Franklin Howard; After my father left my office, I sighed and thought about my marriage with Natalie. "What went wrong with me?" I asked myself as I remembered all those years I had been cruel to her. "Is there a way to fix this?" I pondered as I switched on my computer to resume my office work. It obviously took me hours to prepare my breakfast at home, which had also delayed me from coming to work, although I had planned to take a day off if my father hadn't called me. I resumed my office work, and my assistant knocked on my office door and entered. "Good afternoon, boss," he greeted me, and I sighed. "Afternoon. What brings you here?" I inquired, knowing that I hadn't sent for him. "Sir, it's the new agreement that was signed today before you arrived at the company," he said, and I paused what I was reviewing on my computer to look at him. "Bring it over and drop it on my desk," I said to him. He wore a black suit as well. "Alright, boss," he approached me and dropped it on
Franklin Howard:I decided to go shopping for my wife first and not change my mind about purchasing a lovely present for Natalie. I entered the first women's boutique at the front of the mall, and the sales representative welcomed me. "What would you like to buy, sir? We mostly sell items and clothes for women," the sales representative said. She was a young woman, almost the same age and size as my wife."Well, I'm looking for beautiful gowns and clothes that would fit my wife. I want to give them to her as a surprise gift," I said to the saleswoman, who smiled, as she had two other sales associates in the shop with her."Okay, come this way, sir. What's your wife's size, and what kind of clothes do you want for her? Hot dresses or decent ones?" the saleswoman asked me. She wore a blue top and a black skirt, and I thought about Natalie's preferences. "I don't know, but I want my wife to look beautiful. Can you get any lovely gowns that you think will fit her? She almost looks like yo
Natalie Jackson:I entered back into the kitchen and used the back of my top to wipe my eyes. I proceeded to dish out the delicious rice that I had cooked. I tried not to dwell on the fact that Franklin's family didn't like me. I was not surprised that his mother already believed the story that I was the one who drugged Franklin.I know her son is handsome, but I wouldn't set him up just to become his wife. As I moved closer to my pot of food, I dished out the meal that I had cooked onto smaller plates. The plates were white ceramic, so I served some portions and sat at the dining table in the kitchen to eat my meal alone."Where's that good-for-nothing wife?" I heard Mrs. Howard bark in the living room while Michael was there with her. I didn't respond or make any attempt to stand up and exit the kitchen. I sat there eating the food alone, trying to refill my stomach as I wasn't in a good mood."Natalie!" She pushed the kitchen door open and entered the kitchen to meet me. "What are
**Franklin Howard**"Babe," I said as I moved away from Michael to speak with my wife. "Where are you taking your box to again?"Natalie looked hurt as it dawned on me that her face was red, as though someone had smacked her. The day I hit her after Amelia arrived here at our home was a day I regretted the most in my life. I had grabbed Natalie and taken the tray of food from her hand."You cannot leave my house," I said, moving to stop her as she sniffled."Just stay away from me, Frank. We can discuss this later," she replied, raising her left hand to shield me away. But I couldn't just allow her to leave me.We had already been discussing how to work on our marriage, and I felt helpless, begging my wife to stay.I ignored her words and held her bag. "I will speak with my mother and talk to her. Just calm down, okay?"I held Natalie close, and she didn't resist as she burst into tears in my arms. I sighed and hugged her warmly, rubbing her back and knowing that I had to be around h
**Natalie Jackson**I sat on the black couch in the living room, waiting for Franklin to return from picking up the gift he said he had bought for me. I knew Franklin didn't like me, but he seemed to have changed after our last encounter.Even though he was drunk that night, something about Franklin had changed. The way he looked at me now conveyed love, clearly reflected in his eyes, as if he didn’t want to let me go.I sighed, waiting for him to return. I looked around our home. It was beautiful; I had prayed for God to touch my husband's heart and make him love me.Maybe I should be thankful to Amelia, as it was after she had drugged Franklin that he changed, and I could see the desire in his eyes. It didn’t seem like he was joking, but I feared he might revert to his old self in the long run.Marriage was a lifetime commitment, and I had been committed to Franklin. He hadn't cheated on me that I was aware of, nor had I heard of any infidelity. I sighed; it wasn’t like I knew any o
**Natalie Jackson**Frank and I finished having our dinner. Although he wanted to feed me, I didn’t accept it. I told him I could do it myself.“Why aren’t you happy that I want to?” Frank asked. I looked at his handsome face as he sat beside me on my left. “I am happy, only that I want us to eat quickly while it's hot.”“Okay,” Frank didn’t argue with me, and we continued with the food until we were through. I stood up and cleared the plates to the kitchen, and as I returned, I recalled the tape that Franklin had asked me to keep in the morning before he left for work.“Franklin,” I called him, since I was already used to calling him by his name. He rose from the chair and walked up to meet me.