1.5T H E A I get on Twitter and searched for his verified account; @BenStyles. I wasn't shocked anymore to see his 30 million followers on it. That's already the total sum of the populations of so many countries. I expected a huge amount of people to follow him anyways, and this dude sure is famous as hell. So I was one of the 30 million that follows him.My doorbell chimes so I rushed to it only to find Kylie Moore and Jonah Jane, my two best friends slash board mates. We live in one apartment building where we were just doors away next to each other. Kylie lives next to me while Jonah was just across us.The three of us are like Neapolitan ice cream. Kylie and I took up English Literature, and Jonah took Modern Art. Kylie and Jonah came from a well-off family, I didn't. Kylie and I are tall in height. Jonah is the elf. Kylie and I use logic in all aspects of life most especially when it comes to relationships and falling in love while Jonah is Team Feelings all the way. Jonah is t
2Later, after Kylie and Jonah had left after we had dinner together so they could finally sleep, I decided to stay up for a bit. I head to my bed, settled on my pillow with my laptop on my lap.I stayed up until one in the morning, reading more and more since I've already dug up some dirt about him.Benedict Edward Rose Styles. Twenty-five years old. Fuckingly wealthy. He got a headline the day when the world found out he was the first born of Harry Styles from a one night stand. Mr. Harry Styles used to belong to an insanely famous boyband years ago called One Direction, later he turned to be a ridiculously filthy rich businessman. His mother, Miranda Rose Styles, at first kept him in secret for seven years from Harry and the entire world since she wasn't ready to tell everyone about him. Mrs. Styles was also married to her ex-husband Louis Tomlinson which was Harry Styles' best friend who turned out to also be a part of One Direction.Not too cliche kind of love triangle.At age se
3The building itself looked amazing with every fancy mirrored windows all piled up beautifully. Oh god I'm really here. I take a deep breath in before stepping inside and my own reflection pains me.Inside the lobby, the floors were in white marble and granite that spreads all through out from one end to another beneath my feet. Here holds a steel that keeps the glass staircase in tact which leads to the second lobby floor and a see-through elevator that zooms up and down. The building looked like an edgy nightclub but as quiet as a museum.As I walked passed the revolving doors and deeper into the reception. Oh fuck me, everybody at the lobby is looking at me. I can't do this. I just can't.I take a deep breath in and exhaled. Get your shit together Thea, this is a once in a lifetime chance. Your internship is at stake. You'll embarrass the name of Lure Magazine. Even though I'm already embarrassing the magazine's name because of how I dressed.I walk up to the reception even though
4When we went out of his office, the four lovely ladies flinched when they saw us walking out together. They looked at me and Benedict as if it was the first time they ever saw him walking a woman out from his office. Even the look on their eyes could kill me this instant.But I didn't mind them, I'm still bothered that I didn't get to ask more questions than I should have. It was my only chance. It took them three weeks and two days to give me a call, I'm sure I'll be waiting for another week just for another interview with him.I groan inwardly."Coral." He called out."Yes sir?" The lady who welcomed me answered him."Cancel my meeting with the Japanese investors and my lunch meeting at Henri's." He instructed.I was left here squirming next to him while I was busy flickering my fingers together as I watch Coral's eyes widened with what he said. She glared at me."I want my schedule clear after my board meeting." Benedict added.Coral nods. "Yes sir."Benedict stopped and felt him
5"We rushed here as soon as we got your text!" Kylie rushes inside as soon as I opened the door for them.I laugh. "It's good to see you too." I say as I closed the main door then walked with them to my bed."How'd it go?" Jonah asks."Not what I expected it but good." I answer her while I finish my earring."Deets. Now." Kylie stares at me.I walked closer to my bed and I was torn on what I should wear. My towel was wrapped around me and my hair was still undone."Help me on what to wear." I tell them."Holy shit! Did he ask you out for a date?! Right away?!" Kylie worried."Girl at least be hard to get." Kylie smacks my arm."What?" I gaped. "No he didn't.""Then what's all of this?" Jonah arches her eyebrow at me."He gave me a chance to interview him again. The first time was only ten minutes. So he told me to me come back to his office again today by three. That's why I need to make a good impression because the first one totally sucked." I tell them while I picked up two blouse
6I pull out my phone and scanned through the questions I've readied weeks ago. I take my recorder out and placed it on the table. I try not to scatter my things and stop my hands from shaking so he won't notice me being nervous."I have a lot of things to ask, and I hope an hour would be enough." I smiled at him.He half smiled at me. "Let's start.""So, my main interest is, how do you maintain such success? With everything you own, Styles Enterprises doesn't just focus in one field. It's ground is vast in all aspects of business. All sorts..."He shifts on his chair with a huge hand covering his face. Wait. Is he hiding a smile? Holy. Did his chest just move a little? Oh my god he's laughing at me. He's obviously laughing at me."Uhhhh what's so funny?" I can't help but ask him.He licks his lips while he pulled his hand away from his face. "You." He answered.I arches an eyebrow at him, "Me? And why? Did I say something funny?""A while ago, you were dressed... Funny. And now... Yo
