“Hey,” Ashton started as he walked up to me, smiling as though we were cool. “I really appreciate your input during the meeting. You handled everything really well.”“Thanks,” I replied nonchalantly. I was ready for any conversation with him. “I was just trying to do my job.”“I get it,” he replied. “You’ve always had a talent for this. You know you shouldn’t have lost it earlier on. I thought we were cool.”Is he fucking serious? So this is all he has to say after literally making sure he pissed me off with his annoying statements.I rolled my eyes, trying to make sure that I answered him as calmly as I could. “So sorry about all that.”“I know. It’s fine,” he said. “But I want you to understand that I’m still rooting for you. For the project and for you personally.”“Right,” I replied, crossing my arms defensively. “Let’s just keep things professional, Mr. Ashton. Can I go now?”A smile appeared on his lips. “Still stubborn as always?”“Have a nice day, Ashton,” I scoffed and wanted
“What condition is that?” I asked suspiciously, wondering where the idea was coming from. I had no idea what he was going to say, but I could already feel it would be a crazy thing.“I want you to go on a date with me,” Ashton replied, his tone just casual as though he were asking for coffee, not a date after everything that had just happened.I was taken aback and I let it show in my words, “What? Are you seriously asking me out on a date at this critical time? Basically, we are at the brink of having our project fail because of that video, and now what you want is for us to go on a date?”At this point, I knew I couldn’t hide my anger anymore. “You’re joking, right?”“No, I’m not joking,” he said, and I could hear the playful edge in his voice. It was clear that definitely none of these issues on the ground really bothered him. “If you want me to make that live video to the world saying you apologized to me … then yes, I am asking you to go on a date with me.”“Wow, really? Are you
“Are you freaking serious?” Rita whisper-yelled, her hands on her mouth as she literally could barely control herself after hearing what I told her.I shot her a look of disbelief. “What is there to be happy about?”She laughed; her oozing happiness literally knew no bounds. “Why won't I be excited? You’re going on a date with Ashton! Ashton! Finally!”“What the hell, man” I scoffed, wondering why she was so chipper about it. “I can’t believe I even told you.”Rita moved closer, taking a seat next to me, still smiling like a child that was handed candy. “Oh, come on, Helen. This is huge! You’ve always still had feelings for him.”I shook my head. “No, no, this is not what you think. We’re just meeting to settle things for the project, Rita. It’s not a date!”“Not a date?” She laughed. “Please! You’re going to dinner with your ex-husband! That’s basically a date.”“It's just a normal meeting. He’s going to make that live video and clear everything up. That’s all we’re discussing,” I in
I was in my office just chilling, music playing softly in the background, I took another sip of my wine. The smooth taste reminded me of how things might finally turn around. Soon enough, the door swung open and Dan walked in, looking both curious and excited.“How the hell did you make this happen?” Dan asked, his voice loud over the music. He practically had the surprise look on his face.I chuckled, taking another sip. “It’s a miracle, man. Just pure magic.”“Magic? Come on, tell me!” Dan was grinning from ear to ear, leaning closer. His eyes sparkled with obvious glee. “Why are you keeping all this excitement from me?”I just smiled, enjoying the tease. “Guess how I got Helen to agree to go on a date with me.”He tapped his chin, pretending to think hard. “Hmm, did you send her flowers? No, that’s too basic. Wait! Did you charm her with your billionaire smile?”I laughed, shaking my head. “Nope, not that either.”“Okay, let me think,” he continued, looking at me intensely. “Did y
I stared at the pregnancy test results in my hand, tears rolling down my cheeks in torrents. I was a month gone. I felt relief wash over as more tears fell, my heart pounding with joy and gratitude.Finally, after years of struggling with infidelity, I was pregnant. I couldn’t help but smile through the tears, a warm sense of joy filling me up. I had tried everything, consulted the best doctors, undergone countless tests and procedures, and still, nothing had worked. Until now. I looked up to meet the friendly gaze of our private doctor, who smiled at me. “Congratulations, ma’am,” she said, holding my hands, her face beaming with genuine happiness for me.Who wouldn’t be happy for me? My life had been nothing but bruises and thorns after three years of marriage with nothing to show for it. My marriage was on the verge of collapse. Ashton, my husband ignored me like I was some kind of plague, and his mother—hmph!—his mother was the worst. She made it her day job to maltreat and hu
How could he do this to me? Why would he cheat on me? I can understand that he was desperate for a child, but cheating? Cheating was way out of line.“Helen, are you there?” the voice of the lady he was with boomed through the phone and I clenched my fists as tears rolled down my cheeks.“I want to speak with Ashton,” I demanded, trying my best to hide the hurt in my voice. “Now.” I added.She laughed. “Don’t you want to know who I am first?” She chuckled, but I was quiet. She was going to introduce her bitchy self anyway. “Of course you’d get to see your lovely husband, but I want you to know me first. I’m Rose, his secretary and next wife.”My eyes twitched. Rose? I knew her. Ashton was cheating on me with his secretary? I shook my head. “No!” I snapped. “I can’t believe this.”A picture came into my phone instantly, and I checked, my eyes widening. I recognize that chestnut brown hair and physical build anywhere. It was Ashton… and… he was on top of her, naked. My eyes burned with
