And so she'd walked away, his words stabbing her ears as they struck home.
"You think you can just waltz in here and play like you're good enough to have my love? You'll never have it, Sabrina," he had sneered, the disgust spewing from him like acid that cut into her heart. Every step was hard as she moved through the grand house now that had become a cage of gilded bars and memories bitter with the poison of anger.
She was lost in this world he created, full of resentment and anger. "Why even bother?" he had shouted at her, his face distorted in rage as she tried to reach out to him. "You're just a reminder of everything I hate about my life!" Yet still, she gave in . Deep down, there was still some love from her side of his body that seemed mutually less, but still true love between two souls. She had still not given up. Still catching for breath, "I'm not giving up on you," she could still stare at tear-stained mascara and tears, and hurt etched upon her face staring back from the mirror. But still, he came rushing into the room, eyes blazing red as if in anger. "What do you want here, Sabrina?" he hurled, his words filled with disdain. "Didn't I make it clear that I didn't need you in my life at all?" She stood there, unbroken by him even though he was angry at her. "I want to know you, Benedict. Why do you always keep me away? Do you understand me? he laughed cruelly, the sound echoing off the walls. You think you can just cozy up to me and make everything all right? You're living in a fantasy. Her heart sank, the weight of his words crushing her. "I love you, Benedict," she pleaded, her voice shaking. "Can't you see that? His face went ice cold and stepped closer. "Love? You do not even know what this word is, do you?" He spat his words at her. His eyes had turned dark with the venomous poison of rage. "This marriage is not a fairy tale; it's prison and you are the warden." That's when she was hit with the accusation. She was left for breathless. "I did not want this! I wanted for us to be happy," she countered, trying to keep all her anger locked inside as she could. "But you keep shutting me out!" He sneered in his disgust. "Happy? With you? That's ridiculous, Sabrina. “You have turned my life into a nightmare. Every single day with you is a reminder of everything I've lost.” His words cut deep into her, like the knife which darts straight in. His words hurt so harshly that she felt as if her chest was about to constrict, and tears welled up to spill over from her eyes. It was as if the weight of his disdain was crushing her spirit. “I never wanted to be a source of pain for you,” she choked out, her voice trembling. He gave a glare so full of venom and was so intense that she didn't know how to even react. She was too small under his glare to say words. "I just wanted to love you," she whispered with the pain that had built deep inside of her heart. Feeling utterly defeated, she took a shaky breath. “Why can’t you see the love I have for you?,I am not your enemy! I didn't make you marry me. I only want to reach you!" He leaned back, a wicked smile crossing his face. "Reach me? Save me? You think I need saving, Sabrina? I don't. I need you to disappear.". "Why hate me so much?" she wailed, her voice gradually filled with the pain that came out of it. "What did I do to deserve this?" He looked at her, a flicker of something in his eyes—regret?—but it vanished quickly. "You're not worth my time. You're a mistake I have to endure. The sooner you accept that, the better for both of us." The weight of his contempt suffocated her spirit. "You're wrong. I'm not a mistake. I'm your wife," she insisted, her voice breaking. "I deserve more than this." He laughed, a bitter sound that filled the space between them. "You think you deserve something? Just because you wore a pretty dress and said 'I do'? You're delusional." He said, with every word he thrust the wedge into her heart, but she would not give in and tried to be strong. "I am here for you, Benedict. I wish to help you, but you will not let me!" "Help? Do you think you can help me? You are a bloody joke," he spat in her face, venom from his lips. "You could not even help yourself if you tried. She wept, but she rubbed them away quickly. She did not want to look weak. "You don't know me at all and I can prove to you that I can make you love me and I mean it!" she said. "I am more than your wife. I have feelings too!" He came closer to her. His face was inches from hers. His breath was hot. "Feelings? Please. You are just an obstacle, and I don't need