TROY Marianne went silent, her eyes clouded with complicated emotions. I could see the internal battle raging within her, but I waited, giving her the space to speak. Almost an eternity later, she finally admitted, "Yes, I am falling in love with you, Troy. But I don't want to. I know without a doubt that you are close to me now because of this face. The real Aislinn is the person you love, and when my revenge—and yours—is over, we will part ways. I'll eventually change my face to what it once looked like and return to my reality." She hesitated, her voice softening. "Troy, I've had my fair share of marriage. Never again. I don’t want to fall in love, get married, or be with another man in any intimate sense. I don't want to get hurt once again and you, Troy....you make it very hard. All I care about right now is my revenge, but your constant flirting and teasing is making me distracted—and worse, attracted to you. It’s stirring feelings in me that I never realized existed. Fe
TROY "What are you doing here, Mom?" I asked incredulously, standing at the door with a deep frown. "You left me no choice," she replied, her voice steady but filled with the weight of expectation. I sighed, stepping aside to let her in. "Say what you need to say and then leave," I told her, making no effort to offer her a seat. She gave a bitter smile. "Wow, Troy. Your mother travels at night, shows up at your house, and this is the reception she gets? All because of that woman, isn't it? I know she's in there." "You should know by now that emotional blackmail doesn’t work on me," I replied, my tone dripping with irritation. "Remember this, Mom: for as long as you oppose the woman who means the world to me, expect nothing good from me." She sighed, frustrated. "Fine. I came here today to prove to you that the woman lying in your bedroom right now is not good for you. I know it upsets you to hear this, but you're my son, and it's my responsibility to protect you." "You kn
SHARON LAST NIGHT I stood outside the door of Tony Vane’s house, waiting for him. Aislinn had assured me he would arrive with his vegetable of a wife, but at this point, that seemed unlikely. I had been standing there for almost two hours without any sign of him, and it was getting pretty late. Getting into the estate had already been hard enough; the idea of going through that stress again was unappealing. I was dressed decently, wearing a long blue dress that covered my knees. It was important to look the part, so Tony would buy my act. With my hair tied back and no makeup or jewelry on, I looked innocent, like an unsuspecting beauty. Too bad all that effort seemed to be going to waste. I took out my phone and dialed Aislinn’s number, intending to inform her that our plan had flopped. She had assured me Tony would show up, so the failure was on her. Her number was unreachable. I cursed under my breath. If it weren’t for the fact that she was paying so well, I wouldn’t let her
SHARON As we reached the staircase leading to the rooms above, I turned to Tony and suggested, “Sir, I think it would be best if you moved her room downstairs. Considering her condition, life would be much easier for her if she didn’t have to go up and down the stairs so often.” Tony paused to consider my words, then nodded in agreement. "You're right," he said. "Wait here, I'll quickly bring down her bags." I stood downstairs, offering a reassuring smile to Britney, telling her softly that everything would be fine. I had to be extra careful with my behavior because Aislinn had warned me that the living room was monitored by cameras. A few minutes later, Tony returned, carrying two large suitcases. “These are the things I could get for now,” he said, handing them to me. “If you need anything else of hers, you can go upstairs and get it. Also, her doctor’s checkup is every Friday. Remind me in case I get too busy and forget. I’m counting on you to look after her, okay?” I n
SHARON"Is there a problem, Maya?" Tony asked, his voice edged with curiosity.I sighed softly, feeling the tension in the air. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Diesel. Your wife seemed agitated, and after struggling to communicate with her, I figured it was because she was worried about you. She seemed relieved when I offered to serve you tea, and that's why I made a cup and brought it to you. I'm worried she might not get any sleep otherwise."He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "I don't know why she worries so much. It's always something."I stretched out my hand, offering the cup with a smile that I hoped seemed genuine. As he reached out to take it from me, I noticed his gaze lingering. His eyes swept down, lingering on my breasts before slowly traveling down my legs. It wasn’t subtle, and I bit the inside of my cheek, keeping the smile in place.He took the cup from me, his voice almost a whisper as he said, "Thanks."I stood there, silently observing as he moved to his desk, t
MARIANNEI opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the soft morning light streaming through the curtains. Stretching my arm across the bed, I winced as a dull ache reminded me of how sore my body was despite the analgesic pills I had taken last night. Every muscle seemed to protest as I moved, tempting me to stay in bed just a little longer. But I knew that wasn't a good idea. There was too much to do.I reluctantly reached for my phone and noticed a message from Sharon. Reading about how much progress she had made immediately brought a smile to my face. According to our agreement, she had sent me a video of her force-feeding Britney with the substance I had given her, and a picture of her, lying naked in Tony's bed—the very same bed I had once shared with him. A dark satisfaction swelled inside me.I sighed, feeling so much better due to Sharon's competency. Everything was falling into place. I freshened up quickly, set up my things, and got dressed, ready for the day ahead.On my wa
