Eureka sat opposite Raymond in a five-star restaurant, nestled in the bustling city of Paris. Her focus was fixed on the transparent glass, lost in thought. What if she had married the man who truly loved her? Would she have experienced the beauty of Paris to the fullest? Would she be among those who praise the remarkable city of romance? She sighed, overwhelmed by everything.“Eureka?” Raymond’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. She looked at him. “You seem lost. What would you like to eat?” he asked as the waiter waited on them.“Anything you’re eating,” she replied simply, returning her gaze to the glass. Raymond placed the order, and the waiter left.“Eureka,” Raymond called again, this time with frustration in his tone. “I thought you said we should act like a couple to avoid suspicion. Why are you lost in thought? Don’t you like it here?” he asked calmly.“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “The place is nice, I like it,” she added simply, keeping her attention on
“Let go of me!” Eureka yelled as Raymond dragged her into the house. She struggled to free her hand from his tight grip. He shoved her roughly onto the couch, making her cry out in pain.“What do you think you were doing with him?” Raymond snapped, his irritation boiling over. “How could you behave so shamelessly in public? You’re my wife!”His words ignited Eureka’s anger. She shot to her feet, shoving him back and causing him to stumble.“Don’t you dare try to manhandle me!” she fired back. “What gives you the right, Raymond? You flirt with Cassandra and then flare up when I talk to your cousin? What do you take me for? From now on, I’ll flirt with whoever I want, and you won’t do a thing about it. Watch me,” she declared, turning to walk away.Raymond grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him again.“You’re my wife!” he growled through gritted teeth. “I own you, and you will obey me. This is the last time I want to see you with Harvey. Do you understand?”“Pray you don’t find me in
From the day of the slap, Eureka avoided crossing paths with Cassandra and Raymond. She barely gave them a chance to complain, quickly fixing meals and cleaning the house. She had become a housekeeper on her own honeymoon. When she suggested staying in a hotel, her father-in-law insisted they use an apartment he had reserved for them. Now, here she was. On this particular day, she plugged in her headphones, listening to music while cleaning the living room, when her phone buzzed. It was Raymond’s father calling. She hesitated, her mind racing to conjure lies that could convince him the honeymoon was going perfectly well. “Good day, Uncle,” she answered, her tone filled with feigned excitement. “Good day, dear. How have you been? Sorry I haven’t called since the wedding. I hope everything is going well with you two,” Raymond’s father said, his voice full of concern. He had taken a liking to Eureka ever since the day she gave him a ride when his car broke down. He believed she wa
The ringing of Eureka’s phone pierced the room, jolting her awake. The soft glow of sunlight filtered through the light curtain, brightening her face. She yawned, sat up, and stretched, her body aching. She rubbed her eyes while feeling around the bed for her phone. A sharp soreness between her legs made her wince, and she realized she was naked, covered only by the duvet. Memories of last night flooded her mind, but as she scanned the room, she noticed Raymond was gone. He had left her. “Who the hell is it?” she groaned as her phone continued ringing nonstop in her handbag, still on the vanity table. She scrambled out of bed, wrapping the duvet tightly around herself. Taking out her phone, her eyes widened at over 50 missed calls from Harvey. She gasped, stumbling back as she remembered she was supposed to attend the Paris Fashion Week event with him. “Shit,” she cursed under her breath. As if on cue, Harvey’s call came through again. She didn’t know what excuse to give, but she a
"What the hell is going on, Eureka?" Harvey asked as she pulled him away from the house. “Who is in there?” Eureka didn’t answer until they were back in Harvey’s car. She tried to compose herself, searching for a believable lie, but her emotions betrayed her. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. “Talk to me, Eureka. What’s the problem?” Harvey’s voice was soft, almost comforting. She glanced at him. “It’s nothing… I’m fine,” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. Harvey reached out and held her hand, making her look at him. “You know you can always talk to me, right? What’s wrong? Who are the couple in the house, and where is Raymond?” His questions only deepened her despair, and she broke into sobs. The idea of having a husband who openly cheated on her was her greatest fear, and now it was her reality. “It’s okay,” Harvey said gently, wiping her tears. “Just remember, I’m here for you whenever you need someone to talk to.” She nodded. “Thank you,” she m
Eureka shut the door behind her as she walked into the hotel room with Harvey.“Why do I feel like you’re stalking me?” she asked, leaning against the wall and folding her arms across her chest. “You seem to be everywhere I go all of a sudden. Why is that?”“Are we fighting? Why are you talking like that?” Harvey asked nonchalantly, pulling a stool to sit on and crossing his legs. “Is it my fault we keep meeting by coincidence?”“It’s not by coincidence, Harvey. I just left Paris two days ago, and now you’re here. You didn’t even tell me you were leaving Paris.”“I didn’t because you weren’t taking my calls,” he said, leaning against the vanity table. “I think I need a drink. Can you place an order?”His casual demeanor irritated Eureka, but he didn’t seem to care. “Can you leave, please?” She pointed at the door, clearly upset with him.“What’s with this attitude?” he asked, confused. “I left Paris the same day we went out. I tr
Raymond entered the room behind Eureka, pulling her suitcase along. As he placed the bag in the closet, he noticed Eureka standing frozen, staring at the photo frame. “What’s that?” he asked, moving closer to her. “Who is this, Raymond?” she asked, turning to face him. “My great-grandmother,” Raymond said dismissively, taking the frame from her and placing it back. He turned to leave, but Eureka stepped in front of him. “I’m serious. Who is the boy in the photo?” she pressed. Realizing she wouldn’t give up until he answered, he sighed. “Me,” he replied simply. “You…you’re Ray Black?” she whispered, her voice trembling as she cupped his face with her hand. Raymond swatted her hand away. “What has come over you?” “Yes or no?” she persisted. “What kind of dumb question is that, Eureka?” he snapped, pushing past her to sit on the bed and take off his shoes. “What’s the difference between Raymond Blackwood and Ray Black?” Eureka sat beside him, her excitement bubbling. “
"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
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,