I feel like throwing up my lunch at the scene of the two acting all lovey-dovey with each other.
Sybil is shamelessly throwing herself at Jackson and anyone can tell how one-sided their relationship looks—almost to an extent that one would feel the desire to tear them apart with force.
Nevertheless, no one focuses on the couple in front and I feel several eyes drilling holes into my back.
As expected, no one would degrade the popular girl and aim at the weak without mercy.
“Well, well, well... if it isn’t the whoremonger herself.” Sybil claps her hands, taking predatory steps in my direction.
Everyone has already been picking up on the commotion and now, with her posture, she attracted the eyes of our entire class. Within seconds, I stand under an invisible spotlight, highlighting my appearance.
“I get that you’re desperate, but snatching someone else’s man is still below you.”
I feel my
Denzel Flynn******Realizing that the guy before me won’t budge, I carry little rose who’s curled up in my arms in tears to a far corner from the centre. Placing her on her legs on the floor, I take off my jacket and wrap it around her.She watches me silently, in fear and shock. When I rushed to this place, I saw her in a trembling posture possessing a pitiful look. I won’t let this guy off easily.“Do you mind holding this, little rose?” I take off my watch and perch it on top of her palm. She watches me in a daze, and I smile down at her.I roll up my sleeves and confront the obnoxious jerk standing in front of the counter with a self-satisfied smirk.“You think you’re some hero? A prince charming saving the damsel in distress.” He takes out his gun and flaunts it into the air between us.When he doesn’t get the desired feeling of submission from me, he loads the gun and holds
Naomi West******I lay lazily in bed after the sunrise. The images from the night before flash before my eyes, causing an icy chill to run down my spine and goosebumps to rise on my arms. I stuff myself further under the blankets.It’s already ten in the morning and Ben is nowhere to be seen in my room. He’s an early riser and once up, cannot make himself to laze around in bed.If it had been just me and him, I’d have moved my lazy butt into the kitchen and made him breakfast, but I can depend on Denzel to not starve my child whilst I sleep.I’m awake though, and staying in bed, overthinking every stupid decision of my life, including last night, has given me a headache. I wanted to set an example for my son, but made a complete fool out of myself. What would Ben think of me now?I shake my head to disperse the negative thoughts. I decide to leave the bed or else my overthinking might drown me in an endless pit of darkness. Why does it feel like I've forgotten something?The moment
“I’ve tracked his IP address, boss.” The tech guy calls over, attracting Kyle’s and Denzel’s attention from my phone screen.The two of them stand behind the tech guy and Ben also looks into the computer screen, highly intrigued, as if he understands what’s happening.Unable to bury my curiosity, I make my way amidst the men as well. There are a bunch of numbers and alphabets on the screen.“Can you track his location?” Kyle speaks.“Yeah, give me a sec.”One second, the screen is black and filled with codes and the next, the google map pops up on the screen with a red dot.“Hey, that’s our neighbourhood. This building is just next to ours.” I tell Denzel.He nods and turns to Kyle. “Let me know of all the inhabitants of the building behind ours.”The tech guy is typing away something on his keyboard when the screen abruptly turns dark. He keeps pressing the same key, but nothing happens and Denzel intervenes.“What’s happening?” He asks.“He’s hacking me back.” The tech guy keeps pre
As soon as Denzel is out of my room, I rummage through my closet to find my best shirt and jeans. Eventually, I settle with a peach coloured shirt and dark jeans and get into a warm shower to loosen my muscles.Denzel and I decide that we’d look for the stalker some other day, and this time, I won’t be accompanying them.It still seems strange to me. Why would a man strike me out of nowhere and won’t even kidnap me or take advantage of me? I’m glad that I’m safe, but isn’t that the usual case?Why did he hurt me in the first place if he had no intention of bringing me along with him? Even Denzel has been in grave thoughts ever since I pointed it out.“I’ve a meeting in the evening. Give me a call after your work finishes. Don’t wander off.” He pokes my forehead with the tip of his index finger, tilting my head back with the little force.“Don’t do that. It’s annoying.” I rebuke.An evil grin takes over his face, making him look more like the Devil. “Well, what would you prefer? This?”