TROYI instantly pulled away from Marianne the moment our lips touched. I had made her a promise and could not afford to get carried away."I'm so sorry," I said quickly. "I don’t know what came over me."Her cheeks flushed red as she shook her head. "No, it’s not... I’m sorry too. I made a mistake as well.""That’s a first," I teased, and we both smiled, the tension easing a little. Yet, despite the levity, I couldn’t deny the weight of what my mom had told me about Aislinn. It gnawed at me, affecting me more than I cared to admit.My feelings were a tangled mess. For so long, Aislinn’s memory had been something I cherished, a sacred part of me I thought would never change. And yet here I was, undeniably drawn to the woman standing before me while my memories of Aislinn had become corrupted. The conflict in my heart was unbearable.But what was Aislinn's real story? I had to hear her side. I had already gone through those videos, even though it pained me to watch them. Nothing in the
TROY I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a bed, shirtless. The room felt oddly familiar, though I knew it wasn’t mine. Turning to my left, I saw Marianne sitting beside me. Suddenly, the memory of her lying in a pool of blood flooded back. I bolted upright. "Marianne? Is this a dream?" "Troy, how do you feel?" she asked, her voice steady, though her eyes showed concern. I cupped her face, my heart racing at the thought that this could all be a dream. "Marianne," I gasped, my eyes welling up. She looked at me, slightly startled by my intensity. "Yes, it's me, Troy." Without thinking, I pulled her into a tight embrace. "I thought I lost you... I can't believe you're here." She gently pulled back, her expression questioning. "Why? What do you remember?" I released her from the hug, holding her hands instead, "There was an attacker. He opened fire as soon as you opened the door. You closed it and dropped to the floor while I ran to get my gun. When I came back, the
MARIANNE HOURS EARLIER My dream lingered as I woke, the soft voice of a little girl calling me "Mommy" fading into the morning haze. My chest felt tight, as though her voice had reached into the very core of my being and left an imprint I couldn’t erase. I washed my face, staring at my reflection, trying to shake the dream off. The face staring back at me seemed foreign—cold, calculated, and so far removed from the woman I used to be. I had to make a decision. I couldn’t delay anymore. Dr. Raymond was waiting for my answer, and I knew I needed to face him today. But as I dried my face with the towel, a nagging thought struck me. There was something I had ignored earlier—a file I hadn’t bothered to open. Curious, I grabbed my phone and opened it. My brows furrowed as I noticed it was an audio file from Sharon. I pressed play. The voices that came through made me lift my brows. Aislinn. Sharon. I listened intently as Aislinn spoke with venom, her words sharp and deliberat
MARIANNE When I arrived at my old apartment, I paused outside, scanning my surroundings with a cautious eye. The air felt heavy, as if it carried an unspoken warning. It was still my house though. With a deep breath, I approached the keypad, and entered the code. As the door clicked open, I stepped into silence. The house was eerily still, void of the warmth and familiarity it once held. “Sharon?” I called out, my voice echoing in the empty space. No answer. I fished out my phone and dialed her number, only to be met with a dead line. The same number that had called me earlier was suddenly unreachable. I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me that something terrible was about to happen, but not to me. Determined to figure out what was going on, I began searching the house. My steps were quick and purposeful, the creak of the wooden floors beneath me the only sound. As I ascended the stairs two at a time, a faint noise stopped me in my tracks. It was coming from the CCTV room. I
MARIANNE “What!” Doctor Raymond exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and concern. “What are you saying, Marianne? I know you wanted to be a mother before and…” “No,” I interrupted, my voice firm but my heart unsteady. “I am not ready to be a mother. Not right now.” He hesitated, studying my expression before speaking. “I need to tell you something. There’s a high chance you’ll never conceive again.” The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I kept my composure. I nodded slowly, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. “Okay, I can live with that. There are so many motherless children out there who need someone to look after them. When I’m ready to be a mother, I’ll fill that gap. I’ll adopt a few children and love them as my own.” “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. “Yes,” I replied, but the resolve in my voice didn’t match the storm brewing inside me. He sighed deeply, almost as if he could sense my inner turmoil. “Alright, if you’ve mad
