RUE
As Tysha exited the coffee shop, a wave of panic washed over me. It felt like I was losing her at that very moment. Despite Ysabell's distraught state, I left her behind and went after Tysha.
I rushed to her house, hoping to find her there, but she wasn't. I even checked their flower shop, but she wasn't there either. Her phone was switched off, a clear indication that she didn't want to be found.
In that moment, it dawned on me that I had messed up big time. I knew I fucked up.
Damn it!
I searched tirelessly for Tysha, feeling increasingly anxious with each passing hour. I even asked the help of my bodyguard in the search. Returning to her house repeatedly, I couldn't shake the fear that something terrible might have happened to her. The mere thought of it was unbearable, and I knew I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if that were the
TYSHA I heard it. I knew who Rue was talking about. And watching him lie to me was so heartbreaking. As I heard Rue's phone ring, my senses sharpened, and I felt the weight of the bed shift as he got up. With my eyes still closed, I listened intently, pretending to be asleep. But every fiber of my being was alert, tuned into the situation happening around me. Quietly, I watched him, my heart pounding in my chest. And then, just before he closed the door, I heard it - the name that confirmed my suspicions: "Ysabell." Time seemed to stand still as I processed what I'd just heard. My mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions, but one thing was clear - I couldn't let this slide. Despite my exhaustion, despite the late hour, I knew I couldn't go back to sleep without confronting him. I waited anxiously for Rue to ret
RUE As soon as I dropped Tysha off at their flower shop, I made my way to the warehouse of my company, preparing for the launch of SlumberLux’s newest furniture collection. Striding through the warehouse, clipboard in hand, I inspected each piece of furniture with a critical eye. “How are we coming along with the setup?” I asked Alice, one of my employees. “Everything's on schedule, Mr. Colterzon. We're just finishing up unloading the last few crates.” I nodded approvingly and continued my inspection. I stopped in front of a large wooden crate and gestured for the workers to open it. With a series of grunts and shuffles, they pried open the crate, revealing a sleek, modern sofa. Stepping forward, I ran my hand along the smooth fabric of the sofa, checking for any imperfections. Satisfied, I nodded to the workers, who care
TYSHA I couldn't believe what just happened. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. I trusted Rue, I really did. How could he do this to me? “Tysha! Wait!” Rue tried to chase me but I ran away. I ran as fast as I could, hoping I could run away from what I had seen too. I replayed the scene in my mind over and over again. The shock of seeing Rue with Ysabell, the way they were so close, so intimate. And then, the way he looked at me when he realized I caught him. That guilt in his eyes, it was undeniable. I felt sick to my stomach like everything I thought I knew had been turned upside down. How long has he been lying to me? How many times has he betrayed my trust like this before? “Tysha!” I heard Charles running after me as well. “Please take me away from he
TYSHA I must've drifted off without even realizing it, my tears lulling me into an exhausted sleep. When I finally blinked myself awake, Charles was there, watching me with concern etched on his face. "Ready to go home?" he asked gently, his voice a soothing balm to my troubled mind. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to shake off the remnants of sleep, feeling disoriented and heavy-hearted. "What time is it?" I mumbled, glancing out the window of Charles's condo. The sight of the darkness outside took me by surprise. "It's already nighttime," Charles replied, his words a stark reminder of how much time had passed since I closed my eyes. I sighed heavily, the weight of the day settling on my shoulders once again. As the memory of my dream flooded back to me, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of my stomach. Even in my dreams, the imag
TYSHA "Tysha, it's afternoon already. Aren't you going to eat?" My father's voice pierced through the silence of my room, his concern evident in the gentle repetition of his question. With my head buried under my pillow, I mumbled a response. "I'll eat when I'm hungry, Papa," I replied, my voice muffled by the fabric. But the truth was, I didn't feel hungry at all. The events of the past few days had left me feeling empty, as if even my body was grieving alongside my shattered heart. My parents continued to check on me, their worry evident in the air. While I appreciated their concern, I couldn't find it in me to show them just how much I was hurting. The weight of my pain felt too heavy to share, even with those closest to me. After a few hours, it was my mother who entered my room and checked on me. “You need to eat,” she stated firmly, her concern etched into every word. I remained silent, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. I was tired of repeating the sa