obstacles. I need freedom.". Sabrina recoiled at his intensity, the reality of their situation crashing around her. "Obstacle?Then why don't you just leave?" she challenged, trying to steady her voice. "If I'm such a burden, then why don’t you just walk away? Why are you still here?" Her voice trembled, each word thick with desperation. He looked at her, and his gaze turned icy, like the chill of winter cutting through the warmth of a summer day. "Maybe I will. I'll find someone who actually deserves my time, unlike you.". The finality in his words was a gut punch to her. "You think you can just walk away and leave me behind? You think that will fix everything?" "Fix? There's nothing to fix here. It's broken beyond repair," he said with ice in his voice as he turned to walk away from her. "This marriage was a mistake from the start.". Sabrina's heart was broken, his disgust that broke her spirit. "Then maybe you should just do us both a favor and end this nightmare," she whispered, her voice not more than a breath. As he walked away from her, leaving her alone in the oppressive silence, she understood that it was time to steel herself against the pain of losing a man whom she loved. She silently promised him that she would not give up on Benedict, even if her heart seemed like it would break into a hundred pieces. She would fight for him, for them, to face his demons alone.Morning sun spilled into the expansive dining room as Sabrina set the table for breakfast that took her hours to prepare. She had cooked all his favorites: scrambled eggs with chives, perfectly crispy bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice. It was her silent way of showing Benedict she cared, despite the poison he threw her way every chance he got. She longed to bridge the distance separating them, compel him to look past his revulsion at her. Stepping back from the stove and the last plate, Benedict had entered the room; and certainly, his face showed no softer countenance for traversing it. He darted his look across the table; and then faced about and settled back in the chair with an irreverent huff of discontent. "This is all you had ready? " he snapped, pushing the plate aside as if it were insulting. "A good breakfast, and this is the best you could do?" Sabrina pulled up a small, tight smile. She clung to the side of the chair she leaned on to balance herself. "I — I prepared
Morning sun spilled into the expansive dining room as Sabrina set the table for breakfast that took her hours to prepare. She had cooked all his favorites: scrambled eggs with chives, perfectly crispy bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice. It was her silent way of showing Benedict she cared, despite the poison he threw her way every chance he got. She longed to bridge the distance separating them, compel him to look past his revulsion at her. Stepping back from the stove and the last plate, Benedict had entered the room; and certainly, his face showed no softer countenance for traversing it. He darted his look across the table; and then faced about and settled back in the chair with an irreverent huff of discontent. "This is all you had ready? " he snapped, pushing the plate aside as if it were insulting. "A good breakfast, and this is the best you could do?" Sabrina pulled up a small, tight smile. She clung to the side of the chair she leaned on to balance herself. "I — I prepared
Sabrina jolted awake, her heart racing with a raucous laugh echoing down from downstairs. It was 1:00 AM by the clock on her nightstand, and something was creating an unsettling knot in her stomach. That kind of laughter made her skin crawl, an unsettling mix of joy and something darker. She crawled out of bed and rubbed her eyes for the sleep as she took steps one by one, with each one becoming a source of tension leading up to herself.Just as she was turning into the living room, that's when she first saw the sight. This tore apart whatever heart was still left for her. Benedict, her husband, lay sprawled across the sofa, surrounded by two beautiful women who laughed and leaned into him, their faces flushed from what Sabrina could only assume was alcohol. His laughter boomed out, and the warmth he had always kept for her was now being liberally dispensed upon these strangers."Benedict!" she shouted, working at keeping her voice even, though it shivered under the load of fear. "Wha
