Anna woke up to an empty bed, feeling sore all over, but she did not regret it. Everything was worth it. She took a quick shower and walked out of the bedroom, stifling a yawn. Their night’s excursions had left her exhausted, and she did not bother about her appearance at the moment. Her husband was rarely home, and she had taken full advantage of the rare intimacy. And even if he were, she had given up all hope of ever keeping him as hers exclusively. She dragged her feet as she walked, the sound of her slippers against the floor irritating Liam, who was having breakfast downstairs.
“Would it kill you to lift your feet off the floor?” Liam snapped, shoving his barely touched breakfast aside. He must have lost his appetite. “God, I can’t stand it. Doesn’t it irritate you even a little bit?”
“More than your s
Liam walked straight into the car, where Ethan, the driver for the day, was already waiting. His other driver was on leave or something. Ethan usually handled such minor things in his life. That was why he had a personal assistant in the first place. He did not have to worry about every little thing in his life. Ethan looked at him through the rearview mirror, hesitating, as if he had something to say, but he held back.“Speak,” Liam spoke up when Ethan glanced at him for the fourth time.Ethan gulped hard. “Sir, how did it go?”“I got laid if that’s what you are asking.”“Wow! Impressive!” Ethan cheered and turned around to give him a high-five, but paused his hand midair at Liam’s glare. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to the steering wheel. “So…umm...
Anna stepped into the expensive mall, feeling out of place. She would never have set foot in such stores if not for Liam bringing her here. She preferred unbranded clothes from those unknown designers because their clothing had unique designs and better quality without screaming extravagance. That was also her way of supporting those passionate designers who truly valued their craft. She was someone who appreciated hard work since she understood how hard some people had to work in life to make ends meet.She had only taken two steps in when a petite lady stopped her. “Excuse me, young miss, Target is on the next street,” she spoke with her nose pointed in the air, as she gave Anna a once-over. “This is not a place for peasants.”Anna’s jaw slacked. Wow. So much for customer service. “And what gave you the im
“Are you out of your mind?” Melisa shouted, clutching both her cheeks as real tears flooded her eyes.“No, I just don’t like taking credit for things I didn’t do,” Anna said, wiping her hands with the designer dress in Melis’s hands. “Liam is out making a call. He is probably on the stairs now. Want me to go over with you so I can push you off the stairs? You could prove how cruel I am. Want to go?”Melisa shook with anger, and her nostrils flared. Anna had never retaliated against her before, and this was a shock to her system. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Anna smiled, enjoying his version of tongue-tied Melisa. Indeed, a little payback was satisfying. She promised herself to take back every humiliation she had ever endured because of Melisa. It was time to collect her debts.
Anna spent the rest of the day devising plans on how to beat Liam at his own game. This one cocktail party, or whatever party it was, would play a key role in the direction her life would take from now onwards. It could either make her divorce process cheap, easy, and faster, or it could make it lengthy, messy, and very expensive. Anyone in their right mind would choose an easier route, but it came at a price. A worthy price compared to the alternatives.Deep down, there was a teeny tiny piece of her heart that held hope that her marriage still had a chance. But the rest of her heart had been shattered too many times from years of neglect, together with her expectations that there was no longer a place to keep that love alive. Her heart was just a tiny fleck away from being completely frozen. But that tiny fleck kept giving her hope and encouraging her to press on, hold on just a little longer. Not to give
“Why are you blocking the entrance? The hotel staff here are so unqualified.” A fat man pushed Anna away, scrunching his nose as if he had seen a fly.The seductive woman in his arms smiled in approval, adjusting her strapless dress to show more cleavage. His hand slid down from her waist and ventured lower, and lingered on her hips before groping her butt. Satisfied with his performance, he turned around and tendered his invitation. He stepped aside to let the staff authenticate his card and but when Anna’s face came into view, rooted on the spot, totally struck by her beauty. He subconsciously pushed away his companion, ready to make a move on Anna.“All women nowadays want to curry favor with some big shots, yet do not put in any efforts,” His companion said, batting her eyelids at him when she noticed his eyes undressing Anna. She lowered the neckline of he
