When Yvonne finally opened her eyes, she was stunned to see three pairs of worried eyes staring back at her. She attempted to sit up, but her head ached so badly that she winced in pain and relaxed back on the bed, massaging her forehead with her hands."My head hurts," she said."Daddy, she's hurting," Lily panicked, quickly climbing onto the bed and attempting to hug Yvonne's head against her small chest.Yvonne stiffened at the sudden intimacy but found herself allowing Lily to hold her close. Jack instinctively clutched Micheal's thigh until he saw that Yvonne didn't push Lily away, and then he relaxed a bit. Micheal patted his head gently as they watched the dazed Yvonne, whose eyes quickly welled up with tears."Daddy always does this when Lily's head hurts. Lily always feels better after a while," Lily said with such an empathetic tone that it soothed Yvonne's heart. She felt herself relaxing, finding warmth in Lily's embrace—the warmth she had lacked for so long. She couldn't
Meanwhile, David wasn't having an easy time with Sammy. She was furious when she learned that David had kissed Yvonne.David had always been a loyal man—until Sammy managed to claim him for herself. He had been so devoted to Yvonne, but it took another man's touch on her to finally break him down enough to be swayed by Sammy, who had a grand plan to offer at just the right time.David was also the type who would rather leave than endure confrontations. This was why he chose to leave the house when the pressing matter of confronting Yvonne about a breakup arose.The fake feelings he had shown Yvonne over the years eventually became guilt. He hated her yet cared for her at the same time. Whenever he was confronted with her kindness and naivety, he wished he could return to the night that had driven a wedge between them, hoping to fix things.Perhaps their relationship could have been genuine, but by then, his relationship with Sammy had developed to a stage where he had excuses not to b
A week had passed since Yvonne's failed attempt to win David back, yet she wasn't as sad and devastated as she had anticipated. A little ray of light continued to illuminate her life, and she found herself smiling more often than usual. That light was Lillian, Micheal's three-year-old daughter. The little girl called her every single day, initiating innocent conversations that always warmed Yvonne's heart. After dropping the call, Yvonne's heart would linger on those sweet moments until she either worked on the children's activities for the following day at school or simply fell asleep with a happy smile on her face. Although it had only been a week, Yvonne found herself growing a little greedy for more of that joy. At first, when Lilly asked if they could visit her house with their daddy, Yvonne would deftly talk her way around the question and then smoothly avoid it. But by the fourth time, she was starting to crave those brief moments when Micheal and his children had dined at he
Micheal hadn’t meant to be harsh with Yvonne, but he was conflicted. A part of him wanted to dig into her life, to learn more about her fiancé, which shouldn’t concern him. The night he had carried her in his arms, Micheal found it so natural that it didn’t even feel like a chore. She had wrapped her arms around his neck, muttering about her life. She had seemed so fragile and vulnerable. Yet, the next day, she was suddenly a stranger again—not the woman who had fit so perfectly in his arms the previous night. He wanted to step back, to keep his distance and not get more entangled than necessary. But then his children had fallen in love with her. He was doomed to be near her at all times, and he wanted to limit physical contact. He hoped that if he kept her at arm's length, the urge to investigate her would diminish. But then she had invited him out. For some reason, seeing her again in a much better state eased his mind. Her skin had regained its color, and the constant flush of e
Yvonne settled down opposite Micheal once again and spoke more calmly. “I wanted to try explaining things to Jack again, using simpler terms that he will understand instead of my former stance,” she said. “We have plans for them to visit their grandparents. We can have a day out on one of your spare days when we return,” Micheal proposed. “Sure. Absolutely!” Yvonne replied, and with that, their conversation was over. Micheal excused himself a few minutes later after paying for the meal. Yvonne was displeased, but he insisted, claiming he would count it as a date if she paid. She could only step back and gesture for him to do what he wanted. That night, both sides were in a good mood. The twins were pleased by the news that a day out with their favorite person had been planned following a visit to their beloved grandma. She was the closest person to a mother the children had in their lives, but Micheal had separated them. His family was too controlling. Even when looking at a
When old Miss Langston saw the murderous expression Micheal wore at that moment, she coughed slightly to break everyone out of their stupor.Before the elders could start berating Jack for his rude comment, she spoke first. “Said like a true leader. A man should follow rules and etiquette. I'm proud of you, Jack. Everyone can have this conversation after dining.”Those who were about to voice their displeasure quickly shut their mouths.They weren’t pleased that out of the six eligible men in the family around Micheal’s age, he was chosen as the family head. The most annoying part was that Micheal had not been involved in their line of profession. He could have just been appointed as the head of the technical team of their empire, but the old patriarch dumped him into the role everyone had their eyes on.They couldn’t wait for the old woman to die so they could fight for the position with everything they had, but with Micheal being so young and already having two brilliant heirs, the
