EthanThe house was quiet. Too quiet for me to live in. I stood in the living room, staring at the space where Reina had been sitting only moments ago. She had walked out after another argument, and I was left to pick up the pieces of a conversation that went terribly wrong.It always went wrong no matter how hard I tried. I felt like everything was slipping through my fingers, like no matter what I did or said, nothing could fix this.I was beginning to accept my fate because everything was becoming frustrating on my end. I could not count the number of times I had sighed. It was countless. I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated and tired of everything that was happening. This was not how things were supposed to go. We had a good life. We had a good family. Why couldn’t we just go back to the way things were before? Before RiRi’s name came up again, before all the secrets I had tried so hard to bury started to resurface.Was IG really necessary to tell your spouse all you
EthanI didn't inform Reina of where I was going. It was even easier because she was not talking to me that much. I just had to wave my car keys in her face and move out.As I drove down the road, the night air was thick. It was almost suffocating for me. I got to the meeting spot in no time and I walked through the park towards where I was meant to meet her. It had been years since I last came here, but everything still felt so familiar to me.Too familiar. The memories I had long tried to forget kept coming to me as I took each step. I tried so hard to shove them aside. That Was not why I was here. I was here to know the truth and not to remember anything in my past.RiRi said someone was watching us. Watching my family. I had to figure out if this was just another one of her mind games or if there was any truth to what she had said. Either way, I could not afford to take chances. It would be very risky to do such a thing. The park was nearly empty, just a few scattered peop
ReinaIt was late, too late for anyone to be out, especially Ethan. But there he was, slipping out of the house as quietly as a shadow. I stood by the window, barely able to believe my eyes. He thought I won't see him or what? I don't want to believe that that thought crossed his mind?Back to the most important thing that bothered me. Where could he be going at this hour? He did not say anything to me, neither did he drop a notice or a clue. He did not even look my way. It was very very unlike him.I know we have been fighting and not talking to each other but, it still didn't make sense to me that he left without telling me. My heart kept beating fast as I watched him walk briskly down the driveway and disappear into the night. Something didn’t feel right to me. Even after our constant argument, it was clear that he was hiding something from me and whenever I brought it up, he shrugged and said that he only hid it from me because he wanted to protect me. Now, watching him snea
Ethan The way everything drastically changed caught me off guard. I began to regret being out in the night with my wife sleeping in the hour, unaware of what was happening. I knew I should not have come here. I knew it the moment I stepped out of the house. The lies were piling up faster than I could manage, but what choice did I have? Keeping Reina safe meant keeping her in the dark. That's all I could do. As I made my way through the quiet streets, my mind was a blur of thoughts, every shadow I passed feeling like a threat. RiRi had called again, and this time her voice was more desperate than ever. She needed help, and I couldn’t ignore her, no matter how much I wanted to. She had just left here a few minutes ago. What then is happening? I parked my car and sat for a moment, gripping the steering wheel tightly. This wasn’t just about RiRi anymore. it had not been for a while. There were people after her, dangerous people. And now, I was tangled in their web. I was
ReinaAgain, I didn't get a reasonable answer. Can all these stop already? The scene in front of me was almost too much to take in. Ethan, the man I thought I knew, fell flat to the ground and lay on the ground. He was bruised and was barely able to breathe.The men who attacked him had long disappeared into the night. My heart was racing, and every nerve in my body was screaming for answers.I rushed to Ethan’s side, my hands shaking as I knelt beside him. "Ethan... Ethan, are you okay?"He groaned, his hand pressed against his side where I could see blood soaking through a part of his shirt. My chest tightened at the sight of blood. What had he gotten himself into? "I'm... fine," he managed to say through gritted teeth, but it was obvious he was not. He was hurt badly. Yes, he had tried to salvage the situation. Thank goodness that those wicked men were not able to shoot him.It would have been an entirely different story now. I could feel my pulse hammering in my ears as I co
