"You’ve lost your mind, Eureka," Melissa said in disbelief. "How can you love a beast? Ray has been arrogant, selfish, and self-centered since childhood. We all knew about your painful crush on him. I remember vividly that he rejected you. He didn’t want anything to do with anyone from the gutters. And now you love him enough to endure his hostility?" Melissa exclaimed. "He will never love you. He’s too arrogant to consider you. Besides, didn’t you tell me he loves Cassandra? Do you think he’ll ever leave her for you? Wake up, girlfriend. You just graduated. You should focus on building your career instead of wasting your precious life on that lunatic." Eureka sighed, knowing Melissa was right. She was fooling herself, trying to fix something broken for years. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, her heart aching. “I’ve heard you,” she muttered. "Don’t cry, sweetheart. Stop sacrificing so much. You need to focus on yourself too. And don’t forget to divorce that
A month later. “We have a meeting, Eureka. Where are you?” Harvey’s frustrated voice came through the phone. “Just a minute, boss. I’m coming,” she said, slipping into her high heels. “You know what? I’m coming inside.” “What? I’m already coming out,” she replied, grabbing her handbag and rushing out. She bumped into Harvey in the living room, the collision making her stumble and fall backward. “Damn, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were already out,” he said, stretching his hand to help her up. She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Eureka held her head as a wave of dizziness washed over her. “I’m sorry,” Harvey repeated. “It’s okay," Eureka said. "I’m the one who bumped into you. Let’s go.” At that moment, Harvey’s phone rang. While he answered the call, Eureka sat on the couch, reclining her head and closing her eyes. It felt like her head was spinning. “Are you okay?” Harvey’s voice startled her, and she opened her eyes to see him standing in front of
Melissa was in her room applying makeup when the door creaked open. “Hi, honey," her mother said as she walked in. “What’s up, Mom?" Melissa replied, glancing at her mother, who took a seat on the couch. “Where are you going at this time of night? It’s pouring heavily outside," her mother asked. "I’m going clubbing with the girls," Melissa said, finishing her makeup. "Clubbing? I told you we have a board meeting tomorrow. You know how much you drink. You’ll end up with a hangover,” her mother said. "And I’ve warned you countless times to stop hanging out with those worthless girls. They’re misleading you. I need you in the company, honey. I don’t like this lifestyle. Is this how you’ll act when you become CEO of De Leon’s Legacy?” “That’s enough, Mom,” Melissa said, frustrated. “Is it a crime to be your only child? I don’t like the company. You already forced me into a course I didn’t want. I won’t let you force me to take over the company.” “Be quiet! What do you know?”
“Raymond," Eureka sobbed, tears streaming down her face.“What is it? Why are you crying?" His words were meant to sound concerned, but they carried an undertone of frustration.“It's…it's my mom,” her voice broke. "I lost her.”There was a moment of tense silence. She could hear Raymond's heartbeat pounding in her ears."Raymond?”"So, what?” His cold words pierced her like a knife. "Am I a pallbearer?”Eureka's heart dropped, her body trembling as she sank into the waiting chair."Is that what you're supposed to say?” she cried, her voice filled with sorrow. "I just lost my mom, Raymond.”He hung up, shattering her heart into pieces. Her phone slipped from her hand, crashing to the cold floor."Eureka?” Melissa rushed into the hospital, dropping her bag and sitting beside Eureka."Mel…my…my," her lips quivered as she began to wail.“Let it all out," Melissa held her close, consoling her. “I know exactly how you feel, okay? Just take it easy on yourself. I'm here for you."***Eureka
Raymond sat in a bar, his eyes fixed on the tumbler glass in his hand as if trying to spot something in his scotch whisky. Opposite him sat Jared, whose attention was glued to his phone, grinning from ear to ear.Raymond gulped down his drink, catching a glance at his friend's excitement."What's so special about your phone, man?" Raymond asked, refilling his glass. "You haven’t touched your drink since we got here.""You know what distracts a man," Jared said without lifting his eyes from his phone. "She’s unlike the others I’ve met before.""A woman?" Raymond asked. "We came here to chill after a long time, and you're distracted by a woman? She must be special.""More than special. She’s like a little demon in an angelic body," Jared said, replying to a message. "She’s arrogant and bad-mouthed, but I love the way she defends herself. It makes me laugh. She’s a nice girl, though.""This is the first time I’m hearing you talk about a woman like that. Who is she? Do I know her?""Her n
