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273|If You Lie With Dogs
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Beautiful Disaster 274|Freedom—Part 1
The bubble of fragile calm Austin had been floating on since the welcome ball finally burst when they turned into their street and saw his father's security waiting at the entrance of their apartment complex.The confrontation was bound to happen at some point, but with everything going on in his life—from Hadley and Blake's wedding to Carol's death—he would have preferred to end the day in an uneventful manner.Unable to contain her joy, Orlando wedged herself between the front seats, asking excitedly, "Daddy, it's Grandpa, isn't it? Can I say hello to him?""No, Squeak!" he said sharply. The quicker his daughter got used to not having a grandfather, the better. After all, he planned to go no-contact with Blake and his father once he left the family."But I haven't seen Grandpa in a long time," Orlando whined, her mouth forming a perfect pout as she angrily crossed her arms and sat back in her seat with a huff. Scared and confused by everything they'd been through in the last couple o
Beautiful Disaster 275|Freedom—Part 2
"You knew?" Lukas whispered, his face as white as a ghost."Yes!" Austin nodded. "And since you've refused my buyout offer, let's discuss your shady dealings, specifically your role in Iris' death.""Son!" Lukas tried to stand up without the help of his walking cane, but his bad knee sent him crashing back in his seat, locking up on him. "Let me explain—"Austin smiled wryly. "I'm afraid you're four years too late. Besides, I know you killed Iris, so no amount of explaining will convince me of your innocence.""Since you are so damn convinced of my guilt, why don't you run to the cops then?" Lukas snorted arrogantly, his shock at being caught out clearly gone now."Keep pushing me, Father, and I might do just that," said Austin. "Now, since I'm the only thing standing between you and a prison cell, here's how this will work."Lukas laced his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his seat, "I'm all ears."Austin filled him in. "We'll hold a joint press conference on Wednesday, ann
Beautiful Disaster 276|All The Hate She Carried
Liliana fell in love with the Scheepers kids the moment Marybeth invited them in, gushing about how Adeline, with her big curly hair, reminded her of her younger self."Which younger self? Your hair was never this thick or as curly as Adeline's," Angelo quickly set the record straight, teasing his sister as he picked up one of the twins and tossed him in the air playfully while Tim took the other.The boys' exuberant laughter was so contagious that Marybeth found herself laughing along with them. But, her big, goofy smile instantly vanished when she glanced at Adeline and found her barely responding to Liliana and Zukiswa's attempts to draw her out of her shell.She cleared her throat, trying to catch her friends' attention. In a flash, the three of them were soon arranged around the kitchen island. While she made the kids an afternoon snack, she filled Liliana and Zukiswa in on Adeline's situation. "She's not being rude or anything like that. She's just grieving her mom. So please b
Beautiful Disaster 277|Viral—Part 1
Eighteen kilometres away, in their shiny new office at the dockyard, Austin had an equally horrible evening with his capos after informing them there'd been no fire sale of the Group's shares because Lukas had killed the exposé.Tim and Angelo took the news well, but Nadia was a different story. Her face was the same shade of red as the Michael Kors handbag on her lap as she fumed in her chair, demanding an explanation, "I don't believe this! So, are you saying John's death was all in vain? You promised you'd start your own family—""John begged me to get away from my father and start my own family," Austin set the record straight."It's just semantics!" Nadia snapped as she threw her handbag over her shoulder and left her seat."I can't believe I bet on the wrong horse!" she continued whinging as she paced the sparsely furnished office, reminding Austin how good things were under Friar John's leadership."Do you know how often I've thought about going straight to your father and pledg
Beautiful Disaster 278|Viral—Part 2
Austin took one look at the screen and knew exactly why it went viral. It was his exposé on Ground Up's website, with Sienna Roberts taking all the glory."Jesus Christ!" he whispered, already thinking of a thousand ways to kill the reporter. Women and children were off limits. But for her, he'd make an exception."How far has it spread?" he asked as they hurried to the car."All the major news and finance channels are running with the story," replied Benji."And the markets?""The Stock Exchange hasn't opened yet, remember? But you can imagine the bloodbath when it does," said Arno.Indeed, Austin thought, checking his Apple Watch. It was just after 7:00 AM, and the markets only opened at nine. There wasn't enough time for damage control between now and when the Stock Exchange opened.This nightmare would have been perfect if he had still planned to snap up the Group's shares. But since he'd abandoned that ship, Sienna's circus was now pointless and would do nothing but hurt the Group
