(Dean)I'm seated at my office, flipping through a document, I tried to stay focused but I'm really not feeling it.I've instructed Humphrey to call my PR team to clean this up immediately and luckily they've been able to hold things down for now.Hopefully we don't draw more attention to the situation, the gossip will die down with time too.And as for Eric, we'll meet again.All in all, I should be a lot calmer right?But heck I'm not. I still have a bigger fish to fry.Bella, the twins, their paternity, the reason why she's been hiding them, the pills, my sudden confliction, all of it.Surely, I'll get to the root of this.As I shuffle nonchalantly through the pages of the document Humphrey had brought in earlier, a woman's angry voice cuts through the silence. "Where is Dean?"I recognize that voice instantly. It's Mom.She must've seen the news, such things doesn't get past her.I shrug back to my chair, waiting for her to stride in.The door burst open and Mom storms in angrily
(Dean)The room falls silent, Ethan's words hanging in the air. I just stilled, letting his words sink in.I don't know but the thought of seeing Bella with Calvin, losing her to him, the fear of it, it makes my stomach twist, it leaves my heart feeling empty.But then, I'm still confused about a whole lot of things.My mind's a jumbled mess.I look at Ethan, my expression softens completely. "You remember the little boy from the mall, the twins?" I ask, holding Ethan's gaze.He shrugs. "Yeah, I do. What about them?" He asked, eyebrows raised.I swallow hard. "Bella's their birth Mom," I say, my voice strained.Ethan tilts his head, his eyes wide open. "Huh?" He exclaims, his eyes darting on me, he has a look of disbelief registered on his face. "Bella has kids?"I nod. "Yeah, she does," I reply, the words as simple as it sounds, feels so heavy in my mouth. "I'm just so—- confused," My shoulders slumps. Ethan narrows his eyes at me, studying my expression carefully and then he says i
(Ashley)As Dean disconnects the call, a smile creeps up my face, I cross my legs, taking a sip of my wine."Don't tell me you're going ahead with this?" Evelyn, my friend asked, her eyes fixed on me in disbelief.I smirk. "What do you think?" I wink, swirling my glass, the thought of having Dean wrapped around my fingers brings an undeniable joy to me.The thing is, I've been following Dean for quite some time now. He wouldn't talk to me, pick my calls nor return them.It's so clear that Bill doesn't want me but he doesn't have a choice here, I'm going to be by his side and that's it.I didn't relent in following him and then one day, I saw him talking with that bitch openly, it made me so furious, so angry that it almost knocks the breath out of me.It felt like I couldn't measure up to her, no matter what I do.I've done literally everything to get to Bill but none of them has ever worked.But then again, I've come too far to back down, not now, not ever.So, I knew if I didn't wan
(Bella)Two days has passed since the ridiculous stunt Dean pulled at the restaurant. I swear, he's beginning to get on my last nerves.But I did tell him off, and I don't know if that'd make him stop. I doubt this few days respite will last that long. Dean's never easily deterred.I also need to work through the feelings that have stirred up deep inside me.But right now, I can only hope he stays away and stop bothering me.Calvin on the other hand. Well, he's been there. And every damn time I look into his eyes, I see the curiosity in them, but he didn't ask about what Dean said that night.Maybe he just didn't know how to, or he doesn't want to pry. Or perhaps he's waiting for me to open up about it.And thankfully, there hasn't been any meeting scheduled for the project with Brenco. The air feels lighter without Dean throwing taunts around, at least for now.So, we have a new client on board and the weird, well not so weird thing is that this client said he'd only commit after a d
(Bella)Judy is trouble, her presence is imposing and unsettling. And that brings me to my question.Why's she here?On the surface, Judy Brennan was a vision of perfection, with every detail of her appearance meticulously refined, from her thousand-dollar outfit, her rehearsed smile, down to her annoying serene posture. But looks can be deceiving, there's more to someone than meets the eye.Things aren't always as they seem.I hold her gaze and there's a smile on her face, a rehearsed smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.My nerves are a little short and for a second I consider turning back but then again, I don't have to give Judy the upper hand, I'd rather not have her think she has me worried.My heart ramps up but I'm not going to show weakness.I take a deep breath and walk up confidently to the table, my gait smooth and fluid.I take a seat. "Really?" I spat, keep my voice down. "Setting up a client's profile just to get me here?" I say in a low and distasteful tone.Her smi
(Dean)So, it's Friday evening, the day Ashley had asked to come over to my house and talk things out.Personally, I'd prepared myself for tonight, because something deep inside me tells me that Ashley can't just accept rejection without a fuss, her response almost sounds like there's an ulterior motive behind it.Well, tonight I'd know."It's all set," Ethan says, his voice cutting through my thoughts. I take a quick sip of my drink before turning to face him."Thanks man," I say earnestly, and almost on cue, the doorbell rings, Ethan and I share a look, he has a smirk as he shrugs into the couch."I guess it's time," I say with a grin, raising my glass of wine. Gently, I bring it down and head out of the guest room to get the door.I get to the door, and take a quick look through the peephole. Ashley's standing there, a bottle of champagne in hand.Without hesitating any further, I hold the doorknob and slide it open, revelling Ashley.Her face breaks into a fake smile, one that bel
(Bella)"You were a whore Bella and you're still a whore. Jezz, what was I thinking?" Dean lashes out angrily as he threw pictures of me around the room.I haven't seen Dean this angry, it scares me to the pit of my stomach."I swear, Dean. This is all a lie, a mistake, a conspiracy," I wail, on my knees as I beg him to listen to me just this once."Shut the fuckk up, Bella. I'm done listening to you," he seethes. "My mom was right all along, a pig will always remain a pig," he spits the words out, like venom, unfiltered.My heart aches hearing those harsh words from him.Tears stream down my cheeks as I sobbed, but those tears doesn't move Dean, not anymore.My once loving husband, who stood his ground that I was his soulmate, who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, against his family.He didn't care about their opinion of me.A stripper, an exotic dancer but none of that mattered to Dean. He loved me and married me against all odds."You still crave that life. Don't you?"
