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38| He Needs Me
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2021-09-18 03:30:28Living with my parents again after being on my own for the last six years made me feel like a kid again. They made sure that I rested plenty and that I was eating correctly, taking my prenatal vitamins, they even brought in a doctor for me to see how I’m healing so I wouldn’t have to leave the house.
I felt warm, comfortable, loved, but I lacked one feeling: safe. The nightmares of someone coming to hurt my child haunt me and have taken over my mind, leaving me in fear each day regardless of the security around the house.
I hadn’t gone outside at all because I don’t want the press to get any photos of me in my vulnerable state, and I definitely don’t want them to get any pictures of my growing baby bump.
The media had never learned about my pregnancy in the first place, so they didn’t have to be told anything after the crash, and I sent a text to Dominic while I was still in the
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Claudette Reed 39| Whitney's Truth
We had no issue getting to the Taylor residence without any paparazzi, and I breathed a breath of relief once we were inside and I was able to take the itchy blonde wig off.“He’s upstairs in his room,” Isabella answered my unasked question with a motion of her hand to the steps.I nodded my head to her and began walking up the steps and towards Isaac’s room. I could hear my parents and Isabella make their way to the living room to sit and have a chat.Once at his door, I knocked hesitantly at first, nervous about how he would react to me showing up out of nowhere. Then again, he has done that to me numerous times before.I knocked louder this time but still got no response, so I slowly cracked the door open and peeked inside.Isaac was laying on his bed topless with his back facing me. His hair was a mess on the pillow and he
Last Updated : 2021-09-20Claudette Reed 40| Isaac Flashback
Isaac POV[Flashback] I had gotten home after work and felt exhausted. I have been picking up more shifts at work to distract myself lately after everything that’s going on with Stephanie. I still can’t believe that she’s pregnant and that she hid it from me! It hurt like a blow to the stomach, and I’m still trying to let it all process, but it’s been a pretty harsh process. Whenever I thought of Steph having a family, for some reason I always imagined myself there. I imagined her being pregnant with my kid and not some fashion divas. Seems like we’re both having kids with the wrong person. Whitney had asked me to take the trash out and throw it down the chute, but because the universe for some reason hates me, the bag split open. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling - mumbling something about cheap-ass garbage bags - before getting on my knees to clean everything up.
Last Updated : 2021-09-20Claudette Reed 41| Selfish
I sat upright on the bed again and gawked at him. “Excuse me?”“You’re a selfish person,” he mumbled from under the pillow.I scoffed. “What would make you say such a thing?”He counted on his fingers as he listed his reasons. “You asked me to leave Whitney to be with you, you-”I snatched the pillow from above his head and snapped at him. “Look at me as you say these things.”“I really don’t want to…” He shook his head gently, still lying face-down on the bed.“Isaac Andrew Taylor, you look me in the eye!”He exhaled and turned so that he was on his side, propped up on his forearm as he looked at me. “Happy?”“No. Continue.”Isaac sighed and restated his first reaso
Last Updated : 2021-09-22Claudette Reed 42| We Knew
I stood there, frozen in shock at what just came out of my father’s mouth.“How- How did you…?”Mom closed her book and pushed herself off of leaning on dad and looked right at me. “There were certain parts of the company that I still have access to, Steph. The finance records are one of those things. We also know that the legal documents for the partnership have been sent out to be voided.”I tilted my head to the side. “You never said anything.” I then looked at my dad, who was still involved with his phone and acting as if he wasn't a part of this conversation.“We never said anything about it because we knew that you could handle it. And you did. You just handled it with the wrong person.”I stood there with my jaw slightly dropped as I looked back and forth at my parents. “This whole time you knew
Last Updated : 2021-09-22Claudette Reed 43| The Greene's Plan
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Last Updated : 2021-09-25Claudette Reed 44| Blame
A few weeks passed and things were going well with mom’s plan for a blowout sale to help the company’s financial crisis, but there was a headline one day that made the entire world come to a still.DOMINIC KNIGHT CLAIMS STEPHANIE GREENE CAUSED CAR ACCIDENT ON PURPOSE“What?!” I exclaimed moments later when I came back to my body. My jaw was on the floor and I looked up from my phone to my parents.We were seated at the table having breakfast when I was scrolling through my phone and found the headline.“What is it, hon?”I scrolled frantically through the article and answered my mom without looking up from the phone, “Dominic is blaming me for the accident!”Both of my parents stopped eating and gaped at me. “What? How could he do that?”“It says her
Last Updated : 2021-09-25Claudette Reed 45| Best Friends
Isaac and I went up to my room to hang out a little after I had calmed down from my crying fit to him. I was so happy that he was here that a lot of the tears shed were those of relief. Relief that he was okay, that he was here for me, that he still cared about me. After the last time I saw him, I had questioned all those things.He seemed awkward once we were in my room. I had sat down on the edge of my bed with a spot next to me for him, but he continued to stand there and fiddled with his hands for a minute as he looked around the room like it was his first time being here.As awkward as he was acting, he was as handsome as ever. He was freshly showered and shaven, he wore a flatteringly fitted navy t-shirt underneath his light, zippered jacket and dark wash jeans. If there’s anything the boy had learned from me and my family's business in fashion, it’s how to properly dress to show off his assets.
