(Eve’s POV)Slowly, I opened my eyes and turned my head on the alarm clock on the side table. It was three in the morning, but instead of believing the time, I reached for my cell phone to check the time and date. My lips curved into a smile, and I sighed softly, getting up and processing what to do.I could not undo what happened yesterday. What I meant was getting late and making horrible mistakes at work, costing Bethany and me our jobs. The Wyatt-and-Callahan incident was another story. And Jessy? Again, that was another story.Before I entered Moira’s room, I read her reply to me. Callahan fired her, not because she was incompetent but because of her relationship with me. It was unfair!“Good morning,” Bethany said, almost whispering. She was drying her hair with a towel as she walked toward the dresser. “You’re up early,” she continued, still in a hushed tone.Marga rolled to the other side, occupying the space I was sleeping in a while ago. She groaned but didn’t wake up.“Toda
(Eve’s POV)“Finally!” I murmured and sighed in relief when I was alone in the elevator.Bethany spoke continuously from the basement until we reached her stop on the eighth floor. She apologized many times, explaining that she was just nervous about the meeting. This side of her was new to me, although I knew she was not as calm as Marga.I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head as if they were enough to wake me up. I let out a sigh, thinking of how many cups of coffee I had to drink. I thought of sleeping on our way to the office, but Bethany must have been possessed by some annoying spirit playing a non-stop song.Only one song!She was singing Lathi while driving, and there was a line she perfectly sang, and when I asked her what it meant, she shrugged and giggled.“I don’t know. I searched it online, and it said you couldn’t run away from your mistakes,” she answered, singing again.Weird. Not that I wanted to argue with the singer, but I wasn’t running away from my mistakes; I
(Eve’s POV)Callahan stared at me without his eyes flinching. His gaze pierced through me as if he was trying to rack my brain. This was weird. Why did he have to know when he didn’t care? Although today, his first but my second, I clearly remembered what he said. He didn’t want to be responsible, but at this moment, he seemed to pull out my tongue to tell the truth.‘No, no, no! My mind screamed as if he could really read my mind.The shrill, persistent ring of the cell phone echoed in the small room. I jolted, thinking my heart had jumped out of my chest, when the ringing stopped.“Eve -”‘No, no, no! I cried in my mind.Ms. Jung saved me again when the phone chimed with a message. Immediately, I swiped the screen and sighed in relief, quickly reading her text message. I stood up, ready to escape Callahan, but Bethany grabbed my wrist.“Where are you going?” she asked, her eyes wide and worried. “Sorry, it’s a joke. I’m not trying to -”“I know,” I said, raising the phone. “But Mr.
(Eve’s POV)“Cat support?” Bethany laughed again, her palms on her stomach.When we got to Callahan's office, Bob and Bethany insisted on knowing the story behind the ‘cat support’ story.Callahan wasn’t there to object, so I told them about it without telling the whole story, of course. I had to make it believable. Probably because of lack of sleep, Bethany did notice I wasn’t looking at her when I told the story. Bethany would know if I were keeping something from her. She could not stop laughing while Bob only rolled his eyes, shaking his head.“Okay, enough,” I said, raising my hands. “What’s this meeting for?” I asked, glancing at the time.As if someone had pushed the stop button, Bethany sucked in her lips and looked at Bob.Bob tilted his head, widening his eyes at her.Bethany looked elsewhere and shook her head as if understanding each other in their silent communication.“Hello,” I said, waving my hand at them. “I didn’t get the password,” I joked.“Password?” Bethany lift
(Eve’s POV)“I thought you went home already.” My voice almost didn’t come out. I immediately picked up my clothes and stepped back. “Please don’t come in.”Callahan sighed and closed the door behind him.“This is my office, Eve. Don’t forget that,” he said, still walking in my direction.“Stop,” I croaked, feeling my defense melting.Callahan did halt but in front of me. Then, he leaned forward to pick up the car key on the side table.“Oh,” I murmured, realizing why he returned to the office.I swallowed hard when his eyes returned to my face and slowly lowered his gaze. I craned my neck, pinning my eyes on the elegant, linear pattern of the ceiling.Callahan gasped and lightly touched my arm. “Did I do this?”“Did what?” I asked curiously, looking at the still visible mark of his and Millicent’s grip on a day that didn’t matter anymore. “Ah,” I pursed my lips, unsure why it left marks on me when it was not supposed to exist or happen.I tilted my head, seeing the horror in his eyes
(Eve’s POV)“Jessy?” I murmured.My heart continued to thump, lost and confused as I stared at Callahan. He ended the call, not asking if I still wanted to talk to my daughter.He sighed, put his phone back in his pocket, and gently held my face. “You can relax now, Eve. Rudy saw her in the lobby. He’s bringing her here. What happened at home?”Home? I blinked the tears away, sad that Callahan made it sound like he was part of it. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How could I explain that my daughter hated me because she saw me kissing Wyatt, and despite his lie, she knew what happened in the basement?The soft knocks were my cue to ease back, and I sighed in relief when Callahan let me go. When I opened the door, Rudy smiled softly and looked over his shoulder enough to tell me my daughter was in my working area.“Thank you, Rudy,” I murmured and walked past him. “Jessy -”Jessy was in my seat, facing my computer monitor. I grabbed the backrest and turned the swivel chair whe
