet, there was no backing down. She could not retreat at this point. She had gotten this far.As the van came to a stop, the man glanced over at her. “You’ve made a dangerous choice, Clara. Don’t forget that.”Clara met his gaze without flinching. “I’ve made my choice. And I’m not going to regret it.”The man sighed, opening the door to the small, dimly lit building in front of
In one swift motion, she lunged forward, swinging the keys in a tight arc toward his face. Morales instinctively ducked, but Clara wasn't aiming for his head-she was aiming for his side, for the pocket where he kept his gun.Keys reached out, Morales grunted in surprise, taking a stumbling backward step. Clara's heart pounded in her chest, her veins full of adrenaline, she did not hesitate to use the moment to her advantage. She pushed herself forward swiftly and dodged around Morales's receding back to make a beeline for the gate.But just as she stretched out to the gate, a strong grasp closed around her arm. Morales regained his balance far quicker than Clara had permitted herself to let herself think."Not so fast, Clara," he snarled, twisting her arm behind her back with a jerk that sent a shock of pain through her shoulder.Clara gritted her teeth, refused to let the pain show. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. She kicked backward, aiming for his shin,
The secret, she was certain, lay in the pattern of the guard's rounds—when he passed by her cell, he inevitably stopped on that farthest corner. He never gave her much attention, thinking her just another condemned prisoner with no choice. Clara was not like the others. She was waiting for this one, single chance.She reached up to the small grate above her cot, the one she had secretly loosened during the last few days. It was a tight fit, but Clara had managed to create a small opening large enough to slip through, using pieces of cloth and the thin, wiry metal she'd managed to pry loose.She drew herself up, using the makeshift rope she had prepared, her hands steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She was almost there.Footsteps approached again, closer this time.Her pulse was racing. This was the moment she had been waiting for.Clara gave one final glance over her shoulder, to ensure that Dolores was still asleep. With gritted teeth, she heaved herself up thr
Finally, she could talk again and told him, "Give me a few minutes baby, I am going to pay you back!""I know baby," He smiled, "I know."Benedict pulled her closer, his hands roaming her back as their kisses grew more passionate. He murmured her name against her lips, a soft, reverent sound that sent shivers down her spine."I love you," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion."I love you too," she replied, her voice steady and sure.They move together, the love they feel in every touch and kiss. It was as if the intensity was palpable from the life they had built together and the battles they had conquered together. They lost themselves in each other; time stood still as their passion reaffirmed an unbreakable bond.Later, as they lay wrapped in each other's arms, breathing steady and warm within their closeness, Sabrina rested her head on Benedict's chest. The beating of his heart was like a lullaby."Days like today remind me how lucky we are," she said drowsily.Benedict ran hi
He added a little tongue to each kiss as he worked across the meaty part of her ass, and he could hear her breathing deepen.As he got to her crack he angled downward again to make the point of the bottom of the heart. He smiled to himself as she arched her back as he slowly pushed his tongue between her cheeks, not quite touching her pussy, not quite reaching her rosebud.He spent some time there, then he turned to the other cheek and slowly traveled up the other side of her ass to complete the rest of the heart.He then pondered where to kiss her next. He thought about raising her hips and attacking her pussy from behind, or rolling her over to begin kissing her front.He chose to enjoy her ass for a while and made a series of small hearts to each of her ass cheeks, one after the other.He loved the firm flesh of her ass, and she loved the attention he gave it.The sexy sounds she was making, and the squirming that she had started were very encouraging. After indulging her firm ass
Benedict laughed, scooping his son into his arms. "The park it is. Let's make this a day to remember."Saben squealed with excitement, wrapping his small arms around Benedict's neck. "Yay! I'm going to show you how fast I can go on the swings, Daddy!"Benedict grinned, turning to Sabrina. "What about you, Mrs. Almost-Thompson? Ready for a little adventure?Sabrina laughed, drawing out the picnic basket she had packed. "Absolutely. Make this day one to be remembered."The family got into the car, Saben chattering excitedly about the games they would play in the park. Benedict listened intently, contributing suggestions that made Saben all the more excited.By the time they reached the park, the sun was high up in the sky and bright with golden hues shining through luscious foliage. Saben tore toward the playground with Benedict by his side while Sabrina followed back to this joyful happening with her full heart overflowing with thoughts of the two most important people in her life."Da