The waiter delivered our food and drink orders. The celebration had started, so we didn't talk. Brad delivered his short speech on the stage. I smiled as the women stopped what they were doing. Their eyes were fixed on the handsome man.Even the female employees didn't move and stared at their boss in awe. Well, well, well. Jasmine would encounter a lot of problems if they got into a relationship. Brad had a lot of fans. That was a big challenge.“Do you want more food?” Russell asked as he looked at my empty plate.“Not now.” I smiled at Brad, who returned to our table.I felt a lot of eyes on me, but I ignored them. Those women couldn't be mad. It wasn't my fault that Brad gave me his attention all night. I was his guest of honor because he liked my best friend.“Move,” Brad ordered his friend. “I'm guarding Camari tonight from all the perverts, including you.”“I'm not a pervert,” Russell argued. He turned to me. “Tell him I'm being polite, Camari.”“Yeah, yeah. That's still my seat
[Otis]I sighed with relief as I got into the car. The argument with Farrell had only exhausted me, especially with that slanderous, know-it-all woman. I couldn't believe Farrell so quickly fell for her line of reasoning.Maybe that was what she had been doing to Farrell all this time, so he hated Camari. He repeatedly hurt the kind woman, even though his ex-wife had never been abusive to him or the Haworth family. I finally understood. Bella had poisoned his mind.What was it about that woman that attracted him to her? Her beautiful face wasn't as sincere as Camari's. That look in her eyes that belittles others made her unattractive, unlike Camari, whose beauty wasn't dull.Camari was kind and treated anyone without discrimination. She was willing to get close to a physically imperfect person like me. She was also not shy about walking or being with me in public. On the contrary, she was annoyed at people who mocked me with their stares.My heart beat faster remembering her and her ki
[Camari]I decided not to watch television or browse social media. Monday was my first day leading a meeting. I had to look perfect. I knew I'd be screwed if I watched the press conference.Hearing the bell ring on my unit's door, I approached the door. I frowned as I saw Jasper's face on the screen beside the door. I took in my surroundings and tapped my forehead realizing the mistake I had made.Gosh. I returned to my old unit even though I was no longer living here. I still had some time left on my lease.Therefore, I still had my card and hadn't returned it to the receptionist. I just want to disappear.“I understand, ma'am,” Jasper said politely. He smiled meaningfully when I apologized.Otis didn't say anything. He turned around and walked towards the elevator. I looked at Jasper. He just shook his head. What had happened to make Otis ignore me? Oh. Probably it was just my feelings.But as we got ready for bed, he gave me a silent treatment. Otis didn't talk much, but he wasn't q
My life was so peaceful not seeing her for a week. I could do a lot of things in my work and meet up with my parents without any significant problems. Why did she have to greet me? Couldn't she just pretend not to know me?Jasmine sighed, not hiding her irritation. She sat back and looked at me while crossing her arms over her chest. That attitude of hers made me happy. At least, there was one of my three old friends who was loyal to me.“Aren't you embarrassed to be in public with a scandal going viral in the media?” Bella taunted while standing at the side of the table. She looked at me with a fake concern.“Which scandal?” I mimicked her mocking tone of voice.She chuckled. “Everyone knows you ruined mine and Farrell's relationship. You see? The power of love can defeat a woman like you. Camari, Camari. Don't be angry that your filthy family can't suck off the Haworth fortune anymore.”Thank goodness she chose that topic. I happily rectified her malicious accusation. I knew all of F
Although I didn't see her face last night, I know she was the one who protected me from Mrs. Bloom's attack. Why was she doing this? Was there anyone who would hurt me in the lobby? Why did people like to make me an outlet for their anger?“I won't do it if you don't accompany me,” I threatened.“You may go first,” she said.I narrowed my eyes on her. But I had no time to waste. Work hours were about to start. So, I complied by walking towards the fire escape. There was no sound or noise from upstairs and downstairs.“Who are you? Who sent you?” I asked as I climbed the stairs.“My name is Nicole Barber. Mr. Otis Haworth hired me to protect you,” she replied.“Oh!” I turned to her cheerfully. “So, you're my bodyguard! Nice to meet you!” I extended my hand, but she urged me to keep walking.Right. I couldn't be late. I exited on the second floor and stood in front of the elevator. The doors opened after a while. I pressed the button for the upper floor and stood up casually. Arriving at
Deborah took us to the roof of the building. I didn't know what she was planning to do because there was only a helipad. She walked to the right towards the back. Jasmine and I exchanged glances. Inhaling the delicious aroma, I frowned.I opened my mouth to look at the place. There were various beautiful flowers and small trees on the other side of the roof. There was a pergola complete with chairs and tables for relaxing. Deborah invited us to sit there.I put some chips on the table and sat down. Jasmine brought canned drinks, while Deborah brought water. I didn't know there was such a beautiful place on the roof. We could see the sunset.“Do you take care of all the plants in this garden?” I asked curiously.“No.” Deborah chuckled. “I don't have time to take care of them. This place has been there since the building was completed.”“It's the perfect place to end a bad day.” Jasmine nodded in agreement. She turned to Deborah. “I got fired.”“Your boss at a loss for letting a good emp