Beautiful Disaster 279|Once-In-A-Lifetime Love
Marybeth learned about her husband's resignation on TV with the rest of the world."Did you know about this?" Lionel asked, his eyes glued to the TV screen. They were in the waiting room of the Hepatology Unit of The Heads Mediclinic, waiting to hear his fate after his round of preliminary screening tests."This is crazy," he muttered, snatching Marybeth's attention away from her back-to-back texts with Smith."What's crazy?" she asked, following his line of sight, her heart ramping up at the sight of Austin in what appeared to be a press conference. The volume was muted, but the 'breaking news' ticker on the bottom of the screen told her all she needed to know. Her husband had poured gasoline and lit a match, burning all bridges leading back to his father by deciding to step down from the Group. If there was ever a final fuck you, this was it, and Marybeth could only imagine Lukas' rage."I have to call Austin," she mumbled, blindly getting onto her feet. But Dr Jannie Erasmus stopped
Beautiful Disaster 280|If Not A Monster
As soon as Marybeth paid the admission fee, her father was moved to a private ward, where he complained to Austin about being admitted against his will."Daddy, you know exactly why you have to stay here," Marybeth said, losing her patience with him. "Would it hurt to listen to the doctors? I know you love your home, but Dr Erasmus is trying to help you.""I don't need help, Sweet Pea. I want to spend the little time I have left at home with you and Danica—"The debate continued until Marybeth gave in, promising to take him home as soon as the doctor gave them the green light."Deal!" Lionel said, insisting they shake on it. Marybeth obliged him, sadness drenching her heart when he gripped her hand weakly."You have to rest, Daddy," she said, kissing his cheek. "We'll be back later with Dani. She couldn't leave work early today since she already used all her personal time off for the welcome ball.""It's okay, honey," Lionel said, his speech heavily slurred and his eyes droopy. He said
Beautiful Disaster 281|The Beginning Of Everything
"What are you guys doing here?" Austin asked when Anna and Willem stepped into the living room, noticing Orlando's anxiety at the sight of her maternal grandfather."We came to say our goodbyes," said Anna."And our hellos," added Willem as he approached Orlando. But she quickly hid behind Austin, refusing to acknowledge him."It's okay, Squeak," Austin said, picking her up and holding her close. "Say hello to Grandpa. You do remember him, right?"Orlando simply nodded, and the five of them stood in the middle of the living room, looking awkward as fuck, until Willem decided to be brave and try again with her."Hallo, liefie, oupa is baie jammer," he said. When his apology didn't register with Orlando, he switched to English. "Grandpa is sorry for frightening you the last time he saw you. I'd love it if you could visit us someday. I have just the right pony for you. You like horses, don't you?""Yeah," Orlando beamed at him; he'd sealed the deal with the promise of a pony since she was
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Beautiful Disaster 300|Beautiful Disaster
Rock Castle was a breath of fresh air in many ways for Austin and Marybeth. Once they'd put down their roots, they embraced their new life, immersing themselves in the community and the social scene.When they were not entertaining or attending various social events, Austin focused all his energy on growing Stardust Inc. while fulfilling his duties as a board member of De Jager Inc. and Orlando's proxy.Marybeth, too, kept herself busy with various home improvement projects, including setting up the baby's nursery. She also joined the PTA at Green Meadows Primary, championing a few fundraisers. As if she wasn't already busy enough, Lukas low-key began sending her Foundation documents to review, mostly company policies and NPO funding applications. Never mind that she'd had zero orientation since she was only supposed to start the following year.She was so busy embracing her new life as a stay-at-home mom and the Foundation's silent CEO she didn't have time to miss her old job. And tim
Beautiful Disaster 299|Loved And Wanted
Austin left Clifton Bay under a heavy cloud of complex family dynamics, his departure shrouded in controversy. But Rock Castle welcomed him with open arms. The people close to him didn't care at all about the drama and scandals he'd been embroiled in over the past few months. They were just happy to have him in the same city with them, and it didn't take long at all for Eden and Natalie to reach out to Marybeth and take her under their wing, acting as her free tour guides, pregnancy encyclopedias or sounding boards.Completely sold by their raving reviews of Dr Emily Waylon, they set up an appointment, immediately falling in love with her bedside manner on their first check-up. She was attentive, not to mention patient, answering their endless questions with a comforting calmness.Orlando and Adeline couldn't contain their joy when they broke the news about the baby that evening. Marybeth's tummy had gotten so big they could no longer hold off on telling them."Is it a boy or a girl?"