“He is not coming,” a disdainful voice sounded from the other end of the phone as Anna braced herself for more to come. “It seems your husband hasn’t had any time for you lately. There’s nothing about you scheduled in his planner, and he didn’t mention anything about meeting you today.”The phone slid out of Anna’s ear as the mechanical beep of the call ending echoed in the corner of the café, sounding unbearably grating in her ears. Her heart squeezed painfully as the weight of that call sank. Her husband, Liam Parker, stood her up again. She glanced at her barely touched coffee on the table and furrowed her brows. She should have known he had no time for her. This had already happened so many times that she’d lost count. Tears pooled in her eyes, and a hard lump formed in her throat as she tried to contain her emotions, albeit with little success. Eventually, a lone tear managed to escape her eye before she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand and gently placed her phone
The CEO’s office at Parker Enterprises gleamed with sophistication: glass walls, sleek furniture, and wide floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the city. Liam Parker, the CEO of Parker Enterprises, sat at his table, his torso leaning casually into the leather swivel chair. The natural light streaming in from the window illuminated his office, adding a bit of life to the otherwise cold office. Today, Liam wore a rare captivating smile, paired with a dark, buttoned-up shirt, the sleeves casually rolled to the elbow. Despite his carefree appearance, he excluded poise and precision. He leaned forward to pick up a photo frame at the far end of his table, causing his black, slightly curly hair to frame his forehead, right above his bushy eyebrows. His tanned skin and polished demeanor added to his charm. He traced his fingertips along the beautiful image of his wife in the picture as his smile widened, exposing a neat row of pearly white teeth. He admired his wife’s i
Inside the opulent Parker mansion, Anna stood by her bedroom window, her gaze fixed on the manicured gardens outside. The flowers in full bloom swayed in the gentle breeze, so full of life, unaware of the turmoil in her heart. Her eyes traveled to her favorite spot in the garden: the fountain. The water still flowed as usual, and she could almost hear the gurgling of water as it meandered through the intricate man-made stream before rejoining the fountain spout to start the cycle again. On any other day, this never-ending cycle of water would amuse her, and the gurgle sounds would soothe her soul. But not today. That therapeutic sound flooded her heart with unimaginable sorrow. Her eyes watered, too, but unlike the fountain, her tears streamed down her face and formed a droplet on her chin before dropping on her chest. She tore her gaze out the window and drew the curtains, unable to bear looking at things that wouldn’t be part of her life anymore. She looked around the massive mast
“Why are you blocking the entrance? The hotel staff here are so unqualified.” A fat man pushed Anna away, scrunching his nose as if he had seen a fly.The seductive woman in his arms smiled in approval, adjusting her strapless dress to show more cleavage. His hand slid down from her waist and ventured lower, and lingered on her hips before groping her butt. Satisfied with his performance, he turned around and tendered his invitation. He stepped aside to let the staff authenticate his card and but when Anna’s face came into view, rooted on the spot, totally struck by her beauty. He subconsciously pushed away his companion, ready to make a move on Anna.“All women nowadays want to curry favor with some big shots, yet do not put in any efforts,” His companion said, batting her eyelids at him when she noticed his eyes undressing Anna. She lowered the neckline of he
Anna spent the rest of the day devising plans on how to beat Liam at his own game. This one cocktail party, or whatever party it was, would play a key role in the direction her life would take from now onwards. It could either make her divorce process cheap, easy, and faster, or it could make it lengthy, messy, and very expensive. Anyone in their right mind would choose an easier route, but it came at a price. A worthy price compared to the alternatives.Deep down, there was a teeny tiny piece of her heart that held hope that her marriage still had a chance. But the rest of her heart had been shattered too many times from years of neglect, together with her expectations that there was no longer a place to keep that love alive. Her heart was just a tiny fleck away from being completely frozen. But that tiny fleck kept giving her hope and encouraging her to press on, hold on just a little longer. Not to give
“Are you out of your mind?” Melisa shouted, clutching both her cheeks as real tears flooded her eyes.“No, I just don’t like taking credit for things I didn’t do,” Anna said, wiping her hands with the designer dress in Melis’s hands. “Liam is out making a call. He is probably on the stairs now. Want me to go over with you so I can push you off the stairs? You could prove how cruel I am. Want to go?”Melisa shook with anger, and her nostrils flared. Anna had never retaliated against her before, and this was a shock to her system. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Anna smiled, enjoying his version of tongue-tied Melisa. Indeed, a little payback was satisfying. She promised herself to take back every humiliation she had ever endured because of Melisa. It was time to collect her debts.