Last Updated : 2021-09-27Claudette Reed 46| For Your Silence
This time I was in the restaurant that I had first met Dominic in. I wore the same dress and we sat in the same place, only I had a bulging 9-month belly that took up the space between myself and the table.I looked around and saw out the windows that it was nighttime. The entire restaurant was deserted, not even staff cleaning tables or waiting at the front desk for more customers to arrive.Across from me at the table sat Dominic, the same he looked that very day in the suit that matched his dark hair and his piercing blue eyes staring back at me. The air was heavy and I found it hard to breathe being so close to him.It was like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - I couldn’t be near him without feeling as if he were going to kill me. My hands went protectively to my belly and I rubbed it gently, both reassuring myself and my unborn child that we were alright and that the bad man across the table w
Last Updated : 2021-09-27
Latest chapter
Claudette Reed 85| Bonus Chapter (Alternate Ending): Wedding
Whitney was put away after Ben found traces of her plotting with Dominic and Gwen, wanting to destroy Stephanie after she stole Isaac from her. Thanks to some good old fashion hacking of security footage that showed her purchasing the same green monster that was delivered to the Greene mansion, and some searching of phone records, she was arrested as an accessory and for conspiring.Eli and Isabella shared that they have secretly been an item for quite some time and are openly a couple now. It took Isaac a while to get comfortable with the idea, but he accepts their relationship and is enjoying seeing his mother so happy.He looked out at the rows of people and spotted them together, smiling at each other as Isabella adjusted his tie. There was an empty seat that separated them from Emma, who was speaking to Dylan, the ring bearer, about something before he was up. The Perry's were there as well; Emile and his parents Emmanuel an
Claudette Reed 84| Bonus Chapter (Alternate Ending): The Call
Both Isabella and Eli looked at Isaac in shock with their mouths slightly agape at this revelation and blunt truth that just escaped his lips. They stood there like statues for a long moment before responding to him.“I, uh… you… you got another threat?” Isabella asked Stephanie to clarify.She nodded her head. “Yes. We have Ben right now looking for the name of the person who declared Dominic DOA after the crash to see who could have possibly done this.”“Well shit,” Eli mumbled.Isabella had her lips parted in astonishment and her eyes were slightly wider than usual. “Well, do you have any suspects?”Isaac peered over at the small eight-year-old that was near Matthew and Emma but remained silent. Stephanie shook her head as her mind was still in a baffled, hazy state. Emma thought of Louisa, and Mat
Claudette Reed 83| Bonus Chapter (Alternate Ending): Isabella's
With the merriment of the day slipping away and the feeling of safety slowly withering, Isaac pitched the idea of heading to his mother’s house and spending the day there instead. With the lack of security detail on the Greene's mansion, no one protested leaving the place. After a phone call to Isabella, they each packed a bag and planned to spend the night over at her house. Stephanie, Isaac, and Micah would take Isaac's old room; Matthew and Emma would take the guest room, and Dylan so kindly offered to sleep on the couch. Isaac wasn’t too sure about this boy anymore. The devil’s spawn openly offers to sleep away from everyone else? Alone, on the ground level of the house? Since he became a father to Micah, whether biologically or not, he grew a new need to protect his family. It was more fierce than before. Before, he simply wanted to keep the people he loved safe; but now, it’s like a spark of fire in his veins that gets
Claudette Reed 82| Bonus Chapter (Alternate Ending): Doubt
After leaving Ben to his expert hacking to find the name of the person who identified Dominic’s body, Matthew returned to the living room with his wife, daughter, soon-to-be son-in-law, grandson, and newly adopted son Dylan.The room seemed to have gone still; the only noticeable movement and sound was the crackling fireplace. He glanced around at everyone to see them all lost in their own thoughts. His daughter was feeding his grandchild with a blanket draped over one shoulder for privacy. She looked under the blanket at her newborn with both adoration and worry.Isaac’s eyes were far off, almost seeming to be in another dimension with the lack of life in them. His wife’s eyes weren’t any more lively, though, and for a moment, Matthew regretted walking back in here without any good news. His heart skipped a beat once his wife turned her head to him, noticing him reappear in the corner of her eyes.
