RING! RING! The bell rang loud, bouncing off the school walls like always. Everyone started packing up fast. It was lunchtime, finally! But me, I didn’t move yet. My eyes were stuck on Kate and her brothers.I don’t know why, but ever since that day their mom shouted at me for beating Blake, I just couldn’t get over it. That woman had the guts to look me in the eye and raise her voice. Me! Henry! Do you know who my dad is? Nobody shouts at me.So yeah, I’ve been watching them. Blake, Cole, and Kate. They walk around like they own this school now, like they belong here. But they don’t. My mom told me they don’t have a dad and said they were bastards. Said whenever I want to treat them like one, I should. No one can stop me.As I walked into the cafeteria, I was trying to think of ways to get back at them. I wanted to make them cry, to show them I was the boss around here, but I had to be smart about it. “They think they can just come to this school and mess with me?” I said to myself,
The day was almost done, and I could feel anger inside me towards those kids rising so much. I had done what I set out to do—made the triplets mad and showed them who was in charge. Still, I wanted more! I wanted to crush them, to see them cry like I imagined they would. Just as my mom always said, I had to keep going until they knew their place.As the last bell rang, showing the end of the school day, I began walking out of the classroom with my mind racing. “I need to think of more ways to get back at them. I can’t let them forget that I’m the boss here.” I said to myself, my fists clenching as I plotted my next moves.Suddenly, something caught my eye. I saw my dad! Wait, what? He never comes to pick me up from school! “Daddy!” I shouted, racing toward him like a rocket, feeling all my anger slip away just a little.He smiled wide, opening his arms, and I ran right into them. “Hey, big boy! How are you doing?” he asked, picking me up and swinging me around like a teddy bear.“Fin
Driving Henry home, my mind was filled with frustration. I was so pissed at him. “Why on earth would he want to bully Helens’ kids? Who even actually gave him that idea?” I thought, holding tightly to my steering wheel. “Is he going nuts or something? Who put these ideas in his head?”When we finally pulled into my mother's driveway, I noticed Henry was unusually quiet. I turned to him, ready to tell him all of my mind. “You know I don’t want to see you hurt anyone, right? We are all humans, even if we are from different backgrounds, we need to respect one another.”Henry just mumbled something, looking out the window, avoiding my gaze. “Whatever, Dad,” he finally said.I let out a frustrated sigh. “This is serious, Henry. Do you even realize how bad it can be to pick on them? You’re making it worse for yourself.”As I parked the car, I saw my mom driving into the garage beside us. “Hey, Mom!” I called out as she parked her own car. She got out and immediately rushed over to Henry wi
I sat on the sofa, pissed and angry. My mother hadn’t spoken to me since the heated argument earlier that day. All she cared about was Henry, asking him how school was going and how his friends were. It felt like I didn’t even exist.“Henry, did you finish your homework?” She asked, her attention focused on him.“Yeah, Grandma,” Henry replied, his voice a bit flat.She nodded. “Good! You should always do your homework first. It’s important,” As I scrolled through some messages on my phone, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated. I had too many things to deal with—work, the situation with my son, and, of course, trying to win Helen back. I sighed, knowing that having Rita back on my side was a blessing, but it was just the beginning.“Mom, I’ll be back,” I said, standing up. I wasn’t sure she even heard me, since she was still focused on Henry. I felt the urge to shake her, to make her see that I was right there, but I kept it in check.I could only think about Rose, Henry’s mother. I
I couldn’t believe my ears when I found out that Rita had met with Ashton a few days back. What the hell was that? I felt so angry as I was still finding it difficult to believe she did such a thing. Wait, it can't be true! I told myself as I dialed her number endlessly. I was just cooking at home, preparing what my kids will eat when they are back from school, when a strange number sent me pictures of Rita, my best friend, and Ashton with Dan at a club. They looked cozy, and I felt so disgusted at seeing them. The thought of Rita betraying me this way was a hard pill to swallow. Especially since Rita and I had mutually agreed that we would cut ties with him. I didn’t want him back in my life, especially since I was in Seattle for work, not to open old wounds. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.Why would she meet with my ex-husband? This was the only question in my head.After dialing her number three times and getting no answer, my frustration grew. “Come on, Rita,” I mu
“Okay, okay, whatever you say…” Rita agreed, laughing as she cleaned her mouth with a napkin. “But I’m serious about helping you cook after we finish eating.”I looked at her, surprised. “You? You want to cook? The last time you tried to make something, you almost burnt your house down; now you want to bring mine down, right?”“Oh, come on!” She scoffed, faking a sad face. “You really want to make me feel bad, huh? That was just one time!” She crossed her arms.“Yes. You are a bad cook! Everyone knows!” I laughed, taking another bite from my shawarma. “I can’t believe you’re trying this again. When did you actually learn to cook?”Rita took a breath, placed her hands on her chest, and then pouted her lips. “I’ve been practicing, okay? You’ll be amazed at how much I’ve improved. Just you wait!”I couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh, I’d love to see you try. I’ll be here, ready to call the fire department.”“Oh, hush!” Rita said, rolling her eyes but laughing along with me. “You’re just jealo
