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38|The Flats—Part 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Beautiful Disaster 39|The Flats—Part 2
Since Marybeth always looked on the bright side of life, she gladly welcomed the invitation, lugging the grocery bags in front of her.She slammed the door shut behind her, wishing she hadn't, when the dank smell of wet clothes and general unkemptness hit her right about the same time as the lack of light in the room.The curtains were drawn in the living room, where two young boys, whose resemblance was so uncanny they could be twins and young enough to still be breastfed, played at their mother's feet.Adeline was nowhere in sight, and Marybeth assumed she was still on her way, walking home with her friends. Did she even have friends, though? Come to think of it, she'd never seen her play with anyone at lunchtime—"What did she do this time?" Adeline's mom asked as she reached for a pack of no-name brand cigarettes and lit one up, unbothered by the smell or secondary smoke her little ones were taking in."She didn't do anything wrong," Marybeth was quick to assure her as she hovered
Beautiful Disaster 40|Confrontation—Part 1
Tidal Wave Swimming Club had been on Pelican Surf's Waterfront for as long as Marybeth could remember, but she'd never stepped inside. Chances were, she would likely never have if it wasn't for the hot mess her life had turned into lately.She made it just as the kids were being dismissed. Orlando was super thrilled to see her, carrying on about how she'd love it if she could pick her up every day."Why? Don't you like Eddie?" Marybeth asked as she helped her change out of her swimming gear and back into her school uniform."I do," Orlando replied, throwing her arms around her neck. "But I like you better."Marybeth returned the hug, breathing in her sweet smell of innocence and love. Just for that moment, everything was perfect, the world right again, and monsters like Ricardo remained in the shadows where they belonged."Come on, let's get moving. We don't want to get stuck in traffic," she said when she eventually released Orlando from her grasp."What happened to your neck?" her y
Beautiful Disaster 41|Confrontation—Part 2
Orlando was already hard at work with Arno and Benji, packing the groceries away when they walked in. She looked up from the bags and beckoned at them to join the fray, "Daddy, Marybeth, come help!""Sorry, Squeak, Beth and I have something urgent to discuss. But you carry on with your uncles, yeah? We'll be back in a bit," Austin told her as he promptly took Marybeth's hand and dragged her upstairs.The moment the bedroom door snapped in place, the gloves were off.Austin grabbed her, shaking her by the shoulders, demanding to know what had possessed her to go to Sea Point Flats, even though he'd expressly forbidden her from going there. "I asked you not to go there! You know damn well how dangerous that place is!""I've already explained it was for work. I don't know what else to say!" Marybeth argued. "And how the hell do you even know I went there? Were your men following me?""Thank heavens they were! Imagine the shit show you would have found yourself in if things went sideways
Beautiful Disaster 42|Biggest Regrets—Part 1
Austin had every intention of returning to Hawthorne Towers and working through the security footage Tim sent earlier just to distract himself.But the more kilometres Arno and Benji put between him and Marybeth, the bigger the knot in his chest grew, and the lump of discomfort in his tummy hardened.He leaned back in his seat, thinking if he willed himself hard enough, he'd stop reliving his fight with Marybeth. But, it was easier said than done. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw were the tearful accusations in hers.He'd done a lot of incomprehensible shit in his life, lost more than most, and experienced the worst of heartbreaks, too. But he'd never felt as gutted as when Marybeth looked at him like he was the devil incarnate, the worst of society.He didn't regret his life or the choices he'd had to make. Hell, he wouldn't even apologise for the crimes he'd committed or the people he'd murdered in cold blood, because, quite frankly, they all had it coming. Marybeth might n
Beautiful Disaster 43|Biggest Regrets—Part 2
If the penny hadn't dropped for Ricardo about the world of trouble he was in, it finally did when Austin lifted the lid of one of the trays, revealing an array of knives.He moved on to the second platter, pulled out the bottle of Hennessy and poured a shot.The last tray held various finger foods. He placed the snacks platter and the shot of Hennessy in front of Ricardo."What is this, sir?""Your last supper," Austin replied as he resumed his seat and stared at the bastard. "Please, go ahead and eat.""I don't understand. Why is this my last supper? I thought you called me here to join the family. The recruiters—""Join the family?" Austin scoffed. "That is the most absurd shit I've ever heard. You abuse children, Ricardo. You even beat up your wife too. And as if that wasn't nasty enough, you had the nerve to hold a knife to my wife's throat and call her an uppity bitch!""Whoa? What? Let's talk about this," Ricardo stammered, trying to ease out of his chair, but Arno and Benji's h
Beautiful Disaster 44|Pandora's Box
The file was still on the bed, exactly where Marybeth had left it when she returned to the bedroom after her shower. She glanced at it as she towelled off, reassuring herself nothing good would ever come out of opening Pandora's box.She pulled out a fresh set of pyjamas from one of her suitcases, still lying at the foot of the bed where Austin had left them last night. He'd made space for her stuff in the walk-in closet, but after their scathing confrontation, she was mentally and physically exhausted. She couldn't bring herself to unpack, and if she didn't have to help Orlando with her homework, she would have skipped supper and gone straight to bed to lick her wounds.Just a mere thought of the little girl spurred Marybeth to action. They still had supper to prepare and a ton of other stuff to do before bedtime. So she quickly threw on her sleep clothes and ratty bedroom slippers, ready to get her night going. But Amos' file was too big a temptation. She reached for it, fresh horro
Beautiful Disaster 45|Between Right And Wrong
"Let's take a photo of the pizza and send it to Daddy just to make him jealous," Orlando suggested before they could dig in."Okay, let's do that!" Marybeth laughed as she snapped several photos of their meal from every angle and sent them off. Austin read the text and sent a string of heart emojis. She showed them to Orlando. "I don't think your daddy's jealous.""He is!" Orlando insisted.Sure enough, Marybeth's phone pinged again with another message from Austin. 'Žena, the pizza looks divine. Did you make it from scratch? Wish I was there to enjoy it with you guys. I'm working late, don't wait up for me.''I wasn't planning to,' Marybeth typed back, wondering what other illegal shit her husband was up to tonight. But since she had no control over any of it, she pushed all thoughts of Austin out of her mind and focused her energy on Orlando.By the time they were done with their meal, she knew all about the cliques at Liberty Prep, who had a crush on who, and who was given afternoo
Beautiful Disaster 46|Pulled Rank
True to her word, Liliana was at Austin's front door in under an hour. When Marybeth checked the surveillance TV screen on the wall beside the security keypad and saw Zukiswa beside her, she breathed a huge sigh of relief, glad that the other half of the 'we' Liliana had mentioned in her text wasn't Hadley. After the hot mess of a day she'd had, there was no way she could have handled the other woman's snooty attitude."We brought wine and chocolates," Liliana announced as soon as Marybeth let them in."And clothes," added Zukiswa, waving several elegant-looking garment bags in her hands. "I get the wine and chocolates. Not sure about the clothes, though. Are you guys staying the night or what? Have you cleared it with Austin first?" Marybeth asked as she closed the door and followed them into the kitchen, where Liliana was already pulling out wine glasses from the cupboards. "Seriously, ladies, what's with the bags?" she asked again, joining Zukiswa at the breakfast island. "For
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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