My brain freezes at the most crucial situations and by the time I realize that I should run, it’s already too late.The silhouette draws closer with my every breath. The closer the figure gets, the more gigantic the man looks.There are only a few steps left between the two of us when my brain unfreezes and I realize that I need to run.I twist my body and scamper towards the backdoor but a force prevents me from talking another step and pulls me back. First, I feel a hand fisting my hair and next, my back collides with the wall.The man’s grip on my hair and nape doesn’t loosen, and tears cloud my vision. I try to fight him off with my hands, but he cages both my wrists in his other grip. He continues to drag me alongside him away from the backdoor.My purse and phone have fallen near the backdoor and with Denzel’s voice gone, my heartbeat becomes erratic and panic settles in my bloodstream.“Stop! Let go of me!” I scream, but no one in the neighbourhood seems to hear.The road is to
Jacob goes back after dropping off Denzel, me, and Ben. Ben is still unaware of everything that has taken place, and I don’t bother to let him know.The first thing I do after reaching the apartment is take a long relaxing shower to calm my nerves. After I change into my robe, I head in the direction of my bedroom.Ben has already been put in bed by Denzel. As I walk to my room, something troubles me on the way and before I know, my feet wander off in another direction. Instead of standing in front of my room, I stand on the threshold of Denzel’s room.My fist rises, and without a proper thought, I knock twice on the door. I don’t understand why I’m standing before his room instead of mine. My complicated emotions blur my thinking and feeling stupid, I decide to turn around on my heels and walk away.However, just as I’m about to turn, he opens the door and stands in front of me in his pants. The alluring sight of his naked torso greets me, and I don’t look away.“What’s wrong?” He as
I look at my mother in utter shock, whom I haven’t contacted in over six years. It’s not much surprising that she knows I’m back and knows my address. She’s used to spying on me since my high school days, but dropping by so early in the morning out of nowhere is awfully suspicious.And her outfit suggests that she has planned this visit for at most a week and didn’t just drop by during her morning jog.This moment looks so much like as if it’s staged. If God is watching over me right now, I’m sure he’s laughing with tears in his eyes.At one side of the door, my mother stands in a knee-length party gown with pearl necklace and bracelets and heavy makeup. And on the other side, in a stark contrast, I stand awkwardly staring at her in a man’s shirt and boxers with my hair looking like a chicken’s dwelling.One look and no one would admit that I’m someone who came out of her.“Are you daydreaming? Why do you look so lost?”I mentally slap myself back to reality at her disapproving look.
I angrily poke the omelette in the pan, breaking it into crumbs. Not being able to withstand my mom’s ignorance towards him, Denzel stuffs himself into the kitchen behind me.“How long is she going to stay?” Annoyance drips from his voice like drool. However, he can’t possibly be any more annoyed than I am.“Do you think I want her in my apartment after not contacting her for six years? She’s going to make my life a living hell!”“Well, with her rudeness aside, she sounds like a fun lady, though. Why do you hate her so much?”I have the urge to shove the scalding omelette crumbs into his mouth.“Tell me Denzel, have you ever had to grow up with a perfectionist?”He shakes his head.“I’ve spent almost twenty years of my life with her. I had to put up with her taunts and sarcastic remarks for every second of my day. And it never got easier. It's impossible to satisfy a perfectionist.”The kitchen grows silent and the sizzle of omelette in the pan fills the empty spaces. My face is hot w
I have been feeling guilty towards Marcus all night. Even though I made that Devil sleep on the couch and didn’t spare him a single glance this morning, my heart weighs heavy when I think of Marcus and how unfair I’ve been to him.Which is why the first thing I did in the morning was to schedule a meeting with him. I wanted to take Ben out as well, but Denzel probably knew about my intention and ended the discussion before it even came up.On the plus side, at least Marcus and I’ll be able to have a conversation like proper responsible grownups—on the downside, I won’t have any shield to hide behind.The bell jingles on the cafe’s door, warning us about a new presence. I look up and notice Marcus walking up to my table. For some reason, I can’t bring myself to smile.“Marcus, hey.” I speak, but even my tone sounds too monotonous. He nods, acknowledging my presence, but doesn’t speak up.Gathering courage, I say. “About last night. I’m truly sorry. Had I known beforehand, I would’ve d
Naomi West******“Let’s go Ben. Time for bed.” I intentionally don’t yell out my plans for tonight when I call for Ben. Denzel has been playing the role of a jealous and offended husband ever since we mentioned Marcus’s name this morning. It’ll only blow his head if he were to know what we’re going to do now.Ben finishes his dinner early and discards the dishes in the sink before running to his bedroom. With one more lookout for Denzel—still refusing to budge from the sofa and watching Frozen 2—I slip inside Ben’s room.He’s already sitting up on the bed under the covers when I enter. He excitedly looks at me as I approach my side of his bed and take out my phone.“Quick. Before daddy gets too weird.” He whispers, acting as if we’re kids watching a movie after curfew.I open my contacts and video call Marcus. I hand the phone to Ben as we wait patiently for Marcus to pick up. After three rings, he eventually does, but it changes to voice call.“Is it a bad time?” I ask, desperately
