RAVENNA I stood in the living room, the divorce papers clutched in my hand, my eyes fixed on Ethan's determined face. Reina sat on the couch, a smug look on her face, but I ignored her."You can't be serious, Ethan," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "You're really going to throw away our marriage, our family, for her?"Ethan's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with anger. "Ravena, I've made up my mind. Please, just sign the papers."I felt a wave of despair wash over me. How could he do this to me? To his father?"No, Ethan," I said, my voice firm. "I won't sign. I won't let you do this."Reina stood up, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Ethan, don't let her manipulate you," she said, her voice dripping with venom.But Ethan didn't move, his eyes fixed on mine. "Ravena, please," he said, his voice softening. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."I laughed, a bitter sound. "Harder than it has to be?" I repeated. "You're the one who's making this hard, Ethan.'Ethan's face har
ETHAN Divorcing Ravenna is one of the best things that had ever happened to me in a long time, excluding the fact that I had just reunited with Reina anyways. That was premium best thing. I stood at the balcony as I stared at the divorce papers in my hands, it was officially sealed and stamped. Nothing tied me down to Ravenna and her family. Just then, my phone began buzzing in my pocket and I fumbled with it before bringing it out. It was a number that hadn't called me in a long while and I chuckled as I pressed the decline button. My day was starting off great and I didn't want anyone to ruin it for me. The phone began ringing again almost at the same time and I rolled my eyes before picking up the call. "Hello." I greeted into the speaker and he didn't want to say anything. I mean, how can you call someone and still expect the person to open the conversation? How does this work in this people's head? "Ethan, how do you feel after divorcing my daughter?" Of course that's what
Ethan's POV "That's important, you know? If her father is calling you then it is definitely important." Her expression changed as she slowly stopped munching on her food and dropped her fork. "He's not important, Reina." I wasn't sure if she was just talking because she was angry that I was still in contact with Ravenna's father but the last thing I wanted was for this woman to get mad at me. "What did he say when he called?" She tilted her head and grabbed a cup of water as she drank it down in one go. Laying the cup on the top of the table, she looked at me expectantly expecting an answer. "He just wanted to know why I divorced his daughter." I stated and her face contorted. "Why would he want to know that? Does he not watch the news to know that it was judged in court? What is even wrong with him? I strongly want to insult him but I'm still trying to play nice because he's an elder." She sighed and shoved the food angrily into her mouth and began twisting her mouth in a
ETHAN'S POV"Ethan, what are you planning on doing?" Reina tugged my hand from under the chair but I had to pretend that I had no idea what she was doing."What is it?" I asked and swerved to look at her and I watched fascinatingly as she bit her lips. That looked hot to me and I must say that I don't remember the last time I saw this woman looking so fragile and not putting up an independent front.It's almost like I want to kiss her right here and right now.I ended the call with the secretary and looked at her again, she was still biting her lips. This woman doesn't know what she's doing to me, does she?"Stop." I stated as fast as I could and she looked up to stare at me."What? Wnat should I stop?" I smiled, of course she didn't know what she was doing. She was doing so absentmindedly."Stop biting your lips like that,it's giving me dangerous ideas. Ideas that aren't for to be happening in this office but I dont mind." I watched her cheeks go red and my heart began thumping in ex
REINAI know for sure that since I returned to Ethan, a lot of things were shifting between us and we were actually getting to know each other more and that was blissful, but what could have never crossed my mind was the fact that Ethan would gift his company to me.He didn't even stutter or double think it as he was announcing it to everyone in the company.And yes, he made it official.He had done the transfer of documents and everything behind my back, I could never have guessed it.Tears were in my eyes as I stared at the entire members and staffs of this company. There were a lot of happy faces, skeptical faces too that seemed to ask if I was equal to the task to be given such an amazing company.But the only one that I stared at was he look of pride and satisfaction in Ethan's face.It was like he was doing something good for the first time in his life and he felt great about it. He seemed really proud of himself."Before we end this meeting, I would like you to sign this Baby."