Anna stepped into the expensive mall, feeling out of place. She would never have set foot in such stores if not for Liam bringing her here. She preferred unbranded clothes from those unknown designers because their clothing had unique designs and better quality without screaming extravagance. That was also her way of supporting those passionate designers who truly valued their craft. She was someone who appreciated hard work since she understood how hard some people had to work in life to make ends meet.She had only taken two steps in when a petite lady stopped her. “Excuse me, young miss, Target is on the next street,” she spoke with her nose pointed in the air, as she gave Anna a once-over. “This is not a place for peasants.”Anna’s jaw slacked. Wow. So much for customer service. “And what gave you the im
Liam walked straight into the car, where Ethan, the driver for the day, was already waiting. His other driver was on leave or something. Ethan usually handled such minor things in his life. That was why he had a personal assistant in the first place. He did not have to worry about every little thing in his life. Ethan looked at him through the rearview mirror, hesitating, as if he had something to say, but he held back.“Speak,” Liam spoke up when Ethan glanced at him for the fourth time.Ethan gulped hard. “Sir, how did it go?”“I got laid if that’s what you are asking.”“Wow! Impressive!” Ethan cheered and turned around to give him a high-five, but paused his hand midair at Liam’s glare. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to the steering wheel. “So…umm...
Anna woke up to an empty bed, feeling sore all over, but she did not regret it. Everything was worth it. She took a quick shower and walked out of the bedroom, stifling a yawn. Their night’s excursions had left her exhausted, and she did not bother about her appearance at the moment. Her husband was rarely home, and she had taken full advantage of the rare intimacy. And even if he were, she had given up all hope of ever keeping him as hers exclusively. She dragged her feet as she walked, the sound of her slippers against the floor irritating Liam, who was having breakfast downstairs.“Would it kill you to lift your feet off the floor?” Liam snapped, shoving his barely touched breakfast aside. He must have lost his appetite. “God, I can’t stand it. Doesn’t it irritate you even a little bit?”“More than your s
Liam moved her hand away from him and hiked up her skirt. He caressed her bare thighs all the way up and slid his hand into her underwear to feel her, causing her to inhale sharply. She rested her head on his shoulder as he started getting her off with his hand."O... God," she let out a muffled moan, grasping his shoulder for support. The sudden sensation ignited all the cells in her body, and unimaginable pleasure coursed her veins. He knew how to do things right because her mind blanked out, allowing herself to enjoy the work of his magical hands."Feels good, right?" he whispered in her ear without stopping his hand."Ye...Yes," she stammered, unable to form words. Better than anything she’d ever felt before."We are just getting started
“Anna, please wait!” Liam called out, running after her. He grabbed her wrist right before she could open the door and pulled her back, crashing on his chest.“Oh, is your wife there with you?” Melisa spoke again, mocking, “Why don’t you bring her with you tomorrow? People might say I’m usurping her position.”“Okay,” Liam replied, and he held Anna tightly against him as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. He hung up and chucked his phone across the room. “Damn it!”“Let me go!” Anna yelled, kicking in the air.“I’m sorry Anna, I can’t let you leave me like this. Believe me, I am doing all this for your own good. All this will be meaningless if you leave,” he pleaded.“How is you parading your perfect ex
“Anna!” Liam called out, his voice carrying an unmistakable panic she had never heard before. He pulled her into a crushing hug that knocked the air out of her lungs. She stiffened at his touch, unable to react as his unique scent—a mix of woodsy cologne and pheromones—flooded her senses. Every cell in her body screamed, urging her to reciprocate his hug, but she summoned the little willpower left in her bones and pushed him away. She refused to fall for his charm again. “Well, well, well. Would you look at that,” Anna started, her voice laced with sarcasm, “it only took a divorce for you to come running into my arms. I would have done it sooner had I known it would yield such an amazing result.”“Anna, please don’t do this to us,” he pleaded, trembling in his voice, betraying his true emotions. “I do not want you to go. Let’s talk things through. Babe, we can make this work.”“No.” Anna crossed her arms on her chest, refusing to be swayed.Liam pressed his lips into a straight line