After twenty minutes of driving, Arthur parks the car in front of Campbell Hospital, the tires screeching slightly as he comes to an abrupt stop. Without a second thought, he throws the door open and steps out, Bethany following beside him in equal pacing. The chilly night air bites at their faces, but neither of them seems to notice. “Fifth floor, thank you.” Arthur says curtly after speaking to the receptionist, his voice tense with urgency. He presses the elevator button repeatedly, as if sheer force will make it arrive faster. Bethany stays quiet beside him, her hands clutched tightly around her purse. The sight of Arthur’s clenched jaw and furrowed brow makes her heart ache, but she knows this isn’t the time to offer comfort. There is a difference between loathing people and wishing them evil. She won't wish such as suicide on even her enemy, not even her enemy's daughter. Even though has been evil to her in the past, she did not look anything like someone who would take her ow
Knock Knock.“Please come on in.” Henderson invites Chara inside his office, motioning her to a seat. “Thank you for taking on that work in such short notice. How do you like your team? Are they fit to work with?”“I think some are a bit rough around the edges and will need discipline, but they are doing pretty good. Is there an important thing I need to hear or some news I need to know? I’m getting some weird feelings about getting called to your office twice in a row as soon as I resume work.”Henderson sighs, stifling a laugh. “Yes. Please read this.” He extends his phone to her and she takes it from him, reading the message.Her eyes cloud over. “Who sent this?”“I received it yesterday from Campbell Hospital and apparently, from the Managing Director, Mason Campbell. He seemed to have some reserves about the work yesterday. I did not peg him for the picky type though. I mean, you took care of a troublemaker for him, that should be more than enough to be grateful for.”Chara holds
In front of Campbell Corporation, Arthur parks the car after driving here to drop Bethany off at work. He kisses her right hand. “I have not forgotten about our honeymoon, far from it. I just don’t hate my sister enough to ignore her when she is in such pain as a time such as this.”Bethany smiles. “Even I would consider it weird if you decide to ignore her at a time when she needs you like this. My heart breaks for her. I cant imagine having to go through something like that.”“Our children will never.” Arthur reassures her. “I’ll head to the hospital after filing another case at the same one where they had filed the missing one. They will be able to start their investigations from the point where she had been found.”Bethay nods. “You should get going. I’ll head inside as well. I’ll come over there after work.”“Just give me a call, I’ll come pick you up.”“Alright then. I love you.” Bethany says with a small smile.Arthur chuckles. “I love you till the end of time.” He responds, wa
Sienna, the mistress, paces around her small apartment, her movements deliberate and a bit calculative as she bites her inner cheeks, it has all come to a head. John’s message from the night before flashes on her phone screen, the same way she had been checking it every minute since it had delivered some six hours before. “Move out. I’m selling the place. We’ll talk later. Don’t call.” She stares at the words again and again, her lips pressing into a thin line. That’s it? After everything, this is how he decides to end it? “You’re more predictable than I thought.” She mutters to herself, resting her hand on her chin. For two years, two whole years, she has played her role perfectly as John’s hidden mistress, tucked secretly away from his world of wealth and family. She has been patient, knowing fully well that her time will come. But now, he is trying to discard her? As if she is nothing? He doesn’t realize what she’s really here for, does he? Of course, he is too dense to know.
“Ma’am, we have some visitors.” Jade announces, a look of wariness on her face.Bethany sighs in relief. “I have been expecting them. Let them in.”Whipping her hair into one long ponytail with her hand, she uses the other to tie a hair band around it, holding it above her head, ready for business against the bullies that just arrived.Just then, the glass doors open and a total of six people, including Kevin walks in.“Its nice to see you ma’am.” Kevin greets sarcastically.“The feeling is not mutual. Why are you in my office? You are disrupting the peace of my workplace, just like you did two days ago. How can I help you today?”“I brought some people who can help me. These are top lawyers from the best company in the state. I have filed the case and I decided to bring them along with me so we can serve you the summons to court.”“Well, I have work to do. Where is it?” Bethany inquires, pushing her chair back and crossing her legs. She holds out her hand.“You’re not even bothered?