At the same time, a heated argument broke out between the old patriarch and Micheal.Micheal had tried to overlook the situation, knowing full well that his next visit to his family home might not be for another eight months or even a year. If Yvonne turned out to be a reliable ally in his quest to see his children live happy childhoods, Micheal wouldn't have a reason to come back. But to his shock, his grandmother actually suggested he allow her to raise Jack. It seemed she wanted to mold him into a puppet, just like they had done to Micheal.That same day, Micheal decided he had to return to his home with his kids. However, the old woman feigned a headache and dramatically collapsed. Micheal could only sigh as he listened to her rant about her pure intentions, claiming she just wanted to see the children more often, with nothing else attached.Grandma Langston had initially planned to focus on Lilian, given how close she felt to the little girl. But after Jack boldly commented duri
A few days passed, and Sammy only grew more anxious. David still hadn't shown up at their new home, and the man she hired to keep an eye on Yvonne’s home claimed he hadn’t gone there either.Sammy wanted David to realize his errors and beg her for forgiveness, but he was still feeling guilty for hurting her and thought that staying away would solve the situation.At work, he stuck to his department, and since she made no attempt to approach him either, they managed to stay out of each other’s line of sight. Many of their colleagues had asked both parties if everything was fine, and they both replied that they just needed some space. Nothing too serious.Sammy's mood, however, took a turn when she was notified that Yvonne hadn’t been to her apartment for over two days. Her first thought was that David and Yvonne had created a secret meeting place, but after further investigation, she found out that he had still been sleeping at the office.Unable to shake the feeling that she was givi
Yvonne’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as she drove, her thoughts tumbling over one another in a chaotic spiral. Rebecca’s words echoed relentlessly in her mind, each revelation a fresh jab at her sanity. Her mother-in-law’s scheming mentality, the involvement of Sammy, and Rebecca’s initial role in the plot — it was too much to bear.Her stomach churned violently, nausea clawing at her insides. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead as she struggled to maintain her composure. She took a shaky breath, but the bile rising in her throat was impossible to suppress.Spotting an empty stretch of road, Yvonne veered her car to the side and flung the door open. She leaned out just in time as her stomach revolted, expelling everything inside. Her body trembled as the wave of nausea subsided, leaving her weak and disoriented. She sat there for a moment, head resting against the steering wheel, trying to steady her ragged breathing."You fool! You idiot!" she muttered through gritted teeth,
The soft chime of his phone disrupted Micheal’s focus. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing as he read the message from one of the guards stationed at home:Something happened between Rebecca and Yvonne. She doesn’t look well.Micheal’s grip on the phone tightened, his jaw clenching. A wave of unease washed over him, and he leaned back in his chair, staring at the text. Had he made a mistake? She could still recall Yvonne’s fear from the previous night.He had allowed Yvonne to have her way, insisting Rebecca should be given a chance to integrate into their lives for the children’s sake. Micheal had been reluctant, sensing the complexities of Rebecca’s intentions, but Yvonne’s kindhearted nature had won out.Now, he wondered if his trust had been misplaced.Without wasting another moment, he dialed the guard’s number. The line clicked, and the guard answered immediately.“What happened?” Micheal’s tone was sharp, leaving no room for ambiguity.The guard hesitated briefly. “Sir
The weight of Rebecca’s revelation hung heavily in the air, leaving Yvonne utterly speechless.Her mind swirled with questions, each one louder than the last. What baffled her most was the audacity of Rebecca’s confession. Why would she admit this so confidently? Did she not realize that Yvonne held the power to banish her from their lives entirely?Yvonne’s lips parted, a shaky breath escaping as she tried to gather her thoughts. Finally, she managed to stammer, “What are... are you saying?” Her voice trembled, her wide eyes searching Rebecca’s face for clarity.Rebecca exhaled deeply, her gaze flicking toward the kitchen door as if she expected someone to burst in. “It’s a long story,” she murmured, her tone steady but tinged with weariness. “And it’s not fair to keep the kids waiting.”Her eyes returned to Yvonne, filled with an unexpected vulnerability. “I told you this because I can’t do it anymore, Yvonne. I can’t laugh with the children, play the part of their loving aunt, know
