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Let's Not Pretend
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Dared to love Give Me Some Space
Lydia and Elena were shocked to hear that Lorraine knew.Immediately, Lydia tried to explain. She knew Lorraine had every reason to be mad but she was only trying to protect her friend's secret."Lorraine, we're sorry we couldn't tell you. It wasn't in our place to, Caterina wanted to keep it a secret and…","Save it, Lydia. Frankly, I must say I'm hurt. For fucks sake, we are friends! How could you all keep something this huge from me? Especially when you all presented me that family pack bullshit!","Do I even know you guys? Were any of it real? Or was it just to get the foreign girl to open up on how miserable her life had been?", Lorraine spoke softly, her voice starting to break.The girls remained unmoved, feeling deeply apologetic. Caterina however was expressionless, the entire time she had been sitting by the chair in the corner, overlooking the whole thing unfolding."Of course it was real. We care about you deeply", "If you cared about me as much as you say, you wouldn't h
Dared to love Living Together
As they arrived at the mansion, Lorraine is astonished by its architecture. Clay walked around, opened the passenger seat door for her, and then walked to the trunk and brought out her boxes.Lorraine was still stunned by the luxurious elegance of the home so much she hoped she had known about it earlier, she probably wouldn't have moved into the dormitory if there was another place she could stay.Clay walked in front and pushed open the massive wooden door and when Lorraine walked inside, she found the exterior pale in comparison to the stunning finishing she was staring atTurning sharply towards her husband, she asked"How long have you had this place?", "About five years" Clay replied absentmindedly and continued rolling the suitcase upstairsLorraine walked around, getting a feel of her new home. This was a sudden change for her, but she welcomed the idea of living with Clay. Being in the States, they had not gotten to live together for long or without the fear of the paparazz
Dared to love Ms. Lorraine, We Need To Talk
Mrs Hughes was still setting up her projector when the door pushed open and suddenly her attention was caught.Her eyes widened in shock as she gazed at Clay. With slow approaching steps, she felt drawn like a moth to a flame. "Mr…Mr Winston" she stuttered, starstruck by his presence "Hello," Clay said and extended his hand for a shake. She reached for his hand, but when he extended it, she grabbed his forearm instead.Lorraine threaded her fingers up through her hair, this was exactly why she did not care to have Clay over in Italy.This was his second day here and he was already hawking attention and capturing the admiration of the woman probably every student in the school tried to get on the good side of.Lorraine rolled her eyes in the back of her head and thought "Oh great, another fan""I-I…" Mrs Hughes swallowed. Or tried. Actually, her mouth had gone dry and she wished she had taken a swig of her bottle of water before walking over.Lorraine leaned slightly backwards distur
Dared to love Change of Plans
Reluctantly, Lorraine heaved a sigh and followed Mrs Hughes. They walked quietly towards her office, but a few dreadful thoughts kept Lorraine's mind active.Before they got to Mrs Hughes's office, she stopped to interact with a colleague and Lorraine continued along.Suddenly, she spotted Mrs Francesca waiting by the door.Mrs Francesca's unexpected appearance had caused a stir of panic within Lorraine.She had run out of her fundraiser after being introduced as her prized students, no less to attract the funding of the generous investors and business elites that swarmed the party.More and more, she was beginning to feel she was a poster child for funding in the school, but it wasn't her biggest concern now. When she saw Francesca, worry started to gnaw at her. Lorraine wasn't the best at hiding her uneasiness as Francesca was. It was clear that her storming out last night had probably caused a poor image to the president of the school.With hesitant steps, she approached Mrs Franc
Dared to love I Was once You
Hastily, Mrs Hughes ran towards Lorraine and helped her sit upright"Are you alright?" She asked in shock"I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded, that's all" Lorraine said sharply clenching her teeth and breathing out softly through her mouth.Mrs Hughes got up and walked back towards her dispenser and fetched her a cup of water"Here take this. It'll help with the cramps" She said vaguely but with a knowing look. Lorraine was momentarily shocked but decided to play it cool and not to give herself away"Thank you, it's that time of the month," she said playfully and cracked a laughMrs Hughes gazed at her still with a knowing look and forced a smile"Sure", she said sensing Lorraine's reluctance to admit the truth to her.She could understand how difficult it was being a new mother, especially one who had to go through school with the pregnancy. Suddenly, she stood up and walked away from Lorraine, reaching her desk she pulled out her drawer, brought out a small picture frame and plac
