ALICIA "Don't be bothered baby, I think you must have been trained and well equipped to handle your life. We are not sending you away, that you should always keep at the back of your mind. You see," he paused as a way of placing great emphasis on what he was about to say. “The only option we had was to sacrifice pleasures and our goals for you, so you could be a great person one day. How many individuals do you see sacrificing their pleasures for someone who is not related to them?" He turned and directed his gaze towards me, I knew he needed an answer. "No, not much dear. They're not much." I do call him dear whenever I felt so much indebted to him, whenever he revealed extraordinary kindness to me. He smiled at my reply and continued."Good!" He emphasized the word. "I want you to know that I didn't do all those together with your mom for nothing, we need one thing from you." When I looked at him, I was reflective on what he wanted me to do. I was afraid I might not be able to do
ALICIA Mom took a while before she emerged with a pack of something which she hid behind her. "What's that mommy?" I asked in excitement. "Well, well," she said. "It's a special thing I saved for a long time to buy for you. Hope you like it?" She brought forth her hands and I nearly passed out at what I saw. My mouth hung open before I jumped excitedly. It was an iPhone, I never dreamt of this all my life. I took the pack and looked more closely. "IPhone 11 Pro Max," I repeated after reading it. I was so happy. "Thank you mom, I really appreciate it. I'm so grateful." I couldn't count the number of times I said that because I was truly happy. Wondering where mom got the money from, I recalled she told me she had saved for a long time. I believed it because she wouldn't get the money to buy me such an expensive gift at once. That made me feel special, if they couldn't buy themselves an expensive android but got one for me, it meant I was special to them."I added some percentage to
ALICIA "Ooh, I get you now. Thanks for the info." "Ok, once the customer comes and picks his wares I will take you to an agent I know. There are free houses where I live and you need to pass through the agent to meet the landlord." "Hope we will see him at this time?" "Yeah. He works from home, so you'd find him anytime you go to his house." "Alright, that's better." Five hours later, a middle-aged man approached Laura and she handed some portraits and a bouquet of sweet-scented roses to him. He handed her twenty euros and she thanked him. After he left, Laura packed her things. "Are you closing business now, it's still day?" "Yes darling, I have a date by three. After I show you to the agent, come Linn." She gestured and her friend followed. We strolled some meters into a field that was shaded with trees, for a while we were out of the sun's burning scorch. "The rooms are really okay, you would love them." I smiled in reaction. We moved on.After a few minutes, we arrived at
ALICIA I woke up feeling a bit drowsy. I had a romantic dream in my sleep with a major character that looked familiar. No wonder when my alarm which I set at 6 AM woke me up, I was too lazy to get out of bed to prepare for my day. At that moment, I felt like going back to sleep to continue my dream. "Just hope it will come true." I wished myself what I had seen in my sleep before I stood up, I've been sitting on the bed for over thirty minutes. It's now 6:35 AM. "I'll be late for work!" I immediately sprang up from my bed, I can't afford to lose early customers out of lateness. They're those who come early to request flowers. Just here, the special order of yesterday flew into my mind. I have a great customer I'm so eager to see. I dressed my bed, walked to the sink to brush my mouth, then I took about twenty minutes to wash myself. My hair is damp, thick and heavy from the wetness that it's a heavy load. Drying it is now a necessity but I have no dryer, I haven't bought it yet sin
ALICIA "I'm coming in twenty minutes time, on my way now" He added a smiley face to his text. I let out a relaxed sigh, satisfaction beaming on my face. Just wish...I just don't know what to exactly wish for now. Would he like me as I like him? Twenty minutes later, a black limousine pulled up beside my sales stance and a tall, handsome and charming young man with a muscular stature, short black wavy hair and charming blue eyes came out. He wears a navy-blue suit which perfectly fits him, making him look like the best man in the world. "This must be him," I said to myself as I seemed to arrange some things to avoid sensational gazes but looking at him, his true identity was revealed. Donovan. But he didn't know anyone and no one needed to know the young members of the royal family. What is he doing here? But I'll pretend as if I don't know him. All eyes are on him, Lours Street rarely has such VIP customers calling around. Despite the looks on him, his eyes steadily rested on m
ALICIA Donovan had dropped the image he wanted me to produce on my Facebook account, as well as other details he wished to be added to the portrait. With my color pens and all the necessary tools, I set to work starting from 8 PM. Knowing I had important work to attend to, I returned from work early, slept from 2 PM to 6 PM where I woke up and got my dinner ready, ate it and rested for a while watching some movies on my phone. The work Donovan gave me was a tough one for beginners but it wasn't for me, my artistic skills were really a talent I was born with before learning it in school. I took to drawing at a tender age, eight to be precise. At ten, I was already drawing like a semi-professional. It wasn't a task for me but a hobby. At 12 AM, I was done. The portrait looked super-splendid in my eyes. The background had a cloud setting, it was like two lovers in paradise. A heart shape was drawn above their heads while Donovan and Cheryl held on to each other in a romantic style lik