(Bella)My heart bleeds as I watch Dean storm off.He's asking for a divorce, just like that?How did we get here?How did my life turn into a living nightmare in one day?Those pictures, I mutter reaching out to them and picking them up one after the other.Four different men that I've never seen.It looks so real but I don't remember coming in contact with any of this men, not in my past and definitely not now.Something is fishy but I can't seem to place my hand on what it is.Whoever is behind this, just wants to break me and Dean apart.But I won't let them."No," the word slips out of my mouth. "I won't give up on us just like that, I'm going to fight for my man, my marriage, what I have with Dean is worth fighting for,." I say, my voice firm as I dust myself up.How do I go about it?Dean is so angry, I doubt if he'd ever listen to what I have to say.I need someone that can talk to Dean.But who?His mother?I scoff at myself. Judy is the last person I should think of.She has
(Dean)So, it's Friday evening, the day Ashley had asked to come over to my house and talk things out.Personally, I'd prepared myself for tonight, because something deep inside me tells me that Ashley can't just accept rejection without a fuss, her response almost sounds like there's an ulterior motive behind it.Well, tonight I'd know."It's all set," Ethan says, his voice cutting through my thoughts. I take a quick sip of my drink before turning to face him."Thanks man," I say earnestly, and almost on cue, the doorbell rings, Ethan and I share a look, he has a smirk as he shrugs into the couch."I guess it's time," I say with a grin, raising my glass of wine. Gently, I bring it down and head out of the guest room to get the door.I get to the door, and take a quick look through the peephole. Ashley's standing there, a bottle of champagne in hand.Without hesitating any further, I hold the doorknob and slide it open, revelling Ashley.Her face breaks into a fake smile, one that bel
(Bella)Judy is trouble, her presence is imposing and unsettling. And that brings me to my question.Why's she here?On the surface, Judy Brennan was a vision of perfection, with every detail of her appearance meticulously refined, from her thousand-dollar outfit, her rehearsed smile, down to her annoying serene posture. But looks can be deceiving, there's more to someone than meets the eye.Things aren't always as they seem.I hold her gaze and there's a smile on her face, a rehearsed smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.My nerves are a little short and for a second I consider turning back but then again, I don't have to give Judy the upper hand, I'd rather not have her think she has me worried.My heart ramps up but I'm not going to show weakness.I take a deep breath and walk up confidently to the table, my gait smooth and fluid.I take a seat. "Really?" I spat, keep my voice down. "Setting up a client's profile just to get me here?" I say in a low and distasteful tone.Her smi
(Bella)Two days has passed since the ridiculous stunt Dean pulled at the restaurant. I swear, he's beginning to get on my last nerves.But I did tell him off, and I don't know if that'd make him stop. I doubt this few days respite will last that long. Dean's never easily deterred.I also need to work through the feelings that have stirred up deep inside me.But right now, I can only hope he stays away and stop bothering me.Calvin on the other hand. Well, he's been there. And every damn time I look into his eyes, I see the curiosity in them, but he didn't ask about what Dean said that night.Maybe he just didn't know how to, or he doesn't want to pry. Or perhaps he's waiting for me to open up about it.And thankfully, there hasn't been any meeting scheduled for the project with Brenco. The air feels lighter without Dean throwing taunts around, at least for now.So, we have a new client on board and the weird, well not so weird thing is that this client said he'd only commit after a d
(Ashley)As Dean disconnects the call, a smile creeps up my face, I cross my legs, taking a sip of my wine."Don't tell me you're going ahead with this?" Evelyn, my friend asked, her eyes fixed on me in disbelief.I smirk. "What do you think?" I wink, swirling my glass, the thought of having Dean wrapped around my fingers brings an undeniable joy to me.The thing is, I've been following Dean for quite some time now. He wouldn't talk to me, pick my calls nor return them.It's so clear that Bill doesn't want me but he doesn't have a choice here, I'm going to be by his side and that's it.I didn't relent in following him and then one day, I saw him talking with that bitch openly, it made me so furious, so angry that it almost knocks the breath out of me.It felt like I couldn't measure up to her, no matter what I do.I've done literally everything to get to Bill but none of them has ever worked.But then again, I've come too far to back down, not now, not ever.So, I knew if I didn't wan