(Eve’s POV)“Mommy, are you alright?” Cooper asked, taking my eyes away from my cell phone.My lips curved into a smile, and I nodded curtly to assure him I was okay. I returned my phone to my bag and pressed the small remote to open Moira’s car. With the gasoline price spiking almost weekly, I never considered using her Honda Civic. Five children would not fit there anyway.“Of course, she’s not okay,” Theo sighed, getting into the backseat. “She just told Mr. Barclay she’s feeling under the weather.”I did not mean to call in sick, but I was really mad at him after what Callahan did yesterday. My daughters could still be with me if he did not interfere with my life. I was not selfish, but I was sure Marcus had his reasons for not wanting the girls to come to her.“Where’s Rosie and Jessy?” Isabella asked, playing the buckle of her seatbelt.“Stop doing that, Isabella,” Cooper said when he entered the car. He looked over his shoulder and grinned at his younger brother and sister. “Wh
(Cal’s POV)Bob entered the office and dashed to the couch, moaning in relief as he sat. He piled maybe about ten different sizes of shopping bags on his side.“I think I broke my shoulders,” he complained, but his hand was on his neck. When I ignored him, he looked in my direction. “Where’s Eve? I haven’t seen her all day.”I fixed my eyes on the documents. “I don’t know. She called in sick earlier.”We had a heated argument on our way to her place last night, so her call this morning didn’t surprise me. After what happened yesterday, I doubted if she still wanted to talk to me. She thought I was the culprit of her children’s decision.When Bob went quiet, I raised my head and saw him staring at me.“What?” I sighed, returning my eyes to the paper and rereading the same lines in the budget request. With my cousin’s accusing look, I knew he had much to say. “You’ve been shopping again,” I said, hoping to change our topic and looking briefly at the shopping bags. “Stress?”I could tel
(Eve’s POV)“Where did all that energy come from, Eve?” Marga laughed warmly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she glanced at her. “Argh! I need to sit. Order for me, Beth.” She took a deep breath, savoring the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee that wafted through the air as they stepped into Tony’s Café.Although Bethany looked as drained as Marga, she chose not to say anything. She went straight to the counter without asking for our orders.My pregnant friend pulled a chair and moaned. “Ahh! This is heaven.”“Sitting down? Heaven?” I chuckled, sitting across from her. “We have one store to visit. You still need to check the -”“Ugh!” She shook her head. “Oh, please. No, thank you. I’d dreamt of this, and even in a dream, it’s tiring. Right now, what I need is a massage. So…” Her eyes sparkled as she changed the subject. “Was it a date?”“A date?” I shook my head and racked my brain quickly to give her a believable reason. “A date shouldn’t be with a visitor.”She nodded, agree
(Eve’s POV)I blinked rapidly, my gaze fixed on Wyatt at the dining table, laughing hard at Harry’s joke. I managed to force a laugh at something he said that wasn’t even funny. I managed to finish the main course, but I could hardly swallow the cupcake dessert.It must be my instinct, but something was off about him. After taking another sip of the wine he gave me, I rested my clenched fists in my lap, controlling the tension through my body. I plastered a smile, showing him I was okay because Harry kept glancing at me every time my lips touched the glass.A sudden wave of heat washed over me. Was it the lingering effects of last night's fever? I returned the wine glass to the table, picked up the water, and drank it slowly, my eyes darting to my phone, a silent plea for escape. I glanced at Wyatt, and even without words, we both knew we were in the same uncomfortable boat.I tilted my head, suddenly seeing Wyatt so attractive. My eyes began roaming from his gorgeous face down to his
(Eve’s POV)My children gasped when Cotton escaped Theo’s hold but giggled when they saw it approach me, walking between my legs and curling its tails as it meowed. When the kitten raised its head and met my eyes as if to say we had met again, I yelped and squeezed my eyes shut. This must be another dream.Isabella came to the rescue, picking up her pet. “Don’t be scared, Mommy. Cotton’s just greeting you,” she said, her eyes wide.A nervous chuckle escaped my mouth, and then I stared at Callahan, looking tired as if he had not slept a bit. He walked toward me after calling my kids to sit and eat breakfast.“What…” What are you doing here? I cleared my throat and changed my mind about asking him. Instead, I lifted my hand and pressed my palm on his forehead. “Are you okay?”Callahan grasped my hand and nodded. “I should be the one asking you that, Eve.”With wide eyes, I leaned forward and whispered, unconsciously saying, “You’re not supposed to come today.”He scoffed, releasing my ha
