68M I R A N D ABen is now stabilized and he is sleeping peacefully on top of his hospital bed. It almost gave me a heart attack when I saw Ben having trouble breathing a while ago and maybe because I knew he has asthma plus his TBI would definitely make it worse even though he has been going through therapy.Landon hasn't left Ben's side and he hasn't talked to me since we got here, even though he keeps holding me tight around his arms. I know he's still bothered about what happened and he is as worried as I am.I grab a chair and sat next to Landon. He looks a little too serious but he smiles at me ruefully as I placed my head over his shoulder. "The doctor said Ben's fine." I say.I hear him sighing heavily. "It's because of me." Landon blames himself."It's not." I tried to get his mind off of it.I know he is blaming himself for what happened but I wouldn't want him to. What happened was an accident and I was careless enough to forget that Ben had TBI."Dosa is made of wheat lik
69M I R A N D AParis and Scarlet threw a massive bachelorette party which was a lot of fun. There were almost half naked men dancing and grinding around the room that Paris and Scarlet rented for the night. The songs that they played were too erotic and sexual and Vivian kept squealing when she saw the strippers taking off a piece from their clothing.It was crazy fun.Landon said he enjoyed his bachelor's party on that same night too. I'd worry when I think about sexy women doing what these hot men are doing before us. But then Landon is such an honest and faithful man because he would call up on my phone to check on me on what's going on with the party in the middle of his own bachelor party.I never actually thought I'd get to be walking down the aisle while my soon to be husband waits for me before the altar. It’s a dream come true.I never thought that marrying Landon Thompson would happen in reality. I'd used to daydream about it a lot and now it's really happening.There is n
70H U G O The moment they said each other's vows, I knew what she felt for Landon is real. Those words they said to each other were beyond perfect. I haven't been this jealous ever since and I feel the need of running out of the church to scream it all out from my chest because I am really hurt. I don't like what I'm feeling while watching them exchanging vows and everyone is crying for Landon and Rose because of joy but here I am acting stiff and emotionless but dying inside while I watch the woman I love getting married to my best friend.The way they looked at each other. The way they smiled at each other. The way they were so romantic over exchanging their vows and how they said it with love behind their eyes. The people around were even moved, Paris and Scarlet were even crying too. Most of the guests did, even the photographer's assistant cried.But I didn't.I wanted to cry but for another reason.That Rose will never be mine.Never. Ever."You may now kiss the bride." The pr
71My heart leaps."She's the kind of rose that I would want to see first thing in the morning in my garden. Always blooming and beautiful. You're damn lucky to have her and she's lucky to have you too." He adds.My tears were uncontrollably filling my eyes."Congratulations once again." Hugo smiles and everyone began clapping.Don't fall.Tears, don't fail me now.Don't fall.Please.But I failed. They're creeping out from the corners of my eyes.Damn it Hugo Saintclare.Suddenly, from the corner of my eyes I noticed that someone handed Landon a microphone and he quickly got it with his hands."Wow lads." Landon chimes while chuckling softly. "You moved me. I didn't know you had words like that for me." He jokes.I chuckle as I wipe my tears and I hear laughter from the guests too while the other men before me were smiling as well. But as I was looking at Hugo, he was looking at me with his brows meeting at the center of his forehead. His soft lips were pursed together and he would f
PROLOGUEAudrey is crying on the couch while she covers her face with her hands. He is sitting right across her and watching her crying her heart out but he didn't care. Audrey pulls her head up to him with her tears wetting her cheeks."You promised me Audrey." He says firm.He isn't bothered about her tears, he is hard as a rock and he does not care about emotions anymore. He knows pretty damn well that she acts her way out of trouble and he's gotten a hold of it for years now. He's used to seeing Audrey getting what she wants and she knows she can't deceive him but at least she tried to. He knows she's spoiled. He knows too damn well that he needs to trim down those devilish long horns above her head and he can do it because he can manipulate her for he knows all her dirty secrets."I know I promised you!" She yells."But it's taking so long!" He yells back.She's scared. She knows he's capable of everything when he wants to do something. She knows damn well that he is willing to k
CHAPTER 1H U G OI could hold his face with my huge hand and his eyes looks so adorable as it were about to close. I wish he'd finally go to sleep. I've been carrying him for almost two hours now. My arms are aching and whenever I put him down on top of his little mattress, he ends up opening his eyes again. And whenever I sit down, he cries loud so basically I've been standing here to put him to sleep and he still isn't.I gently sway him around.Hum him some songs I know.Tap his little bum covered in his diapers.Then sway him a little bit more.I have so many papers needed to be read and to be signed but he's consuming all my time. The nannies can't even put him to sleep which ended him in massive loud cries. So I volunteered to put Alex to sleep and I ended up with my loads of work left undone.I gazed at the clock and it was already midnight. It's getting pretty late and I wonder where Audrey is. She said she was out to meet a friend and she's been out for too long.I reached f
CHAPTER 2HUGO"Are you fucking serious right now?!" She begins to yell a little louder.I slammed my laptop close as I respond, "I looked through the wedding photos that Ned sent me.""Oh yeah of course! You did! You actually did and you fucking literally zoomed into Miranda's face?!" She screams."Alex is sleeping." I grit my teeth."Fuck that baby. I don't care." She spits at me.I gaped in surprise at her words,. "Do you even hear yourself? You're the mother to that child!""I don't care about that now!” She screams at my face. “All that matters now is the fact that you are staring into Miranda’s photos?! I'm mad you!""Oh come on Audrey! You don’t have to make this a big deal when I should be the one who needs to be mad at you right now. You come home late as if you don’t have any responsibilities to your child. You went out drinking and you come here throwing a fit at me!?" I raged.She scoffs sarcastically, "That's not the point here Hugo!""It is Audrey! It fucking is." I rant
CHAPTER 3M I R A N D A"How was the honeymoon?" Aunt Jo asked.Landon and I were having dinner together with his entire family in a special restaurant where we reserved a VIP room for all of us. I was worried when I arrived because I know Charlotte is here and I still find it difficult to actually talk to her. She still scares me even though I know that she's learned to accept me for Landon."You've both been gone for one month. I bet the places you've been to were marvelous." Felicitè commented and smiled at me."It was. Purely fantastic, wasn't it love?" Landon asked me while he forks his steak into his month."Yes. I was completely in awe. Dubai got me pretty badly. Still haven't gotten over it that’s for sure." I commented with a smile."We should go and do shopping at Dubai together, Randy." Charlotte blurted.I could tell that aunt Jo and her husband were surprised and so did Landon. I quickly smiled at her, happily, and I was too joyful that she wanted to go to Dubai and do s
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