Dared to love Things I'd Rather Not Talk About
DeAngelo strode past a couple of girls chittering as they saw him. With a glance, he knew they were talking about him, and confirmed it by how smitten they were when he feigned a smile in their direction.This was usually the kind of attention that fueled his ego. But today's atmosphere had been different for him. When he woke up this morning, he felt a heavy sadness engulf him.He had gone back to the bar after Lorraine shot him down. Now clear-headed and sober, he knew he had to apologize. Francesca had told him that she needed to see him with the new student Lorraine to go over the new arrangement for the Art Convention. He didn't want to go, but after giving it some deep thought, he decided to confront his fears and attend the meeting.But as he approached Mrs. Hughes's office, he saw Lorraine briskly walking out and his first instinct was to go after her, but then suddenly something held him back. He stopped mid-stride and gazed at her as she walked away and a sudden sadness
Dared to love Soliloquy
DeAngelo stormed away. Lydia had struck a nerve. He just wanted to get through the day not worrying about anything that had to do with Lorraine, but he was surrounded by everything that reminded him of her. He needed to get away.The warehouse was on the other end of campus and walking there on foot would be exhausting, so he quickly pulled out his phone and used the campus' ride-hailing app to get around.A few moments later, the car pulled in front of him and he got in and gave the driver the directionThe ride was quiet, just as he had wanted. This was the first time he could take the time to process his thoughts.When he arrived at the warehouse, he immediately got a flashback of the last time he was here with Lorraine but he shook the intrusive thought away and groaned in frustration "Why can't I forget her!" He bellowed at the vast space of the warehouseAnd then spotted an image of a dog he painted a while ago. With calculated steps, he slowly approached the dog, staring deep
Dared to love Talk To Him
Lorraine's painting of a mural of a pregnant woman was ethereal. It infused the natural concept of pregnancy and the birth of a child with the growth of a crsytalized stream with rainbow locs, using the roots of a tree as the womb and a woman painting in a hue of leaves and a tree.DeAngelo had never seen art like this before. He had to admit, he underestimated her and the more he stared at the painting, the more he saw how talented she was and suddenly his desire to paint with the genius behind that work grew.Suddenly, he started to feel a strange calm as he reflected upon her art and immediately, he brought out his phone and quickly dialed Lorraine's number. DeAngelo suddenly felt the urge to apologize to her. The phone rang for a few moments and when she finally picked up and said 'hello' his heart stopped and nervously he ended the call.DeAngelo could not figure out what just happened. 'That wasn't embarrassing at all' he scolded himself and quickly thought up a way to salvage
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Dared to love The Memorabilia Gallery
It was a Saturday morning, exactly two weeks after the funeral, the morning air felt blissful as it sieved in through the open windows of their bedroom. Lorraine had moved back in with Clay and finally, they were living together as a couple. Earlier that week, Lorraine and Clay had renewed their vows and had a small ceremony, publicly announcing their marriage to the media. After everything that had happened, they figured that they wouldn't let anything else come in the way of them being together as a family. There was no reason to anymore.Clay had won over his family's affection, and Lorraine had reached the zenith of her career independently without Clay's help. She finally felt fulfilled and no longer felt belittled by being married to a man as famous, wealthy and influential as Clay Winston.Lorraine woke up that morning and found Clay still sleeping peacefully beside her lips parted in a smile.Slowly, she slid out under his arm, stood up and walked towards Edith's crib. Seein
Dared to love Her name will be...
Lorraine was appalled upon hearing her father tell her Jordan's funeral was the next day."Dad what do you mean his funeral is tomorrow?", she asked seeking confirmation "We don't think we should keep it for long, so we're going to do something small and intimate. Only a few friends and family" Elaine interjected sharplyLorraine was not satisfied with the arrangements, but this was her brother's funeral and she did not particularly want to argue. The faster Jordan was buried, the quicker she could mourn him and try to move on.Just then, Clay walked in and when he saw Lorraine, he hurriedly marched towards her and pulled her into a deep hug"How are you? How is she?" He asked with concern, and at this time her parents realized they had not asked about their grandchild"She's fine, she's healthy" Lorraine replied hastily and immediately her mother gasped in shock and covered her mouth, crying softly"Lorraine I'm so sorry I didn't ask. How is my grandchild?" She asked with curiosity.