“Hi, Mom," Melissa waved at her mother, smiling awkwardly."What did he say?" Her mother asked in a clipped tone."What… what are you talking about?" Melissa's voice trembled."Don't play dumb with me!" Her mother snapped, jerking up. She fixed Melissa with a venomous glare. "You're pregnant for that bastard, aren't you?"Melissa's heart dropped. How did her mother find out? "Who told you that? I'm not pregnant," she tried to deny, but it was futile."You seem to have forgotten who your mother is. Did he take responsibility for the baby?" Her tone was laced with anger and disappointment.Melissa scratched the back of her neck. "He said… he didn't," she stuttered, retreating to the door."That asshole!" Her mother groaned between gritted teeth. "We're aborting that bastard. Get ready," she added, turning to go upstairs."I can't, Mom," Melissa flitted to her mother's front. "This is my child. I can't terminate my baby, please.""Then get ready to f
Raymond waited for the doctor as she examined Eureka, who was still unconscious. “What’s wrong with her, doctor?” he asked, his tone filled with worry.“We’re still evaluating your wife’s condition, but she appears to be stable for now. We’re running some tests to determine the cause of her loss of consciousness. I’ll provide more information once we have the results,” the doctor explained, turning her attention to Raymond.“Can you tell me more about what happened before she was brought in? Was she experiencing any symptoms or discomfort beforehand?” she added.“I’m not sure. We were chatting fine before she fainted,” Raymond said, but before the doctor could continue, his phone rang.“Excuse me,” he said, stepping aside to answer. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Raymond’s tone grew anxious. “What? I’m coming over. Just stay calm, okay?”Without a second glance, he dashed out of the hospital, leaving Eureka alone. The doctor called after him, but he ignored
Eureka stepped into the master bedroom and saw Raymond buttoning his dress shirt in front of the mirror. She had slept in the guest room after their fight. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes puffy from crying. She moved to his side.“Good morning,” she greeted, but he ignored her.“I want to tell you something,” she said.Raymond turned and gave her a once-over. “I also have something to tell you.”“You first,” she said, leaning her hips against the vanity table.“I want a divorce.”His voice was calm, but the weight of his words struck Eureka like lightning. She was about to announce her pregnancy, only to hear that he wanted a divorce. She stood frozen in place.“Okay…” she said slowly, urging him to continue.“How shameless can you be, Eureka? You’ve been sleeping with Harvey behind my back!” he growled, throwing some pictures at her. They showed Eureka and Harvey in seemingly intimate positions.Eureka sighed, placing the pictures on the table.
Kaiden sat at his desk, his journal open before him, his hand moving effortlessly across the page. The more he wrote, the heavier the tension in the room became. He couldn’t remember the last time he had jotted anything in his journal, but now felt like the right time—he could no longer contain his emotions.No matter how hard he tried to distract himself, the scene kept replaying in his mind. He didn’t want to believe she found joy in the presence of another boy. It hurt to the core, but he didn’t want to confront her anymore. Fate had decided this—it was nobody’s fault.Many might think it was just infatuation, but he believed in true love. Age had no say in what the heart felt. Even a baby understood what it meant to love someone deeply and wish they could stay by their side forever.Just as a baby cries for its mother’s presence, so does the heart yearn for the one it beats for. As the saying goes, the strongest love is the one that makes sacrifices, not the one that holds on tigh
Raymond sat on his bed in the cell, his eyebrows furrowed like an angry bird, his jaw tight, and his fists clenched. He repeatedly pounded the bed with one fist. Macho was seated across from him, watching him like it was a great show.“She’s too stubborn,” Raymond groaned, slamming his fist harder against the bed, causing it to vibrate. “I really need to get out of here. Macho, we need…”Macho raised his hand, shaking his head, signaling that he wasn’t going to do whatever Raymond was about to ask. “I’m already a jailbird, man. Do you want me to commit murder again?” Macho said. “You’ve already taken enough of that substance. The next one might actually kill you.”“Do I look like I care?” Raymond snapped. “I just want my freedom. I’ll do whatever it takes to get out of this fucking place.”“You got yourself into trouble. Do you know what the jail in NYC is like? I’ve heard there are dangerous beasts there. Since you can’t control your temper, you might be dead before you even get the
Jared entered the house, and his two young kids rushed to welcome him. “Welcome back, Daddy,” they greeted as he lifted them both into his arms. He kissed each of them.“How are my angels doing?” he asked.“We’re good. Guess what, Daddy? We scored a hundred out of a hundred on our tests,” the older one said, smiling proudly.“Really? I’m so proud of my girls,” he said, setting them down on the couch. “Close your eyes. Daddy wants to perform magic.”“Yay!” they exclaimed excitedly and shut their eyes. He held up two small bags.“Ta-da!” he said, and the girls laughed, opening their eyes. They took the gifts from him, pulling out packs of chocolates and ice cream.“Enjoy, girls. Daddy needs to freshen up,” he said, heading upstairs.“You’re the best, Daddy!” they exclaimed.Jared stopped, looking back at them, a sad smile forming on his face. “I wish I was,” he muttered to himself before walking upstairs.When he reached the bedroom, his wife sat on the bed, blankly staring at the wall.