RUE As I watched Tysha's retreating figure, a deep sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Losing someone I loved was my greatest fear, a fear born from witnessing my mother's struggles after my father's passing. I remembered the pain etched on my mother's face, the emptiness in her eyes as she fought with the loss of her significant other, the person she had thought she would spend eternity with. It was a pain I could never fully comprehend, but I knew it was crushing, overwhelming, and all-consuming. And now, facing the possibility of losing Tysha, I felt that same fear haunting me. I feared that I had irreparably damaged our relationship, that I had shattered the trust and love we had built together. The thought of never being able to mend what was broken filled me with a sense of helplessness and despair. I was terrified that I wou
TYSHA I couldn't sleep, gosh! It felt like torture! My mind kept replaying what my parents said that Rue was always sleeping on our porch. Even as dawn approached, sleep remained elusive. The thought of Rue out there in the freezing cold kept gnawing at me. What if he's really there? After agonizing over it for what felt like forever, I finally mustered the courage to get up and check. Right! It’s not as if I’d die once I found no Rue outside our house. I tiptoed out of my room, careful not to wake my parents. How would I even explain why I was checking the front door in the middle of the night? When I reached the front door and checked the security camera, my heart sank. There he was, sitting on our porch like it was no big deal. My disbelief turned into a sharp pang in my chest. &
TYSHA When Rue sensed my return, he opened his eyes and rose from the couch. "There's your food," I said, nodding towards the bowl of noodles I had prepared for him. "Thank you," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't you want some?" he asked, gesturing towards the food. I shook my head in response, declining his offer silently. As he began to eat, I settled on another couch nearby, waiting patiently for him to finish his meal and take his medicine. Once he had finished, I spoke up, unable to keep my silence any longer. "You need to stop waiting for me outside our house," I stated firmly, the words hanging heavily in the air between us. At my words, Rue turned towards me, his eyes losing their spark as the weight of my statement settled upon him. Despite the pain it caused him, I knew it was a conversation that needed to be had. We couldn
TYSHAAm I really going to be the billionaire’s wife? Everything still felt surreal. When Rue finally got down on one knee and popped the question, I swear my heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I was frozen, not quite believing what was happening. It was like time stood still as I processed the moment.At first, I'll admit, I had my doubts. I mean, after I talked to his grandfather, that was when I realized that I answered his call and that he heard everything I said. Like gosh! What if he no longer proposed to me after I declined his grandfather’s offer to marry him? God knew how I barely had a sleep the night after that realization of mine. Although what I meant by my refusal was… I didn’t wanna marry Rue for money, I still felt scared that if ever he, indeed, heard our conversation, he would think I didn’t want to marry him in general. No. That was the complete opposite of what I was feeling. If I were to settle down, to build a life with someone, it would be with him.Marria
RUEI used to doubt love. I used to think that it was just a distraction, something that got in the way of real goals and messed with your head. Growing up, I saw too many relationships fall apart and people getting hurt, including my family. So, I promised myself I wouldn't let that happen to me. Focus on work, keep emotions in check—that was my rule.Then I met Tysha on that one special night in Eventide Cabaret.Everything changed. She wasn't like anyone else I'd ever known. There was something about her that drew me in. At first, I fought it. I told myself it was just a phase and that I'd get over it. But the more time I spent with her, the more I realized she wasn't a distraction. She was exactly what I needed—she set fire to my sleeping lust.“Every time I walk you to your room, it leads to lovemaking,” I whispered in between our kisses. Right after she accepted my not-so-spontaneous proposal, she pulled me into her room to continue our kissing session.“Next time, you won’t
RUE“I won’t marry Rue.”I couldn’t believe what I just heard. Tysha’s words echoed in my mind, bouncing around like they were trying to make sense but failing miserably.When she accidentally answered my call, I didn’t hang up, especially when I heard my grandfather’s voice talking to her. I was mad at Grandpa for offering Tysha money to marry me, but I stayed silent because I wanted to hear her answer. I never expected her answer would break me.“Our relationship is not a transaction, Mr. Colterzon. Just so you know. While I appreciate your concern for our future, marrying him should come from our hearts, not a financial incentive,” I heard Tysha continue. “So, no. I won’t marry him for money.”After that, I ended the call before she even noticed I was listening to her conversation with my grandfather.I felt a mix of emotions. I was angry at my grandfather for interfering, for thinking that money could solve everything. But Tysha’s words cut deeper. She didn’t want to marry me, eve
