The gunshot shattered the air, reverberating like a thunderclap. Bethany flinched, a sharp shriek escaping her lips as she crouched behind the car for cover, her heart pounding against her ribcage.“Oh my God!” she gasped, clutching her chest to steady herself.The minutes ticked by like hours before she finally summoned the courage to straighten up, glancing around cautiously. Just as she was about to slip away, Fred appeared out of nowhere, his face etched with a mixture of worry and urgency.“Hey!” he shouted, his voice startling her.Bethany’s gaze darted to him, her expression a mix of relief and irritation. “Don’t bother calling me, Fred. I need to go check on someone,” she snapped, moving toward her car.But Fred blocked her path. “Natalie? That’s exactly where I’m headed!” he exclaimed, his voice rising. “She hasn’t been picking up, and I swear, if that bastard is there—”“Fred, stop!” Bethany interrupted, her mind racing. Who was this person? How did Fred know about them?
Fred widened his eyes in shock and surprise. Stacy? Dead? That couldn’t be possible."Are you serious? Is Stacy really dead?" Bethany asked, her heart pounding with fear.The staff member caught her breath, gesturing nervously with her hands. “One of the staff found her in a pool of blood behind the building. She was shot in the head!”“Oh my God!” Bethany exclaimed, her voice trembling.“ What the hell is happening in this company? " Fred stood up abruptly, grabbed his coat, and barked, “Don’t let this situation alarm the customers. Get back to work; I’ll handle it!”He marched toward the door but paused, turning back to Bethany. “Are you coming?”She shook her head violently, waving her hands dismissively. “No... no... It might not even be true. You should check it out first.”With a nod, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.Bethany stared at her trembling hands. It was happening again. Every time she heard about a death, her hands shook uncontrollably, and her heart race
Her mind raced as she tried to free her hands and run away, but he held her back.Before she could make another move, she heard a thud to the ground and saw that Fred had already taken care of the guy."Oh my God!" she gasped, breathing heavily.Fred blew air across his knuckles and smirked. "You're welcome, princess! Or do I see that you’ve already punched him?"Raising her brows, she couldn’t fathom that he was mocking her when she had just fought for her life."You’re insufferable! Crying prince!" she yelled, throwing her bag at him. The contents spilled out onto the floor.IT WAS CONDOMS!Fred’s eyes widened, and he quickly darted his gaze away, raking his hair in embarrassment.Bethany, mortified, wished the ground would swallow her whole. What she had been trying so desperately to hide had just been exposed by Fred.Dean had told her to buy it but not for them. It was strange! "I... I..." She scratched her face and bent down to pick up the condoms.Fred stared away, his foot on
NEXT MORNINGIt had been two days since Stacy's death, and just one since Fred revealed the chilling truth about Dean.Bethany couldn’t get it out of her mind. She had been trying to avoid Dean, using work as a convenient excuse, but he kept pushing—after all, she had agreed to be his girlfriend. And now, there was no escaping him.She pulled on a black gown, layered a coat to ward off the cold, and left for work, her mind swirling with thoughts she couldn’t silence.As she neared the Swiss Hotel, a familiar car pulled up beside her.Dean. He stepped out, a devilish grin already spreading across his face."What’s he doing here?" she muttered, her heart racing in her chest.Suppressing her immediate unease, she wore a smile on her face and opened her arms to greet him. Dean wasted no time in pulling her into a tight embrace, spinning her around before pulling away just enough to caress her cheek.“It’s been way too long since we kissed, babe. Work, work, work! But don’t worry,” he wi
7:00 AM"Ahh!" She yelled, springing up from her bed.It was all a dream! But why did it have to be about Fred? Sitting up straight, she placed her feet on the ground and let her gaze drift to the golden card on the table."Argh! This card is driving me nuts!" she groaned.Then she remembered—Dean had postponed the trip by five days. But why was she dreaming about it?With a sigh, she walked toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water, only to freeze when she saw Dean and Natalie there. Quickly, she hid behind the wall.Peeking around the corner, she watched as Dean grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge while Natalie continued eating her food.Dean suddenly broke the silence. "Are you going to keep stuffing your mouth with food you didn’t pay for?"What? Did Dean really just say that? It didn’t surprise her, but it disappointed her deeply.Natalie remained unfazed, her gaze fixed on her food.Dean, however, didn’t relent. "One mistake, and I’ll have you thrown out of this house. T
IT WAS NEGATIVE!Fred let out a relieved sigh before punching the air with happiness. "Yes! Yes! I knew she would never do it!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy.He had been noticing Bethany’s recent blackouts, her frequent headaches, and the condom incident—it all seemed to point to the possibility of pregnancy. Now, the test results confirmed otherwise.From behind him, Bethany’s voice interrupted his moment of triumph. "Hey! The doctor said he gave you my results!"Fred froze, his eyes widening in panic. Quickly, he shoved the test result into his pocket before spinning around with a feigned look of innocence. "Oh yeah! He just handed me this!" He extended a random paper to her, trying to act casual.Bethany took the paper with a confused look, then glanced at him. "Why are you sweating so much?"Fred stammered, "Huh... aren’t you going to check that? That’s the reason I brought you to the hospital!"Bethany smirked slyly and tucked the paper into her bag. "I’ll chec
