TROYI stood by the window watching the young girl whom I had made to believe that she was my wife. My eyes widened in surprise when my half-sister, Chelsea, walked up to her and slapped her.I knew my family didn't like Aislinn but I never realized it was so bad. My mum had many times referred to her as a gold digger but I thought that was it.I had my suspicions about their involvement in her death because they were all with her on the night she drowned. Her body was never recovered and she was declared to have been lost forever at sea.All the money I paid and the extensive search I carried out for her did not yield any results. Since I couldn't find her, I had to at least find proof of who killed her. I owed her that much for not being at her birthday party that was supposedly thrown by my family on the night she needed me the most. I was not going to spare the culprit, even if it turned out to be my overbearing mom.As I stared at the shock on my wife's face, I recalled what th
TROY "Would you believe others against your own husband?" I asked Aislinn. "Do you not trust me anymore?" She scoffed, "Would a woman lie about the father of her pregnancy? Such things can't be hidden and Sydney must know that. First off, if you did not have sex with her, there wouldn't be the issue of you getting her pregnant. Secondly, if your Mom is vehemently supporting her, then she must be pregnant for you...." "I can assure you that she is not," I maintained as I cupped her face. "Don't believe their words, Cherie. Everyone knows that you are my life. I love you more than anything else in the world. Sydney has always stuck around my Mom, hoping that I would get married to her. Some months ago, when I thought you were dead, I got so depressed that I had too much to drink and became a little intoxicated. Sydney saw an opportunity and snuck into my room. She tried to seduce me but I rejected her advances and kicked her out of my room. I had no idea where she spent the
MARIANNE "Why do I feel so uncomfortable?" I asked myself. Sitting on the bed, I looked around the room and found it strange. Even though I had lost my memory, I had thought the room would feel familiar but it didn't. But what troubled me was the nagging feeling that I had forgotten something extremely important. I wished I could just remember that one thing. Minutes after Troy left, I decided to take a shower. I was able to stand after sitting for a while and saw all the stuff I believed was mine, in the closet. I freshened up quickly and changed into a casual pink dress I found in the wardrobe. It turned out to be too tight for me, proving that I had indeed gained a lot of weight. I had to start working out to keep my weight in check. I wore back the dress Troy had given me at the hospital and laid on the bed. I tried so much to jog my memory but nothing came back to me, not even a flash. I could not wait to remember everything and leave Troy's family home as it was obvious
MARIANNE I kept staring at my husband as he walked closer to me, his eyes not leaving mine, even as he placed the bags in his hand on the floor."You must be tired from standing for so long," his eyes softened and he cupped my face as he spoke. I was taken by surprise as I'd thought he doubted me as well. He led me to the bed, helping me to sit on it while everyone else watched in surprise.The moment I sat down, he turned and charged at Daniel who was about to exit the room. His fist connected with Daniel's cheek as he punched him, forcing four of his teeth and a mouthful of blood out of his mouth."Troy!" Troy's mother, Stella cried as his action was unexpected. As Daniel landed on the ground, Troy picked him up by the collar of his shirt and raged, "How dare you?"I had thought wrong. Troy trusted me so much that he didn't even need me to speak before believing my innocence.Stella ran to him, holding his hand as she cried, "What has come over you? Daniel is your cousin and that
TROY"My Aislinn, I'm sorry that I was too busy and neglected you. If I had loved you as you deserved, I would have known about everything wrong my family did to you." I regretted everything and wished I could turn back the hands of time. Inside my bathroom, as I closed my eyes, I let the water from the shower, drain off the anger I felt. The thought that my Aislinn may have been assaulted by Daniel when she was alive, made me extremely upset. But I knew I had to control my anger, she wouldn't want me to become a murderer for her sake. The Aislinn in my bedroom was just like my late Aislinn. She was unique and special, and I had to find a way to keep my distance from her to avoid regrets later. I had only just met her, and despite knowing she wasn't the real deal, once she stood in front of me, I got all mushy and muddle-headed. The desire to hold her close, caress her, and kiss all her fears away was growing more than I wanted to admit. I was still lost in thought when t
MARIANNE In the morning, when I opened my eyes, my husband's face was the first thing I saw. I didn't know when I fell asleep last night but opening my eyes to see him staring at me had to be one of the best things in the world. "Good morning, Princess," he beamed. "Good morning, Prince," I replied and we both smiled. We stared at each other silently, and I recalled last night, when he had walked away from me despite how difficult it was for him. The fact that he put my well-being ahead of his sexual desires made me feel very safe with him. I moved closer and hugged him, placing my head on his chest as I asked, "Have I told you that you are extremely handsome?" He laughed, "You've always thought so. However, my looks are nothing compared to yours. For me, you are the most beautiful girl in the world." "Sweet like honey" was the exact phrase to describe all his words to me. How could a man be so perfect for me? I continued hugging him, enjoying how pleasantly he smelled and r
TROY I had just gotten off the phone when I heard a scream. It wasn’t Aislinn’s voice, but I knew it had something to do with her. My family was causing trouble again. I ran inside, and Chelsea, who had just walked out, turned and rushed back in as well. What I saw wasn’t what I expected, but at first, I was relieved. Aislinn stood at the top of the stairs, unharmed. I could breathe again, for just a second. But then I saw her face. Something wasn’t right. She looked lost, confused, like she was in some kind of pain that had nothing to do with her body. I waited, thinking she would come down the stairs on her own, but she didn’t move. Then my mom’s scream broke through the silence. Sydney was bleeding. She was losing the baby. I scoffed. This was typical Sydney. Desperate, manipulative. Girls like her would do anything to get what they wanted, even sacrifice the innocent. There was no maternal love in her—just selfish greed. I glanced away from Aislinn for only a second
MARIANNE The water felt heavy, like the weight of the world pressing me deeper into the abyss. My limbs thrashed, desperate to reach the surface, but the more I struggled, the farther away it seemed. Then, like a sinister veil being lifted, the water turned crimson, the deep red staining everything around me. My arms became numb, the pain gnawing through my body. I gasped, the choking sensation of water filling my lungs, blurring the line between life and death. And then, stillness. My body stopped fighting, and I felt myself sinking, the darkness swallowing me whole. I closed my eyes, accepting what seemed inevitable. This was the end of the road for me. But suddenly, my eyes shot open, and I sat upright. My heart raced, a wild, erratic drumbeat in my chest. "It was just a nightmare, Anne," I whispered to myself, trying to calm the frantic pounding of my heart. But even as I said it, I knew better. It wasn't a nightmare—it was a memory. One I wished I could forget, but