My eyes fluttered open slowly, the faint light filtering through the curtains feeling like a knife to my throbbing head. I groaned, reaching up to rub my temples.What had happened last night? I could barely remember anything beyond the meeting with the executives. Had I really drunk that much?I tried to piece together the fragments of my memory, but it was like trying to grasp smoke. All I knew was that something had gone terribly wrong, but what could it be?I sat up slowly, my head spinning slightly. As I glanced around the room, a sense of unease settled over me. Something was wrong. The air felt…different.I would usually wake up to the scent of toasted bread and waffles that Helen used to make. And I’d always pretend not to enjoy it, but I actually did. There was nothing like that this morning. What was going on?I swung my legs out of bed, groaning as my bare feet hit the cold floor. I stumbled toward the dresser, my vision still blurry.As I passed by the window, I noticed th
Rose stepped forward, her eyes holding sadness. “Something actually ha—”I didn’t wait to hear what she had to say as I rushed up the stairs, ignoring my mother calling after me as I made my way to Helen’s room. She couldn’t possibly be gone, right? Maybe she was pranking me or something.I reached the top of the stairs, my hand shaking slightly as I turned the handle to Helen’s room. The door creaked open, and I stepped inside, my eyes frantically searching for any sign of her.The room was a mess, Helen’s things strewn haphazardly across the floor. But what caught my eye was the framed picture of us, shattered on the ground. I stared at it for a moment, my heart sinking.I walked over to the closet, opening the doors to see the empty hangers swaying slightly in the still air.My mind refused to process the scene before me. Helen had left. She was gone.I collapsed to the floor, my hand resting on the broken frame. The glass bit into my skin, but I didn’t flinch. The pain was nothing
I was in my office just chilling, music playing softly in the background, I took another sip of my wine. The smooth taste reminded me of how things might finally turn around. Soon enough, the door swung open and Dan walked in, looking both curious and excited.“How the hell did you make this happen?” Dan asked, his voice loud over the music. He practically had the surprise look on his face.I chuckled, taking another sip. “It’s a miracle, man. Just pure magic.”“Magic? Come on, tell me!” Dan was grinning from ear to ear, leaning closer. His eyes sparkled with obvious glee. “Why are you keeping all this excitement from me?”I just smiled, enjoying the tease. “Guess how I got Helen to agree to go on a date with me.”He tapped his chin, pretending to think hard. “Hmm, did you send her flowers? No, that’s too basic. Wait! Did you charm her with your billionaire smile?”I laughed, shaking my head. “Nope, not that either.”“Okay, let me think,” he continued, looking at me intensely. “Did y
“Are you freaking serious?” Rita whisper-yelled, her hands on her mouth as she literally could barely control herself after hearing what I told her.I shot her a look of disbelief. “What is there to be happy about?”She laughed; her oozing happiness literally knew no bounds. “Why won't I be excited? You’re going on a date with Ashton! Ashton! Finally!”“What the hell, man” I scoffed, wondering why she was so chipper about it. “I can’t believe I even told you.”Rita moved closer, taking a seat next to me, still smiling like a child that was handed candy. “Oh, come on, Helen. This is huge! You’ve always still had feelings for him.”I shook my head. “No, no, this is not what you think. We’re just meeting to settle things for the project, Rita. It’s not a date!”“Not a date?” She laughed. “Please! You’re going to dinner with your ex-husband! That’s basically a date.”“It's just a normal meeting. He’s going to make that live video and clear everything up. That’s all we’re discussing,” I in
“What condition is that?” I asked suspiciously, wondering where the idea was coming from. I had no idea what he was going to say, but I could already feel it would be a crazy thing.“I want you to go on a date with me,” Ashton replied, his tone just casual as though he were asking for coffee, not a date after everything that had just happened.I was taken aback and I let it show in my words, “What? Are you seriously asking me out on a date at this critical time? Basically, we are at the brink of having our project fail because of that video, and now what you want is for us to go on a date?”At this point, I knew I couldn’t hide my anger anymore. “You’re joking, right?”“No, I’m not joking,” he said, and I could hear the playful edge in his voice. It was clear that definitely none of these issues on the ground really bothered him. “If you want me to make that live video to the world saying you apologized to me … then yes, I am asking you to go on a date with me.”“Wow, really? Are you