Beautiful Disaster 298|A Fresh Start
The whole time Austin scoffed down his food, he noticed Marybeth wasn't eating, absently toying with her salad. His heart shattered all over again because he knew he was responsible for her lack of appetite and dramatic weight loss."Mr Hawthorne, can we talk, please?" Elizabeth appeared beside him, stealing his attention away from his wife."Sure, let's chat inside," he replied, leading her into his study."Long time no see," he said with a smile as he sat on the edge of his desk. "You look happy and younger, too.""Traveling will do that to you," she replied, flashing a brief smile that Austin found a tad unsettling because it was so unlike her. She was always stoic."So that's what you've been up to since I left the Group?"She nodded. "The place wasn't the same without you, so I left. And that's why I'm here. I want my old job back. If you'll have me, that is.""You'll have to take a pay cut," Austin said. "I'm starting from scratch, Elizabeth, so I don't have a ton of cash flow—"
Beautiful Disaster 297|Family
Barry De Villiers was at Sea Point Police Station at 9:00 AM for Austin's release, and after completing a ton of paperwork, they were finally out of there by 11:00 AM.Austin didn't talk much on their way to Pelican Surf, lost in thought and the scenery. It was like he was seeing everything for the first time. The sun on his skin, the wind in his hair, the light glaring in his eyes…it all felt different, somehow."So, what's the first thing you'll do when you get home?" Barry asked."Hug my wife and kids until they get annoyed with me," Austin replied with the biggest smile. "Maybe eat a nice home-cooked meal...Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the takeaways you got me, but nothing beats my wife's cooking!"Barry guffawed, throwing his head back. "Okay. What else?""Mhh, I think a nice long shower is in order, too," Austin said, sniffing himself, making sure he didn't smell like something out of a garbage can."You don't stink," Barry assured him."I know," Austin chuckled. "Just ma
Beautiful Disaster 296|Bargaining Chip
Austin's altercation with another prisoner was the last straw for Marybeth, the thing that pushed her beyond her limit and sent her over the cliff.He'd asked her to hang in there for a few more days, but the thought of him getting into another fight or possibly getting killed terrified her. The stalemate with his father would only get deadlier the longer he remained in custody. Something had to be done to bring him home, and it had to be done fast. So she called Lukas, begging him to end all the madness. But, he wasn't interested in hearing her out, telling her coldly that he was too busy picking up Austin's slack—running the family and The Corporation—to worry about her fears.Marybeth's desperation got so bad that she reached out to the one person she swore she'd never ask for help. Her mom.They met at a sleepy coffee shop in Virginia after Anna and Willem's joint funeral.As usual, Vivienne was dressed to the nines, dripping head to toe in designer labels despite the sombre occasi
Beautiful Disaster 295|The Folly Of Youth
That night, Austin couldn't bring himself to eat the takeaway Barry had brought him. How could he when his heart was in pieces?A thousand kilometres away, Willem Dejager had no appetite issues. In fact, after Maryke's death and his fallout with The Corporation, his appetite had improved, and the insomnia that had plagued him for years since Iris died had miraculously vanished. If he'd known revenge would cure all his ailments, he would have joined forces with Austin much sooner.He was still furious with him for going back on his word on Maryke. But seeing Lukas so broken, now that he didn't have an heir, more than made up for Austin's betrayal.Yes, things had gotten messy over the past few weeks, but they would only get even more chaotic once he sent the ledger to the cops. He just hadn't found someone he could trust yet. His old contact at the station—the man who'd finally given him the unredacted file on his daughter—had been recently placed on administrative leave, and Willem was
Beautiful Disaster 294|Special Kind Of A Hate
Swarms of reporters were waiting outside Sea Point's police station when Austin was dragged out of Gordon and Peterson's car. They mobbed him as soon as they saw him, pushing their cameras and microphones in his face, screaming for answers. The whole thing reeked of a badly organised PR stunt, and when Gordon and Peterson made no attempt to protect Austin from the crowd, even though it was their job, he began to think one or both of them had tipped the media off. Why wouldn't they, when they had finally taken down a member of the Hawthorne crime family? Never mind that Austin didn't belong to said crime family anymore. Never mind that they didn't have evidence to back up their charges. But who needed evidence? As far as they were concerned, this was huge, and if they miraculously managed to get the charges to stick, sending him away for twenty-five to life would be a huge career move for both of them. So parading him in front of the vultures was totally in their best interest, walking
Beautiful Disaster 293|Long Arm Of The Law
"I'm fine. Vivienne was just leaving," Marybeth nodded, grateful for the interruption; she couldn't handle any more threats from her mom."Yep, I'm on my way out," Vivienne affirmed, spinning around and making her grand exit. She turned back, calling over her shoulder, "Beautiful service, by the way. But I'm not sure if Lionel was worthy of it!""You!" Marybeth shook her fist at her, ready to go after her, but Austin pulled her back by her waist, reminding her people were watching."She's not worth your energy," he said, rubbing her back to soothe her. "What did she want anyway?""To see if there's anything she could do for me," Marybeth replied, shooting daggers at Vivienne's back as she vanished into the crowd of mourners. "And to warn you.""Warn me?" Austin asked, massaging her nape. "What for?""She said to tell you to 'wake the fuck up and fix things with your father'; her words, not mine. Apparently, there's chatter.""What kind of chatter?""I don't know," Marybeth admitted. "B
Beautiful Disaster 292|A Rare Gift
Nothing good ever happens after 1:00 AM.And no one ever calls with good news after 1:00 AM.But it was her father. Marybeth couldn't ignore him. So she hit answer and braced herself for the worst."Sweet Pea," he said, sounding awfully cheerful, considering how late it was."Daddy, what's going on?""I know it's late," he said, pausing briefly before he got to the heart of his call. "And I know we planned a road trip to Still Bay in a few weeks. But is there a way we can move it forward?""Forward?" Marybeth asked, confused by the proposal."Yeah, can we go today? I suddenly have this urge to see the sunrise. And you know how beautiful Still Bay's sunrises are."Understanding what her heart refused to accept, Marybeth's mind made all the decisions for her from that moment onward."Of course, Daddy. Let me grab a few things, and I'll be there in an hour," she told him before hanging up.She shot out of bed like a lightning bolt, threw on a lightweight tracksuit and sneakers, grabbed a