FLASHBACK5 YEARS AGOBethany stumbled through the hotel hallway, her clothes torn and heels clutched in her hands. Her heart pounded in her chest, a cold sweat gathering on the back of her neck. The sounds of her pursuers echoed behind her, footfalls heavy and urgent."Get her!" a voice yelled from down the corridor.Panic surged through her, but she didn't stop running.She darted left into a side hallway and spotted a door, room 540, just ahead. She didn’t hesitate—she threw her shoulder against it, forcing it open, and locked it behind her.Gasping for breath, Bethany collapsed against the door, sliding down to the floor, her hands trembling. She kicked off her heels, eyes scanning the room. She could still hear the footsteps of the men searching outside. They wouldn’t give up easily.Bethany straightened up, looking around frantically. Her eyes landed on the bathroom door, and she rushed toward it. Before she could even test the lock, she froze.A man stood before her, barely
Bethany povAfter dropping my son, Jason, off at preschool, I headed to the hospital to get my results. I hoped this test would change everything. Since having Jason, my husband, Fred, had drifted away. Now he was talking about divorce. He said he’d only stayed this long for Jason's sake. Maybe, just maybe, if I got pregnant again, he’d stay.The test paper crinkled in my hand as I unfolded it, my pulse hammering. My last hope to hold onto him—NEGATIVE. I felt a wave of cold settle over me. It was my last chance, and it was gone.Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed Fred entering. He grabbed the paper from my hands, holding it just out of reach.“Looking for this?” he asked, voice cold and distant. “No—I'm not," I stammered, trying to grab it back, but he raised it higher. With a sneer, he tore it in half, letting the pieces flutter to the floor like ash.“You went for another test? I warned you, Bethany. It’s over. Stop trying to trap me.”"Why?" I whispered, voice trembling. "Wh
FLASHBACK5 YEARS AGOBethany stumbled through the hotel hallway, her clothes torn and heels clutched in her hands. Her heart pounded in her chest, a cold sweat gathering on the back of her neck. The sounds of her pursuers echoed behind her, footfalls heavy and urgent."Get her!" a voice yelled from down the corridor.Panic surged through her, but she didn't stop running.She darted left into a side hallway and spotted a door, room 540, just ahead. She didn’t hesitate—she threw her shoulder against it, forcing it open, and locked it behind her.Gasping for breath, Bethany collapsed against the door, sliding down to the floor, her hands trembling. She kicked off her heels, eyes scanning the room. She could still hear the footsteps of the men searching outside. They wouldn’t give up easily.Bethany straightened up, looking around frantically. Her eyes landed on the bathroom door, and she rushed toward it. Before she could even test the lock, she froze.A man stood before her, barely
IT WAS NEGATIVE!Fred let out a relieved sigh before punching the air with happiness. "Yes! Yes! I knew she would never do it!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy.He had been noticing Bethany’s recent blackouts, her frequent headaches, and the condom incident—it all seemed to point to the possibility of pregnancy. Now, the test results confirmed otherwise.From behind him, Bethany’s voice interrupted his moment of triumph. "Hey! The doctor said he gave you my results!"Fred froze, his eyes widening in panic. Quickly, he shoved the test result into his pocket before spinning around with a feigned look of innocence. "Oh yeah! He just handed me this!" He extended a random paper to her, trying to act casual.Bethany took the paper with a confused look, then glanced at him. "Why are you sweating so much?"Fred stammered, "Huh... aren’t you going to check that? That’s the reason I brought you to the hospital!"Bethany smirked slyly and tucked the paper into her bag. "I’ll chec
7:00 AM"Ahh!" She yelled, springing up from her bed.It was all a dream! But why did it have to be about Fred? Sitting up straight, she placed her feet on the ground and let her gaze drift to the golden card on the table."Argh! This card is driving me nuts!" she groaned.Then she remembered—Dean had postponed the trip by five days. But why was she dreaming about it?With a sigh, she walked toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water, only to freeze when she saw Dean and Natalie there. Quickly, she hid behind the wall.Peeking around the corner, she watched as Dean grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge while Natalie continued eating her food.Dean suddenly broke the silence. "Are you going to keep stuffing your mouth with food you didn’t pay for?"What? Did Dean really just say that? It didn’t surprise her, but it disappointed her deeply.Natalie remained unfazed, her gaze fixed on her food.Dean, however, didn’t relent. "One mistake, and I’ll have you thrown out of this house. T