DONOVAN Right from the first time I set my eyes on this fair girl after she left us, my heart can't rest. I wished she was mine, Cheryl can't in any way be compared to her. Alicia is so lovely like a mother, not harsh. All I wish is that I could turn back the tides to the time I met Cheryl, this time around I'd go for Alicia. "Sorry baby." "Why are you calling me baby?" "You look like one, not a kid actually but you're tender to me.""Stop kidding me, you're in a relationship already. I don't really want one, just focused on how I can get money to further my education." This reply struck a heavy blow on my face because if there was a way to dump Cheryl for Alicia, I would. Taking her to Vermont would make me the happiest person on earth. "Stop illusioning yourself, she's not interested." My inner mind struck another blow with its statement. It was actually true that Alicia wasn't interested in any relationship with a man that had a girlfriend already. The way she spoke, she wasn'
DONOVAN "Hey, good morning bro. Got some girl that is catching my eyes here." I just typed this and sent it as I couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Alicia have been battling in my mind but I wouldn't be revealing her identity. It's even better how our faces change, leaving Cheryl out. My obsession with Cheryl is now fading as Alicia has come into light. Cheryl was my favorite but she's sometimes insolent and rude. One of the reasons I came for a holiday in Vermont and not in Vermont is because I want to have some time alone, her nagging attitude was too much and I needed some time off. "But I can't have her." Doubt set in as Alicia seems not to be interested in any relationship but education and business, living in Vermont central while she is here, another major challenge. "Well I'll try my best." I looked at the clock on my phone's screen and it said 3:00. It's a few hours to dawn, I just wish my brother would come online. He's my best friend and closest buddy, the one who knows almost
MAYA I sat in my hospital bed, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Cheryl stood beside me, her expression stern but concerned."Maya, you need to apologize to him," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "You were really harsh on him, and he didn't deserve that."I shook my head, feeling a surge of defiance. "No, I won't apologize," I said, my voice firm. "He cheated on me, Cheryl. He broke my trust, and I'll never forgive him for that."Cheryl's expression softened, and she placed a hand on my arm. "Maya, maybe he didn't cheat on you," she said, her voice hesitant. "Maybe there's more to the story than you think. You need to talk to him, confront him about what happened."I felt a pang of uncertainty, but I pushed it aside. I was hurt, and I wasn't ready to listen to his excuses. "No, Cheryl," I said, my voice firm. "I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to see him. He's dead to me."Cheryl sighed, her expression worried. "Maya, please reconsider," she said. "You're not t
DONOVAN I stood there, my mind reeling with confusion and anger. What was Maya's problem? Why was she attacking me like this? I thought we had been making progress, that we were finally starting to understand each other. But now, it seemed like she was determined to tear me down.I felt a surge of anger rise up inside me, but I pushed it down, trying to keep my cool. I didn't want to escalate the situation, didn't want to make things worse. But it was hard, so hard, when Maya was being like this.I looked at her, trying to understand what was going on behind those beautiful, angry eyes. But all I saw was a deep-seated hurt and anger, a sense of betrayal that I didn't understand.I felt a pang of sadness, knowing that I had somehow let her down. But I had no idea what I had done, or how to fix it. All I knew was that I wanted to help her, to make things right between us.But as I looked at Maya, I realized that I was at a loss. I didn't know how to reach her, how to get through to her
MAYAAs I lay in the hospital bed, I could see the concern etched on Cheryl's face. She had been sitting with me for a while, trying to lift my spirits, but I could tell that she was feeling sad. I didn't know what was wrong, but I could sense that something was bothering her.Just then, Donovan walked up to us, a look of concern on his face. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked Cheryl, noticing that she looked upset.Cheryl hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I think I need to give you two some space," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.I felt a pang of anxiety at her words. I didn't want her to leave. "No, stay," I said, trying to sound calm.But Cheryl just shook her head. "I think it's for the best," she said, standing up to leave.Donovan looked confused, unsure of what was going on. "Maya, what's wrong?" he asked, turning to me.But I just shook my head, unable to explain. I didn't know why I was acting this way, but I just felt like I needed to push everyone away. It was
