REINAI was confused the moment I saw smoke coming out of the office where I was working.I checked every corner of the room and could not find any trace of Ravenna. Before I knew it, Ravenna bounced into the room looking so unbothered when everyone was running from one corner to the other looking for ways to put off the fire.Now, seeing her in front of me just angered me. I already knew why she was doing this. Little did she know that she just unlocked a mini version of hell in her life.“Did you just say you tolerated a lot of nonsense from me? Come over again so that I can hear you well,” I said to her but she just sighed.This lady just disrespected me and I was here standing like a fool? Really? Wow. That was quite a lot for me to swallow in. I knew she was doing all of that because Ethan was here.When he was not here, she almost melted in my presence. I nodded slowly as I plotted my next plan in my head.She has no idea what is coming. This thing she has caused now was going
EthanI made sure that Ravenna did everything that I asked her to do while still involving my lawyer in the whole process.Still, everything was more or less like the prank a little child would pay. Ravenna had refused to come back to the house for some days after the incident and I also heard from Reina that she had refused to come to work.Shaking my head in front of my work desk at home, I knew that Raveena was up to no good. She had long been forgotten by me but as usual, I only kept her by my side. I only needed Reina. Now everything that was happening was not enough to get Reina close to me.She was still on her guard and didn't want to have anything to do with me. According to her, she only wanted business.Something clicked within me and I remembered a trick that I could play to bring Reina to me.I dialed her number immediately and she answered.“You called, Ethan. Is anything the problem?” she asked me, quite unserious.“No, no. Nothing is the problem. It's just business. I
REINA “He thinks he's smart.” I blurted out, throwing my phone on my couch. I had decided not to go to work today because I needed a break. And, I didn't do that alone.I have the whole team involved in this process a long damn break because they needed it.Only for Ethan to call me over to his house, hiding under the cover that he wanted me to get some design files.What does he take me for? A fool or a desperate woman who would just give in to something.I have never felt disrespected in the coming days that I have felt before. Ethan thinks he can use me as he likes but I am not that desperate.He should get the fuck away from me. My God! I buried my head, covering it with my palm.Where have I gone wrong to deserve all of these? It was a question that needed to be answered.I wish God could come in here and answer me but he didn't. I wish I could hear him speak or comfort me but I don't.Instead, what I keep seeing is Ethan making his stupid moves at me. I almost burst out into
REINAThe look of Ravenna’s face was still something that I could not place.First, I had not gotten over how she got my house address. Now, she's here crying her eyes out, pretending that she was sorry about everything that she has done to me.“I'm sorry, Ravenna, I think we would have to leave this till I get to the office. I would have appreciated it better if you brought this when I was at the office.“I can see it all over your face that you are yet to forgive me. I will keep asking you for your forgiveness until you deem it fit to forgive me,” She said finally and made to leave.I didn't stop her. She took a quick glance at me before she finally left my house and the only thing that I did was to shut the door behind her as she left.“This is crazy,” I said to myself and continued to think about everything that just happened. I needed to find out what she was up to even though it meant that I should go extra lengths.***The next morning at work when everyone had resumed from t
ETHAN“Have you delivered the flowers?” I asked the delivery man over the phone.Yes, I have been making so many arrangements to surprise Reina. I wanted her to see me for who I am.This was a huge step that I decided to take. Maybe, it would work in getting Reina to talk to me at least.“Not yet. I am still trying to package the other gifts you requested. Remember, that everything you asked for is quite expensive and I am trying my best to package them well,” he responded and I nodded.I was running out of patience with everything but I had to wait. Before then, I had instructed the delivery man not to remove the price tag of the items and the flowers so that she would know that I was able to spend a lot of money on her. I knew that the money was not the problem for her. But, a normal person would be able to see the intention of the other through gifts.“Where do you want me to deliver it to? Remember, you didn't give me any address,” he asked me and I let hot air out of my mouth.T
REINAThe fitting of the dresses were going well and I was almost rounding up.I had an important appointment to catch up with and that involved finding out how Ravenna got the address of my house.I was prepared and ready for her. My lawyer and my personal cop officer had been informed.The only thing stopping them from taking immediate action was that I had pleaded with them to stoop low.I needed a lot of evidence to get her. If I find enough evidence that she had been stalking me then she would rot in jail.That I was very sure of. She would rot in jail with everything in me. I would not only make her rot in jail, I would make sure the whole world knows that she is an evil person.Her reputation as a whole would be damaged. I do not care.“How is the investigation going?” I asked my personal cop via messenger.He had been the one trying to get tk the root of this matter and I knew that I owe him a lot.“Slow. But, we will get somewhere. Trust me. But, using normal psychology. This