7Fuck, I should've never asked that question. I feel my hands getting clammy all of a sudden when I don't even have clammy hands and my armpit feels like sweating underneath this blazer. Damn it.I pull my shit together as I look at him and his eyes makes me lose it. His eyes can't let me focus. His answer still bothers me but I have to act like he's not making me blush from my cheeks up to ears. God, can Benedict see me getting red from where he's sitting?I gulped.Act professional Thea. I scolded myself."How do you..." I paused then clear my throat, I feel like the need of having small placards on my hand to keep myself busy with it but I'm not holding anything but my stupid phone.I look up to him and his grinning as he placed that forefinger under his nostrils."How do... Ummm... you.... chill out... after a busy schedule or... Uhhh... after a tiring day?" I stammer on my words.He smile. "I've already answered that.""Right." I shyly speak.Oh geez he's making me blush even mo
8I stare at my laptop and I'm almost half way through finishing my article. For some reason, my mind couldn't stop thinking about that curly man named Benedict Styles and how mesmerizing and striking he is. He has this huge impact on an individual just by being himself and that's crazy. Even the thoughts of him still send shivers down my spine.Though he's not with me anymore, I feel like he's still here. I know it's plain stupid. But I still feel his green eyes looking at me from the corners of the room, like he's observing me from afar. And the things that happened inside his office a while ago are still stuck in my head.Focus Thea, you need to focus on the article not the person about the article.But on the bright side, I'm glad that tomorrow's Sunday, I have another day to finalize and edit my article before I could finally pass the finished full story about Benedict Styles to my boss.Argh, even his name gives me thrills.A part of me would be extremely happy if my article wou
87 T H E A Sebastian committed suicide. He ended his own life with a gun in his head. No one even knew how he had a gun in the first place and no one had any idea he was going to do that. He was supposed to meet Ben and the others tomorrow for a reunion. He was supposed to live a new life after being sentenced in prison for seven years. He was supposed to live in a tropical place and start a new life for himself. He was supposed to live a life filled with dreams now that he is out in prison. Sebastian was supposed to live. I was supposed to forgive him. The autopsy report stated that it happened around twelve midnight which means just a few hours after he left our home. I have never felt so depressed in my entire life that I wasn't even able to tell him a lot of things that I wanted to say. I didnt know what I was exactly feeling, completely lost in my thoughts and emotions after Sebastian's passing. I knew that there was something wrong in his eyes when he talked to me becaus
86T H E A"How have you been?" He asks.Sebastian wore blue, white and light pink plaided top, a pair of faded jeans and a dirty white sneakers. He looked older than the last time I saw him and his hair has gotten longer too. He looked different, but those eyes still frightens me.Those merciless eyes.I couldn't stare at him longer and I had to look away from his gaze. I clear my throat, "I have been well." I answered."I'm really glad that you are." Sebastian tells me."Um, do you want to drink something Sebastian? Tea?" Ben offers.I quickly held his wrist, stopping him from leaving me alone in here and stared into his eyes as I said to him. "Please don't leave me here."Ben stares intently at me before he turns to Sebastian who speaks, "You dont really have to offer me anything."I bite my inner cheek and breathe in some confidence before I faced Sebastian. "What are you doing here?"Sebastian stares at me eagerly."What do you want?" I asked firmly."I came here to see if you ha
85T H E AI couldn't sleep the entire night as I was bothered about Sebastian's release happening in just a few hours.Thoughts were filling and piling inside my head one over the other and I don't know if this was going to let me sleep at all.So I slipped out of the bed where Ben was sleeping soundly and headed out of bedroom to get myself a glass of wine from downstairs. I hate myself when I turn to alcohol every time my thoughts are fogged up and fucked up. I hate when there are questions left unanswered and my solution is alcohol.I hated it.I hated it so much I hate myself too.I finished two glasses of wine and spent almost thirty minutes just sitting on a chair where I tried to drown and sort my troubled thoughts. I finally pulled myself up and headed back to my bedroom only until I saw Xavier heading out of his room, crying. I rushed to his side and wished that he wouldn't smell the stingy scent of alcohol from my breath."Xavier." I cooed. "What happened?""Mommy I had a n