“What’s it?” he asked as he neared me and pulled me into a warm hug, with my back resting against his chest.“How about the tape you asked me to keep? Won’t you check it out?” I asked him, and he shrugged as if he didn’t want to.“I will check it, but not now. I want to have you first,” Frank
Natalie's POV: I thought Frank had left my room door, but he was still there. "Natalie, do you want me to sleep here by the door before you open up?" he asked me, and I smiled, still lying on the bed and not responding to him. "I am already on the floor, and I will sleep here since that is what you want," Frank said. I remained quiet, not responding to him. To my surprise, I heard movement at my door, followed by a groan from Frank as he laid on the bare floor. I didn't know when I jumped down from the bed and rushed to the door to unlock it. To my surprise, my husband—a billionaire CEO—was lying on the hard floor. "Frank!" I gasped, and he smiled as he sat up by the door. "You thought I was lying, didn't you?" he asked, and I blushed. "I never said that you're lying. Get up; you cannot sleep here. Go back to your room, as I am still angry with you," I told him, and he frowned. He rose, towering above me. "What should I do to make you forgive me? I am really serious about u
Franklin Howard I arrived at my company, and compared to the previous day, I was in a good mood. I focused on my office work and later summoned my assistant into my office. I wanted to hire new staff for Natalie to lighten her workload at home. She wasn't my maid after all, and I had decided to take good care of her and pamper her like a billionaire's wife. My assistant came into my office to see me. He wore a black suit and smiled at me. "You sent for me, boss?" "Yes, I did," I replied, looking at him as I paused what I was clicking on my computer. "I want you to hire new domestic staff for me. Not here, but for my home," I said, leaning back in my office chair and maintaining eye contact with Wesley Ryan. "Okay, boss. Anything else you want me to do for you?" he asked. "No, that's all," I replied. "You can leave now and bring the new staff to meet with me once you hire anyone. The age group should be middle-aged women and above. I don't want any young women in my hous
**Natalie**Hearing the sound of voices coming from the ground floor, I roused from my sleep and went to see who the people discussing there were.Pulling the balcony door unlocked, I was surprised to see Michael and one of my elder brothers, Asher, and I wondered what brought them here."Natalie!... Hi!" Michael waved to me, and I frowned after seeing that Franklin's car had left the estate.It was a picture-perfect view from this balcony to take a look around the city.I held my flowing dress that the wind was pushing forward."Good evening, Michael. What do you want? Franklin isn't around," I replied after seeing that my husband had left the premises. I didn't want Franklin to return and assume that I cheated on him."Are you alright, Natalie? I came to see you and to present you with these flowers!" Michael said, raising the bouquet of roses, and looking up at me. Asher sighed and moved over to his car. "No. I am sorry, but I cannot accept them. I cannot cheat on Franklin with yo
Franklin's POV:"Natalie, open this door," I called to my wife, seeing that she had locked herself in her room.I shouldn't have agreed for Natalie to go and apologize to her stepmother, but I had to do what the prophetess said. I had to ensure that Natalie didn't disobey her words; now Natalie is making me extra worried."Natalie..." I called her name again as I couldn't believe that she was asking me for a divorce. I didn't like the fact that with any little misunderstanding between us, Natalie would immediately bring up divorce. I had told her that I didn't want to divorce her.We are already a couple, so why was she eager to divorce me? I assumed it was because of Michael that she wanted to leave me for him."Natalie, don't make me order Wesley to get a carpenter to come and remove this door. Open it now!" My voice was loud, and after a while, the room door unlocked, and Natalie stood there with her tear-streaked face."What has come over you? Is your stepmother a god that you sho
Natalie Jackson.Arriving on the second floor, I could feel my heart beating loudly in my chest.Asher pushed the door open and led me into the sitting room.Mrs. Agnes Jackson was perched on one of the white couches in the sitting room, going through a fashion magazine. But as her eyes locked with mine, she spat out the juice into her glass cup and dropped it on the coffee table. Glaring at me, she demanded, "What are you doing here? Asher, what is she doing here?""Mom," Asher let go of my hand and walked over to meet his mother.Mrs. Agnes shifted her focus away from me to her son, waiting to hear his explanation. However, I took it upon myself to approach her, kneeling beside her feet to apologize."I am sorry, Mother, for being a bad daughter to you." I knelt a short distance away from Mrs. Agnes, and she laughed, saying, "Hahaha. What is the meaning of this nonsense, Natalie? Get out of my presence. I don't care if you are a good daughter or a bad daughter to me. You are not my