With newfound resolve, Sabrina brushed away her tears and took a moment to pull herself together. She could not let Benedict's words chip away at her self-esteem anymore. Deep inside, she knew she was better than just being a wife in a loveless marriage. She was a strong woman who could conquer any form of adversity.It made her blood boil as she walked back into the living room to find Benedict stretched out across the couch, laughing and flirting with the two women. She inhaled deep to let anger fuel her determination. "I deserve respect," she thought to herself, pounding in her chest."Benedict," she called, her voice strong and steady. He looked up, a flash of surprise crossing his face before it smoothed out into a smirk."What now, maid?" he returned dismissively, reclining himself, his arm loosely curved over Jenny's shoulder. "I thought you were on drink service."."I'm done being your maid," she said, moving forward on him, her heart pounding. "I'm not going to let you disres
The following morning, Sabrina woke up to a thumping vibration on the bed, by her bedside table-that of her phone. Her rubbing eyes went out looking for and retrieved it. What amazement she found seeing on the screen. 'Teresa Thompson', to whom she had talked once over the phone before entering into the company. For such important events, it required attending by all top rank officers of the firm Benedict owned."Hello, Teresa," Sabrina replied, trying to be as bright as possible, though the sting of last night still lingered in her head."Good morning, Sabrina! Hope I didn't wake you. I wanted to inform you that we are having a company event tomorrow evening at the Grand Ballroom. It's going to be a big deal, and we need everyone there—especially Benedict. It's important for the company image."Hope flared in Sabrina. "Of course, I'll remind him. He wouldn't want to miss it, would he?""He doesn't know how important this is," Teresa said vaguely. "He's been. distracted lately."Sabri
She found some strength to go to Benedict, and the laughter and the music faded into the background as she focused on the man who had become both her pain and, in the strangest way, her resistance. The longer she had been at the event, she realized she didn't need his validation but the thought of confronting him, standing up to him even in the smallest ways, felt like a much-needed long-overdue obligation.She came upon him as he played host to a small circle of admirers. They laughed a little too hard, their eyes flicking between him and Sabrina as she closed in on them. Her heart started racing, her hands closing tight around her clutch."Benedict," she said, her voice calm but firm. His gaze fell on her, and his smile died out, replaced by annoyance."What is it?" he said coolly, his voice laced with irritation."We need to talk," she said, forcing herself to meet his steely gaze. She could feel the eyes of the onlookers darting between them, sensing the tension.Benedict smirked,
But for the first time, she felt like she could breathe again; as if the weight of his disdain had finally started to lift. Her heart still hurt and the ache of his rejection still throbbed, but a new strength was simmering beneath the surface. She had faced him, stood up to him, and reclaimed a part of herself that she had lost in the shadow of their broken marriage.As she disappeared in the crowd, along with admirers who never knew the man behind that mask of smiles, Sabrina made herself a promise silently. No more getting held captive to his meanness. No more letting him tear apart the person she was trying to find.Tonight had been a small victory, a spark of defiance that would eventually lead to her liberation. She did not know how or when, but one day, she will leave this broken marriage for good. And on the day she would, she would be stronger, more courageous, and more braver than she had ever felt before. Turning back to the party, she rejoined the crowd, quiet determinatio
Sabrina turned around, the pulsating energy of the dance floor fading behind her. As she spun around with this intoxicating mix of freedom and reckless abandon in her veins, her laughter would have cut through the cacophony of the party like a tune that was so sweet to be savored. She had been free for what had seemed like a blissful few moments, lost to the rhythm of the music, the warmth of people. Concerns that had been growing for so long about Benedict—the spaced-out look in his eyes and the unspoken words lingering between them—became a memory. She lived, pulsed, breathed for the night to hold her folded within its folds.But as the hours went by and the drinks kept pouring, a heaviness started settling in her mind. She blinked away the blur of bright lights as dizziness washed over her. She breathed into herself to try to get her bearings."Hey, I'm going out to get some air," she called out to Claire, who continued to spin and laugh, totally lost in her own bliss.Claire barely
