Sheila's POV "Sheila, go to table five and take their orders. It's been very busy today, and you've been standing around doing nothing. Sheila, are you even listening to me?" "Sheila!" I was startled when I heard someone shout my name. I didn't realize I was being called. I was just lost in my own world, drowning in sadness. "Are you alright?" Diana, my coworker, asked. I quickly wiped away the tears that had slipped from my eyes and forced a smile, "Yes, I'm fine. What did you say?" She glanced at me for a moment and shrugged, "Well, you need to fix your face and go take the order for Table five." "Okay, I'll do that right away. Thanks." I went to the restroom, and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I started crying again at the sight of my sad reflection. How could he do this to me? What did I do to deserve this kind of betrayal? I took out my engagement ring from my pocket and stared at it, mumbling, "Why is life so unfair to me?” and my mind wandered back to
Sheila's POV “Alan…” I whispered unbelievably. He froze and turned to meet my gaze. “Sheila! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?” He said and got up to quickly dress up. Phoebe scowled at me and used the bed sheet to cover her nudity, refusing to move an inch or show any atom of remorse. She even had the guts to try to drag Alan back to the bed but Alan refused and wore his shorts, looking at me with a surprised expression. “Why?” That was the only word I could say to Alan as I stared at the only man I had ever loved in my life. The pain of his betrayal was too much for me to bear as I collapsed to the floor looking at him with tears in my eyes. I had gone through a lot of phases in my life but this one right here was very hard for me to accept. “I..I…We…” “You don't need to explain anything to her, babe,” Phoebe suddenly interrupted Alan and glared at me. “What were you actually thinking, Sheila? That you would eventually marry Alan and play the Cinde
Sheila's POV "Are you still here, Sheila? What's wrong with you? If you weren't feeling well today, why did you come to work? You are making the other girls do your job!" Diana shouted angrily at me, snapping me back to reality. I didn't even realize how long I had spent in the resting room. "Sorry," I mumbled and quickly fixed my face. Even though I wanted to stay with my mother at the hospital today because I didn't feel like coming to work, I had no choice but to show up because my job was all I had at the moment. I stared at the engagement ring Alan had given me one last time before flushing it down the toilet. Good riddance to bad rubbish! I left the restroom and headed over to Table five to take their orders, but another waitress was already attending to them. Feeling relieved, I started to head back to the kitchen when I was asked to take Table Seven's order. Why couldn't I just get a break, and have a moment to myself? Switching into my professional work etiquettes, I pu
Andrew's POV Earlier that day… Today was definitely a bad day for me. Returning to this city after five years was proving to be a huge mistake. I was informed that my grandmother was very ill and was at the brink of death and demanded to see me. I left everything I was doing just to fly back home to realize it was all a lie. “I don't understand, father. Do you know how many business deals I had to sacrifice just to be here? Why would you lie about Grandma's health?” “It's all your fault, son. Your mother and I have been urging you to come back home, but you kept procrastinating and we rarely see you. This was the only thing your mom could think of to drag you back home,” my father replied nonchalantly. I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. Of course it would certainly be my mother that would come up with this idea to bring me home. “I'm here now, father, what do you need me for? The company is doing okay, I always make sure to keep tabs on the general running of
Andrew's POVI answered the call, and her voice was filled with anger. "Son, can you believe these people? They had the audacity to do this! Can you imagine?""What are you talking about, Mother?"“The Grayson’s family! They are the family your grandparents wanted you to marry from due to their long time friendship with the bride's grandparents. They had the nerve to call me and inform me that they'll be sending the older sister for the marriage alliance instead of the younger one as we discussed. Can you believe it? They must have heard the nonsense news about you being disinherited and decided their golden daughter was too good for you! They decided to send the older one!”She continued, “If it weren't for your grandfather's insistence that you marry from that family, I wouldn't have even agreed to accept them. Their family is way beneath us, compared to the other families your father and I selected, yet they have the audacity to look down on us!”I had to suppress a laugh as my mot
Sheila's POV “Here comes the bride! Here comes the bride!”Phoebe's voice echoed in the living room as she sang obnoxiously loud. Her presence fueled my anger and made my blood boil. How could she be sitting there smiling after what she had done?“Why are you back home so early?” Fiona, my stepmother, inquired as soon as she saw me enter the house."I...I got fired," I confessed reluctantly.She walked over to me and slapped me hard across the face. “That is for laying your filthy hands on my precious daughter!”Phoebe smirked at me, grinning widely while my father, who was reading his newspaper, shook his head in disappointment. I wished I could disappear as tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.“You're just pathetic! Look at you, unable to even keep a simple job as a waitress. How did you expect to keep a man then? I'm certain you deliberately wanted to get fired because of what happened earlier this morning," Fiona sneered.I remained silent, knowing arguing with