Reina**Chapter 11: A Moment of Peace (Reina's POV)**I watched Ethan as he slept on the couch, his chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. The bandages on his side were clean now, though the memory of the blood and panic from earlier still made my heart race. It was strange how quickly things had shifted. One minute we were fine, living our lives, and the next, everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.But looking at him now, vulnerable and asleep, I realized something: I didn’t want to keep fighting. I didn’t want us to keep hurting each other with secrets. All I wanted was for things to go back to the way they were. I wanted to believe that we could still have that—just us, without all the danger and lies that had crept into our lives.My phone buzzed quietly on the coffee table, breaking the silence in the room. I quickly grabbed it before it woke Ethan and saw that it was a text from Sarah, my best friend. She’d been asking how things were going between Etha
Reina's pov The morning light streamed through the kitchen window, casting a golden ray across the table.I was with my chef when she was making breakfast for the family . It was a new day, and I wanted to make it a good one. Things have been going normal for some time now and I felt good. I hummed softly as I watched the way my chef flipped pancakes and poured orange juice. “Seems breakfast would be really delicious today,” I said to her and she smiled. As she cracked an egg into the bowl, my phone buzzed on the counter and I got distracted from her. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and picked it up, glancing at the screen. It was a message from one of my friends, Laura. “Hey! Want to come over today? I need a little distraction. Let’s have some girl time together.”I smiled and wasted a little time contemplating her invitation. After everything that had happened in the past week, I realized I needed a little break too. A good time with Laura would help me clear my head. I
Ethan I was sitting on the bed, patiently waiting for Reina to come in here. My face was filled with so much desperation that anyone who comes in now would be able to see it. “Reina, thank God you’re here,” I said with my voice partially strained. “We need to talk.” *** The silence in the house was suffocating every bit of me. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone, waiting for Reina to come home. Every second that passed felt like eternity. The worst part of it was that she was not responding to her messages. My hands trembled as I sat down there and waited for her. I had been trying my best to get things back on track. I had also been trying to fix everything between us. But every time I thought we were okay, something else came up and scattered all our plans. Reina had gone out to meet Laura, and that was fine. I didn't have any problem with that. In fact, I endorse every bit of it. I was not selfish. I wanted her to have a break and enjoy herself. But a
Reina “Do you want a new car? Or a new apartment?” Ethan teased. “Anyone, my love. A Lamborghini won't be bad, you know.” I turned to face him, and there it was, the smile I had come to know and love over the years. It was the smile that had carried me through the darkest days, the one that had reassured me when I didn’t know how to move forward. The evening was calm and beautiful qne Andrew was at a friend’s house for a sleepover, and Ethan and I were alone for the first time in a while. Alone, but not lonely. We were never lonely when we had ourselves. “I’m looking,” I said softly, walking toward him. “And I see a family that’s been through hell and back, and yet we still survived it.” Ethan reached out to pull me into his arms and held me tight as if he was scared to let me go. “We have always been strong. It was just a matter of time before we realized it.” I rested my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. This was home. This was everything
Reina It was a morning like any other, except it wasn’t. I had just received the news I had been waiting for, hoping for, but still uncertain if it would ever come true. I had gotten another job. It was a job that would challenge me, push me out of my comfort zone, and finally allow me to make a real name for myself in the world I had always longed to be part of. As I stood in the kitchen, staring at the email, I could not stop the tears that filled my eyes. I had worked so hard for this moment, and now that it was here, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief. “Reina? What’s wrong?” Ethan asked, stepping into the room. His voice was soft, and his concern was evident in his eyes. I couldn’t speak at first, so I just handed him my phone, pointing to the email. He took it from me, his eyes scanning the screen. His face lit up as he read the words. “Wait… you got it? You really got it?” I nodded, my throat tight. “Yes. It’s real, Ethan. They offered me the position. I t
