EZEKIEL“Anyway,” My mother began again as she noticed the presence of Jeremy beside Vivienne, “who exactly is this guy? And what is he doing here, in your house, Ezekiel?”We all turned in Jeremy’s direction because of that. Up until now, seeing him makes my blood boil. To be honest, I don’t want him in my house either. If only I could be disrespectful in front of Vivienne’s parents and our kids, I would have ordered this guy to leave already. Jeremy, looking somewhat out of place, cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sorry for the late introduction of myself, Ma’am. I’m Jeremy, by the way,” Jeremy answered. I was planning to visit Vivienne and the kids but when I didn’t see them at their house. Then I met Vivienne’s parents and they brought me with them.”Before I could say anything, my dad leaned forward, “And what exactly is your relationship with Vivienne?” Dad asked with curiosity evident in his voice. “He’s a very good friend of mine.” Vivienne tried to save Jeremy’s ass. “That’
VIVIENNE DECIDED TO follow Jeremy not because she had feelings for him—far from it. The truth was, she felt bad. Emily's words had been harsh, and though Vivienne wasn’t entirely happy with Jeremy showing up unannounced, she knew he didn’t deserve to be humiliated like that. But there was another reason. Deep down, Vivienne knew she had to talk to Jeremy, not just to smooth things over but to finally set things straight. He needed to know where they stood. It wasn’t fair to keep him hoping for something that wasn’t going to happen.As she walked, Vivienne’s thoughts drifted to Ezekiel. She hated admitting it, but seeing Caroline close to him made her stomach twist with jealousy. She could deny it to everyone else, but not to herself. She was still into Ezekiel, and the feelings she had buried for so long were starting to rise to the surface. Jeremy deserved to know the truth, even if it was hard for both of them.Catching sight of Jeremy walking ahead, Vivienne quickened her pace. “J
VIVIENNEThe party was just starting, and everything looked beautiful. Ezekiel’s backyard was transformed for the evening. String lights were hanging from the trees, creating a soft, golden glow, and tables were set up with elegant white cloths and fresh flowers. A light breeze carried the scent of roses through the air. I stood near the entrance, quietly observing as guests started arriving, one by one.The evening was busy, but I had a moment to talk to Piper. I pulled my phone out of my purse and dialed her number. It rang a few times before she picked up. "Hey, Vienne," Piper's familiar voice came through."Hey," I said, smiling a little even though she couldn’t see me. "The party’s starting. It’s... well, it’s nice, I guess."There was a pause, and then Piper sighed. "I’m really sorry I couldn’t make it. I just couldn’t deal with Emily and Leonardo’s attitude today. You know how they are.""I get it," I said, nodding even though she couldn’t see. To put it mildly, Emily and Leo
EZEKIELThe party that my mother and father planned for my kids was about to start, and I could feel the energy buzzing all around. Guests were already arriving, and I knew in a few minutes, all eyes would be on us, especially on Vince and Vera. They both stood beside me, looking perfect—like they’d just stepped out of a fairy tale. Vera was wearing her flowing light blue dress which made her look like a little princess. That was also the case with her twin brother. Vince looked every bit like a prince in his tailored suit."Alright, you two," I said, crouching down to their level as I tried to calm them before things really kicked off. "It’s going to be a big night, okay? Lots of people are going to be watching you, so just remember to smile and be polite."Vera gave me a wide grin. "I can do that! Easy!" she said, her eyes sparkling as she twirled in her dress. Vince, on the other hand, looked a little less sure. "Do we really have to talk to everyone, Dad?" he asked, pulling at
“GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.” Emily took the microphone to get everyone’s attention. Beside her was Leonardo as they stood at the center of the stage. This was the party she was most looking forward to. She and her husband had everything prepared just for this night. “Thank you all for coming to celebrate this special day with us. As many of you know, our family has been through a lot over the years,” Emily continued. “Ezekiel and Vivienne’s marriage didn’t turn out the way we had hoped back then. But after everything, we are happy and grateful for the greatest gifts that came from that marriage—our grandchildren, Vince and Vera.”There was a round of polite applause when Vince and Vera walked to the stage. They stood beside Emily and Leonardo. Emily gave a brief smile before continuing. “We also want to say that these two wonderful children will be the future of our family. They will be the ones to carry on Ezekiel’s legacy, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.”Leonardo stepped for
VINCE AND VERA noticed that something was wrong when they saw their mom leave the party quickly after what Caroline said and their father followed her. No other people seemed to notice it but they did. With that, they looked at each other as they worried about their parents. Since they still needed to be on stage and accept gifts from other guests, they made a silent agreement. "We need to find them later," Vince whispered to Vera. Vera nodded. "Let’s split up. I’ll check outside, and you go inside."When finally, their grandmother took the spotlight again, they took that chance to secretly leave the venue and look for their mom and dad. Vince hurried off toward the mansion. He knew where the security room was and thought he could use the cameras to find their parents. As he sneaked into the security room, he was relieved to find it empty. He sat down in front of the screens, trying to figure out how to work the system. He started clicking through the cameras but wasn’t sure what
VIVIENNE I tried to blink away the tears that welled up in my eyes but they fell anyway. They blurred my vision. I walked faster, not wanting anyone to see me like this, not wanting anyone to know how much I hurt. It was too much. I couldn’t believe Caroline had said all that in front of everyone. As I rushed to get away, someone suddenly grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks. I froze and turned, only to see Ezekiel standing there. I quickly wiped at my tears, trying to hide them, but I knew he’d already seen them. His face was full of concern. “Vienne, wait,” he said softly. “I need to explain.” “There’s no need,” I said using my shaky voice. I didn’t want to hear more. I didn’t want to get into this right now. But Ezekiel didn’t let go of my hand. “Just let me explain, please,” he pleaded. I sighed and looked away. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this conversation, but something in his tone made me stop and listen. “What Caroline said… it’s not entirely true,” he
VIVIENNETears filled my eyes as I stared at Ezekiel kneeling before me. His green eyes were looking up, waiting for me to say something. The promise ring he held was small, but the weight of the moment felt so big. My heart was throbbing so fast, and for a second, I couldn’t breathe. Everyone was watching us. I could feel their eyes, but right now, all I saw was Ezekiel.I glanced up, trying to clear my mind. My parents were standing nearby. They both looked shocked, but there was something else in their faces—pride, maybe? I was not sure. My father raised his eyebrows slightly, while my mother smiled softly. I wasn’t so sure of what to expect from them, but seeing that small sign of support helped ease my nerves.Then, I saw Vince and Vera. They were standing at the back, watching closely. Vince had his arms crossed with his usual unreadable face, but Vera looked so happy. Her eyes were wide, and her smile was the biggest I’d seen in a long time. Seeing them there reminded me th