Sienna’s phone vibrates on the table, the vibration cutting through the silence of the room. She glances down, her eyes settling on the message.He has sent the number.Daisy Worth’s number.“It’s finally here.” Her fingers tap the phone number, then it shows up in the call button. She just needs to dial now. All that can be ruined with one, single call.“This is it, this is all for you, Mum.”But just as she’s about to make the call, the phone lights up with another notification again, it’s a call. It’s a completely different number flashing across the screen. She stares at it for a moment, her breath catching in her throat, the feelings she had hidden for so long rearing at the surface.Grandma.Her heart tightens at the sight of the name. She hasn’t spoken to her grandmother in over three years. Not since she left Rewland, the small town that held her past. That held a life she had long since buried, doing all her possible best to fit into the city life, even getting read of that d
The sound of footsteps echo in the entrance of the supposedly empty washroom as a random woman enters, heading toward the sink. She halts abruptly when she sees Daisy, collapsed on the floor, her body limp and motionless.For a moment, the woman freezes in shock, her hand flying to her mouth before she lets out a shrill scream.“Oh my God! Somebody, help! Please, someone help!” She shouts, her voice cracking as panic surges through her. She rushes to Daisy’s side, kneeling down and shaking her lightly but the unconscious woman does not budge, her phone on the floor by her head.“Ma’am? Ma’am, can you hear me?” Her hands tremble as she gently taps Daisy’s cheek, but there’s no response. Her breathing grows erratic, and she fumbles for her phone, her fingers trembling so much that she nearly drops it.She, obviously, is a very panicky woman.“Come on, come on…” She mutters under her breath, dialing the hospital’s emergency line with frantic urgency. As the phone rings, she glances down a
Daisy rushes out of the room as if a fire has been lit in the room where she is supposed to be resting. Her body aches with exhaustion, but she barely notices. Her mind is completely focused on Quinn, her precious girl, who is now awake. Nothing else matters. She ignores the twinge in her limbs, the dizziness that still lingers from her collapse earlier and the truth she is still finding hard to grasp.She feels weaker than ever, but it’s as though it’s simply mother’s love that is carrying her forward. She runs past John who stands in the hall there, watching her.“Daisy, wait!” John calls after her, taking some steps forward, but the sound of his voice grates on her nerves, like the sound of fingernails being drawn on a chalkboard. He moves toward her, offering to help as she stumbles slightly in her haste, wobbling from side to side.“I said leave me alone!” Daisy yells, shooting him a look that could burn through steel. The fury in her eyes freezes John in his tracks. He stands the
The bus goes on its way along the cracked asphalt, its huge tires just as wide as the same look on John’s face when he comes to the realization.John sits hunched in his seat, his handcuffed wrists resting on his lap. He stares out the window, but the view feels more like a movie he’s watching from behind the barricaded glass of the bus, people walking, shops opening, the world moving on without him. He won’t be a part of it for a very long time, and maybe even never again.Then it hits him.A sleek, black Audi R8 glides past the bus, shiny, unsuspecting and beautiful. For a moment, it’s like the world slows down. The car catches the light just right, a sharp glint bouncing off its chrome details.His stomach twists.That car.The exact same model he had seen drive into the parking lot outside Sienna’s building the day she died, just as he drove off, a bit wary of the black-black dressed driver.He lurches forward, startling the officer seated a few feet away. “Officer! Please, I need
The sun was barely up in the sky when Arthur pulled into the lot outside the station. The sky was overcast, painted with streaks of gray, as if the clouds themselves knew what kind of day it was going to be...Other than that, it looked like a really gloomy day.No one said a word as the car slowed to a stop outside the police station.Quinn was the first to move, opening the door and stepping out, her face pale but unreadable. Daisy followed, then Bethany, and finally Arthur, locking the car behind them. They walked together, a tight line of four, but it didn’t feel united, not with everything that hung in the air.Daisy had woken up to the phone call from Marsh saying that John would be transported from the holding cell at the police station to the penitentiary where he would stay until his trial ends, that will decide whether he’ll continue to stay there or otherwise.Detective Marsh was already waiting at the entrance, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. He gave a small
Red and blue lights painted the darkened club exterior in flashing bursts as police officers stormed through the entrance. As always, whenever there is the sound of even the slightest movements of the police within a club’s surroundings, there is an unheard hush that goes through the crowd…In this case, especially the long line outside waiting to be admitted into the building.A group of onlookers had gathered just outside as well, murmuring in hushed voices, their curiosity piqued by the commotion of the police vehicles. The club's music still thumped through the walls, seemingly oblivious to the chaos unraveling outside.Bethany stood beside Daisy and Quinn, breathless, her heart still hammering from the near disaster she had narrowly escaped, although a bit calm now compared to when her back had been against the wall with slicked back’s hands to her neck.Arthur stood beside them, his jaw locked, his fury simmering just beneath the surface.She knows that a part of his anger is at