Sheila's POV "Where did you go? Were you planning on running away?" My father angrily yelled at me.I held my stinging cheek and explained, "No, Father, I went to see Mother.""Enough! Go upstairs and change already. I don't want to hear anything about that woman," he shouted.I went to my room and found a plain white dress laid out on my bed. It completely lacked any elegance or resemblance to a wedding gown, but I didn't care. If this was what they wanted me to wear, then so be it."Do you like your wedding dress, dear sister?" Phoebe sneered as she appeared at the door, bursting into laughter at the sight of me in the dress."Oh my goodness, you look so hideous! If I were the groom, I'd abandon you at the altar and never look back," Phoebe mocked, her laughter ringing through the room."I hope you're satisfied now. Alan is all yours, and I'm marrying the man you were supposed to marry. I hope you are happy?""Absolutely! You know I did you a favor. You couldn't even keep Alan happ
Andrew's POVI got to my room and slammed the door shut. Sheila really knew how to push one's buttons. How dare she speak to me like that in front of my staff?She needed to learn that no one had the audacity to address me in such a condescending manner."It's only temporary, Andrew. Once you uncover who's targeting Evelyn, you can dissolve this farce of a marriage," I reassured myself, trying to calm down.Grabbing my phone, I dialed Killian's number. He answered after the first ring, "Hello Andrew, what's going on?""Killian, I need you to make arrangements to bring Evelyn down to this city. I'll be staying here for a while, and I want her close to me.""Whoa, I thought you were just visiting your parents. How did they manage to convince you to stay?""It's a long story. Just do as I've asked, and remember... discreetly. I'll explain everything to you later.”I hung up and sank onto my bed. It felt like an eternity since I last visited Evelyn in the hospital. I knew Killian, her pe
Phoebe's POVThis week had been so stressful and messy. Deadlines were piling up, my boss, Mr. Jeremy, kept asking for more than I could handle, and life generally hadn’t been so rosy since I got separated from Antonio and lost my father’s company. But now, as I stood watching Sheila and her mother struggle under the stares of the crowd, it felt like life was finally giving me a break. Meeting Sheila and her mother here was an unexpected twist of fate—a perfect opportunity to redirect all my pent-up stress. They were the perfect scapegoats I needed at that moment to make me forget my chaotic life, even if just for a while. I watched as Mr. Jeremy walked toward us. His steps were fast, and his face looked serious and strict. His eyes moved quickly over the scene, showing he was ready to take charge. My heart started beating faster—not because I was scared, but because I was excited. This was my chance to take control. “What’s going on here?” Mr. Jeremy’s sharp voice cut through
Simeon’s POVA few minutes ago...“You’ve really outdone yourself, Jeremy,” I said. “Taking this agency to global heights—it’s no small feat. You’ve built something extraordinary here.” Walking alongside the director of one of the world's leading modeling agencies, I couldn’t help but admire his success. The director smiled, a hint of pride shining in his eyes. “Thank you, Simeon. But I can’t take all the credit. Your support and investments have been quite instrumental. Without your belief in my vision, expanding on this scale would’ve been a far more difficult journey.” I gave him a small smile, waving off the compliment. “You give me too much credit. The success of your agency is due to your hard work and vision. I only saw the potential and backed it up.” He chuckled. “Well, let me return the favor. If this friend of yours you’re about to introduce me to is interested in modeling, I’d be more than happy to offer her a job immediately.” I laughed lightly, thinking about M
Sheila's POV Mom stood beside me, glancing around as we waited for Simeon. The tour guide had excused himself, saying he needed to get something, and had also left. Where Mom stood, someone suddenly bumped into her with enough force to make her stagger. “Mom!” I reached out, steadying her before she could fall. She clutched my arm for support, looking shocked by the sudden force. The woman who’d bumped into her didn’t even stop. She kept walking as if nothing had happened, her phone in hand as she kept chatting with God-knows-who. “Hey!” I called out, my voice sharp and cutting through the noise around us. “Watch where you’re going!” The woman stilled mid-step, her back rigid as she pocketed her phone. Slowly, she turned around, her gaze locking with mine. My breath caught when I saw her face. It was surprisingly... “Phoebe?” I called out. “Sheila?” she called out, equally surprised. “What are you doing here?” we both asked at the same time. I stared fully at her
