"Leslie, come in," he says, gesturing to the chair opposite him."Thank you, Mr. Harrington," I say, taking the seat. My hands are steady on my lap, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside."I'm glad to see you back. How are you holding up?" he asks, his tone genuinely concerned. What did my father t
“Is there anything you need before I go?” She asks, her concern touching.“No, thank you. You’ve been a great help today. Get some rest,” I say, appreciating her dedication.“Goodnight, Miss Jackson,” she says, closing the door behind her.I sit in the quiet of my office, the events of the day rep
KIAN’S POVThe next few days saw me ‘fixing’ Beverly, just as I promised Leslie.Deep down, I knew that wouldn’t be her only condition for getting back with me. I also knew that a big bouquet of violets to her office everyday won’t immediately convince her to jump into my arms. Not after everything
BEVERLY’S POV You know that feeling where you know something is coming? When you have felt it in your bones for days yet when it finally happens, it hits you so hard that all the air is knocked out of you? Yes, that one. That’s the very one I am feeling right now, standing in front of Kian. I
BEVERLY’S POV Panic attack. I haven’t had one since I got pregnant but the thought of this finally being the end for me must have shot it right back up, bringing back the reminder that my mental health is in shambles. The godforsaken apartment that will be my home henceforth, spins around me wh
BEVERLY’S POVTHE PASTTheir disappearance from the table is just what I need to get my plan going.My eyes sweep the room, cautious of the dozens of guests surrounding all the other tables. Confident that no one is looking, I set my small purse down on the table and slowly slip out the tiny bag of
LESLIE’S POV The murmurs that erupt in the lobby are ones I’m familiar with—whispers carrying gossip from people who have just heard what they would term a scandal. Embarrassment washes over me only for a few seconds as we stand there before I gather myself together and look straight at Beverly, ch
KIAN’S POVHeavy steps carry me into the hospital building. The emergency room is chaos walking and I frantically look around for traces of the woman whose crying voice on the phone continuously rang in my head all the way here. Through the loud noises, crying and machines beeping, I think back to
LESLIE’S POV I join Kian’s mother outside the room, closing the door behind me. She is still stewing in anger, face red with rage that’s waiting to be unleashed. Usually, I would do anything to pacify her so I wouldn't be at the receiving end of that unbridled rage. Now? Irritation is all I feel at
LESLIE’S POV (One Week Later) “If the police show up again, spray them in the face with the fire extinguisher or something.” Cole’s irritated voice filters through my phone’s speaker and it makes me crack a smile for the first time in a week. “Pretty sure I would get arrested for that.” “Not
LESLIE’S POV My reflexes work faster than they ever have. Fast enough to help me roll away, and bump into Beverly in the process. Mike relentlessly stalks towards me and that’s when I get a good look at his affected leg. I time his movement and before he can take another angry swing of his weapon
LESLIE’S POV Seconds after Beverly crumples to the ground, my breath is still caught in my throat. I’m still trembling as I watch her sprawled on the floor, body jerking uncontrollably. I’m amazed at my strength to still remain standing despite the traumatising scene in front of me. To still grip t
LESLIE’S POV Our hearts are already in our mouths before we see what jumped at us—a ginormous rat, every bit as scared as us. It runs at full speed and scurries into the nearby bush. “All clear.” She mutters and we both step into the shed using her phone’s flashlight. It’s a full shed; a bunch of
LESLIE’S POV We’re barely two minutes away from the abandoned school gate when the engine starts to sputter, the entire truck shaking with the intensity. “No…no…no…no, not now!” Beverly lets out a panicked groan. I am preoccupied with looking behind us to make sure we’re not being followed but at
LESLIE’S POV Kian doesn’t know it—the name of Mike’s sister. I can tell from the way his entire face has gone even paler than it was before. Earlier, it had been pale from the pain of the injuries from the accident that I still don’t know the extent of. Now, he has turned ashen from something m
LESLIE’S POV The sound of my name reaches me from somewhere distant. The sound is repeated just like the throbbing ache in my head. When I finally manage to pry open my eyes, the feeling of deja vu washes over me. My hands and legs are bound tightly just like three years ago in that warehouse.
BEVERLY’S POV The familiar beeping sound that comes from my phone causes me to jerk upright. My eyes train on the screen, following the movement of a blinking red dot on the map. He’s on the move. I slam a couple of bills on the coffee table before hurrying out of the cafe where I had been havi