84T H E A“Why didn’t you tell him?”Benedict's question still lingers in my mind.Why didn't I tell Sebastian back in the day?I have been asking myself that same question over and over again for the past couple of years. I used to tell myself that I wasn't ready and I know I wasn't ready. I lied to myself when I said I was ready to confess to him about our child but I was absentmindedly denying the fact that my mind was filled with so many thoughts as soon as I faced Sebastian.When I saw him, I was reminded of how he raped me mercilessly. When I saw him, I was reminded of how dirty of a woman I was. When I saw him, I was reminded of how I didn't want this baby to be born if only it hadn't been for Ben.Ben has always been my rock and my strength after everything that happened to me. All these years, he accepted me no matter what and I have been beyond blessed to have a man like that in my life.That kind of love and care he showed me is going to be something I didn't want to waste
83T H E AI stare at my own reflection in front of the mirror, I gained weight but I look different compared to the old me a few weeks ago. My eyes travelled down to my baby bump and as I turn to my side, I feel more anxiety building in the back of my head. I am not confident enough that I will be a good mother to this baby once it’s out when I know this baby came from a man who I trusted so much but just raped me. My bump is starting to show now and I know I have a lifelong responsibility waiting ahead of me. I just hope I will be responsible enough.I rub my hand over my small tummy then smiled at myself.“You will be fine.” I told my baby.Ben is here for me and for us. He always has. He made everything feel better. He made me better and happier without asking too much in return. He is a very selfless man and I owe him my life. My everything and all that I have left.I breathe out heavily and tucked my hair behind my ears as I stare at myself wearing this white dress and white ba
82B E N E D I C TShe stands by the balcony sliding door, staring at an empty space wearing my shirt and some pajamas. Standing here afar from Thea, looking at her, I can see and I can feel that her mind is full. It’s full of endless thoughts and worries. I wish I could take some from her restless bothered thoughts and I wish I could help her with what she is going through.Thea is strong but I don’t want her to have another breakdown. I hope I can share the pain and confusions she is going through right now. I wish, at least I could make her happy despite of what has happened lately.But I don’t know what to do as well.I am bothered too, restless, anxious, troubled and angry. I still have this growing hate in me and unwillingness to befriend Sebastian.I hate him.I walk towards Thea and wrapped my arms around her. She didn’t budge but still sets her eyes out the window. “There are no stars tonight.” I say.She sighs heavily.“Aren’t you hungry sweetheart?” I ask.She didn’t answer
81B E N E D I C T“The CEO of Saintclare Enterprises , finally off the market!!”I read mentally the newspaper’s headlines as soon as I got into my office. I scan through the magazines which were also over my desk, and the headlines were also all about me.I sigh. “I knew this was gonna come out first thing in the morning.”The phone on top of my desk rings, I quickly picked it up, “Yes.”“Mr. Saintclare everyone is calling in for an interview with you. They’re all asking if you have any available time.” I can hear telephones ringing from my secretary’s background.“Cancel all interviews. Tell them I have a busy schedule up until next week.” I hung up.Suddenly the phone in my pocket rings. I stare at the screen and it was Mrs. Brown, my PR.I sigh as I answer, “I know what you’re going to say.”“It’s everywhere. My phone has been ringing since six o’clock this morning. I don’t know what to answer them.”“Did you say anything about Thea?”“No. Not unless you tell me to. I’m only wait
80BENEDICTI stare at Thea, and she has been looking out of the window for minutes now. I know she still has a lot of things in mind with what has happened lately and I’m sure she’s tired of thinking about it too. She has talked to Khaleel and I have had talked to him too. Despite her past, we wanted to keep it to ourselves than letting the others know about it. They wouldn’t understand what she went through to survive and it isn’t our story to tell.I have asked myself a couple of times why she had to choose such job but then I didn’t have the courage to ask her. I don’t want her to feel bad about herself and the more I ask about her past, the more she would think it bothers me.Honestly, it has been in the past and we all have had done crazy shit a thing or two. All of us deserves a second chance and women like Thea who strives hard to change herself to become a better woman deserves more than that. I am proud of her and she knows it.A smile creeps on her face as soon as I rubbed
79THEASometimes, in our lives there are instances when you just want to disappear because of awkward situations or embarrassing moments. And right now, that’s what I want to happen. I want to teleport to another place far from here.It feels like everything inside my system malfunctioned and brain feels dead. I have never felt more disgusted of myself and my past than how Sebastian is embarrassing me right now in front of Ben. No one has ever made me feel so little of myself, only Sebastian.This bastard. This one of a hell man. I wish he dies.My tears were just flowing from my closed eyes and I feel this growing pain against my chest. I try to breathe in but the pain grows as I exhale so I remained quiet. I don’t want to face anyone or see how they look at me with disgust and filth. I just want to disappear like one pop of a bubble or run out of this house and never look back.But I cant, I know I have to face them now. I have to face Khaleel. I have to face Benedict even if it’s