(Eve’s POV)I have an hour.“Cal…” I whispered his name, slipping my tongue between his lips.Callahan parted his lips for me and kissed me passionately, waking every part of my body. Slowly, he trailed my shoulders down to my wrists.A low growl escaped my throat, pushing my body against him. I must be sick… or maybe an addiction to him because whenever Callahan and I started touching each other, I couldn’t push him away or stop myself. I became a slave, letting him do whatever he wanted to do with me.The dampness between my legs and the heat crawling through my skin proved I wanted him now. I withdrew my hand from him, reaching the zipper of his pants and grasping his pulsing tool. My heart raced, feeling his already hard member. I moaned deliciously, feeling the tingling down my core. I was on fire!“Eve…” Callahan moaned, grabbing my hand and stopping me from pulling the zipper down.“How about we make that dream come true, Cal,” I whispered, taunting him.Callahan chuckled softl
(Eve’s POV)“What?” I hissed, irked that he had to remember that hot night. I didn’t even know how we ended up in my bedroom. All I remembered was offering him a coffee after tucking the kids to bed, but instead of heading to the front door, we were both like crazy couples, kissing and touching as we headed to my bedroom.I jerked, withdrawing my arm. This time, Callahan released me. “We had sex? That’s absurd. A nightmare!” I gritted my teeth,Callahan let out a sigh and said, “For you.”It should have been like rocketing fireworks in the sky, but it was an exploding firecracker for me, making me angrier at him.Tears welled in my eyes. “What am to you, Cal? Your daily dose of medicine? You think I solve your sex problem?”Because if I was, I guessed I had a problem in that department, too. As much as I wanted to stay away from Callahan, every time he touched me, my body responded. Positively! All the way! My body shivered in anger, but I couldn’t shout or scream. All this conversa
(Eve’s POV)Call me a cheater, but the very reason for repeating the day was to ensure I made the right decision and correct whatever mistake I made. This was not for me but for my kids. I would not leave them alone in this world with the wrong parent. Judge me, but no dying mother would want that.“Don’t go home yet,” Marga begged when I told them I was going home.I glanced at my phone screen and shook my head briefly. This is exactly what happened the first time. “Nope. You know that I have to cook for my children. Mommy duties,” I muttered firmly.Half lie. Half truth.I had to be home before Callahan could walk into the living room, give the cat to my children, and stop Isabella from loving my boss to the moon and back. Although Cotton was a cute Balinese kitten, and like my children, I also fell in love with the tiny feline, I still had to consider Cooper’s health.After a few minutes of convincing Bethany and Marga, they finally let me go. Before driving home, I set the alarm
(Eve’s POV)The cinema was almost empty, the early hour casting a strange, eerie vibe. I couldn’t tell if the tiny hairs on my skin were standing because the zombie was approaching the closet where the child was hidden or because of the cold. Had I known Bernard wanted to watch a movie, I would have brought a sweater. And then there was the fact that I couldn't scream, not without drawing unwanted attention from the staff. It was all so awkward.I grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved it into my mouth, my eyes on the large screen. I was so glad the movie was about to end.My eyes widened, and my heart hammered my chest, not because the zombie was a foot away from the closet but because of a warm hand on my knee. I chewed slowly, pretending I didn’t notice it, but when he leaned his head closer to mine, I couldn’t help but swallow the food in my mouth.I coughed briefly and was glad I chewed the popcorn well. It would be embarrassing if I choked on the popped kernels.Bernard breathe
(Eve’s POV)Perhaps dating a younger man like Bernard was a bad idea, I thought to myself.‘Stop, self!’ I told myself, sounding like a decade older than Bernard when I was only two years older than him. I sighed when I glanced at my phone screen, realizing my date was thirty minutes late.I crossed my legs, picked up the cup, which was almost empty, and looked outside the window of Shay’s restaurant.On my date with Bernard, I didn’t leave home early. I didn’t suspect the first time as I was too nervous and focused on my date with Ben, but when I saw my children earlier, I had to check the kitchen, which was messier than I imagined. The sink was overflowing with dishes, and the floor was scattered with crumbs. Still, I arrived on time at Shay’s and was still lucky to get the same spot as my date with Ben.“Finally!” I breathed, a mix of relief and annoyance washing over me as Bernard finally entered the restaurant. Despite the wait, I managed to keep my patience intact. I had to meet
(Eve’s POV)“Faster!” I moaned, my voice hushing beautifully across the room while my fingernails dug into Callahan’s skin.“My pleasure,” Callahan smiled, thrusting into my core deeper, faster.The bliss of too much pleasure made my toes curl, and I screamed, crying his name. Then… I gasped, my brows furrowing when he suddenly stopped and looked closer at me, shaking my shoulders.“Mommy! Mommy!” cried Isabella.“Huh?” I groaned when I heard my daughter’s cry. I opened my eyes and blinked confusedly at the same ceiling I was staring at while Callahan buried his heavy and massive manhood inside me. My body jerked at the small hands, shaking my shoulders and pulling my arms.“Mommy!” Theo screamed, grasping my right arm hard with his hands.My heart hammered my chest as I met three pairs of eyes, round and scared, looking at me.“Mommy, are you okay?” Cooper asked worriedly.“Huh?” I swallowed hard, blinking again and quickly processing what happened last night. I closed my eyes, brea