(Natalie Jackson)Franklin and I arrived home, and my mind was in chaos, wondering how I would approach my stepmother and apologize to her.Mrs. Agnes hated me with a passion that I was aware of. I sighed while Franklin looked at me as he drove his car into the premises just after Alex opened the gate and welcomed us."You don't have to worry about going to see your stepmother. I will accompany you," Franklin said. I looked at him and told him, "Okay. But I am certain that she won't forgive me. I am so sure about that.""It's okay. Remember the prophetess said it's not compulsory that your stepmother must forgive you, but you should apologize to her.""Alright." I sighed and focused my gaze on the front of our house while Franklin parked his car. I carefully got out, and he came out and met me just after locking his car.Franklin gave the ice cream to me, but my mood was still down, knowing that my stepmother was behind my setbacks and childlessness.*What did she exactly do?* Well,
(Franklin Howard)"You are not our members, right?" she asked, and I quickly replied, "Yes, Ma. We came here seeking the fruit of the womb, but your mother already attended to us."I forced a smile even when I didn't want to."I can see that. But come to my office. I can still see how to help you both," she said as she walked away, while her mother continued with her walking and exited the house. We followed the middle-aged woman to her office, except for Natalie's mother, who went after the old woman to speak with her again.I wondered what Natalie's mother had to ask the old woman. It was really shocking that Mrs. Agnes Jackson had actually cursed Natalie and made Natalie's childhood difficult.Natalie looked sober, so I walked up beside her and held her hand.We followed the woman into her office, and she sat down on a red mat and looked at Natalie, just as she told us to wait.Her office, as she called it, looked more like a shrine, with white curtains on the wall, and she did som
(Natalie Jackson)As I rushed out of the house and made my way towards the exit gate, I heard my name, "Wait, Natalie! Come over, let me escort you."I looked back at the front of the house and saw Franklin walking over to his car, the black SUV."Come, let me give you a ride. Although I don't feel comfortable about this," Franklin said, and I sighed as I rushed back to his car to meet him."You shouldn't worry about it. My mother wouldn't take me anywhere evil," I assured him as I hurried to his car to join him inside.Franklin had changed and was now wearing a white shirt and black pants, paired with black shoes.He opened and shut the car door carefully after I had settled into the front passenger seat, then he entered the driver's seat and drove out of his residence."So where are we heading to?" Franklin asked me as he slowed down on the estate street and looked at me."Wait, let me call my mother," I smiled as I quickly withdrew my phone from my handbag and reached for it to giv
**Natalie's POV**One week later, after Amelia had welcomed her baby, Franklin's mother came to our home to see us.I was in the kitchen cooking since it was Saturday. I heard the sound of a car driving into the garage, and as I went out of the kitchen to see who it was, I was surprised to see Franklin's mother get out of the car, looking at me with irritation."Good morning, Ma," I greeted her, but she looked away without responding. I sighed and went back into the kitchen as I continued cooking.Later, I came out to the dining room to serve the meal since it was still morning."Franklin, how are you and your wife comfortable staying together when you don't have any children yet? Chris's wife has given birth to a bouncing baby boy, and yet you and Natalie don’t have any kids yet," his mother said."Mom," Franklin sighed, seated across from her in the exquisite living room."We will have kids, Mom. Stop pressuring us about it. We will have kids in God's own time," he replied to her."
Natalie's POV:Franklin and I went up to the third floor where Amelia was admitted. As we arrived, we met Amelia's mother, who was happily looking at her new grandson, but as soon as she saw me, she shouted, "What are you doing here?!"Mrs. Agnes quickly petted the baby to stop crying as the baby in the bed woke up startled by her voice."Mom, I invited Natalie over. Can you just let her be?" Amelia asked her mother, who frowned."I don't want to see Natalie here. Do you want her to infect you with her bad luck?" Mrs. Agnes asked Amelia, who frowned."Mom, that's enough. Natalie is my sister, and it's not like you gave birth to another sister for me to have. Just let her be!"Mrs. Agnes looked pained, but she quickly brushed it off and replied, "Fine. Let me just see my grandchild and leave you two alone."I sighed as James, Asher, and Felix arrived in the room and they went to congratulate their sister."Congratulations, Amelia. So finally, I am an uncle," Asher said happily as he we
Natalie's POV:"Frank, what Michael and I were discussing was only family matters. He was saying that he doesn't love Amelia enough to marry her.""But he wants you," Franklin replied, and I sighed and nodded."I already told him that we weren't going to divorce. He was asking if you will change in the long run of our marriage?" I asked Franklin as he drove the car home in silence.Franklin didn't reply to me, and I didn't bother to ask him again about whether he was going to change.As we arrived at his estate gate, Franklin slowed down his car for the security men to open the gate, then he asked me, "Do you think I am going to change?""I don't know," I replied. "Change is always constant, and anyone can change over time. Maybe if you get bored with me or if we are still unable to have children."Franklin's blue eyes darkened, and he replied, "I cannot change. I married you because I wanted to. Yes, I was childish then, but I've come to realize that a part of me is addicted to you.