ETHAN“Did you just call me a puppet?” I asked her and she nodded. I needed Reina back to myself and all this lady was seeing here was that I was a puppet in her hands.Of course, she would not understand what was going on because this was not about her.It was about the feelings I nurtured for Reina and how I wanted her back.“Yes. You are. You show her that you are not capable of anything. If I were her, I wouldn't have a single respect for you,” she concurred and I licked my lower lips.“You have no idea what you are talking about. If you do, you won't be saying all of these,” I responded and Ravenna pushed her way into me and sat on my lap.“What are you trying to do?” I asked with my eyes wide open. Ravenna never gives up, no matter what.That was one of the problems I still had with her. Instead of answering, her lips touched mine and she kissed me so hard not minding that I didn't reciprocate the kiss.“Can't you see?” she asked and I tried to get up from the seat that I was
REINAThe staff were more excited to see what was behind the pretty decorations than myself. At some point, I wanted to just end whatever happened and go back to work. What kind of mistake had I made by allowing the gift packages to be torn open?“Yours love, Ethan?” One of the staff asked with so much shock written all over her face. She pulled out a name tag, waving it in the face of the other staff. I could see the name "Ethan" written on the tag and I was very scared to believe that this was the person who I thought it was.“Ethan? What do you mean Ethan?” I asked, snatching the name tag away from her hand.I stared into the name tag even harder than before and almost tore it into pieces. Unfortunately for me, the name tag was not that easy to get rid of.The staff were as confused as I was but, still they all waited for me to say something to clear the air.“Let's get back to work. Let's forget all these saga and get back to work,” I told them and almost took a few steps away f
Reina“Why isn’t he waking up, Ethan?” I whispered, clutching the edge of the hospital bed.My voice trembled as I stared at Andrew’s pale face, his tiny body was almost swallowed by the sheets. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room.I was going crazy. My only child was in a critical condition. “Reina, calm down,” Ethan said softly, though from his voice , I knew he was also scared. He was standing by the window, his hand pressed against the glass. “The doctors said they are running more tests.”I snapped my head towards him. “Tests? Ethan, he has not opened his eyes in hours! This is more than a fever. I know it!”Ethan turned to me and his face tightened. “Do you think I’m not worried? I’m losing my mind here, Reina! But panicking won’t help him.”The tears I had been holding back spilled over as I buried my face in my hands. “He’s just a child. Our child. He doesn’t deserve this.”The night before, Andrew was not sick. He just suddenly became
Reina The email came at 7:45 a.m. sharp. It was as if the person who sent this mail did it deliberately to give me chills. I was sitting at the kitchen table, still in my oversized sweatshirt and sipping my first coffee of the day when I saw the subject line. “Congratulations on Your Appointment". My hand shook as I clicked the email, my heart pounding. And then I saw it: the confirmation that I had landed the job I had been dreaming about for years. It was the job of a Creative Director at one of the most prestigious firms in the city. I let out a gasp so loud that Ethan came running into the kitchen. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you fine?” he asked, his face filled with concern. “Nothing’s wrong!” I said, laughing through my tears. “I got it, Ethan! I got the job!” His eyes widened in disbelief, and then, like a switch, his face softened into a smile. “Are you serious? Are you serious right now, sweetheart?” he asked, stepping closer. I nodded, holding up my phone
Reina The following morning, the house felt colder than ever. It was not the weather or the light drizzle outside my house, it was the emptiness Ethan left behind. After our little argument last night. Ethan left the house and refused to answer my calls. I was going crazy because of a husband I had married and now, he had refused to come back. My heart became so heavy as I began to think about the implications of our argument. Had I pushed him too far this time? Was this all my fault? I would have shut the fuck up and not talk much to him about anything. It would have saved us a lot of stress. I stared at the clock, my coffee untouched on the table. Every second that passed without a word from him felt like a ticking bomb. My pride told me to wait, to let him be the one to come back and apologize, but my heart was screaming at me to call him, to beg him to come home. I needed him home. I needed to see him even if we were quarreling. I picked up my phone, my fingers hov