NEXT MORNINGIt had been two days since Stacy's death, and just one since Fred revealed the chilling truth about Dean.Bethany couldn’t get it out of her mind. She had been trying to avoid Dean, using work as a convenient excuse, but he kept pushing—after all, she had agreed to be his girlfriend. And now, there was no escaping him.She pulled on a black gown, layered a coat to ward off the cold, and left for work, her mind swirling with thoughts she couldn’t silence.As she neared the Swiss Hotel, a familiar car pulled up beside her.Dean. He stepped out, a devilish grin already spreading across his face."What’s he doing here?" she muttered, her heart racing in her chest.Suppressing her immediate unease, she wore a smile on her face and opened her arms to greet him. Dean wasted no time in pulling her into a tight embrace, spinning her around before pulling away just enough to caress her cheek.“It’s been way too long since we kissed, babe. Work, work, work! But don’t worry,” he wi
Her mind raced as she tried to free her hands and run away, but he held her back.Before she could make another move, she heard a thud to the ground and saw that Fred had already taken care of the guy."Oh my God!" she gasped, breathing heavily.Fred blew air across his knuckles and smirked. "You're welcome, princess! Or do I see that you’ve already punched him?"Raising her brows, she couldn’t fathom that he was mocking her when she had just fought for her life."You’re insufferable! Crying prince!" she yelled, throwing her bag at him. The contents spilled out onto the floor.IT WAS CONDOMS!Fred’s eyes widened, and he quickly darted his gaze away, raking his hair in embarrassment.Bethany, mortified, wished the ground would swallow her whole. What she had been trying so desperately to hide had just been exposed by Fred.Dean had told her to buy it but not for them. It was strange! "I... I..." She scratched her face and bent down to pick up the condoms.Fred stared away, his foot on
Fred widened his eyes in shock and surprise. Stacy? Dead? That couldn’t be possible."Are you serious? Is Stacy really dead?" Bethany asked, her heart pounding with fear.The staff member caught her breath, gesturing nervously with her hands. “One of the staff found her in a pool of blood behind the building. She was shot in the head!”“Oh my God!” Bethany exclaimed, her voice trembling.“ What the hell is happening in this company? " Fred stood up abruptly, grabbed his coat, and barked, “Don’t let this situation alarm the customers. Get back to work; I’ll handle it!”He marched toward the door but paused, turning back to Bethany. “Are you coming?”She shook her head violently, waving her hands dismissively. “No... no... It might not even be true. You should check it out first.”With a nod, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.Bethany stared at her trembling hands. It was happening again. Every time she heard about a death, her hands shook uncontrollably, and her heart race
The gunshot shattered the air, reverberating like a thunderclap. Bethany flinched, a sharp shriek escaping her lips as she crouched behind the car for cover, her heart pounding against her ribcage.“Oh my God!” she gasped, clutching her chest to steady herself.The minutes ticked by like hours before she finally summoned the courage to straighten up, glancing around cautiously. Just as she was about to slip away, Fred appeared out of nowhere, his face etched with a mixture of worry and urgency.“Hey!” he shouted, his voice startling her.Bethany’s gaze darted to him, her expression a mix of relief and irritation. “Don’t bother calling me, Fred. I need to go check on someone,” she snapped, moving toward her car.But Fred blocked her path. “Natalie? That’s exactly where I’m headed!” he exclaimed, his voice rising. “She hasn’t been picking up, and I swear, if that bastard is there—”“Fred, stop!” Bethany interrupted, her mind racing. Who was this person? How did Fred know about them?
NEXT MORNINGBethany stared at her reflection in the mirror, reflecting on the woman she had become. Emotionless, detached, and heartless—all because of the heat emanating from Fred. His influence had changed her in ways she never thought possible.Natalie had been kind to her at times, but deep down, Bethany knew her so-called friend’s motives were shallow. That realization stung more than she was willing to admit.After their heated argument, Natalie had stormed out of the house without a second glance.Was she too harsh? Did she make the right decision? Or was she genuinely in trouble, spiraling out of control?Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when a pair of comforting hands rested on her shoulders. She gasped and turned to see Dean standing behind her, his expression calm and reassuring.“Oh my God! Dean?” she exclaimed, sighing in relief as she reached for his hand.He stepped closer, his fingers working magic as he massaged her tense shoulders. “You look so stressed. I
The long jump made a heavy thud, causing Bethany to lose her balance."Oh my God!" she yelped in pain, clutching her knee as she tried to regain her footing.Her heart raced as the adrenaline kicked in. There was no turning back now. The decision had been made, and she was on this path. Yet, in the fleeting moments of hesitation, doubts began to flood her mind.Am I really doing this? Am I really going to Fred's? The weight of the situation bore down on her, filling her with dread and second-guessing. Fred had seemed so serious, so insistent. What could he possibly have to say that couldn't wait? She needed answers, even if it meant revisiting old wounds.Lost in thought, Bethany was jolted back to reality by a sharp voice."Where do you think you're going?" someone yelled.She looked up, her heart sinking. "Natalie?"A wave of unease washed over her as she took in the sight of Natalie standing there, arms crossed. “How is it possible she's here? “ Bethany thought. She hadn’t expec