Bethany stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest as Dean leaned in closer, his lips brushing hers. The world around her blurred into nothingness—until her gaze shifted and landed on Jason standing a few feet away.Her breath hitched. The boy’s wide eyes stared at her, filled with an emotion she couldn’t place. Panic? Disgust? Confusion? Whatever it was, it made her chest tighten. With a sudden push, she broke away from Dean.“Jason!” she called, rushing toward him and ignoring the other two men in the room. She bent, reaching out to him with trembling hands.“You’re back. I missed you so much,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “How about we go home together? Would you like that?”Jason stepped back, his small hands clutching the leg of Fred, who stood protectively beside him.“Dad, can we go?” Jason’s voice trembled as he pressed himself further behind Fred. “I don’t like her!”The words struck her like a physical blow. She blinked, trying to process them. What? He did
NEXT MORNINGThe sun rose, and Fred walked out of bed at 7:00 a.m. sharp, like a robot. Within ten minutes, he got dressed and took a look at himself in the mirror, a smug expression playing on his face. Memories of the previous night replayed in his head, satisfying him to the core. He recalled how Dean had begged for help after he seduced Bethany. Bethany was his, and she would always be his. It had taken him two years to plan his mission, and it wouldn't be complete without Bethany. If Dean got in the picture, his plan would be ruined.Fred took his wallet and headed out to his car, planning another scenario to trap Bethany. Just then, Jason called out his name."Daddy! Please don't leave me!" Jason ran up to him and wrapped his arms around his legs. Fred chuckled and carried him in his hands."Why do you have to do this all the time? Get ready for your teacher, or you don't want to be homeschooled?" Fred asked.Jason pouted, "I wanna go with you and tease that woman. She might h
Bethany took one last good look at Dean before yanking her hands away from Fred's grip.Her eyes darted toward him as she summoned the courage to speak. "You might want to attend the meeting alone," she said firmly.Fred was taken aback by her audacity. How dare she leave him? Worse, how dare she leave with Dean?"So… where are you going?" His loud, angry voice cut through the tense air.With a sophisticated sigh, she replied, "I’m taking him to the hospital. You can start the meeting without me!" And with that, she left his office.MERCY HOSPITALBethany sat in the waiting area, ready to check on Dean and perhaps still make it to the meeting. It was the first time she had openly rebelled against Fred at work.Even though angering him wouldn’t endanger Jason, the fear of Fred’s bad decisions—driven by his thirst for revenge—lingered in her mind."Dean, please come out," she whispered under her breath.Moments later, Dean emerged and sat in a chair next to hers.A warm smile curved her
“What a ridiculous thing to say, Fred!”Bethany’s eyes widened, her disbelief amplifying the echo of his words in her ears. For a man like him—so self-assured, so calculating—he truly lived by the most absurd playbook she’d ever encountered.Crossing her arms, she pursed her lips. “Oh! Okay. Is this your grand plan? For someone so smart, this is the most idiotic idea I’ve ever heard.”Fred’s jaw tightened, his fingers crumpling the documents in his hands. The sharp sound filled the room, each crackle underscoring his mounting frustration.Bethany’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. Watching him crumble felt like a small victory.“You thought you could fool me,” she began, her voice rising with confidence. “Do you remember? You made me miss the funeral of my supposedly ‘dead’ son! You signed those court papers, Fred. It’ll be such a shame if you didn’t because that would make it—what’s the word? perjury!”From across the room, Fiona growled, her fiery glare fixated on Bethany.“Excu
Everyone gasped, trying to grasp the weight of the situation.Bethany feigned a horrified expression, clutching her chest in an attempt to gain sympathy. Yet, no one moved an inch."Why is everyone staring at me? I wanted to make him look bad, but why does it feel like he’s the victim?" she thought, panic creeping into her mind."Bethany..."Before Fred could speak, the tables turned on her as the murmurs turned into loud accusations.“How dare you accuse Mr. Fred?”“You weren’t so tired of him before. Now you’re trying to manipulate him?”“These are the kind of women who extort child support from their exes.”“She’s not even that beautiful to be groped!”Bethany froze in shock as the venomous words hit her like daggers. Anxiety prickled her skin as their voices grew louder. Unable to take it anymore, she bolted from the room.“What have you done, Bethany?” Fred muttered under his breath, watching her flee.6 PM – The BathroomIn the bathroom, Bethany sat on the cold floor, tears stre
Bethany stood there, staring at the Lexus parked neatly before her. The gleaming vehicle was everything she knew Fred would offer—grandiose, flashy, and entirely unnecessary. Did he think she could be bought like some favor? Her stomach twisted at the thought.Fred broke the silence with a casual grin, gesturing toward the car. "Drive this to the company tomorrow. Let the staff who laughed at you eat their words."She cut him off, her voice firm. "Stop it, Fred. Just stop." Her expression was stoic as she stretched out her hand toward him, holding the car keys.Fred raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "The panda?" he asked, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.Her resolve didn’t waver. "I don’t need it. And, Fred, you need to leave. Now."The playful gleam in his eyes dimmed slightly. His hands found their way into his pockets as he studied her, his gaze lingering. His hand briefly touched her chin, but she flinched away instinctively.Something flickered in his eyes—hurt, maybe,
FRED'S COMPANY12 PMAfter hours of fun at the park, Dean drove them both to the company. The plan had been to spend the whole day together, but Bethany insisted on returning early. Three hours at the park felt like an eternity. Once parked, Jason quickly opened the car door, still wrapped in Bethany’s coat, and flung himself out.“Oh my God! Jason, wait up!” Bethany exclaimed, getting down from the car.She turned to Dean, who was giving her a warm smile.“Thank you so much. Bye!” she said, hesitantly blowing him a kiss.Dean pretended to catch the kiss, placing it on his chest dramatically, and waved her off before driving away.Bethany chuckled to herself before noticing Jason standing still in one spot, staring at something intently.“What’s that, Jason?” she asked, walking over.Jason raised his head, his eyes gleaming as he held up the small panda plushie he found in her coat. “Baby Panda!” he yelled.A smile curled on her lips. She crouched to his level, reaching out to touc
Bethany felt the piercing stares of everyone in the room, their judgment crawling under her skin. Were their glares meant for her—or Chantel?“I…” she began, her voice faltering. She wanted to refuse Chantel's demand, to reclaim her dignity, but the sight of Jason shattered her resolve.He was her weakness. One look at him could make her abandon all sense of reason. Her fingers trembled as she fidgeted with her dress, hoping—praying—that Fred would change his mind and spare her this humiliation.But before she could kneel, a voice boomed from the doorway.“She’s not kneeling to anyone!” The furious tone cut through the tension like a knife.Heads turned as Dean stormed into the room. His eyes locked onto Bethany, noticing her shattered expression. Without hesitation, he stormed toward her.“Have you no shame?” Dean yelled at Chantel. “Trading your son for influence—”“Step-son,” Chantel corrected with a venomous smirk.Dean ignored her and reached for Bethany. In a single swift motio
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