I looked over at Michael as he dashed out of the car. I was confused as to why he had decided to return when he said he had something urgent to do.“Good afternoon, sir,” Bella greeted politely as Michael came up to us.Michael nodded his head in acceptance. He turned to me and asked, “What is going on?”"Nothing; the important question is why you are here. I thought you had an important meeting." I asked in a hushed tone, more like a whisper.“Change of plans; you are more important, and I blew it... All the plans I had and I just ruined them, please forgive me,” Michael said. Not to make things even more awkward than they already were with Seth's fiancée looking at us so lovingly and going on to ask Seth quietly if Michael and I were a couple.It didn’t seem like Seth wanted to respond, especially since we could hear them.I sighed. I was no longer feeling ecstatic about today, as it started great and has since gone downhill, and things just keep getting worse and worse.“Can we all
"Oh, thank you so much for having us tonight. It feels so great knowing Seth is being accepted here after all he has been through,” Bella commented, which made heads turn, especially mine. What has Seth especially been through?There was awkwardness as Seth tried to side-eye Bella before glancing over at Michael at the table. The two once again communicated with their eyes as Michael jumped to get rid of the awkward situation.“Thank you, Bella. Over here, we actually treat all our workers as family; isn’t that right, honey?” Michael said as he tried to pass the baton over to me to agree, but I was oblivious as I wasn’t used to him calling me honey; it was mostly my love, and besides, I wasn’t really paying much attention to them. "Scarlett..." He repeated it again.Vanessa nudged me at the side to be brought back to reality. “Of course,” I answered.“Is there something wrong?” Michael asked me in a rather low tone that only two of us could hear out of concern."Nothing, dear,” I repl
I went to bed right away after that disaster of a dinner that I caused. When I finally woke up, I felt relief and regret flush over me as I thought deeply about everything that I had done yesterday. Maybe I am in that time of the month.I was unexpectedly served coffee in the morning in my room. I could hear the shower sounds from the bathroom and knew it was Michael. I lazily got off the bed and stood on the terrace, where I saw Seth speaking to David. They both seemed to be discussing something serious.“Seth, Seth,” Bella's voice came on, and I scanned around to see where the voice came from. I only caught sight of her when she came into view as she approached Seth. She had on a black short and an oversized shirt, which I concluded belonged to Seth.Bella quickened her steps as she jumped on Seth, who was ready to receive her. Seth lifted her weight, placed both of Bella’s legs properly around his waist, and began kissing her. He left her lips and hugged her tightly.He whispered s
Seth quickly jumped into action the moment I told him it was an emergency and we needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible.I felt depressed, my entire body shivering as I thought of the worst instances that might have happened to Brianna. I knew it might not be as bad as I thought, and I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t.“Mrs. Thatcher… Mrs. Thatcher…” Seth called out to me softly; at first, I did not hear as my head remained clouded with harsh possibilities. “Mrs. Thatcher…”“Seth, is there anything you need?” I asked him, and he tried to turn and face me for a short time before facing the road. “You haven’t told me which hospital we are heading to,” Seth reminded me.“Oh no, I am so sorry." I quickly apologized as I searched my phone for Melissa’s message, in which she promised to send the hospital name for me. “Uhm, it is Hyacinth Teaching Hospital."“All right,” Seth said as I turned off the screen of my phone. As the traffic light signaled red and the car came to
“Please excuse me,” I said, walking away from the brewing debacle that was about to resurface. She soon followed me again, but this time for something different.“I hope you don’t hate that my husband is contesting for mayor as well. I think it is a free world, and this shouldn’t come between us,” Melissa said, and I smiled.“Of course not; this is politics. As long as we play fair, I am sure this will not come between us. Besides, I know how obsessed you are with me, and I know you only jump on this because you heard my husband was running and decided to push you old man into much stress." I calmly shaded her for her constant obsession with me.Melissa caught on easily as she tried to defend herself: “If you are bringing up William’s case, he just needed to change, and your son needed him too since he is clearly friendless."“What about you moving from the garden estate to join me at my estate, or what about you opening up a mall after mine got established? Everything for you feels l
Brianna sat up on the bed as she saw us gathered in the room. With a weak smile on her face, she had tried to welcome us. Her leg was cast due to the injury from the accident, and so was her neck as she was wearing a cervical collar. I was yet to be told what accident it was, but it seemed to have been pretty bad as she had bruises in a few places. “Brianna, I am so glad you are all right,” I exclaimed as I rushed to sit next to the side of her bed. I know I can dislike her sometimes for a host of reasons, but Brianna was the best person beside me in my heart, and she got this because of how she has stuck by me in times I did try to push her away. "Oh, now you care for her,” Melissa said, folding her arms. “Thank you all for coming to see me, Melissa, Louisa, and Miles." Brianna's smile increased as she said Miles name. She continued with that same energy. “Scarlett and my baby,” she said with much enthusiasm at the end as she opened her arms for Christian to jump in. "Brianna, dea