“Hey,” Ashton started as he walked up to me, smiling as though we were cool. “I really appreciate your input during the meeting. You handled everything really well.”“Thanks,” I replied nonchalantly. I was ready for any conversation with him. “I was just trying to do my job.”“I get it,” he replied. “You’ve always had a talent for this. You know you shouldn’t have lost it earlier on. I thought we were cool.”Is he fucking serious? So this is all he has to say after literally making sure he pissed me off with his annoying statements.I rolled my eyes, trying to make sure that I answered him as calmly as I could. “So sorry about all that.”“I know. It’s fine,” he said. “But I want you to understand that I’m still rooting for you. For the project and for you personally.”“Right,” I replied, crossing my arms defensively. “Let’s just keep things professional, Mr. Ashton. Can I go now?”A smile appeared on his lips. “Still stubborn as always?”“Have a nice day, Ashton,” I scoffed and wanted
My immediate response surprised even myself. “I have nothing to say to you.”He looked at me intensely with his hands tucked in his suit pants, “You can’t avoid this forever.”“It’s easy to avoid someone who’s only bringing negativity,” I scoffed, shaking my head as I walked away.Regardless of the fire we had just exchanged, soothing my anger felt like a victory. I needed to find a way to handle this mess—the film, the meeting, and especially Ashton. But for now, I just wanted to escape the chaos of that room and breathe.The door closed behind me, and I took a deep, calming breath. I knew my actions would have repercussions, but at this point, I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was tell Ashton my mind, and that was exactly what I did.“Wow, what the hell was that, Helen?” The voice shook me, and I turned to see Mr. Riley walking towards me; his face had this mix of anger and concern.“Mr. Riley, I’m sorry,” I apologized quickly, raising my hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean to be rud
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly grew cold the moment Ashton walked in. The noise of hushed conversation stopped abruptly; all eyes turned towards him. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as all the memories we shared in the past came running back. His sharp suit, that confident look, and that unshaken charisma—it all took me back to a time I wished I could forget.“Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for your patience. I trust you all enjoyed your lunches?” Ashton’s voice was deep and smooth, carrying authority as he looked around the table.Everyone nodded quickly, excited murmurs about the food filling the room.“Great! I just wanted to take a moment to celebrate all the hard work everyone has put into this project.” He paused for a while, scanning the room. His eyes then landed on me, and my heart skipped a beat. “I hope you found the lunch satisfying. I thought it would be a nice surprise.”Suddenly, it clicked—Ashton was behind the lunch package. The last remnants
Another tiring day on set yet again, I thought as I leaned back on the chair just beside the secretary's office. I was so drained, tired and weak that I just had to find a chance to rest.It was one of those overstretched days, especially with the deadline of our movie coming closer and closer. Mr. Riley had been on my tail today, pushing for perfection, and I was really feeling the weight of it all. Juggling multiple roles and shooting at different locations was exhausting, but what could I say? It was something I had a real passion for, so I had to push through and give it my all.“How’s it going, Miss Helen?” I suddenly heard from behind me. It was Mr. Riley, walking toward me with that serious look he often wore.“Afternoon, sir,” I replied, forcing a smile despite the fact that I was really feeling so fatigued. “I’m making it through, just barely.”He laughed gently. “I bet. Sorry for the stress on set today.” As he spoke, he reached into a fancy leather bag and pulled out somet
Maybe Helen put her up to this. A way to check if I was serious about winning her back? The thought made me smile, but deep down, I still had a lot of doubt about it. What if Rita was just being Rita? I needed to get some clarity.“Ugh, I need to talk to Dan,” I said, reaching for my office phone. Dan was my best friend and also my personal assistant, so he’d know what to say. He was sharp, tech-savvy, and had a knack for reading between the lines.After a couple of rings, Dan’s voice crackled through. “Hey, Ashton! What’s up?”“Dan, can you come to my office, please?” I said. I could sense his confusion from the other end.“On my way!” he replied, and I could hear the distinct clicking of his keyboard as he probably scrapped the email he was working on.Moments later, Dan walked in, his face so clueless. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s going on?”I waved him over to the couch in my office, then leaned back in my chair, trying to find the best way to explain. “So, I just ta
“Hey, Rita. How are you doing?” I called out and broke into a smile as I picked up my phone, hearing her voice almost immediately.“I’m good! How about you, Ashton?” Rita replied, sounding goofy as always.“Work’s been alright, just kind of stressful, you know. But we’re pushing through,” I said, trying to brush off the weight of the day.“Glad to hear it’s going well! How’s everything on your end?” She asked, the glee from her voice still very much present.“It’s going fine,” I answered, feeling the small sigh escape my lips. “Oh, and Rita, I just wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. I really appreciate it.”She laughed lightly. “You don’t have to thank me, Ashton. You know I just want you and Helen back together. If that means going behind Helen’s back to convince her kids… Well, I’ll help however I can.”A wave of happiness washed over me. The thought of having hope to win Helen back made my heart race. “Really? You think I still have a shot?”“Absolutely! But it’s n