The sunlight streaming through the curtains felt warmer than usual, but Yvonne barely noticed it. The house was silent except for the soft padding of her feet down the hallway. Micheal was already gone for work—something he always did on the mornings Rebecca visited. It wasn’t a coincidence, Yvonne knew that much. He loathed being around Rebecca, but his absence meant Yvonne had to deal with her. Today was one of the days Rebecca will come to their house. Yvonne reached the twins’ room, her frustration tempered by the sight of Jack and Lily sleeping soundly. She knelt beside Lily, brushing a stray curl from her face. “Good morning, sweetheart,” she whispered, kissing her temple. Lily stirred, her eyes fluttering open as a small smile stretched across her lips. “Good morning, Mommy.” Jack woke up next, rubbing his eyes groggily. Yvonne pulled him into a brief hug, pressing a kiss to his forehead before helping them both out of bed. She guided them to the bathroom, assisting them a
Yvonne woke up the next morning, her mind tangled with remnants of last night’s conversation with Micheal. She lay still, watching the sunlight filter through the curtains, trying to convince herself that all was well. Micheal’s words had been so reassuring, yet a flicker of doubt still tugged at her. She thought of Rebecca’s presence in their lives. Was it truly harmless, as Micheal had suggested, or was there something more beneath her growing closeness to the kids? Micheal’s confidence had left her feeling comforted, yet it didn’t fully quiet the lingering worry that Rebecca’s bond with Jack and Lily might, over time, change things in ways she hadn’t anticipated. With a sigh, Yvonne reached for her phone. Maybe I’m overthinking this, she thought, dialing Amy’s number. Amy always had a way of seeing things clearly, and even if it was a small thing, Yvonne needed her perspective. Amy picked up after the second ring, her voice warm. “Good morning, Yvonne! You’re up early.” Yvonne g
After spending 20 more minutes to honor Amy, Micheal was signaling to Yvonne that it is time to leave, which Amy caught and teased him with.However she understood that they lived far from her place. If they wait till her husband returns home, they will have to travel late into the night.The family of four bid their farewell and soon they arrived at home.When it was finally time for bed, Yvonne tucked the twins in, their sleepy faces lighting up at her presence. She kissed each of them goodnight, lingering a little longer with Jack, who whispered, “Are you going to tell us more stories tomorrow?”“Of course,” Yvonne replied softly, her heart aching. She turned off the light and closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath to steady herself.Once the children were settled, she joined Micheal in their room. The atmosphere was calm, but Yvonne couldn’t shake her worries. She could feel the tension still lingering between them, and Micheal sensed it too.“Yvonne,” he said softly, mo
The afternoon sun streamed through the kitchen window, casting a warm glow over Yvonne and Amy as they prepared a light meal. The air was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked bread and ripe strawberries, and the sound of laughter echoed from the kids’ playroom. Jack and Lily were busy crafting their imaginary worlds, their giggles a sweet melody that made Yvonne’s heart swell.“Can you believe your graduation is just around the corner?” Amy said, glancing up from chopping vegetables, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’ve worked so hard for this, Yvonne. It’s such a big deal!”Yvonne smiled, a mix of pride and anxiety churning within her. “I know! It feels surreal. After everything, I’m finally going to walk across that stage.” She paused, her gaze drifting to the children’s laughter. “But it’s also intimidating. What’s next for me? I want to make sure I don’t let anyone down, especially Micheal and the kids.”“Oh, come on,” Amy said, waving her knife playfully. “
Amy’s grip on Yvonne’s hand tightened, her gaze steady as she continued, “Look, I’m not saying it’ll be easy. The kids already like her, which makes it more complicated. But you have to set boundaries. You can’t let her keep weaving herself in, Yvonne.”Yvonne took a shaky breath, the weight of Amy’s words pressing on her. “You’re right. I was so focused on what was best for Jack and Lily that I forgot… I have a place in this family too. I’ve built this with them, with Micheal.” She paused, feeling a new determination fill her. “Maybe it’s time I start acting like it.”Amy’s expression softened as she nodded. “Exactly. I know how much the kids mean to you, and I understand your instinct to want them happy, but there’s a line. You can still protect what you’ve built with them without being super kind or allowing someone in unnecessarily. You don’t owe anyone access to your family if it makes you uncomfortable.”Yvonne’s shoulders relaxed slightly, feeling the weight shift from her ches
Yvonne stepped out of the car with a faint smile, holding Jack and Lily’s hands as they made their way up to Amy’s front door. It had been too long since they’d had a real conversation. Today was meant to be light-hearted, just a simple visit, but a persistent weight had settled over Yvonne’s heart, one she knew she’d eventually need to unburden to Amy.When the door swung open, Amy’s face immediately lit up with delight as she supported her baby bump with her left hand. “There they are! My favorite little troublemakers,” she grinned, crouching down to greet Jack and Lily with open arms. The twins broke into bright smiles, rushing forward for hugs as they babbled eagerly about their latest adventures and mischief.“Aunt Amy!” Jack exclaimed, eyes twinkling. “Guess what? I learned to ride my bike without training wheels!”“Oh, is that so?” Amy raised an eyebrow, feigning shock. “Next thing I know, you’ll be driving cars! And what about you, Lily? What amazing things have you done this