MARIANNE After Aislinn left, I got into my car and sat there, the echo of her words swirling in my mind, tightening the knot of anger in my chest. My hands trembled slightly as I gripped the steering wheel."I can't let Troy stay in my house anymore," I muttered, the words barely audible over the roar of my emotions. "He's out. Tonight."I started the car and drove towards my apartment on the outskirts of town, my jaw clenched and my heart pounding against my ribs. Every mile I covered only amplified my frustration. When I finally pulled into the driveway, his car wasn’t there.The silence when I stepped inside was deafening, but his presence lingered. His cologne still clung to the air, an irritating reminder of him. I sighed heavily and sank into the living room couch, my mind spiraling back to Aislinn’s threats."Interesting, Aislinn," I murmured with a bitter smile. "Don’t you just love to talk? Let’s see how much you’ll love it when you can’t hear or speak anymore."The thought
SHARON As I watched everything unfold before me, I felt a profound sense of satisfaction. Every detail had fallen into place, every move executed flawlessly. For the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to exhale deeply. My job was done, and it had gone exactly as planned. Yet, as the euphoria faded, unease crept in, wrapping around me like an unwelcome shadow. The discovery hit me like a lightning bolt: the woman I had loyally called Aislinn, my enigmatic boss, was none other than Marianne. The very same Marianne she had claimed was her late sister. At first, I dismissed the similarities as coincidence. But then, little things began to stand out—the way she spoke about her “sister,” often slipping into first person as if she were Marianne, the way her eyes gleamed with a depth of knowledge only someone who had lived through such betrayal could possess. And now, looking at her partially obscured face, there was no denying the truth. Marianne had survived. She had retur
MARIANNE “This court finds the accused, Mr. Tony Vane, guilty of four counts of complicity in perjury, unlawful imprisonment leading to death, attempted murder, and embezzlement of company funds, and sentences him to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian island prison.” “The court also finds the accused, Mrs. Britney Vane, guilty of five counts of kidnapping, bestickning and hot, bribery, Perjury, and unlawful imprisonment leading to death, and sentences her to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian island prison.” As I listened to the judge’s final verdict, I exhaled slowly, a quiet sigh of relief escaping my lips. It was over. Tony, Britney, and Mildred had been brought to justice. Mildred received eight years in prison for perjury and complicity in embezzlement, which I believed was adequate punishment. Yet, as the gavel struck, signaling the conclusion, an unexpected emptiness welled up inside me. This was everything I had fought for—justice for my
TROY The sharp sting of Marianne’s slap echoed through the courtroom and reverberated deep in my chest. My hand instinctively flew to my cheek, as if trying to confirm what had just happened. I stared at her in stunned silence, my breath caught somewhere between shock and disbelief. “How dare you touch me!” she spat, her voice laced with anger and an emotion I couldn’t quite place. “What happened to you?” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. She met my gaze, her eyes like ice, sharp and unyielding. “Listen to me, and listen carefully. Stay away from me and anything that has to do with me.” Her words hit harder than the slap. There was a cold finality to her tone that made my stomach twist. “Initially, I thought of sending you the divorce papers,” she continued, her voice steady but trembling at the edges, “but then it occurred to me that I married you as Aislinn. Everything—the identity I used—was a fake one. Hence, there’s no need for a divorce. You can go be with your A
TROY As the days dragged on painfully, I remained rooted at Marianne's apartment, unwilling to leave, despite her absence. I kept hoping she would return, but day after day passed—one, two, three days, then four—and still, there was no sign of her. The empty silence grew louder with each passing moment, filling me with a gnawing emptiness. My mind was clouded with fear, frustration, and an ache that wouldn’t let me rest. I searched for her tirelessly, refusing to give up. I went to her company every morning, visited the police station, and scoured every place I thought she might be. I was haunted by her absence, by the need to see her, to know she was safe. And with each fruitless attempt, the weight of despair only grew heavier, crushing my resolve bit by bit. Still, there was no sign of her. My phone chimed occasionally, and each time, my heart would leap with a flicker of hope—only to realize it was another call or message from Aislinn, whose persistence grated on my last ner
TROY I felt a tremor of shock ripple through me at what unfolded before my eyes. The turn of events was staggering, like a tidal wave crashing over my heart. When I first heard a female voice call out to me while I was still in the kitchen, I knew something was wrong. The person certainly didn't sound like Marianne. It was clear now—Aislinn was doing everything possible to provoke Marianne, to disrupt the fragile peace I’d worked so hard to establish. I just wished, more than anything, that Marianne would calm down, take a breath, and allow me a chance to speak. But she was stubborn, fiercely so, and that stubbornness was as much a part of her as the pulse in her veins. I loved her for it, yet sometimes, it drove a wedge between us. I tried to explain, tried to reach her through the wall she’d put up, but it was like trying to catch the wind. Watching her walk away felt like watching my world shatter, as if each step she took was ripping something vital from me. It was like a