56.5H U G OI want Rose to stop this wedding but I know she won't do it."Do you Hugo Edward Saintclare take Maria Audriana Chamberlain to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?" The priest asks for the third time.I exhale heavily.What's wrong with you, Saintclare? I scold myself.I've practiced this. I've thought about this thoroughly these past few days. I've decided on my answer and I was so sure about it. I'm so sure of my I Do. I know I was going to say it today. I even practiced saying it in front of the mirror every night or when I'm at the office. I was so sure about this last night. I was so sure that I was going to say it for my upcoming baby with Audrey because I know Rose won't be here. I thought I could do it but why do I feel like backing-out right now?It's just two words. Now say it. I scolded myself.I
57M I R A N D AWhy did he do this?Why does he want to dance with me?Why does he do unexpected things without even owning up to his actions?Hugo always do things that surprises me. Hugo always say words that I never expect him to say or questions that I never expect him to ask. But at the end of the day, he does not even choose me.I hate this and I'm on the verge of choosing to dance with him or not.I want to. Of course.But a part of me doesn't because in the middle of the dance, we're going to talk for sure. And, Landon is here. I don't want him to think of something else.I don't want to talk to Hugo. There's nothing left to talk about anyways. What's there left to talk about? Is he gonna explain? Explain what? There is so much more important things to worry about and this should not be on top of that list.I should not let Hugo affect me. It's so easy to say but it's so hard to do.And I know I have no choice because we're already standing on the center of the dance floor jo
57.5I shake my head sideways while he sneakily wipes my tears."We need to stop this." I tell him as I exhale heavily. "We need to stop saying things like these to each other. This is wrong. This is far too sinful and I don't want to hurt people who mean something to me. We need to stop giving hope to each other because you're already married. I'm going to start having a family with Landon too.""Rose. Don't say that please." He begs."No Hugo. You need to stop." I spit.I slowly pull myself away from him and he's just watching me. We are not dancing anymore but we are still at the dance floor, standing before each other while the music continues to play on the background. I stare at him for the last time before I begin to walk away with this heavy feeling inside my chest. I rush back to the table and felt Audrey's eyes darting at me angrily."I just need to go to the bathroom." I kiss Landon's cheek."Are you okay love?" He asks and I can tell that his eyes are worried."Yes. I'm fi
58H U G OShit, Landon must have heard it all.I know I shouldn't have left my own wedding, but this is much more important than being stuck there with all those fake people trying to be happy for us.The entire drive, my mind is boggling about where Landon is going to take me. I trust him, despite our past and I know he would not actually do something to hurt me.He's my best friend.Ironic, calling him my best friend when I have always been so selfish.When Landon parked his car, I did too but I am still hesitant in following him. I gaze out of my window to see where he could have brought me, and I was very surprised why we came here this late. I don't know why he took me here.I see him hopping off from his car and then he stares at me eagerly with furrowed brows and I know that he is telling me to follow him in. What does this guy have in mind? I quickly turned off the engine of my car and stepped out too.He hasn't said any word to me and I can't seem to say anything to him afte
58.5I take deep breath in."You were my friend." He spits.Tears gather behind my eyelids fast."You were a brother to me Hugo. You were my best friend." He adds.I bent my head down because I'm too embarrassed to face him. He pushes me hard on my chest which made my tilt my head backwards. He releases me but we are still standing in front of each other. I can't find any words to answer him because I'm guilty. I feel terrible. I am too guilty."You promised me." He says.I sigh heavily. I'm still not looking at him because I couldn't dare to."You promised me you'll love Audrey and you'll be faithful to her because I told you to. You told me she's the one. You told me that Hugo and I haven't forgotten about that night. But now you're stealing Miranda away from me as well?!" He yells at me.I slowly pull my head up to him and he is already crying.There are tears on his cheeks."You betrayed me! But this time is so much worst! You fucked my woman, Hugo! You fucked her and got her preg
59L A N D O N I've parked my car right outside the pad where Miranda and I are staying in London and I don't know what I am feeling. I don't know if I'm ready to face her. I don't know what words I would or should say to her. I'm so mad but I don't want to be mad at her.I take a few minutes to try to calm myself down before stepping out of the car. Ned had brought them home right away when I left the reception and I was glad he did. I know she's waiting for me to arrive home and I know she wants to talk about it.I honestly don't know how to talk to her about all this.My fist feels numb and it is still hurting after punching Hugo.I know Miranda would explain to me but I don't know how to trust her after what she did behind my back. I just don't want her to explain everything because the fact that she had sex with Hugo for the second time totally angers the living hell out of me.I march my way to the front door and gathered my thoughts together with me as I entered the foyer. I l
60M I R A N D A"Let's have a paternity test."Landon's words are engraved inside my head for the past hour and I couldn't help but agree since I know that we both need to know about it to make sure. This is for reassurance and for us to have a peace of mind.He told me that he wants to make sure if it is indeed Hugo's or not and I agreed to him. Right after he asked for my consent, the two of us went to a clinic which conducts such test and he had to pay additional fees to make sure that the files will only be confidential to the doctor and the couple.Landon was very much decided to have this and I want this too.As soon as we reached the clinic, I went through two DNA paternity test right away. I went through a blood test from the alleged father who is Landon and a fetal cell analysis on me. The other one was much each and it was a 1 x 10mL blood sample from me and two mouth swabs from the alleged father.When it was done, we were told that the result would be sent to our e-mail a
60.5Damn he can still smile at me like that and I hate how he's acting fine."I am fine." He tells me.He holds both of my cheeks and plants his lips on my forehead while my tears are flooding on my face. He gently pulls my face up to him so I can look back into his teary eyes. He's eyes are filled with little amounts of tears but he's trying so hard not to cry."I promise you I'm alright. I'm okay now. I was mad at first but I know it won't lead me nowhere if I'd keep my anger. I've gotten over it." He tells me.Landon wipes my tears with his thumbs and smiles again. "Let's just start all over again." He says.I nod."Let's forget that it even happened because I'm trying to forget about it too. I don't want to remember it ever again and I don't want you to ever do that to me too. Promise me."I nod vigorously, "I promise.""I'm still hurting and I won't deny that it's hard for me to have that kind of trust again but I'm staying strong for you. And for myself. Of course for our baby.
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