Claudette Reed 81| Bonus Chapter (Alternate Ending): Christmas
With Micah getting to come home just before Christmas, the entire family got to spend the holiday together. The family was in the living room on Christmas day exchanging gifts and taking turns holding the baby when the doorbell rang.*DING DONG*Everyone looked around the room at each other. It seemed like everyone was here. Who could be visiting?"Are you guys expecting anyone?" Stephanie asked her parents as her father got up to open the door.Her mother shook her head with a frown. "No, I have no idea who it could be."Stephanie was admiring her son in her arms when Matthew walked back to rejoin the group just a minute later. He stood next to Stephanie with a confused look."Who was it, dad?""No one was there. But this box was on the mat." He extended his hand to give her the small box. Step
Claudette Reed 80| Epilogue
The police came to the cabin, and an entire investigation began. It turns out, the remains found underneath the cabin belonged to a Dani Winter, who was Dominic's high school girlfriend. Her records showed that she had given birth to a baby boy on Dylans birthday, then disappeared shortly after, and they quickly put two and two together - leading them to investigating Gwen. Kay had been speaking with clients of hers, as she is a womens rights activist and only photographs females, and had come across a number of women to testify against Gwen. They said that they had gotten involved with Dominic romantically, but he would get aggressive, and his sister would cover it up for him and make up excuses. All of the women said that they felt she was dangerous. Also the mention of her obsession and protectiveness with Dylan was unsettling. Even Louisa testified and said that Dominic had threatened her boys lives if she hadn
Claudette Reed 79| The Death Cabin
The following day, it was confirmed at Dominic was the fatality in the crash, and it was reported to be an issue with the manufacturer of the car, so all rumors or claims against Stephanie were voided and her name was entirely cleared. The fact that she had her event and went into labor the same time as the wreck had also cleared her from any possible accusations of having something to do with his fatal crash as well. She learned of every person’s own original plan to destroy Dominic and felt so much love hearing that everyone was planning something different. Her parents shared that they were going to buy him out, and Stephanie felt relief that they no longer had to do that. She would have felt awful if her parents gave up everything, including her childhood home, to take him down. Besides, there was still the chance of backlash with that plan. Ben had heavily considered Matthew’s idea of wi
Claudette Reed 78| What Happens Now?
What did I want to happen to Gwen? I guess to answer that, I would need to know exactly what she had done before I tell them to lock her up. Maybe Ben and Isaac had learned that she wasn’t really Dylan's mom and we could start the search for his real mom? But what if his real mom was the woman in those dreams? The dead one, who was Dominic's high school sweetheart that he supposedly killed. “I don’t… I don’t know….” “It’s okay,” Isaac said as he pet my hair. “It’s been a long day, and you need to rest. We can talk about the rest later.” Too tired to argue, I merely nodded my head, and everyone slowly left the room. Except for Isaac, as I asked him to stay on the bed with me. We faced each other and looked at each other silently for a while. “I can’t believe you came,” I said as I stared into his hazel eyes. “It took me a while, but once I re
Claudette Reed 77| Revelations
Everyone gathered around the bed where Isaac and I lay together, baby Micah cradled between us. The doctors came in to take him to the NICU and make sure that everything was alright, and with parting words and kisses, I let them take him.Once gone, I nuzzle closer to Isaac, and he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head.“You named him after your brother,” my mom said with tears in her eyes and her chin quivering, her hand trying to hide her reaction. Dad held both her shoulders before hugging her from behind with a gentle smile on his lips.“Yes,” I responded. “Do you like it?”She threw her hand down and made a hmph sound as she answered, “Like it? I’m the one who picked it,” she and my dad both laughed. “We love the name. Thank you, baby.”It was past midnight now, and in the room