Unknown POV******Layla Kingsley stares dumbfounded at what she’s just discovered. After spending many weeks in isolation, plotting and planning and fearing for her life, it’s like she just hit a jackpot.But she never entered in the lottery, which is why the sight before her, the crucial piece of information, also gives her chills.This is it. This can change her whole life.She takes out her phone to capture this shocking moment. She continuously taps on the photo icon to take pictures from multiple angles.With a lingering look at the truth she’s just discovered, she walks away before anyone notices her presence. She laughs as she takes the street to her apartment. She’s been in so much pressure for the last few weeks, trying to come up with desperate measures to find something on the Flynn’s. But it’s been a pain in the butt with blondie and Davenport not picking up her calls. After her last meeting with Chloe, she made it clear that she wanted to come clean in front of her dea
Naomi West******I’m not mad. I’m not second-guessing my life choices at the moment. I’m only fuming with an uncontrollable amount of disappointment, hiding all of my viciousness behind a polite smile.I watch, standing in a corner as my dad empties my mom’s stuff from Denzel’s old room. He wasn’t exactly a cheerful lad when he found out that his wife has been living in a man’s room all this while, but one look at my face and he knows to keep his mouth shut about it.He only has himself to blame for what his wife has been through.But like myself, my mom isn’t one to hold grudges. My mom and dad had been MIA on me for three days since she went away with him and they only arrived this morning, that too, to fetch her things.I haven’t made peace with the fact that she’s so easily forgiven him, but who am I to judge, right? I can only bite my tongue and swallow my words for their happiness.“Did you eat a whole lemon for breakfast? Why do you look so sour?” My mom playfully bumps into m
Denzel Flynn******I never imagined Naomi’s father to run away like that. When I learned about his fleeing from the receptionist, it was bad enough. But when I overheard Mrs. West telling about their intimate moment from the night before to Naomi, it was a blow to my face.I’d warned myself to not get emotionally involved, but I end up being a part of this big drama, anyway. I guess that’s a package deal that comes with having a family.Mrs. West was not in high spirits after I broke the news to her but she was willing to spend the remaining days in the resort for the sake of our efforts. Even though we decided to stay and have fun, most of her time was invested in Naomi’s and Ben’s health.It was a nightmare to be short. If I exclude the morning picnics near the lake and occasional dinners and outing, we spent the last two days locked in our rooms.Now, it’s the seventh day, and we’re on our way to the court so little rose’s parents can finalize their divorce.The air inside the car
“Achoo!” I sneeze and snort, hugging the blanket close to myself early in the morning. It appears as though last night’s fun is catching up with me.“Achoo!” Ben sneezes beside me. I drape my blanket over him and pull him closer. At one point last night, he successfully washed his head in the chilly rain while I was too engrossed thinking about what his daddy said.Thinking about Denzel, my face heats up and I bury my head in my lap. Because of the Ben’s presence, I successfully avoided him last night.But what now?I think my thoughts summon the Devil as he enters our room. I try to act cool despite having a whole zoo running around in my stomach. No matter how hard I try, though, my face would always look like a blushing tomato.'I love you too.'His words resonate in my head and despite the huge, red warning signs, I feel myself surrounded by the dense fog created by his words. “Achoo!” Ben and I sneeze at once, struggling with a runny nose.Denzel raises an eyebrow and stares at
Naomi West******My parents kept to themselves all day, ignoring me, Denzel and even Ben at every turn at every corner. Denzel and I tried really hard to spy on them from a distance all afternoon, but everything seemed as normal as possible. It really struck a nerve in me when my dad shot me a warning look from his table during lunch when he spot me hiding behind tree pots.In the evening, when I refused to budge from my place, Denzel carried me away, claiming that I’ve developed an obsession with spying on my parents.It’s not that. Can you really blame a daughter for being curious? And it’s not like I’m hiding under their bed or something—now that’d be a scandal.After Denzel carried me away from my mission, he brought me back to the lakeside at sunset. Ben was already waiting for us near the water. It looks like he’s fallen in love with the environment here. Upon further inspection, I also find a cloth placed on the sand a little away from the water with an enormous basket on to
Denzel Flynn******I turn back to little rose to give her my undivided attention. Her fingers are fidgeting on the table to busy herself. Her mind keeps wandering to the door her parents and Ben disappeared into a while ago.“I thought you were a gold digger,” Little rose’s eyes flash at me with such intensity that burned my face. She’s indeed confused at my words and holds back her temper.“Like one of those women who deliberately spoils a rich man’s suit in hopes of getting close to him. But then again, I thought spoiling someone’s coat and putting them in a hospital are quite different matters.”She’s looking at me with an eyebrow raised.“All in all, I didn’t have a very first clear good impression of you, so I wanted to know you better before I could judge you.”I lean into the space between us with my arms resting on the table. She looks intimidated by the gesture, but in a good way. “Would you like to know how I feel about you right now?”Her cheeks flush and she immediately
Naomi West ******The soft rays from sun kisses my skin, melting my insides and compelling me to sleep. I had a sandwich earlier, but both Denzel and my dad restricted me from touching the wine. And whilst the three adults drank wine, I had to accompany Ben with a glass of orange juice.Serves me right, though. I don't recall much from yesterday. Everything is a blurry image after I drank the two glasses of wine. Even though I had my suspicions, Denzel assured me that the wine was a bit old and nothing else.However, I don't blame myself for passing out, since my dad came back last evening and promised to stay with us until the end of the week. Being overjoyed, I prepared everything this morning and here we are, sitting on the grass under the sun as one happy family."Ben don't wander too close to the water!" Denzel yells over my shoulder. Ben looks back at his father, smiles and walks further into the lake.I want to laugh so hard but I stifle it. I don't need to hurt Denzel's pride