Rita’s eyes shone with excitement as she cleared her plate. “So, Helen, I have this amazing news!” She squealed, bouncing on her chair.I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “What’s got you so excited?” I asked, looking at her with curious eyes.“There’s this epic kids’ fun fest coming up in Seattle next week! My billionaire friend is hosting it, and it’s going to be fantastic! Fun rides, games, food—everything!” She clapped her hands together, unable to hide her joy.“Wait, really? A fun fest?” I asked, fascinated. “When did you start checking out kids' parties?” I could not help but chuckle.“Listen! I just happened to see the ad while scrolling online. I thought it would be a way for the kids to distress,” Rita answered, as she picked up her plate and took it to the kitchen. “They’ve been through so much lately, right?”“Yeah, that’s true,” I nodded. “They could use some fun. But what day is it?”She quickly checked her phone and called out in reply. “It’s next Saturday! We could all g
It was a really cool day. I woke up feeling good; this feeling hasn’t been present for a while. I had a few meetings scheduled, but I wasn’t stressed about them. Everything felt just right. I decided that after work, I would find somewhere to relax and destress.I picked up my car keys and walked downstairs to the living room. As I reached the bottom, I stopped short, surprised by what I saw.“Good morning, my love!” Rose greeted me, coming out from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist. She was in the process of making breakfast.I was so surprised, trying to process how she got in here without me noticing. “Hey, good morning,” I managed to reply, though my tone was more cold than warm.She came over and kissed me on the cheek, like she used to. I felt a warm rush of familiarity but quickly pushed it aside. “What’s going on?” I asked, eyeing her curiously.“Oh, I just thought it's been a while since I made breakfast for my man, so why shouldn't I do so?” She answered, brushing
Driving back home, I couldn’t shake off the strange shift in Rose’s tone. The moment I brought up Henry’s behavior and then his legitimacy, her attitude changed, and she suddenly flared up so badly. She’d gone from defensive and literally wanted to bring the roof down, like a cat backed into a corner. It didn’t add up, and the way she reacted raised a question in my head I couldn’t ignore.Is Henry really Ashton’s child? Or not?It made me grip the steering wheel tighter as I was lost in thought. Rose wasn’t above doing whatever it took to get what she wanted. That much was clear. But if she’d gone as far as lying about who Henry’s father was… Why? And how? What was she hiding?I needed answers.Pulling over to the side of the road, I grabbed my phone and scrolled to Zita’s number. She was the perfect person that could help me fish out the truth in this kind of situation. The phone rang twice before her familiar, upbeat voice came through.“Hi Rita, how are you doing?” I greeted,
I felt my heart racing as I tried to keep my anger in check. Sitting in that office with Rose felt like being cornered in a cage with a wild animal. I didn’t know why I kept wasting my breath on her. She clearly had no sense, no respect. She didn’t care about her actions, only how they affected her. She literally was someone that would go to any length to have what she always wanted.“Principal Thompson, please look into what we discussed,” I said, turning back to her and pretending Rose didn’t exist. I was done with her nonsense. I needed to focus.“Sure, ma’am. I promise we will make sure this doesn’t repeat itself again,” The principal replied, still apologizing with her eyes and words. “Thank you,” I smiled, feeling slightly relieved. I just wanted to get out of that office and away from this whole mess.I stormed out of the room, feeling the tension lift a little, but just as I reached my car, I heard a voice behind me.“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Rose shouted, her
I hated stepping my feet back into the school for the second time in as many weeks. The principal's office felt like a hellhole, and I could already feel my anger rising. I had just come from a long day on set, filming for hours, and my mind was already clogged and drained. Just for me to get a call from the principal that my kids were in a fight. Again.“Principal Thompson, I can’t believe I’m back here again!” I hissed as I walked into her office. “What happened now?”She looked up from her desk; her facial expression was really apologetic. “Helen, I understand your frustration, but please, let me explain. Your son got into another fight with Henry.”“Henry? That riffraff boy?” I snapped, crossing my arms tightly. “This is unacceptable! My kids were supposed to be safe here!”“Please try to calm down,” She cajoled, pressing a finger to her temples as if trying to calm herself down. “I’m truly sorry this is happening again. I promised you it wouldn’t be an issue.”“I don’t care abo
