Chapter 19“I just said, what if it backfires on you? What if he refuses to accept the pregnancy? What would you do then?”There was silence for what felt like hours. “I really won’t sit here and allow this dirty thing to speak to me!” Cassandra said, walking away.“Well, I guess you should have minded your business. Come on, let’s get going!” Jane said to Brenda as they stood up to leave. The rest of Brenda’s weekend went by slowly, her mind in constant turmoil as she waited for the new week to come.Hardy felt disappointed that Brenda refused to accompany him to the party, which made it quite boring as he had to go alone. The red carpet was full of clicking sounds as cameras snapped continuous pictures of him.He stood and allowed them to take as many pictures as they wanted before making his way into the hall, determined to avoid too much conversation.“Hi, aren’t you Hardy?” an older lady called out to him. Turning around to face her, Hardy replied, “Hello!” but struggled to remem
Chapter 20Brenda left him standing in the bathroom as she went about the rest of her day, looking around, unsure if she had been caught.Hardy, finding his way out of the bathroom, went back to work. He had a lot of files to go through and still had to seal the contract with the new business magazines.If they could get the publishing rights, it would mean a lot to the company in the business world.But everything right now seemed like a sham to him, since Brenda had refused to succumb to his charm.“I just can’t give up. She has to be mine!” Hardy said assertively as he stared into the empty air, his mind drifting to discreet ways he could make her fall in love with him.He wanted more than just to date her. Then suddenly an idea came to his mind, just as a knock came at the door.His secretary walked in. “Hello, sir, some files just arrived, and they need your urgent attention!” she said, walking over to his desk.She dropped the few files in her hand, shocked to see that the ones
The sun had barely risen when Brenda awoke, though it didn’t matter to her. She lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, her mind swimming in the events of the previous night. She hadn’t slept much. Sleep wasn’t something you could force when your thoughts were consumed by betrayal.Will had cheated on her. Her Will.tears dropped down her eyes That single thought played on repeat in her head like a broken record. It gnawed at her, stabbing her heart over and over again until the pain was all she could feel. The image of him with someone else had burned itself into her memory, something she knew she could never unsee.The night before had felt surreal, like a bad dream she could wake up from, but now that morning was here, reality set in. Her chest tightened at the thought of facing the day. How was she supposed to go to work and pretend everything was fine? Her job was demanding enough as it was, but now, the thought of stepping out of her house, much less walking into her office,
Brenda couldn’t sleep that night, as she kept thinking about the kiss, even though she didn’t feel the usual spark she would feel when she kissed Will.This kiss was somewhat similar, it was as soft as that of Will, “ Brenda are you still up ?”Brenda’s mum called out to her looking at her with a mischievous smile on her face, but her mother knew too well, to want to spoil the whole news “ what’s going on mother with that smile I guess something must be happening !”“ come on let’s have dinner together your dad is already at the dinning !”“Okay!” Brenda said raising an eye and knowing fully well that there was more to all of this.They finally made it down to the dinning, when her phone suddenly rang, wondering what was happening she picked up the phone “Hello!!”“ no, no, no phone calls at the table dear!!” Her mothers scolded her lightly Brenda put a hand across her phone, “Come on mum just a few seconds, hello!!”“ hi, it Will, can we talk now ?”Will standing right in front of
The day went by so fast, with no time to really go out for lunch , as she had wanted to if she kept up with her work. Brenda didn’t give herself free time just to avoid thinking about Will, but her mind still found a way to wander back to him, to the very first time they met. It was magical to her, and she would always cherish that moment for as long as she could remember. “Is there anything I can possibly do to help you out? You’ve been working all day, Brenda!” Her close friend at work , walked up to her, looking at her with emotions in her voice . “I am fine Layla . In a few days, I’ll be able to clear it all!” she said, smiling. “Okay, if you say so, then have a wonderful day!” the lady said, walking away. It was close to closing time, but Brenda still had a long way to go. She knew she needed to wrap up soon so she could at least make it to the dinner date she had with hardy , even though she clearly had nothing to wear. Standing up from her seat, she walked over to
Brenda made it back to Jane’s place that night, but her mind was racing, making everything feel worse. As she lay in bed, looking up at the empty sky, her thoughts drifted to the moment Will had covered her with his jacket. She felt loved and wanted to be with him and him alone, but what would society say? No one—not even her family—would accept it, and the internet would rain fire. Feeling thirsty, she got up and walked to Jane’s kitchen. Jane’s home was extraordinarily large for just one person. She walked into the dark kitchen, found the water in the fridge, and drank, but a sudden movement outside the kitchen startled her. “Hello! Is anybody there?” she called out. Slowly, she walked toward the living area, searching for the light switch. After a few minutes, she found it and flipped it on, only to see Jane snacking in the dark. Brenda smirked. “Really?” Jane, with a chunk of chocolate in her mouth, looked up, caught red-handed. “Okay, fine, you caught me. But what ar