Detective Marsh strides into the station with an unmistakable swagger in his steps, whistling a low tune under his breath. His leather jacket swings slightly as he walks, his confidence practically radiating off him. The morning sun filters through the windows, casting a sharp glow across the room.He does look like he has achieved something… He really has. Even though he looks nothing like he slept all night, his smile is still unfaltering.He did not catch a wink of sleep but he has some business here at work today.With John Worth.At the coffee vending machine, Detective Halloway eyes him with suspicion as he stirs his coffee. He raises a brow and takes a slow sip before asking, “Alright, what’s with the strut? You win the lottery or something?”Marsh chuckles and shakes his head. “Better. You’ll see, come along.”Halloway sighs, dumping his half full cup into the trash before following his partner down the hall. “I swear to God, if this is another one of your dramatic reveals, I…
Bethany reaches the door, her heart slamming against her ribs. She twists the knob…Nothing.She tries again, this time pulling harder.Locked.Panic surges through her, but she tamps it down. She’s not trapped. She won’t be trapped.The room goes silent behind her.She slowly turns.The men are no longer laughing. They’re staring at her, their drunken haze lifting as realization sets in."You’re not drunk, you don’t look drunk at all." one of them says, his voice low and dangerous.Bethany forces out a nervous giggle. "W-What are you talking about?"Slicked-Back steps forward, his face darkening. "You set us up, didn’t you? You little vixen."Bethany doesn’t hesitate. She yanks her phone from her clutch and shouts into it…"Call Officer Reynold now, Daisy!"Then, she hangs up.A deadly silence follows.All four men straighten, their expressions shifting from confusion to cold calculation."You little bitch," one of them hisses.Bethany backs against the door, gripping her phone tight
Bethany steps through the doorway, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor. The room is dimly lit, thick with the scent of expensive cologne and alcohol, the mini strobe lights just make the sense of thick drugs in the air only increase, and she already has a headache.The moment she enters, four pairs of male eyes snap up to her, taking in her appearance with a mixture of curiosity and predatory amusement.She lets her gaze drift lazily from one man to the next, feigning a slightly dazed expression. Then, as if just realizing something, she presses her fingers to her lips and lets out a soft giggle."Umm... I was told someone was looking for me?" Her voice is intentionally high-pitched, flirty, tinged with just the right amount of uncertainty and girlishness.Mostly with the naivety they are looking for.One of the men, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with slicked-back hair and an eager smile, immediately rises from his seat. His dark eyes roam shamelessly over her body, an
Quinn, sensing Daisy’s hesitation, chimes in, “Honestly, Mum, if anyone can pull this off, it’s Bethany. You should see the transformation she did on me back then when I had to go to a party. I went from ‘meh’ to ‘wow’ in ten minutes.”Daisy smiles a little wider. “Fine. I trust you, Bethany. But if I end up looking like a clown...”Bethany waves her off. “Don’t even joke about that. I’m a professional.”After a few more minutes of meticulous work, Bethany steps back, a satisfied grin on her face. “There! Now, behold the new and improved Daisy Worth.”Daisy hesitates for a moment before turning to face the mirror. When she sees her reflection, her eyes widen in surprise. The woman staring back at her is almost unrecognizable. Her eyes are smokey and bold, her lips a deep crimson that compliments her complexion. Her hair, now styled in soft waves, frames her face perfectly.She looks nothing like the forty year old woman she is.“Wow...” Daisy breathes, reaching up to touch her cheek.
Bethany picks up Daisy’s phone from the coffee table, her heart racing. The caller ID reads “Quinn’s Case’s Officer.”Without overthinking it, she redials the number, already planning her next move. She needs to know what the officer has to say, but she doesn’t want to wake Daisy. As the phone rings, Bethany pinches her nose with one hand, slightly distorting her voice to make it less recognizable.The worldwide method of changing voices, hopefully, it works."Hello?" The officer's voice comes through, gruff but alert. "Who's this?"Bethany clears her throat, forcing herself to sound casual. “Hi Officer Reynolds, it’s Daisy Worth. Sorry, my voice is a little off, I just woke up. My sister in law told me you called and wanted to speak to me?”The officer hesitates. “You sound strange. Everything alright?”Bethany’s pulse quickens, hoping that he does not catch on, but she forces a small laugh. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just groggy. It's been a long day."After another moment of silence, the off
The evening sun casts a warm glow over the smaller sized living room as Bethany watches Martha crocheting opposite her. The house is quiet, filled with the soft sounds of yarn sliding between fingers and the occasional clink of the teacups beside them.She is currently learning how to crochet and how crocheting, according to Martha, is a way of life of elderly people which they were laughing about just a few minutes before. It’s a peaceful moment, one that Bethany savors, until her phone vibrates against the armrest.She glances down at the screen and frowns.It’s Daisy.“Strange,” she murmurs to herself. They’d just seen Daisy the day before, so this early evening call feels odd. Without hesitation, she excuses herself from the room, stepping into the hallway before answering.“Hello? Daisy? Is everything alright?” Bethany asks, her voice steady but tinged with concern.For a moment, all she hears is sniffling, soft and shaky. “Daisy?” Bethany repeats, a bit louder, and worried this