[Otis]Nicole's report on Monday morning shattered all my hopes of mending fences with Camari. After a night of fun with them on Saturday night, they followed it up by going home together.I sighed at the picture of Bradley Hart on my tablet screen. His body was tall and muscular. He had black hair and blue eyes that many women would love to have. Camari was a perfect match for him.That woman promised me to help each other in avenging Farrell's actions. I didn't expect her to forget the main purpose of our marriage. The diversion wasn't just one, but two men who were beyond my capabilities. I couldn't attract Camari's attention like they could.“You need to have a frank talk with Mrs. Haworth,” Jasper said after Camari left my office. “She was asking what happened to make you so cold to her.”“Don't tell her anything about what happened on Sunday,” I threatened.He gave me my share of the food. “Sir, I know my limits even though I like to joke around. I won't reveal your secret to Mrs
I didn't need to tell Camari. She knew to follow me in my car. We could drive her back here to pick up her car. I reread my notes on my phone to help open up a conversation with my colleague. I could do that.Arriving at our destination restaurant, I let Camari lead us. She reported to the receptionist and a waiter escorted us to a reserved room. I ignored the stares of the guests in the main dining room.My heart was beating rapidly and my hands began to sweat. I started counting to ten in my head. I recalled my meeting with Carlos. This colleague I met was a good person. He would treat me nicely.“Good afternoon, Mr. Haworth. It's a pleasure to have you agree to see me,” the man inside the dining room said, welcoming us.“Good afternoon, Ronan. Just call me Otis.” I extended my hand to him.“Hi, Otis.” He shook my hand with a friendly smile. “Are you related to Angus Haworth?”“He's my father,” I admitted.“Wow!” he exclaimed as he shook my hand enthusiastically. “No wonder you look
Jasper moved quickly. He picked me up and ran to the car. Otis broke protocol by getting into the same car as me, but I needed him. So, I let him sit beside me.The medical team welcomed us to the hospital. My obstetrician greeted me and checked my condition. My feelings were uncertain when he said the opening wasn't quite there yet. We needed to wait until the time came.Our family arrived, helping me get ready. Otis stayed in the room with me. Whenever I needed him, I turned to him, and he would come closer. Hours passed, but the torment wasn't over yet.I grew more and more frightened as the pain became unbearable. Seeing Otis' pale face, I smiled at him. It must have been hard for him to see me in this state. It made me realize one important thing. There would be no other man like him in this world."Otis," I whispered. He came closer. "I don't know what would happen in the labor room. But I want you to know... I love you. I love you so much."Otis was stunned. His eyes then filled
[Camari]Otis was busy with the two companies he was responsible for. I thought everything was fine. He solved all of Haworth Incorporation's financial problems and replaced some old directors with his confidants.However, I had no idea why he bought shares from certain people in the company. I wasn't with him all the time since my pregnancy made it difficult for me to move around freely. So, he had lunch or dinner with his colleagues without me.He even bought shares in his company from people demanding that he step down from his seat. I wasn't the finance director, so I didn't know the company's financial position. But seeing Jasmine's calm demeanor, I concluded that everything was still under control.Therefore, I was surprised by today's announcement. Precious Fund Corporation and Haworth Incorporation were merging. Precious Fund remained, while Haworth Incorporation ceased to exist. What did Father think of this?The man I was thinking about came in with a cheerful face, making m
Bella had just given birth. Following Father's instructions, we checked the baby and Farrell for a DNA match. The lab technician called to tell us the results were up for collection. Dorothy flew straight from her town to take care of it with me.Camari was twenty-eight weeks pregnant. I didn't want anything to happen to her if she met Bella in prison. She should be in a high-security place. The office had bodyguards and building security. I could rest easy if she were there."Otis!" Dorothy called.I waved the envelope of test results at her. "The results are here.""Come on, open it quickly," she said impatiently.I opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. I sighed when I saw the results. The question that had been bothering us was answered. For safety reasons, Dorothy and I headed to the prison in our respective cars.Ever since Bella attacked my car, I hadn't been in the same car with my family. Camari and I also didn't share a car when we went anywhere. She still drove