The next day, Melissa composed herself and returned to Jared’s office. She had made up her mind to finally tell him about Stetson. Besides, what was she thinking? She didn’t expect him to hide that the woman she saw the other day wasn’t his wife. What made her think she had another chance in his life?“Jared?” she called as he appeared at his office.“Damn it, Melissa. What the hell is this? Why do I suddenly see you everywhere? Are you stalking me?” he grumbled, clearly pissed off.“I’m not stalking you, okay?” she snapped. “I didn’t have the chance to tell you why I came to your office last time. I have something to say,” she said calmly.“I’m not interested. Keep your words to yourself. And let this be the last time I see you near my office,” he warned. “Do you want to ruin my marriage? What if my wife finds out my ex has been showing up at my office? Stay away from me, Melissa.”“It’s not intentional, okay? I didn’t know your wife was insecure and didn’t trust you.”“Watch your mo
Eureka was in her office, working effortlessly on her laptop, her eyes fixed on the monitor as if her life depended on it. She checked a folder on her desk, then continued. Soon, her secretary walked in.“Good day, ma’am,” she greeted.“Yes, Betty. Do I have an appointment?” Eureka asked, glancing at Betty once.“Yes, ma’am. You have a meeting with the manager of Lords and Ladies Design tomorrow at noon. I also got a call from Crafty Craft Design, but you told me to cancel it. You have no other appointments, ma’am,” Betty explained.“In that case, set up a meeting with—”At that moment, the door flung open, and Mr. Mathews entered.“Excuse us, Betty,” Eureka dismissed her, and she left.“What’s the meaning of this, Mr. Mathews? Why barge into my office uninvited?” she demanded, her voice tight as she glared up at him.“You look even more beautiful when you’re angry,” he teased, walking over. He held her chin and stole a kiss.“What the hell?” She pushed him back, but he didn’t stagger
“What the hell is wrong, man?” Raymond’s cellmate asked as Raymond paced back and forth, deep in thought. “Why are you moping?”He was a burly man with golden-brown curly hair, tattoos on his neck and left hand, and eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.“I need to get out of here,” Raymond groaned. “I need to be with my family. I can’t leave them alone now.”“Are you serious right now? Did you just realize you have a family? When you were committing those crimes, why didn’t you think about them?” the man sneered, sitting cross-legged on his bed, reading a newspaper.“I am damn innocent!” Raymond groaned. The man looked up at him. “I was framed. I’ve never done drugs, never killed anyone.”“You think yelling will make the officers believe you’re innocent and open the door for you to leave?” the man chuckled. “Wake up, man. We’re going to be here forever. There’s no miracle happening soon, so relax and adapt to being a lonely, dejected man.”“Never!” Raymond growled. “I’m not accepting such a fate
Though it had been a week since their visit to the station, Kailani still hadn’t recovered. Everything seemed to be happening too fast. The parents she had known all her life turned out to be her grandparents, the man she knew as her boss was actually her father, and her first love turned out to be her brother. No matter how hard she tried to adjust, things kept spiraling out of control.She was seated on a bench in the school compound, refusing to go to the cafeteria. Kaiden had decided to get them some snacks. A novel lay open in her hands, but she hadn’t read a single word. Her eyes were fixed on the distance, her heart skipped beats, and her stomach churned. She feared what she might discover next.“Kailani?” Stetson tapped her, and she jolted slightly, turning to him.“What’s wrong? I’ve been calling you,” he said, sitting beside her.“I’m… I’m fine. What’s up?” she responded.“I didn’t see you in the cafeteria. Are you sure you’re okay? You were staring into space.”“I’m fine, S
The car came to a halt at the police station, prompting the twins to exchange confused glances.“The police station?” Kailani asked, her heart racing.She had been to the police station a couple of times whenever her psycho mother was arrested for mistreating her. She never liked the place. Though others believed her mother deserved it, she didn’t want her there. She believed her mother turned against her because of her mental illness and the death of her father. She would always cry, begging the police and anyone around to bail her out. At the end of the day, the woman would do worse and get arrested again. It became a weekly routine until Kailani was taken away from her.“What are we doing at the station, Mom?” Kaiden asked.“We won’t be here long. I need to show you two to someone. Come,” Eureka said, stepping out of the car.As they stepped out, Kailani instinctively took Kaiden’s hand, her body trembling.“Are you scared?” Kaiden asked, wrapping his hand around hers, stroking her
Eureka sat facing Raymond at the police station. His right arm was strapped, his left temple bruised, and his lips broken. She took her time studying his face. “What’s all this, Ray?” she asked, feigning sympathy as she reached out to touch his face. He pulled away. “You don’t have to pretend you care,” he said coldly. “Why do you keep coming here?” “Don’t you like seeing me?” She tilted her head. “I haven’t been here for the past two or three weeks. Don’t you miss me?” “You put me here, so what’s the point?” “Look at you, Ray. Why are you always fighting?” she asked softly. “I’m sure your temper is the cause of all this. Do you enjoy being broken like this?” Tears filled her eyes. Raymond leaned closer over the table between them. “I don’t understand you, Eureka. One minute you hate me, the next you act like you care. What exactly do you want?” “It’s true I want you punished for what you did to me, but I don’t want you getting beaten up like this. It’s your confinement I want,