TYSHA“You wouldn’t be able to drive us home?” I asked Rue on the other line. I had just finished all my classes for the day when he called.“No. We just had an emergency meeting at the company. But I’ll send Fred,” he offered, but I immediately refused.“No need. I can drive us myself.”“Okay. Just tell the kids I’ll visit them later,” Rue said before ending the call.As I continued gathering my things to leave the faculty room, one of my co-teachers approached me with a curious look.Tysha, someone’s looking for you,” my co-teacher whispered, nodding toward the entrance. I glanced up from my stack of papers, my heart doing a little flip. Who could it be? A parent? Another teacher? “Huh? Really?” I tried to sound nonchalant, but my pulse quickened. The school day had been ordinary so far, and I wasn’t prepared for any surprises.“Yes. He’s waiting in the parking lot, with lots of convoys,” my co-teacher grinned, clearly enjoying my confusion. With my co-teacher's grin, the first
TYSHARue wanted to introduce our kids to his mother and grandfather and the thought of it made my stomach churn with anxiety. Like, gosh!I couldn't help but overthink the whole situation. His grandfather had always hated me, ever since I was with Bryse. He did everything in his power to separate us before. And now, after all this time, I was terrified that his hatred for me would extend to our children.What if Rue’s grandfather took one look at them and saw nothing but a reminder of my past mistakes? What if he couldn't see them for the wonderful kids they are and only saw my flaws? The idea of my kids being judged or rejected because of my history was unbearable.I kept imagining different scenarios, each worse than the last. Would his grandfather's anger flare up the moment he laid eyes on them? Would he blame them for the messy past I had with his family? I could almost see the disapproval in his eyes, and feel the tension in the room.Rue seemed confident that things would be f
TYSHA“This is their picture?” Rue asked as I handed him the photo album, filled with pictures of our kids. After they had fallen asleep, he had suddenly asked to see some photos of them. Luckily, I had been making albums of their milestones.“Yeah, right after they were born,” I said proudly, sitting beside him on the couch and joining him in looking at the pictures.Rue carefully stared at each photo, his eyes filled with a mix of wonder and regret, as if trying to relive the moments he had missed. Each image seemed to pull him deeper into a past he wasn't part of, yet desperately wished he had been.He traced a finger over a picture of their first birthday, his expression softening. “Who was with you?” Rue asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.“My parents,” I answered simply, trying to decipher what was going through his mind.“Just them?” He glanced at me, seeking confirmation.“Yes. Just them.”“How about Charles?” he asked.I thought he might be jealous, but when I l
RUEIn a short amount of time, I became super attached to the twins. Every day without them felt like a lost chance to be their real father. That's why I found myself constantly at Tysha's house, trying to make up for lost time.I longed to bond with them, to be a presence in their lives that they could rely on. It wasn't easy, knowing that I missed out on so much, but I was determined to do better.I held out the hairbrush when my daughter Addison came out of the bathroom. Her hair was damp and clinging to her small shoulders.As usual, I was in their house again, wanting to spend more time with my children."Can I brush your hair?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes.“Okay, Daddy.” Addison nodded, a shy smile on her face, and took a seat on the stool in front of me.I took a deep breath, aware of the importance of this gesture, and of the trust she was placing in me.As I began to brush, I was careful, mindful of every stroke."Am I doing this right?" I asked, watching her reaction in th
TYSHAOkay. If I was having fun earlier about how Rue shut Celeste’s bitchy mouth, I was no longer enjoying it now.“Is it true, Tysha? You’re dating Mr. Colterzon? The billionaire?!” asked one of my coworkers. “Err…” I stammered, unable to find the right words immediately.First of all, I didn’t feel the need to tell the truth to them. Second, to be honest, I didn’t really know the answer to that. Am I dating Rue again? We used to date but does co-parenting with him count as dating?“How about Charles, Ma’am Tysha? Did you two break up already?” Another question was thrown at me. It was Rupert who asked this time. The faculty room had turned into chaos the moment I walked in after finishing my classes.Even though Celeste kept her mouth shut after what Rue said to her, the news still spread like wildfire. Fortunately, before I had to say something, Madeline came into the faculty room. "Everyone," she addressed the room sternly, "what's all this commotion? Where is your professio
TYSHASince Rue had insisted on driving us to school, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bit nervous. I’m sure it would spark a new rumor about me and gosh! But yeah, I must comply. This would be nothing compared to the six years I’ve taken away from him.As I told my kids about what their father planned on doing, Aiden and Addison were already perched by the window, their noses pressed against the glass, waiting for their father.Then it arrived. Rue’s car glided to a stop in front of our house, sleek and attention-seeking because of its vibes that were screaming ‘wealth.’ It was the kind of luxury car you’d see in magazines. But what can I say? The father of my kids is a billionaire so…“It’s Daddy!” Aiden and Addison said in chorus as their eyes grew wide with wonder. They rushed out the door, their school bags forgotten for a moment, as they circled the car with open-mouthed awe.I watched them.“Good morning, buds! Ready for school?” Rue greeted them with the same enthusiasm a