“So that is why you got me coffee,” I remarked with a grin at Seth’s statement that the weather has been cold today. “Is it still... oh, it is already cold,” I said, feeling the coffee in my hand.“I could get you another one; I didn’t even know the type of coffee you liked, so I got the one I preferred,” Seth said.“So which did you prefer?”“Caffe latte; it is written on the body with your name on it, Mrs. Thatcher." Seth rolled out my name with a teasing smile. I was shocked that we both liked the same coffee, but I wasn’t going to tell him that."Ah, good thing it is cold then. I would have loved an Americano, but a latte is like my second choice, so I will give you an E for effort,” I said playfully, trying to hide my laugh.“An E?” Seth stressed out, sounding disappointed, and it was more funnier that way. &l
Michael lifted me and made me sit on his lap as we went back to kissing again. I felt my body igniting those tingly sensations, but it wasn’t long-lasting; it kept coming and going at the same time, maybe because I had grown too tired of the kisses and wanted more from him.Michael slid his hand under my shirt while maintaining eye contact. He unclasped my bra, and I felt my nipple raise with the slight touch of his fingers. Michael took his time watching me plead with my eyes. I was on the verge of taking his hands and just making him grab them.At that same moment, Michael's phone vibrated from his pocket. He took it out, and on seeing the caller, he suddenly became serious. He held my lips to keep silent while he took the call.Whoever it seemed to be more important than me, I grew tired of waiting as I lost momentum and just slid my way out of his laps and sat on the chair. He hung up soon after, and by then I had
The minute I stepped foot into that place Michael called home for me and my children, it was the moment I lost all contact with Seth and the world. I never go anywhere without security following me around, monitoring my every movement and the things that I do, and making sure that they work according to my given schedule.Michael has gone insane.“Michael I am tired of all these.” I threw off my shoes and flung them out the window, and wherever they landed, I absolutely had no care for them. “I am tired!”“Then leave!” Michael screamed at my face as he slammed our room door, locking it shut. “I know you want his touch; you are doing all of these because you miss him, don’t you?”“For six months I haven’t seen him; I have adhered to every one of your demands and kept away from him; all I want is for you to sign the divorce papers and free me,” I say, moving away from him."Clearly, you don’t know that I won’t know such things, so act right and come down right now!” Michael yelled, and
“Carmela, hurry up; you are going to be late for school,” I screamed from the kitchen where I was packing up her lunch. When I didn’t hear anything from her, I went to knock on her door. The door pushed open as I held it. “Carmela.”“Mum, come take a look,” Carmela pointed at the two vehicles with security detail waiting in front of Seth’s apartment.“Ignore them,” I said to her before closing off the curtain. “Seth said he will drop you off at school before we head to the hospital to pick up your brother. Leo is finally returning home.”“Yay,” Carmela feigned excitement. “I am sure he is going to gain all of your attention now.” My forehead creased as I looked directly at her. I saw a small smile on her face. “I am kidding, mom. It is so easy to get to you. Make sure you give him all of the love for me.”“I think you should skip school today and come see him.”“And ruin my perfect record? No, I told you I would do better in school than Leo ever was,” Carmela said as she picked up her
“Why didn’t you tell me that Leo was alive? What was the need for keeping it away from me and from us?” Michael asked. Carmela had stared with the bitterness she had felt looking at her father this morning.“I did it so Brianna would confess,” I answered.“For fuck sake, Scarlett, if she had gotten arrested, she would have confessed either way; she killed our son, I mean almost,” Michael said as he moved back and forth.“And that is almost the reason he is alive today, Michael. I know Brianna was in her head yesterday, but she is not a bad person and still is my friend,” I acknowledged. “Everything she has done was to provide for her family; there is nothing wrong with that.”“By blackmailing you? Honey, have you gone mad? How can you call someone who has done all these things a friend? I pray she rots in jail for the sins she has caused you.” Michael pulled me and hugged me. I sniffed his shirt, and there was an unfamiliar scent—feminine, I would say.I already knew he had sex when h