Dared to love Home
Leaving a letter for Mrs Hughes was a lot easier to do, but here Lorraine was standing face to face with DeAngelo and couldn't find the words to say goodbyeDeAngelo sat on the stone bench outside, gazing at her quizzically, wondering why she had showed up unannounced after ignoring his calls and messages.After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he asked with concern "Lorraine what's going on? Did you have a safe delivery?" "No, I mean yes, I did. The baby is fine, she's with the girls now" she replied sharply and then sucked in a quick breath and said"I came to say goodbye""Goodbye?" DeAngelo asked reflexively, stunned "You're leaving?" He added still in shockLorraine glanced at his face and said meekly "Yes. My family needs me" She said vaguely and paused. Shifting her gaze to DeAngelo's face, she saw that he still needed more context and hesitantly she said "My brother died yesterday. I'm going back home for the funeral and to be with my parents through it""I don't thin
Dared to love First Goodbye
The next day, Lorraine woke up to the sound of her beeping alarm. Opening her eyes, she groaned in exhaustion and the reality that her brother was now dead sank in again and the weight of it kept her under her sheets.Today was going to be her last day in Italy, and she never imagined this was the feeling she'd be leaving with.Having always known it would be tough to leave, she always believed it wouldn't feel that hard when she finally got back home to see the faces of everyone she loved. But now Grandma Edith was gone, and so was her brother.Lorraine tried so hard not to cry, but could no longer hold the tears that stifled in her eyes and at that time, she heard a faint knock on her door.Quickly, she got up, wiped the tears away and said "Come in" The doors swung open and revealed Caterina leaning pensively against the wall with a tired look on her face"Good morning" she uttered softly. The girls had spent all night taking turns to watch over the baby and as a result did not ge
Dared to love Grief
Lydia and the girls were outside the hospital when Dr Ivan approached them. Elena was the first to spot her and immediately hurried towards her "Is she alright doctor?" She asked frantically A small smile plastered on the doctor's face as she replied "Yes, she is. They both are""Why don't you go in? A nurse will come to take the baby away soon" She nudged and walked away. Instantly, the girls rushed inside the delivery room and saw Lorraine with a baby carefully wrapped in her palms. At first sight, they were all in awe by the view, but then when they moved closer, Caterina noticed that she was crying.At first, she assumed that Lorraine was just excited to have her baby. Slowly, with light footsteps, Caterina approached Lorraine and when she saw the baby, she gaped in awe."She's so beautiful," Caterina said softly. Lydia and Elena were on the opposite side of the bed staring at the baby, but suddenly they noticed Lorraine's sullen expression."Lorraine?" Caterina called on seein
Dared to love Giving Birth
"What?!" Caterina exclaimed I'm excitement. Immediately, she stood up and went over to Lorraine, helping her to her feet, and grabbed their papers "Ladies, what is going on here?" Mrs Hughes said authoritatively, seeing the girls disrupt her examination atmosphere."Ma'am Lorraine needs to go to the hospital, she's having a baby" Caterina replied helping Lorraine down the stairs. At that time, Lydia and Elena instantly got up and followed.When they reached the front of the hall, Mrs Hughes walked over to them and got the papers. She then leaned towards Lorraine and said with a gleeful smile "Congratulations. Do not worry about the examination, I'll take care of it" The girls rushed to the SUV and brought it around immediately. Caterina helped Lorraine into the backseat and in a few moments, they were off to the hospital.The engine roared through the highway. Luckily, Lorraine already had the number of the doctor who attended to her when she was pregnant, Lydia quickly retrieved he
Dared to love Final Papers
It was a week after the Art Convention ended. When Lorraine returned to the school, she was graced by a grand welcome, while some people were not happy that her honest speech could ruin the chances of their school winning, they ultimately admired her courage and what she did for them.That morning, Lorraine woke up and for the first time ever, she didn't feel the need to conceal her pregnancy. Pretty much, the entire school knew of it by now and it felt free.Spring was almost over, and it was hard for her to bid it farewell, much harder cause this was her last semester in the Art School before she'd have to return home.Lorraine had fallen in love with the city and its people, the different lovely personalities, their food, boat rides and most especially, the friends she had made.The thought of going back home was not quite as exciting as she thought it'd be. Over here, she felt like she was with people who spoke her language, people who understood the struggles of what it means to
Dared to love Lorraine, You're Art
The judges settled around 9:15 that morning, and shortly after the second round of the competition began. As usual, Davio Art School went first, their representative was a girl who was already shaking in her boots when she was called to the stage.Lorraine sat pensively, observing and studying the reactions, expressions and patterns which the judges used to examine artworks. In her head, she had cooked up a plan, but this would only work if she could find their emotional trigger and find a way to use it against their rules."Next up, Faun's Art School!" The announcer called. Grace was sitting beside Lorraine trying to trash talk and put her out of her game. She smirked as she stood up and walked to the stage. At that point, Lorraine's confidence was too high to be threatened. There was something more important at stake to be disturbed by what some posh art school girl thought of her.Grace took the stage and the timer began, thirty minutes! Thirty minutes to come up with something d
Dared to love A Way Out
The day was bright and sunny. However, Lorraine woke up feeling clouded in her head. She had made a bold decision yesterday night to forfeit the award and the certificates that came with it, but now she wasn't so sure anymore.Her career's future and everything she ever wanted and worked hard for hung on that decision. She sat up and shook her head, dismissing the thoughts then walked into her kitchen and made herself something to eat.She needed a clear headspace to think, but just then she was interrupted by a knock on her door. Groaning in frustration, she marched towards it and opened it aggressively "What?!" And immediately regretted gee outburst"Mrs Hughes..." she blurted in shock"Good morning Lorraine," the lady said and brushed past her, entering her room. Lorraine remained frozen at the door for a few moments, then closed it and turned to Mrs Hughes. "Sorry ma'am, but what are you doing here so early?" She asked Mrs Hughes turned to her with a proud smile and said, "I c