(Dean)The room falls silent, Ethan's words hanging in the air. I just stilled, letting his words sink in.I don't know but the thought of seeing Bella with Calvin, losing her to him, the fear of it, it makes my stomach twist, it leaves my heart feeling empty.But then, I'm still confused about a whole lot of things.My mind's a jumbled mess.I look at Ethan, my expression softens completely. "You remember the little boy from the mall, the twins?" I ask, holding Ethan's gaze.He shrugs. "Yeah, I do. What about them?" He asked, eyebrows raised.I swallow hard. "Bella's their birth Mom," I say, my voice strained.Ethan tilts his head, his eyes wide open. "Huh?" He exclaims, his eyes darting on me, he has a look of disbelief registered on his face. "Bella has kids?"I nod. "Yeah, she does," I reply, the words as simple as it sounds, feels so heavy in my mouth. "I'm just so—- confused," My shoulders slumps. Ethan narrows his eyes at me, studying my expression carefully and then he says i
(Dean)I'm seated at my office, flipping through a document, I tried to stay focused but I'm really not feeling it.I've instructed Humphrey to call my PR team to clean this up immediately and luckily they've been able to hold things down for now.Hopefully we don't draw more attention to the situation, the gossip will die down with time too.And as for Eric, we'll meet again.All in all, I should be a lot calmer right?But heck I'm not. I still have a bigger fish to fry.Bella, the twins, their paternity, the reason why she's been hiding them, the pills, my sudden confliction, all of it.Surely, I'll get to the root of this.As I shuffle nonchalantly through the pages of the document Humphrey had brought in earlier, a woman's angry voice cuts through the silence. "Where is Dean?"I recognize that voice instantly. It's Mom.She must've seen the news, such things doesn't get past her.I shrug back to my chair, waiting for her to stride in.The door burst open and Mom storms in angrily
(Dean)I barely slept last night, my mind's been a mess, I can't seem to hold it down, Bella's words, Humphrey's revelation.It's all stuck in my head, refusing to back off.I don't understand.How is it even possible that Bella has not just a kid but twins and I didn't know?If it was anyone else that told me about this, I'd have doubted it but then it's Humphrey and he sent me evidence to back this up, the full details of Bella when she moved in and true to his words, she's their mother.But it baffles me that I'm just finding out, I must say, she did a fantastic job hiding them.But then again, who's the lady with the little boy at the mall?There's just so much questions running through my head.Javier, the name escapes my mouth as my brain works overtime.Now, it makes so much sense.The resemblance, the sudden connection ever since I laid my eyes on him, my curiosity, it's not just about me liking kids.It's something more, something deeper.Wait.The twins couldn't have been mo
(Dean)Calvin blinks as realization hits him, his expression twists but that reaction doesn't linger on for too long.Bella's face contorts in rage instantly, she looks at me fiercely with a note of disbelief. "Stop with the BS, Dean!" She snaps, taking a step closer, she seems more annoyed than anything, her eyes are narrowed at me, emitting an intense anger, a side of her I've never seen. "I'm no one's wife," she declared, her voice sharp.Hearing her say that straight to my face without a care in the world, undoes something in me.My jaw tightens. "You think this is a joke?" I seethe, my eyes pinned on her. "We're not officially divorced and what you're doing right now," I say, pointing between her and Calvin. "Is damn wrong but it's not like being faithful has ever been your strong suit anyways," I mocked, my voice a deep coating of sarcasm.A chuckle slips out of Bella's mouth, a dry, humourless sound. My frustration boils over, and for a moment I wonder if I've said anything funn
(Bella)I walk Calvin to the door after a casual visit.To be honest, I've been thinking a whole lot lately, Judy and Ashley's threat, Dean's revelation, it's been on my mind.Calvin turns as soon as he steps out of the door, facing me with a concerned look etched on his face. "Is there something on your mind, something you want to talk to me about? You've been too quiet lately," Calvin asks, holding my gaze.I shake my head slightly and forced a smile. "No Calvin, I'm fine." That's not true but I want it to be.Calvin holds my gaze for a second longer, I'm not sure he's convinced but then he drops it, much to my relief.He lets out a breath and replied. "Okay. Let's have dinner together tonight," he offered.I'm about to find a nice way to turn him down, my mind's unease to hang out right now.Calvin's voice comes through again, a lot softer this time. "Please don't say no, Bella. It's just my own little way of cheering you up," he retorts, offering a warm smile.I look at him, and h