A few talks with the officer were all I needed to get a name that I already knew. I couldn’t believe that the person I trusted so much about would have done this to me. I don’t deserve this. I may be a bad person, but I don’t deserve this at all.We drove over to my son’s murderer’s house as I begged for the police to let me speak to her personally; she is my friend after all.“She won’t harm me; Brianna already told me she would be waiting to speak to me,” I said, trying to convince the officer to wait.I knocked on the door of Brianna’s home, and it opened slightly, given that she hadn’t locked the door as she said she wouldn’t.“You came,” Brianna sat in the darkness of her home. I saw different weapons like a gun, a knife, and a couple of pills on the table. She said, “Don’t worry, they aren’t for you.”“I know,” I said. “You won’t harm me, Brianna.”“I hate you.” She said so simply as she whimpered silently, “You are so lucky; you have a good life, family, money , everything. I a
A heavy downpour of rain washed over Leo’s grave, and while everyone sought shelter from it, I stood there wondering how lonely it would be over there—no one to talk to, no food to eat—at least you wouldn’t have to study any more.My lips thinned as I exhaled deeply.There is no mother to tell you what you can and cannnot, how to live your life, or who you should be with.I kneeled down as I allowed the dirt to stain all over me, losing my mind at the thought that Leo was actually gone, like I would never get to see him again."Leo, I am sorry.” I cried out as all my pain weakened me. A snort came out of my nose as I continued to cry. It will take the intervention of everyone to leave my son’s at this point.I didn’t give him what he wanted and always found a way to make his life about Michael. I used him as a pawn to achieve Michael’s success, and I only started to feel sorry for it when he outgrew me.I never got to amend my relationship with my son; I never got to do that, and now
Seth was shocked as to where I had gotten such courage from. I mean, I was drunk in his scent and clearly wasn’t thinking properly, but his saying I should go ahead was where I understood he wanted it too."Seth, look at where we are. Do you think God will want to see that from two fornicators?” I asked, and Seth burst out laughing.“Fornicators? So that is who we are now. I have never felt sin be this good before. You think maybe he will forgive us so easily?” Seth asked as he looked around the chapel.“No, God doesn’t work that way, dear; you have to be remorseful and actually pay the price for the sin before he forgives, I think, but though he is merciful, his forgiveness doesn’t come cheap,” I said, smiling. “I also don’t think we should be this close.” I tried to push him further away while pulling him back at the same time.“Since we are fornicators?" Seth laughed, and the room fell into silence as he gazed at me ever so lovingly. “I know this is wrong, but I miss you,” he said
I visited the hospital frequently as if it were my home; I had to because Leo was yet to wake up and none of us knew exactly how he wound up at shore for that good man who was fishing to find him.Weeks after weeks, and though the doctors said he was responding to treatment and would probably wake up, there was still no sign of that happening, and now I am starting to become worried.For the first week, Leo’s health had been unstable. We received a lot of visitors at the hospital, but as the days pushed into weeks and then a whole month, everyone who we thought cared had soon forgotten and gone back to their own business.I hardly saw any of my friends around either; they were mostly focused on Laura for now, except for Melissa, and that is solely because she is Leo’s godmother; of course she has to be here along with her son.Even Rocky, whom I thought would be here every day, was also occupied, and I understand he has school and his mother to worry about, so maybe he can be excused
Silence, a void only one could hear and feel for themselves.“Scarlett, Sarlett, Scarlett.” They all called my name from different areas, but their voices never got to me.Could this be true? Could it be?My son is gone, and I am supposed to feel okay about it.I failed as a mother; I failed as his friend; and I failed as his world.When Leo needed me the most, I was never there for him. I don’t deserve happiness at all.My eyes closed as I allowed darkness to seep into me.*** **** ********* ********** ******* ****** ******* ****** ******* My eyes finally opened to see all of my loved ones gathered around my bed, with the beeping sound disturbing my hearing. I looked around, not saying anything. Where would I find the words?“Mum has woken up,” Carmela’s voice said out loud as everyone who was around the doctor soon came to me.“Darling,” Michael touched my face as he kissed my forehead. At first, I wondered why he was getting so affectionate until I saw who came as well.
~SCARLETT POV~Ambulance sirens blared as lots of body bags were being brought out and taken into the morgue one after the other, my hands shivering. I had already cried in the car. I can't help it now that I have seen Carmela in tears. She would need me to be strong for her, and I can’t help being weak in front of her.“Mum, why do horrible things always happen to us?” Carmela asked as she embraced me, her tears trickling down from her eyes to my shoulder as I stroked her back. “All will be fine, dear; we just have to identify the bodies; we have to hope your brother isn’t a part of it.”I was breaking down so badly; I was so occupied with myself that I never paid attention. God, I only ask for one thing, and that is for my son not to be a part of the dead bodies that drowned at sea.It was hard to pray because it was confirmed that Leo and Rocky were indeed on the guest list for the cruise and that they did attend.“Mrs. Thatcher,” The officer called as I turned, my heart beating ex