The mood was still tense as Nathaniel Harper melted into the crowd, his departure leaving behind a lingering sense of unease. The party went on, but to the Thompson family, the evening had turned dark.Saben looked at his sister, his face stern."True, Eliana. All of my business ventures in BMX—some of them have failed due to him." His tone was clipped, laced with irritation."Nathaniel Harper is ruthless. He doesn't just want to win—he wants to destroy his competition. You have to be careful. And whatever you do, don't let yourself be deceived by how he looks."Eliana folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not easily distracted, Saben."Saben smiled. "You should. Because guys like him? They don't play by the rules."Sabrina, who had stood silently by, finally spoke, her voice flat but firm."The Harper family is an eyesore, yes." She shook her head, sighing. "But that's competition, my dear. That's business. But you must keep your principles and be humble. No matter how ruthless the
18 years later. Sabrina Auburn Thompson leaned against the balcony railing of their large estate, observing the sun set below the horizon. The golden colors of the sunset caught the reflection from the large gardens where her adult children had as toddlers played with abandon.Sabrina sighed in satisfaction, her back against the warmth of Benedict's body. He encircled Sabrina's shoulders with his arms and bit gently at her hair."What do you think about, my love Sabrina?" he asked in his deep, comforting voice.Sabrina smiled, leaning back against him. "Just thinking how fast time passes… One minute, we were rocking them to sleep, and now… they're all grown up."Benedict laughed. "And they're both great. We must've done something right."Actually, their kids had turned out to be great young adults.Saben Thompson, 26, had become the CEO of BMX Estates, the billion-dollar real estate empire that had been in their family for generations. Intelligent, ambitious, and charming, he had inhe
Leila crossed her arms. "Benedict, do you want the baby to be born in the back of your car?"Benedict turned pale. ".Mom, you're driving."They got Sabrina into the car as quickly as possible.Benedict sat behind her, holding her hand tightly as she clutched it with surprising strength. "You're doing great, baby. Just breathe. In, out—""IF YOU TELL ME TO BREATHE ONE MORE TIME, I SWEAR TO GOD—"Benedict swallowed hard. "Okay. Shutting up now."The entire drive to the hospital was wild. Sabrina's contractions were getting closer and closer together, and she moaned through all of them.Saben, sitting in the front seat, plugged his ears. "Mommy is scary when she is in pain."Leila stroked his head. "Welcome to childbirth, honey."They finally arrived at the hospital. Nurses and doctors were already standing outside with a wheelchair.As they rolled her in, Sabrina clung to Benedict's shirt. "You better not pass out on me, Benedict Thompson!"Benedict, sweats bullets or not, smiled. "I wo
As the evening wore on, Sabrina nestled against Benedict, observing their family and friends giggle and spin to the twinkling fairy lights. The house had never felt more festive.Saben hurried toward them, his small fists still bunched in a tight pink confetti ball. He grasped at Benedict's elbow. "Daddy, will she have princesses or dinosaurs?"Benedict grinned, dropped down on one knee next to Saben's row. "Why decide? Perhaps she'll be a wee princess warrior who loves tea parties and dinosaurs."Saben's eyes widened in excitement. "Whoa… that is so cool! I'll show her all about dinosaurs! And—and I'll let her play with my toy T-Rex!"Sabrina smiled, tousling Saben's hair. "You'll be a wonderful big brother."Saben smiled proudly. "I know! But, Mommy, does the baby hear us?"She placed his small hand against her belly. "She does. And I think she's waiting for you too."Saben breathed deeply as if listening to the expected reply of the baby. "Hello little sister! Your big brother Sabe