Chapter 25“This isn't happening!!!”Brenda kept wailing just didn't know how else she could get herself to calm down “ you need to calm down okay, nothing is going to happen to your mother, just calm down!!”Hardy, knew he should be calming her down which he did, he knew he couldn't act on his own unless he spoke with his dad Neither could he leave her alone in the hospital until her friend came around... “Oh my dear you look so bad, how is she ?”Jane asked hugging her, “She is fine but not better, the doctor said she has heart failure, her heart is so weak and If we do not get a donor, we might lose her anytime soon, I don't want to lose mother!!”“ I know darling, this whole process is very straining and you don't want to lose your mother, you should also consider your health and taking care of your mother!!”Hardy, left, but before he left, he went straight to the doctor, to sort out all bills that will be needed for Brenda’s mum surgery..Brenda sat down looking at her mum a
Brenda walked back to the hospital, heartbroken. She sat beside her mother’s bed, knowing she couldn’t resist the urge to call Will.The phone rang several times, but Will ignored it, deepening her heartache over the following days.Hardy showed up at the hospital to console her, and days turned into weeks.Finally, her mother was scheduled for her operation and was being taken into the theater. Hardy stood by her side, bringing her comfort in knowing that she would soon have her mother back.Walking down the street, it was Brenda’s first day back at work after spending three months caring for her sick mother, with Hardy’s constant support.She had prepared herself not to talk to Will or let herself be affected by his presence.The elevator doors opened to her floor, and the first voice she heard was Will’s.“Take this file to the editorial room and make sure justice is done to the work, okay?”“Yes, Mr. Wills,” his assistant replied, walking away.Brenda stood where she was, unsure o
Will sat in the first-class cabin of the transatlantic flight, staring blankly at the screen in front of him. The thought of returning to the U.S. after weeks of avoiding the inevitable felt like a bitter pill he had no choice but to swallow. Despite the luxurious surroundings and the attentive service, his mind was consumed with one relentless thought: Brenda.The idea of her—his ex-lover—marrying his son was an insult he couldn’t stomach. For days, he had convinced himself that distance was the solution, that ignoring the situation would somehow make it disappear. But it hadn’t. Instead, the announcement of a firm wedding date had dragged him back, forcing him to confront the reality of what was about to happen.By the time the plane landed, Will had made up his mind. He wouldn’t allow this farce to go on any longer. He would speak to Hardy directly and make him understand why marrying Brenda was the worst decision he could ever make.Will’s car pulled up to his grand estate late
Will sat in his office chair, staring at the city skyline through the massive glass window. The meeting had dragged on longer than expected, leaving him drained. As he loosened his tie and leaned back in the chair, he reached for his phone to check the time. That’s when he noticed it—several missed calls flashing on the screen.His brows furrowed as he unlocked the phone and scanned the call log. The name at the top made his stomach churn: Cassandra.He hesitated, already guessing the reason for the frantic calls. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Whenever Cassandra called this persistently, it could only mean one thing: Hardy.And if it was about Hardy, then Brenda’s name was undoubtedly involved.Will’s grip tightened around the phone as the all-too-familiar wave of resentment crept in. Brenda—his son’s fiancée, his own former lover, and the woman he had never truly let go of.The mere thought of Hardy marrying Brenda felt like a cruel twist of fate. It wasn’t just her presence that uns
Cassandra had barely opened her eyes when a wave of determination washed over her. It was early morning, and the faint light of dawn filtered through her curtains, casting a soft glow in her bedroom. Today marked a new month—a significant turning point in her personal crusade. She had spent the past weeks fuming, plotting, and rehearsing her arguments, all aimed at one goal: removing Brenda from Hardy’s life.Hardy’s home, her home—it didn’t matter what Brenda thought of it. Cassandra was resolute. This would not end with a wedding. Brenda would not win.But as Cassandra swung her legs off the bed, a strange sensation stopped her. Her head swam, and the world seemed to tilt. She gasped softly, clutching the edge of her mattress as dizziness overwhelmed her. Her body felt heavy, like gravity had doubled its pull.She tried to stand again but collapsed back onto the bed with a thud, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her pulse was erratic, her hands clammy. The room spun like a carou