Reina “Damn it!” I almost yelled at the blank wall b The sound of the rain splattering against the window just reminded me of how my mind was. The atmosphere in the house had changed since the accident. I was getting better of course, I knew I was. I was taking my drugs and going for my frequent checkups to make sure I was fine. I was doing all I wanted to do to stay alive. Because, Damn. I still had a little boy that I needed to take care of. Ethan was trying his best to be present, trying to make things better between the both of us and I always appreciated his efforts but something still felt fractured. No matter how hard we tried, the pieces of our relationship didn’t fit the way they used to. That was just the plain truth. I could not continue lying to myself. I loved him, yes. But we were not as we used to be. Tonight, the tension felt unbearable. I sat at the dining table, staring blankly at the steaming cup of tea in front of me. Andrew was already in bed, and t
Reina Everyday in the hospital was filled with so much pain and all I could see were patients who were attended to and nurses who were filled with so much concern. Ethan never left me for a second. He was there every morning when I woke up and every night when I drifted into restless sleep. But the accident had changed something. It was not just in my body, but in the air that surrounded us. I could feel it in the way he hovered over me, his hand brushing mine as if afraid I might shatter. I could see it in the way he looked at me. It was not just love; it was fear. And I hated it. “You are not eating enough,” Ethan said one afternoon. I pushed the food tray away, the smell of the hospital’s chicken broth making my stomach rumble. I hated the sight of food. I didn’t want to eat anything. “I’m fine.” “You are not fine, Reina,” he said, his tone hardening. He sat down beside me, his knee brushing against the edge of the bed. “You almost died.” I flinched at the word. “You
ReinaI woke up that morning feeling restless. Something was off, though I could not quite put my finger on it. I didn't know what was wrong. Ehan had left the house earlier than usual, claiming he had a meeting with a client. Andrew was still asleep upstairs and I could hear his small snores drifting down the hallway, reminding me that he was here in this house with me. Although, I knew that in an hour or two, he was going to be left with his nanny. I lingered over my coffee, staring out the kitchen window at the dull gray sky. The forecast had warned of heavy rain later in the day, but I was not worried. My schedule was packed with back-to-back meetings, and I had promised myself to leave early to pick up a package. "Are you going to sit there all day, or are you finally going to get ready?" Celia's voice crackled through my phone.“I’m moving, I’m moving,” I mumbled, setting my mug down and heading upstairs.As I dressed up, my thoughts wandered to Ethan. He had been doing goo
Reina's POV I woke up to the sound of rain tapping against the window. When I turned to my side, Ethan was not in bed. Again. For the past few days, he had taken to waking up before me, always slipping out of the room quietly. He said it was to give me more time to rest, but I noticed some strange things about him. He hovered around me yet kept his distance, as though he didn’t know how to approach me anymore. I sat up slowly, careful not to let the dizziness creep in again. The doctor’s words echoed in my mind: “Stress is a major trigger.” I could not help but laugh bitterly. How did he expect me to avoid stress when my entire life already felt this stressful? I was trying not to allow myself to be very stressed but, some things won't let me. “Reina?” Ethan’s voice startled me. I had not even heard him come in. He stood in the doorway, holding a tray with what looked like breakfast. I could see some scrambled eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice. “You made br
Reina’s POV The pounding in my head kept on returning as it screamed vengeance to me. It was the third day this week, and I could no longer ignore the dizziness that often followed. I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter, trying to keep myself from falling to the floor as my vision blurred for a moment. “Mom, are you okay?” Andrew’s small voice pulled me out of my haze. He was standing by the fridge, holding a juice box, his curious eyes staring at me. I forced a smile. “Of course, sweetheart. Just tired. Did you finish your homework?” “Yes,” he replied, but his brows furrowed. “But, mum. You don’t look okay.” Before I could reassure him, the front door opened, and Ethan walked in. I could still feel his presence as he stepped in and it gave me a kind of feeling that I could not quite explain. Things had been better between us, but there was still a fragile thread tying us together. “Hey,” Ethan greeted, glancing at Andrew and then me. His eyes lingered on my face.
Reina I and Ethan reconciled again. After so many times of quarreling. The weeks after our reconciliation felt good at least. Ethan was attentive, loving, and almost like the man I had fallen in love with years ago. It felt too good to be true, and deep down, I could not shake the feeling that the storm wasn’t over. We were still going to have our quarrel again. One evening, as I was sitting in my home office reviewing proposals for my latest fashion campaign, my phone buzzed. It was Celia.“Reina, you are not going to believe this,” she said happily and her voice tinged with excitement and panic.“What is it?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.“I just saw Ethan,” she began.“And?”“He was at a café with a woman I didn’t recognize. They looked… close.”I felt my stomach drop. “Close how? What do you mean by that?”We just reconciled and now, Celia was telling me this? This was not true. “They were sitting in a corner booth, whispering, and he handed her a thick envelope. I did