Simeon's POVAs we packed up the food, I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging that I hadn't experienced in years. My heart raced with excitement. A family picnic? I’d never had one in my life. The thought of spending an entire day with Sheila and her mom—laughing, eating, and simply being together—felt surreal. It was a feeling I didn’t want to let go of, and I’d decided to take things one step further. “All right, ladies,” I announced as I helped them into the car. “I’ve got the perfect place in mind for this picnic, a little getaway.” Sheila frowned, her brow furrowing as she buckled her seatbelt. “Getaway? Simeon, this is just supposed to be a picnic. What are you talking about?” Mia and I exchanged a knowing glance. This was the part where Sheila would start protesting, but we were already prepared. “It’s Saturday,” I said casually, pulling onto the road. “I figured we could make this a mini vacation—stay ove
Sheila's POV The smell of something sweet wafted through the air, pulling me out of my room and straight toward the kitchen. I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, and smiled. “Mom, are the cookies ready yet?” I asked, hoping she’d let me sneak a taste. She glanced over her shoulder, an apron tied snugly around her waist. “Almost,” she replied, her hands busy rolling out dough. I stepped closer and tied on an apron of my own. “Let me help then. You’re always saying teamwork makes the dream work.” She chuckled as I joined her at the counter, and we worked side by side, kneading and shaping the dough. Halfway through, while the scent of freshly baked cookies filled the air, Mom turned to me with a sly smile. “Should I make an extra batch?” she asked casually, but I could see her eyes glinting mischievously. “You know, since these are Simeon’s favorites.” I rolled my eyes playfully. “Mom, is Simeon a buffalo you’re p
Andrew's POV Evelyn headed to her room before I could even mention Simeon's name, and slammed the door really hard, leaving no room for further confrontations.I stood motionless, my fists clenched at my sides. I couldn’t bring myself to call her back or say another word. Not after what she had revealed. She had heard me mutter Sheila’s name in my sleep.When did this happen? And why hadn’t Evelyn confronted me sooner? The thought gnawed at my mind, making me feel guilty.Was it something I had dreamt unconsciously, or was it the part of me I’d tried so desperately to suppress surfacing in the worst possible way?I turned and headed to the study. The air inside the room was stifling, but it matched the suffocating weight on my chest. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the shelf, poured myself a glass, and downed it in one go. The burn of the alcohol was sharp, but it did little to dull the chaos in my head.Opening the balcony door, I let the cool night air wash over me. I sank into
Evelyn’s POVI bent down slowly, my fingers trembling as I picked up one of the pictures Andrew had thrown at me. My heart raced as the image in my hand sent a chill down my spine. It was a photo of me holding Simeon’s hand. How… how did Andrew get this? When I had sarcastically asked if he was stalking me earlier, I hadn’t expected him to actually do it. But here it was—evidence that he’d hired someone to follow me. I clenched the photo in my hand, my shock instantly turning into anger. Without thinking, I threw it back at him, and asked in a sharp voice,“What is this, Andrew? Am I a prisoner in your house now? A prisoner who can’t step outside without the warden’s permission?” Andrew remained unmoved, his expression cold and stern. “This isn’t about being a prisoner, Evelyn. What exactly were you doing with Simeon?” His question stung, not because I didn’t have an answer, but because of the sheer audacity of it. What did he think I was doing with Simeon? I took a deep bre
Andrew’s POV I stood in the shadows, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, watching as Evelyn quietly slipped into the house. She moved carefully, shutting the door gently, as if trying not to wake anyone. The faint click echoed in the silence, and I waited, my patience thinning with every passing second. She didn’t see me. Her focus was on the stairs, her steps light but quick. It was clear she wanted to get to her room without encountering anyone. But she wouldn’t get that luxury tonight. “Where have you been, Evelyn?” My low, sharp voice immediately broke the stillness. She froze mid-step, clutching her bag tightly. A startled shriek escaped her lips as she turned abruptly, her wide eyes searching the shadows until they landed on me. “Andrew!” she exclaimed. “Why would you do that? You scared me!” I didn’t answer, didn’t move. I just stood there, letting the silence stretch between us. Her brows furrowed as she stepped down from the stairs she was about to climb,
Evelyn's POV I stood there, frozen, my hands clenched into fists as I watched Simeon leave with Sheila. My chest heaved with every breath, the anger bubbling inside me. My eyes burned with the rage coursing through me. How could he? How dare he? When I learned about Sheila, I felt this desperate need to meet her. I had to see for myself what made her so special—why she seemed to be at the center of everything. But every time I tried, something came up, and I was kept away. It felt like the universe was conspiring to keep us apart. Today, I’d had enough. I snuck out of the house, driving for hours, determined to meet this woman who had somehow managed to get involved with everything—or rather, everyone—that used to matter to me. What I didn’t expect was to run into Simeon. Seeing him after all this time—it should have felt like a reunion, a moment of happiness. Instead, his coldness pierced through me like a dagger. Why her? Why Sheila? A woman he barely knew compared to