Getting ready for school, I couldn’t shake the feelings from the other day. I still vividly remember the day Daddy came and said those terrible things to my mom. I could still hear his voice, loud and hurtful.“Why are you even here, Ashton?” I heard my mom scream at him. “You don’t care about us! Just leave and don’t come back!”He just looked at me, his face all messed up and angry. “I’m Henry’s dad. You won't deny me the privilege to see my own son”Then he walked out of the house, and I felt this wave of anger wash over me. How could he talk to my mom like that? I knew, at that moment, that I had to make sure those kids paid for what he did.“I’ll make them pay,” I hissed to myself as tears filled my eyes. It wasn’t fair that he got to be mean and walk away without any consequences.With a heavy heart, I snuggled back under my bed sheets. Mommy was always there for me, working hard to keep us going. Daddy would come by, but he was never really present. “I’m busy, Henry,” he would
“Mom, just relax… okay?” Kate said, laughing as she playfully rolled her eyes on me. I was amazed at her little display of attitude, my brain taking a short trip down the memory lane of when they were just babies a few years back. “Who do you all think you are?” I asked, a small laugh escaping my lips. “You kids are turning into real little adults!”“I’m not a baby anymore!” Kate huffed proudly and stuck her nose in the air, “I’m growing up, Mommy!”“Yes, but you will always be my baby,” I replied, ruffling her hair affectionately.Everybody laughed as she said it, but I then noticed Jake wasn't showing excitement like the rest of us, as he was just quiet and moody in one corner.As I walked up to him, the rest went to meet Rita in the kitchen to get dinner ready.“Hey, what’s wrong, buddy?” I asked, noticing the change in his energy. He looked down, fiddling with the hem of his towel.“Nothing,” he answered, avoiding eye contact.Soon I reached him, kneeling so I was at his level. “
“Mommy, Mommy! We had a really good time!” Kate exclaimed as she ran into my bedroom, wrapping her little arms tightly around me. Her excitement was so clear as she was so happy, and I couldn’t help but smile as I lifted her up, spinning her around.“Ooh, my baby!” I cooed. I placed her back down gently as I played with her hair. “Did you really have fun?”“Yes! Aunty Rita is the best!” She answered with a huge grin, her big eyes shining with pure happiness.I chuckled, feeling a bit of relief wash over me. “So, Aunty Rita really spoiled you all, huh?”Just then, Blake and Jake came rushing in, both sporting big grins that matched Kate's. “We had ice cream!” Jake said as he couldn’t stop jumping up and down.“And swings! Super high!” Blake chipped in, mimicking a swing motion with his arms. “It was the best!”I laughed. “Really? Did Aunt Rita do anything else fun?”“Yes!” Kate shouted. “She took us to the slides, and we all played together!”Rita, who had just walked in behind the bo
Rose was getting on my nerves, but I had to be mature here so I took a deep breath to steady myself. “I care about you, Rose. I really do”“Do you? Because it sure doesn't look that way. You can't seriously think I’d accept you playing house with them while I’m sitting here alone.”“Why can’t you try to understand?” I was almost pleading now, my tone shifting towards desperation. “Helen’s their mom and my wife! I need to make things right. If I can connect with them, maybe she’ll want to talk to me.”“Talk about what? You have all this history. We moved on.” She exclaimed, her anger rising again. “You’re not some knight in shining armor for a family that isn’t yours!“I never claimed to be!” I shouted, the heat of the moment overwhelming me. “But you’re making it hard for me to explain. I need to confront my past to move forward with my future.”“Your future with whom?” She screamed, throwing her arms up in frustration. “With them? Because it sure looks like you’re playing family with
Driving like a maniac toward Rose’s house, my heart raced. I needed to explain myself about being late, but I was also scared of how she would react. “Come on, come on,” I hissed under my breath, trying to keep my focus on the road. The minutes seemed to stretch, and the traffic felt stronger than usual. Suddenly, I found myself staring at a truck way too close for comfort. “Shit!” I shouted, swerving hard to the right just in time, my tires screeching against the asphalt on the road. “That was too close!” My heart went wild in my chest as I regained control of the car, moving ahead.After about twenty intense minutes of running like a madman on the road, I arrived at Rose's house. I quickly walked to the front door and swung it open.There she was, sitting on the couch, her lovely gown hugging her curves perfectly, but her expression was anything but beautiful. She was holding a glass, and I could see the anger boiling in her eyes.“Rose!” I took a delayed step forward as I looke
“Shit... Rita, sorry to break up this lovely catch-up with the kids, but I have somewhere I really need to be…” I trailed off, looking down at my watch to see how far spent time had gone. My heart skipped a beat because I knew how angry Rose would be by now, seeing that I was literally over 2 hours late for our dinner.Before I finished telling Rita I wanted to leave, Kate walked up to me, her face etched in deep concentration. She was holding her brothers' hands, and her face really looked so serious. “Before you leave, may I please ask you a question?”“Sure, Kate! What’s on your mind?”She looked at Jake and Blake and then looked back at me, her eyes filled with that curious look. “Are you our father?”Damn! That question hit me like a freight train. My heart dropped to my stomach. How could she have found out? I quickly gave Rita a confused look, whose expression only matched my shock. She had her mouth slightly open, clearly surprised also.“What….. What do you mean by that, Kat