DONOVAN "Mr. Donovan, the test results are in," he said, his voice serious. "Maya is running a very high fever, which is causing her a lot of discomfort. Additionally, the cut on her forehead is quite deep, which is contributing to the severe migraine she's experiencing."I felt a wave of concern wash over me. A high fever and a deep cut? It sounded serious. "What does this mean for her recovery?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.The doctor hesitated before responding. "We'll need to keep a close eye on her fever and make sure it doesn't spike again. We'll also need to monitor the cut and make sure it doesn't become infected. But overall, with proper care and treatment, Maya should be able to make a full recovery."I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and worry. I was glad to hear that Maya would be okay, but I was also concerned about the road to recovery ahead of her. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to be there for her every step of the way."Can I see her now
MAYA I lay in the hospital bed, feeling weak and drained. Cheryl sat beside me, her face etched with concern. "Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" she asked, taking my hand in hers.I tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. "I've been better," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.Cheryl nodded sympathetically. "You're going to be okay, Maya. You just need to rest and get your strength back."I glanced down at the drip in my arm, feeling a slight sting as the medication flowed into my veins. "I guess so," I said, feeling a bit helpless.Cheryl smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm going to get you something to eat, okay? What would you like?"I thought for a moment, my stomach growling with hunger. "Just a cup of tea, please," I said, my voice a bit stronger now.Cheryl nodded and stood up. "I'll go get that for you. And maybe some toast or crackers, okay?"I nodded, feeling a bit more hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, I was going to be okay after all.As Cheryl handed me the c
DONOVAN As I sat by Maya's bedside, I couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and relief wash over me. She had finally woken up, and I was grateful to be by her side.I had been visiting her every day since she was admitted, bringing her favorite flowers each time. The hospital room was now filled with a colorful collection of blooms, and I had taken to arranging them in a vase by her bedside table. It was a small gesture, but it made me feel like I was doing something to help her feel more comfortable.As I gazed at Maya's face, I couldn't help but think about how much I loved her. I knew I had made mistakes in the past, but I was determined to make things right between us.I reached out and took Maya's hand in mine, feeling a sense of warmth and connection. I had been so scared of losing her, and now that she was awake, I felt like I had been given a second chance."Maya, I'm so glad you're awake," I said, my voice filled with emotion. "I've been so worried about you. I love you, and
MAYA I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. I was met with a blur of white coats and scrubs, and the faint smell of antiseptic. As my vision cleared, I saw that I was surrounded by three personnel - two nurses and a doctor, I assumed. They were all staring at me with concerned expressions, their eyes scanning my face as if searching for something.I tried to speak, but my voice came out hoarse and barely audible. I cleared my throat, trying again. "Where… where am I?" I managed to croak.The doctor, a kind-looking woman with a gentle smile, stepped forward. "You're in the hospital, Maya," she said softly.I frowned, trying to recall. But my memories were hazy, fragmented. I remembered arguing with Donovan, feeling angry and hurt. And then… nothing.I shook my head, feeling a wave of fear wash over me. What had happened to me? How had I ended up here?The doctor's expression turned reassuring. "Don't worry, Maya. You're safe now. We're going to take good care of
DONOVAN As I sat there, trying to catch my breath and calm my emotions, I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that was suffocating me. I kept replaying the events of the past few days in my head, wondering what I could have done differently to prevent this from happening.Why had I been so distant and cold towards Maya? Why had I let our relationship deteriorate to the point where she felt like she was walking on eggshells around me? Why had I not been more supportive, more understanding, more loving?The more I thought about it, the more I blamed myself for what had happened to Maya. If only I had been a better husband, a better partner, maybe she wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed right now.I felt like I was drowning in a sea of regret and self-doubt. I couldn't forgive myself for my mistakes, for my shortcomings. I felt like I had failed Maya, like I had let her down when she needed me most.As I sat there, consumed by my guilt and regret, I knew that I had to find a way
DONOVAN I paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room, my mind racing with thoughts of Maya's condition. I couldn't shake the image of her lying on the floor, her hair matted with blood.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a doctor emerged from the treatment room. I rushed over to him, my heart pounding with anticipation."Doctor, what's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "What's wrong with Maya?"The doctor's expression was sympathetic, but his words were guarded. "I'm afraid we can't say for certain yet," he said. "We're running some tests, and we'll need to wait for the results before we can determine the extent of her injuries."I felt like I was losing my mind. "What do you mean you can't say for certain?" I pressed. "Can't you tell me anything?"The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr...?" He paused, looking at me expectantly."Donovan," I supplied."Mr. Donovan, I understand your concern, but we need to wait for the test results before we can gi