Our parents excused themselves from the living room. They ran away and didn't help me to explain the sentence to Camari. I swallowed and saw them smiling meaningfully. Didn't they know I was terrified?After the door closed and it was just the two of us, Camari cleared her throat. "Otis?"I swallowed hard. "Don't worry about the money. I have a personal stash that I've set aside for my wedding. So, I'm not taking the company's operating money."She smiled. "Are you afraid I'll laugh at your feelings?" she cooed. Camari squeezed my hand. "Thank you for loving me, but I can't say the same." She bowed her head."Camari, I—" I muttered, feeling bad."Please don't get me wrong," she cut in. "Give me time. Our marriage was unplanned. The baby came unexpectedly, followed by the blessing and the reception... I didn't have time to digest all the significant events I experienced in quick succession."You are a kind and gentle man. I'll have no trouble loving you. Therefore, I need time. I won't
[Otis]I stared at the loser man without blinking. He just lowered his head, not daring to return my gaze. He didn't touch the envelope I placed in front of him. He must have understood the purpose of my visit. And I needed an explanation."Silence won't make me forgive what you and your team did," I stated. "This is the first and last warning. If you dare forge people's signatures again, I'll shut down your law firm. You know I'm capable of that.""Mr. Haworth." He finally opened his mouth. "Neither I nor my team forged anyone's signature. If the client didn't sign, then Farrell did.""The client didn't show up for her divorce papers, and you were not her attorney. Was that Farrell's fault, too?" I asked. "My nephew died doesn't mean you can put all the blame on him. I'm not that stupid."I took the envelope back. "This is my proof of how negligent your law firm is. If you did it again, I wouldn't think twice about destroying you.""Mr. Haworth." The man stood up and followed me.Jas
Otis and I went to separate places after work. He met Carlos to discuss business while I saw my psychologist. I cried my heart out in that room, telling Jennifer everything I'd been through over the past week.I felt so relieved after pouring out my feelings. Jennifer didn't suggest anything. She congratulated me on successfully ending my hatred for the two people who had done me harm.Otis was still talking to Carlos, so I went home with my bodyguard. Looking at the numbers on the elevator, I thought of someone. I pressed the number to my old apartment and smiled. She must be in her apartment.Sure enough. Deborah greeted me with a smile and the delicious cooking aroma inside her unit. She offered me her appetizing lasagna. We enjoyed it while chatting in the dining room."I'm sorry about what happened to your family," she said with concern.I liked the word she chose, family. She didn't mention Farrell as my ex-husband. "Thank you. What an unexpected turn of events. He was young.""
[Camari]As the weekend passed, we went about our usual activities. Otis and I started the day with exercise. He swam while I practiced martial arts with Jasper. Things had been better since Nicole woke up, and Bella was in custody.I found it hard to concentrate since I was out of danger. I didn't know what was wrong with me. The day went by so fast, but it also felt so slow. I wasn't excited about the day either, even though I forced myself to smile so no one would suspect anything.Otis and Jasper entered the office, so I sat in my chair. My new bodyguard stood guard not far from me. I kept my distance from her to avoid getting emotionally involved. The incidents that happened to Nicole had left me devastated, and I didn't want to go through it again.I didn't know why people closest to me kept getting hurt. I just wanted it to be over. Farrell was gone. Eleanor and Bella were behind bars. Hopefully, no more disasters would befall me or my family."Good morning, ma'am," a security
[Otis]I had never felt so desperate as when I watched my wife being taken away before my eyes. I made the mistake of taking off my seat belt to kiss her cheek. As a result, my body was thrown and fell on the floor after the car hit something.Then, help came. People rescued us, and only then did I find out that our car tires were shot. Therefore, Jasper had difficulty controlling the car. He chose to crash into a shop rather than another vehicle. Fortunately, it saved our lives.We weren't hurt, but it was different with Nicole. They shot her arm, and she fell off her motorcycle. The doctor had to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the bullet and fix the position of her broken arm and leg."Farrell and Bella have to die," Jasper whispered. He stared at the operating room door with red eyes. "Brad is tracking down Mrs. Haworth. Sorry, I can't concentrate—""Nicole is your girlfriend." I patted the back of his hand. "I understand."It took Brad hours to figure out Camari's w
After that deafening explosion, the room turned so quiet that my ears were ringing. I felt nothing in my body. Did the bullet lodged in the body numb the wound?I opened my eyes and saw that my lap was clean. There was no blood. Strange. No part of my body felt aches or pains. Did the shooter miss or misfire? I took a deep breath. No part of my body hurt, and I was still alive!"Noooo!!!" Bella shouted, startling me.My heart was beating fast. I turned and saw her running towards me. Oh, God. Did she want to kill me with her hands? I struggled, trying to break free from the bonds on my hands and feet, but it was in vain.Bella didn't approach me but knelt and held something under me. I turned and was surprised to see someone lying on the floor. Bella turned his body so that I could see his face. No way.That selfish man who only loved himself couldn't be lying there. He wouldn't sacrifice himself to save anyone, especially me. Farrell hated me. He only loved Bella. It was impossible.