ChapterThe trip to Brazil was an excellent one. Having to sit down and think things through, back at his home, Hardy was finding it hard to curtail his joy. His father wasn’t home; he had the opportunity to show his wife to be around, but as they were having dinner Brenda felt uncomfortable as she looked around. “Are you sure your father will be cool with me moving in even before the wedding preparations?”“There is nothing to worry about; as I have said, this is your home now, so there is nothing wrong with it.”Hardy said, planing an hand over hers that was on the table, the maid who had now become a spy.Rushed out through the back door, she knew the only place the hatred wouldn’t be keeping an eye on at that time of the day. Was the tiny door that led into the woods? It was a fishy thing to do.Having to walk through the woods, she had no choice but to find her way down to Casandra. Up on getting there, she waited to be allowed into the large country house, but at that moment
ChapterWill was just coming out of the board meeting, holding a file in his hand as his assistant rushed after him. “Sorry, sir, I forgot to remind you about the project with Brazil!”Will stopped in his tracks, stunned as he looked at his assistant, realizing he still had to travel.“And how come I’m just hearing about this now?”“I apologize, sir. You’ve been so busy with the launch of Mr. Buckley’s new book that I thought there would be time to notify you.”Will sighed, turning as he walked into his office and sat down. “And when is this meeting?”“Tomorrow night, which will be morning in Brazil.”“I see,” Will said, dropping the file he had been holding. “You know what, once I’m done here, I’ll head back home. Just book me a night flight.”“Alright, Mr. Will, I’ll do just that.”His assistant replied, walking out of the office, and Will buried himself in work.Meanwhile, Brenda was still struggling to digest the whole arrangement. Talking to her mother had been a total waste of t
ChapterTime was already running out, and Brenda couldn’t stand the stares directed her way. It felt like everyone was judging her by her appearance.She couldn’t understand why they kept staring as she approached the front desk, where the guard would pay for the gown she had chosen.Her phone wouldn’t stop ringing. She pulled it out as the ladies at the front desk began gossiping among themselves.“Are you sure someone like her, with that cheap guard, can afford such an expensive wedding dress?”“I don’t think so. You need to get your facts straight. She may look cheap, but she might actually be able to afford it.”“No, I still don’t think so.”Brenda glanced at her phone and saw it was her mom calling.Answering might mean hours of talking, and she needed to rest. There was a chance her mother wouldn’t be able to attend her wedding, which wasn’t sitting well with her. “How much is the dress?” the guard asked, irritation in his voice.“Twenty thousand,” the first lady replied, eyeing
Chapter Cassandra headed straight to her friends place the minute she noticed some inconsistency in her statement..“ I am coming over to you and you better be ready to spill everything ““ fine just come over!!”She made her way right off into the other lane just as she could make it to Layla’s place on time Everything seems blurt at the moment even for Brenda, as her mother looked at her smiling, “ come child go for the shipping at least it will reduce the street of other preparation ““ mum!!” Brenda exclaimed knowing fully well why her mother would accept that she go for a wedding preparation. Going all round, she still couldn't win her mother over the issue and this pissed her off ass she made her way right out of the hospital This made her way right out of the hospital making ht way down to the shopping mall, she didn't have the zeal to choose anything that expensive.Brenda entered the wedding dress store, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the elegant surroundings.
Cassandra woke up that morning feeling tired; she knew nothing could pull her out of this mood.One of her maids was already in her room, opening the curtains. This wasn’t something Cassandra liked best.“What exactly are you doing?” Cassandra asked, watching her maid, who was staring at something on the side table.The maid nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Cassandra’s voice. “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am! I was just putting this here,” she said, placing down a magazine. It was filled with news about the wealthy; Cassandra’s life had never been private since she turned sixteen.She had a fashion show to attend that morning, and she didn’t want to look at the magazine, fearing it might spoil her mood.The magazine had always been full of fabricated lies, with a few truths mixed in. It allowed people who looked up to her to read the diary of her life without really knowing her.“Would you like breakfast this morning, ma’am?” The maid sounded anxious, piquing Cassandra’s curiosity.C
Hardy drew Brenda closer as he kissed her. He knew he had won; his dad was the least of his problems now—all he needed was to get himself together and move forward.Everything seemed blurry for Brenda. She knew she shouldn’t have accepted his proposal, as everything was going from bad to worse.“I can’t accept this marriage proposal,” she said to Gerald as she paced back and forth. But the more she thought about it, the more uncertainty built up in her heart.Hardy drove back home after much pleading from his aunt. “You’re finally back home?”“Yes, I am, Dad, and I think we should start preparing for my wedding!”“Why a wedding?”“My wedding with Brenda. I proposed to her today, and she said yes!”“You can’t be serious. What do you see in her that makes you want to go against my wishes?”“I just love her, Dad. Is there anything wrong with loving a woman I cherish?”“No, I don’t think so, but you need to think this through. She’s not the best for you, and you know it!”“I have nothing