Before The One-Night StandI’ve always loved Ivan, even before I met him. I can still remember when I first started developing feelings for him. It was during one of our monthly book hunts, a tradition my sister and I cherished. We'd go out, scour bookshops, buy books, and then binge-read them. I had always loved reading, it was a part of who I was. But that day, I found a particular book that changed everything.Taming My CEO Husband. The title alone caught my attention, but the cover was what really drew me in.“I’ll take this one,” I murmured to myself, pulling the book off the shelf. I ran my fingers over the title, intrigued, before flipping through the pages to get a feel for it.Meanwhile, Chloe was on the other side of the bookstore, clutching the books she had chosen. She was a die-hard J.K. Rowling fan, the kind of girl who’d empty her savings just to get the next book in the Harry Potter series.“Ivan Carlos,” I whispered, my fingers brushing over the name of the author. Th
Flashback (cont'd)I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my room, staring at my reflection. My long brown hair had been ironed to perfection, falling in sleek waves down my back. I smoothed my hands over my dress, admiring the way it hugged my figure, and let out a small sigh. I could almost imagine Ivan Carlos standing behind me, his strong arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me close. The thought made my heart race.Just as I was lost in the fantasy, a familiar voice broke through my daydream. “What are you doing?” Emma’s voice snapped me back to reality as she walked into the room, her eyebrows raised in amusement.I turned to face her, slightly flustered. “Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.”Emma folded her arms, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. “Clearly. So, what’s with all the glam? Where are you going?”I bit my lip, feeling a little shy. “I heard Ivan Carlos is coming to Canada for a book signing, and… I really want to see him.”Emma rolled her eyes dram
I sat on the cold, hard floor, my face buried in my knees, tears soaking through the fabric of my jeans. The room was dark and dusty, the air heavy and stale. All I could think about was Kelly. Was she okay? Had she been asking for me? The thought of her little voice calling out for me was enough to break me.The room felt smaller with each passing hour, suffocating me slowly. I had been here for days, trapped, alone, without food or water. My throat was dry, my stomach ached with hunger, and my body felt weak, almost too weak to cry anymore. But the tears came anyway, hot and relentless.I hoped, prayed, that someone would come. Ivan. Brenda. Anyone. But there was nothing. No sound, no light, just the unbearable silence of abandonment. Even Nathaniel, who claimed he wanted me, who had kidnapped for his mother didn't bother to check up on me. I had never felt more helpless, more forgotten.Would anyone even know where to find me? Would they come in time?I hugged my knees tighter, try
Six days had passed, and I was still locked inside that suffocating room. I tried to hold onto the hope Brenda had always told me to cling to, but it was slipping away. I was too weak to stand, the physical pain from Mrs. Carlos’s blows had mostly healed, but the ache in my heart remained. What had I done to deserve this? All I wanted was to be with Ivan. Was that too much to ask?Now, she had threatened to hurt Kelly if I didn’t give in to her demands. The thought of my little girl in danger because of me haunted my every waking moment. My throat was dry, and hunger gnawed at my insides. I couldn't take it anymore. I was ready to surrender, ready to do whatever she asked if it meant Kelly would be safe.The door creaked open, and I lay on the cold, hard floor, too exhausted to move. I couldn’t even muster the strength to speak. The man entered and pulled me up by the arm, but there was no fight left in me. I followed him weakly, my body barely able to support itself. As we descended
I walked down the street, my mind spinning with thoughts of what to do next. Every step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by the ache in my chest that was far worse than any physical pain. Everything I had been through, since that fateful night at the club until now, was unraveling before me, tearing me apart piece by piece.Now, Mrs. Carlos had threatened to harm my child until I did what she demanded. How long could she continue to use me for her own fame? How long could I keep holding on, pretending that I had the strength to survive this?I had believed that my revelation in the media would make Ivan come back to me, that he would forgive me and help me put things right. But I was wrong. Instead of healing, I was met with even more pain. A deeper loneliness than I had ever imagined.What were Ivan’s fans saying about me now? They must be calling me a liar, a fraud. I could almost hear their voices in my head, casting judgment, thinking I was just another fame-seeking snake.
“I can’t go anywhere with you, Ivan,” I said, my voice breaking as tears mixed with the rain streaming down my face. “I don’t want to see you anymore.” My words were final, but the pain behind them was raw and deep. “And don’t come near Kelly or me. You’ve hurt us enough. Go back to your selfish mother and marry whoever she wants you to marry.”Ivan’s face crumbled, his eyes filling with desperation. “I can’t live without you,” he sobbed, stepping closer, but I instinctively moved away. “You and Kelly are all I have. Please don’t do this. I swear, I’ll make it right this time.”Promises. Empty words that meant nothing anymore. How many had I heard from him over the past few months? But something in his eyes, the way his voice cracked with emotion, made me almost want to believe him. Yet I was too tired, too broken, to keep holding on to that hope.“I don’t care,” I said, my body trembling with exhaustion. “If you were serious about making things right, you would’ve answered my calls.
I walked towards Brenda's apartment, shivering from the cold. Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I pushed forward, each step feeling heavier. By the time I reached the door, I was almost frozen, the chill seeping deep into my bones.I knocked, my knuckles weak against the wood, and it took a moment before the door finally swung open. Brenda stood there, her eyes widening the moment she saw me. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, pulling me into a tight hug, not caring that my soaked body would drench her clothes."Oh my God, V. I thought I wasn't going to see you again," she whispered, her voice thick with relief. She quickly ushered me inside, the warmth of the apartment hitting me like a wave of comfort."You need a warm bath and some dry clothes," she said, already moving towards the hallway to fetch towels.I hesitated, glancing towards Kelly’s room. "Where's Kelly?" I asked, my voice trembling, both from the cold and the overwhelming need to see her.Brenda stopped and t
I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering. The cold from being out in the rain hadn’t left me, and no amount of hot tea seemed to be enough. But it wasn’t just the cold, it was Ivan. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t push him out of my mind. The way he had looked at me, the way he had begged me not to leave him… it was all too much.I pulled myself out of bed, my body still aching from the exhaustion, and walked quietly down the hall to Kelly’s room. The door creaked softly as I opened it. She was asleep, curled up under her blanket, her small frame rising and falling with each peaceful breath.I leaned against the doorframe, watching her sleep. Kelly looked so much like Ivan. It was in the curve of her face, the way her dark hair splayed across the pillow, even the way she sometimes furrowed her brow when she was lost in thought. Every time I looked at her, it was like seeing him all over again. And with that came all the memories, both the good and the bad.I stepped clos