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41|Confrontation—Part 2
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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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
Beautiful Disaster 47|Human Mind
"Why don't the De Jagers have a relationship with Orlando?" she asked again. "They resent her," Zukiswa blurted out, blowing Marybeth's mind with her utterances. Why anyone would resent a child, let alone one as loving and pure as Orlando, was unfathomable to her.Zukiswa must have noticed her shock; she quickly clarified her comment, "I mean, not resent per se. She just reminds them of everything they've lost." "She's a child," Marybeth whispered. "She's their grandchild and a huge part of Iris.""But she's also a part of Austin. It's not a secret that the De Jagers hate him. If it wasn't for old man Hawthorne's bullheaded persistence that the two tie the knot, the De Jagers firmly believe their daughter would still be alive today," Liliana said.Zukiswa picked up the threads of their conversation, painting a rather disturbing picture for Marybeth the longer she spoke. "They never got over losing Iris, and four years on, they still blame Austin for her death. They even told the Haw
Beautiful Disaster 48|Human Heart
Marybeth had told Austin she wasn't planning to wait up for him, but sometime after midnight, when the front door beeped open, she was still wide awake, tossing and turning, thinking about everything she'd learned from Liliana and Zukiswa. She heard Austin's footsteps as he trod up the stairs, stopping in Orlando's room before he circled back down the hall. A minute passed, maybe two, and still no sign of the man. So she kicked off the covers and padded out of the room. She found him rummaging through the linen cupboard, the dim light in the hallway casting his shadow on the walls. "What's going on?" she asked, leaning on the door frame. Austin turned and smiled, "what are you doing up?" She ignored him, pointing at the pillow and blanket in his hands, "what's with that?" "Oh, this?" he shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I thought I should spend the night in one of the guest rooms, you know, to give you space—" "Why?" Marybeth frowned at him, wondering what bullshit games he was pl
Beautiful Disaster 49|No Good Deed
People always say things will look better in the morning.It wasn't true.Not in Marybeth's case, at least.Despite falling asleep in each other's arms, the tension between her and Austin the following morning was almost palpable as they tried to get on with their routine. Suddenly, his massive kitchen wasn't big enough for the both of them. Everywhere she turned, he was practically on top of her, taking up space.So after whipping up a bowl of oats for Orlando and making sure she was comfortable at the breakfast island, Marybeth escaped to the balcony with a steaming cup of black coffee. The biting morning breeze chilled her to the bone, and she brought her cardigan closer as she gazed at the darkening sky. If the heavy clouds weren't a bad omen for her first state of the city address, she didn't know what was.She was still sipping her coffee, lost in thought, as she stared at the gloomy clouds when Austin came to find her."Beth?"She turned, arching her brow at him. "What is it, A
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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