REINA"Insulting much. Is that the way you were taught to talk to an elder?" I rolled my eyes as I wondered who would even be talking to me this way on the phone in the first place.Are people mad?"Before we start the argument on who is the elder and who is insulting anyone here, can you tell me who I'm speaking with?" Another silence emanated from the other end of the line and I glared at my phone. I was about hitting the end call button when the person finally decided to speak up."It's Ravenna's father. You do know Ravenna right?" Irritation filled my face as I glared at the phone like the man was right in front of me. If he probably was standing right in front of me, he would have walked right out immediately with the way my face was scrunched up.The phone wasn't on speaker but I'm guessing that Ethan had saw the look on my face and came closer, placing his hands on my waist, he leaned in closer and put his head on my shoulders."Of course, I know Ravenna. I'm not sure I would b
REINAUnable to sleep as I tossed from side to die, my phone suddenly began buzzing and I stood up almost immediately. Checking the caller ID, it was unknown number and I wondered who would be calling me by that time of the night?I really hope that Ravenna's father isn't the one on the line because I would definitely cuss this man.I picked up the call and walked to the toilet, so as not to disturb Ethan who was asleep."Hello." I called into the speaker and the voice that filtered out of the speaker was one that I wasn't expecting at all."Reina." The entire world paused for that second as I stared back into the room."Bruce, is that you?" I questioned just to be sure that I wasn't just hearing things. I had to be sure that I wasn't hallucinating."Yes, Reina. It is." I didn't know why he was calling at this point of the night but it had to be important.Bruce wasn't the kind of person that just calls people anytime he feels like and this would be the first time he was ever callin
REINA."Where you going through my phone, Ethan?" Realization just dawned on me because it seemed like Bruce had been calling me and I hadn't been seeing those calls.Trying to relate it with the fact that he said I blocked his first line, I squinted my eyes and peered at Ethan.He was mute and staring at me."Reina, can we not have this conversation? You were talking to Bruce in the parlour at midnight and that's okay. I'm not even mad." Now that's a lie. His fist were folded like he wanted to punch someone and he was hitting his teeth but I have no use for his anger now."We are having this conversation, Ethan. We are! Were you going through my phone? That's what I want to know." I half yelled and he stared at me apologetically before looking downwards."I did." He simply stated and that was my cue to get offended because what the fuck?"Did you initially block Bruce?" I honestly don't even want it to be true because I'm not even she how I would react to that."I did." I used my han
ReinaI was wiping down the kitchen counter when the doorbell rang. Andrew was upstairs, resting after a long day of physical therapy, and Ethan had stepped out to pick up a few things from the store.It was odd for someone to come by unannounced, especially at this hour. I wiped my hands on a towel and I headed for the door to check who was there. I was so curious and at the same time cautious that I checked the security camera three times. When I opened it, my heart stopped. I thought I was dreaming or something. “Evans,” I whispered, gripping the doorframe right. He was standing there, looking exactly as I remembered him. He was quite tall, with those piercing blue eyes and well shaved beards. But seeing him now didn’t fill me with the same warmth it once did. Instead, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been splashed over me.“Reina,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I hope I’m not intruding.”“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. He w
Ethan “Our anniversary was tomorrow?!” That was my exact reaction when I checked the calendar and I saw that I had long forgotten the date of our anniversary . An idea had come to me while sitting in the car, waiting for Reina to return from the grocery store. Our anniversary was tomorrow, and I wanted to do something special. Something that would remind her of the good times we had shared before everything got complicated.I had been racking my brain all week, trying to come up with the perfect plan. Reina deserved something meaningful, something that was not just flowers and a card. She needed to see how much she meant to me.“Okay, Ethan,” I muttered to myself as I parked in front of the house. “You will get our way around this.”The plan was simple yet heartfelt. I was planning a surprise dinner at the place where we had had our first official date before we got married. It was not the fanciest restaurant, but it held a special place in our hearts. I had reserved a private cor
Reina“I want to support you,” he said. “In everything. Just tell me how.”“I will of course. You have to write me some checks,” I responded and winked at him. I sat there, my coffee cup in hand, still warm but untouched. My mind was racing. So much had happened in the past few days. Andrew’s illness, the fear, the worry and now, with him finally waking up and starting his recovery, things were slowly returning to normal.But there was something else on my mind. It was Ethan. He had changed. In the best way possible. After everything that had happened, after all the mistakes, I hadn’t expected this. I could not help but worry about how he had been surprising me with little gestures. The breakfast in bed, sweet notes hidden in my purse or jacket pocket. He was not perfect, and neither was I, but somehow, it felt like we were slowly finding our way back to each other. We were slowly finding out long lost love. I glanced at the note I found this morning. It was simple, yet the word