Benedict froze.Saben laughed once more. "Daddy, your face is silly!"Benedict groaned yet again, rubbing his temples. "I totally walked into that one."Sabrina' smile suddenly took on a false sweetness. "C'mon, sweetie pie?"Benedict sighed dramatically, then leaned in and kissed her nose. “Fine. Anything for my pregnant queen.”Saben cheered. “BEST. DADDY. EVER!”Benedict pointed at him. “You say that now, but wait until you’re the one running late-night errands for your pregnant wife in the future.”Saben gasped in horror. “No way! I’m never getting married!”Sabrina and Benedict exchanged amused glances.Sabrina grinned. "Let's definitely do that in ten years."And with that, they hugged on the couch, laughing, hearts full of love and happiness—ready for whatever adventure life had in store next.Six months had passed, and the Thompson household was humming with excitement. Sabrina's belly was round lovely, and she beamed beautifully, blissful as she and Benedict waited to count d
It began quietly enough, at least at first—Sabrina would make a passing comment about a dish she hadn't considered in years. Then it built.And now, at precisely midnight, Benedict was sleepy with half his eyes shut, in the kitchen, clinging for dear life with one hand to a jar of chocolate spread and the other wrapped around a bag of oranges.Sabrina sat on the counter, kicking her legs, clutching a half-full bowl of pasta—a bowl she'd insisted on topping with vanilla ice cream.Benedict blinked slowly, attempting to keep up. "So. let me get this straight." He waved at her bowl. "You're having pasta. with ice cream."Sabrina nodded, chewing in another satisfied bite. "Mhm."He rubbed his face. "And now, you're asking for oranges with chocolate spread on them?"She gasped dramatically. "Yes! Oh my gosh, Benedict, that's SO good."Benedict groaned, but his mouth was curved with a small smile. "Love, are you sure you're all right Sab?"Sabrina pouted. "Of course I'm all right! I'm just…
Later, the sun streamed through the windows of the Thompson house and poured directly into the kitchen, warming everything with a soft glow. The whistling from the pans sizzling with long-food stirrers pancakes combined in the air with the bang of the smell of eggs, bacon, and brewed coffee.Sabrina crept into the kitchen still sleepy and half-awake wearing pajamas, "Mmm, that smells so good."He turned around towards her, with a sultry smile. "Good morning, beautiful," he continued, "I wanted to surprise my beautiful wife with breakfast in bed, but since she's all awake, you get it fresh off the burner."Later, the sun streamed through the windows of the Thompson house and poured directly into the kitchen, warming everything with a soft glow. The whistling from the pans sizzling with long-food stirrers pancakes combined in the air with the bang of the smell of eggs, bacon, and brewed coffee.Sabrina crept into the kitchen still sleepy and half-awake wearing pajamas, "Mmm, that smells
Penelope shrugged her shoulders, "As long as it comes to my doorstep."Sabrina shook her head and laughed; then she looked over at Benedict, who was already gazing intent, his face a portrait of love. He locked her fingers closely with his."Happy, Mrs. Thompson?" he whispered.Sabrina smiled just as she wove her fingers through his. "Happier than I ever could have hoped."Benedict leaned down and kisses her ever so gently. "That good, because you'll be secured this happy forever."Laughing, she wrapped him around her neck. "Forever?"He smiled. "Forever."Leila swooned. "Oh dear, they're at it again." Wendy smiled. "Let them be, after all a love as theirs is worthy of celebration." Leila chuckled, fluffing her hair. "Okay, okay, now for the mushy stuff. Who's gonna clean the chocolate disaster?" Saben covered his little chest with his hand. "Mommy! Daddy! Grandma is ruining my chef dreams!" Benedict teased his son ruffling up his hair. "But it's all about knowing how dreams are g
The scent of sex and their sleep surrounds them as they wake this early morning. His face circled by its golden glow. His handsome blue eyes hidden from her by those eyelids closed in sleep. He shift and the eyes open for an instant giving her a glimpse of her soul. "Good morning my love." Then their lips come together to express the passion still present from last night. As they approach him and lift her leg over his, the passion intensifies. The kiss deepens, gets harder, and stronger. The need in their bodies and souls intensifies with each passing moment."I love you, Sab." He say, as he moves his lips to bite on her ear lobe. Down to her neck, sucking on it hard so that there is a big mark, for everyone to notice. Then to the area where her neck and her shoulder would connect. He bite lightly and blow on it, seeing her shiver."Benedict I love you" She whisper, as she bring her hips nearer to him. He bend down and kiss the peaks of her breasts, and She press his head nearer to he