Reina The day had finally come. The day I had been both dreading and hoping for. The day Ethan and I would renew our vows. I had spent so much time imagining what it would feel like, but now that the moment was here, I was filled with excitement and a little nervousness. After everything we had been through, I was not sure how I would feel standing up in front of our friends and family, saying the same vows we made years ago. But this time, I was going to say them with more meaning, more depth, and more love than I ever had before. Ethan had gone above and beyond to make this day perfect, and I had already walked into the garden where it would all happen. It looked like a dream. “Mommy, you look beautiful!” Andrew said, his eyes wide with admiration as he helped me adjust my dress. I laughed softly. “Thank you, baby. You look very handsome too.” He beamed in his little tuxedo, looking just like his father. When Ethan walked in to check on me, I could not help but smil
: A New Beginning (Ethan POV) --- I never thought I’d feel this nervous again. The last time I felt anything close to this was the first time I asked Reina out. But now, standing in our living room with the small box in my pocket, I felt like a teenager unsure if the girl would say yes. Andrew was asleep in his room, and Reina was curled up on the couch, reading a book. Her hair was loosely tied back, and she was wearing one of my old sweatshirts. She looked so comfortable, so at peace, and for a moment, I just stood there, watching her. “Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, not even looking up from her book. I chuckled nervously. “Do I need a reason to stare at my wife?” She finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. “No, but it’s weird when you’re just standing there silently. What’s going on?” I took a deep breath and walked over, sitting beside her. “Reina, can we talk?” She frowned, closing her book. “Is something wrong?” “No, nothing’s wrong,” I assured her. “In
Ethan “ A therapist? We are going to see a therapist, Ethan?” Reina blurted out and I had to calm her down that it's for the better. “Yes. I made that decision and I have already paid for a session. It is a good thing and I think our marriage will get better.” “Oh dear. I'm just scared.” *** Sitting across from Reina in the therapist’s office felt a little weird and I was trying to keep up. This was the first time we had actually met with a therapist about us. The therapist, a calm woman in her mid-50s named Dr. Laura smiled gently at us. “Thank you for coming today. The first step to healing is often the hardest, so I commend you both for being here.” I glanced at Reina, who gave me a small, nervous smile. “We are ready,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Good. Why don’t we start with why you’re here? What made you decide to seek therapy now?” Dr. Laura asked. I looked at Reina, silently asking if she wanted to go first. She nodded and took a deep breath. “I think we h
Reina Evans was at my house again. This time, I was very convinced that he had something off his sleeves. How can someone who I haven't seen in years suddenly show up in the new country where I relocated to? Has he been stalking me all these years? Evans stood at the door, his hands shoved in his pockets, and today he looked so confident in himself. But, I was here to destroy whatever confidence he had. I had hoped I would see the last of him after his first visit, but here he was again, uninvited and unwelcome. “What are you doing here again, Evans? Haven't I told you that I don't want you around me?” I thundered and my pulse was racing. “I needed to talk to you,” he responded calmly, despite my raging anger. “I don’t think we got to finish our conversation the last time.” “There’s nothing left to talk about,” I said, stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind me. I didn’t want Ethan or Andrew overhearing any of this. “Reina, please,” he said, his eyes pleadin
Ethan I didn’t know where I was driving. I just needed to get out of the house. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind racing with thoughts of Reina, Evans, and everything that had gone wrong. Evans. Just hearing his name made my blood boil. The nerve of him to show up out of nowhere, to text me like he was some concerned friend. And Reina, why hadn’t she told me right away? She keeps doing things like this and it pisses me off. She of all people knows that something like this was the cause of our problem sometime ago. I pulled into an empty parking lot and turned off the engine. When I finally walked back into the house hours later, the living room was dimly lit, and Reina was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked up as I entered, her eyes red and puffy. “You are back,” she said softly. I didn’t answer, dropping my keys on the table and heading for the kitchen. “Ethan,” she called after me with her voice trembling. I paused, leani
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