Reina“Are you going to work today?” Ethan’s voice broke the silence at breakfast.I glanced up from my plate, startled by his tone. It was not the regular cold or distant tone and it was almost… soft. He had been trying to be different lately especially after Andrew's was back from the hospital and I didn’t know how to feel about it.“I’m not sure,” I replied, poking at my food. “I might work from home.”“Good,” he said. “You have been stressing yourself. You need rest.”I blinked, unsure of how to respond. This was not the Ethan who used to complain about my hours or make sarcastic remarks. I kept quiet and continued eating.When I returned to the bedroom later that morning, something caught my eye. There was a tray on the bed. I could not remember keeping any tray on my bed. I also noticed that there was a cup of tea, a bowl of fruit, and a small note on the bed. The note read:“ You have been carrying too much on yourself lately. Let me take some of the weight. Allow me.”I s
Reina POV“Do you think he’ll wake up today?” Ethan’s voice broke the stillness of the room.The room was quiet as usual and even if a pin dropped to the floor it would be heard. I glanced at Andrew, who was still lying on the hospital bed. He was looking fragile as always and the machines were still giving him the support that he needed. “I have no idea, sweetheart. I wish he could wake up today. It would be a relief. Don't you think so?”I asked and I reached out to brush a strand of hair off his forehead. “I want that to happen too. It would be a miracle.”“He has to wake up,” I said firmly, though my heart trembled with some doubts. I was uncertain about what was happening. “I can feel it. He is going to open those eyes and look at us.”Ethan sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I wish I had your faith.”I turned to him, my eyes narrowing. I was the most pessimistic person but, somehow I had a little faith in me. “You do. You are just scared to admit it.”He stared at me for a
Reina POV The hospital was lit with some fluorescent lights and I was having chills all over my body as I remained there. I was just like a patient who was admitted there. I hated hospitals. Who doesn't, by the way? By this time of the day, the hospital was quiet and the silence was not really comforting. It just kept reminding me that there was a battle Andrew had to fight alone. I didn’t think it was possible to feel this helpless. Sitting in that chair, watching my son fight for his life, knowing there was nothing I could do but wait, it was agony. Ethan was not himself. He was pacing around the room again. “You are going to create a hole in the floor if you don't stop,” I murmured to him. My voice was low and strained. He stopped mid-step, turning to look at me. “I can’t sit still,” he admitted. “Not when he’s in there, fighting for his life.” “I know how you feel Ethan. I feel the same way. ” I said, more to myself than to him. “He has to be strong so that he can com
Reina “Alive?” Sickness was cruel. No one deserves the kind of pain myself and Ethan had passed through since Andrew took I'll and was admitted in the hospital. I sat frozen by Andrew’s hospital bed, staring at his small frame covered in wires and tubes. My son, my sweet boy, was fighting a battle that I could not fight for him, and it was tearing me apart. I wish I could fight this battle for him. I wish I could step in and take all the burdens but, I can't. I can only hope. Again, the same thing the doctors have been saying was that the surgery went well but the critical hours following were crucial. I held up his tiny hand, willing him to wake up, to smile at me, to tell me everything would be okay. But he didn’t say a thing. His pale skin was all I could see and the shallow rise and fall of his chest all felt like a nightmare I could not wake up from. “Reina,” Ethan’s voice broke through the haze. He was standing at the foot of the bed, his hands buried in his pockets,
Ethan Reina looked up at me, her eyes filled with both hope and fear. “We are going to get through this, right?” I nodded, though my throat felt tight. “Of course, yes. We are together. Don't forget. ” And in that moment, I knew we had no choice but to keep fighting for Andrew, for each other, for our family. Finally, we were both with him after waiting for hours. Waiting. That was all we could do before being let in. Wait and hope. The clock on the wall seemed to move slower than usual, its ticking loud and relentless, as if mocking us. I sat in the sterile waiting room, the faint smell of antiseptic in the air. Reina was beside me, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Her knuckles were already white but she didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes stayed fixed on Andrew and I'm glad we were both seeing him. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay, but how could I when I didn’t even believe it myself? For hours, Andrew has been in there, fighti
Ethan “Mr. and Mrs. Ethan,” the doctor said as he approached us in the waiting room. His voice was calm, but the tightness in his expression betrayed the gravity of the situation. “We have done everything we can to stabilize Andrew, but his condition has deteriorated. He needs surgery immediately.” The words hit me like a truck. My knees almost buckled, but I gripped the edge of the chair to prevent myself from falling. “Surgery immediately?” Reina’s voice cracked as she stood up beside me. “What kind of surgery?” “We need to address the complications caused by the infection. If we don’t operate now…” The doctor hesitated, and his eyes moved between us. “Just say it,” I barked in a sharp voice. I sounded so desperate of course, I just wanted my child to get out of this damn hospital. “If we don’t, his chances of survival are very slim.” The room spun, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Reina let out a soft, choked sob and covered her mouth with her hands. “How soon