KRISTENThe weight of Marcus's words settled over the room, and I felt a mixture of anxiety and anticipation swirling within me. All eyes were on us, waiting for our announcement to sink in.Marcus's mother, her expression a mask of astonishment, was the first to recover from the initial shock. "Married?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "But... when? And why?"Marcus squeezed my hand reassuringly, his eyes never leaving mine as he prepared to answer his mother's questions."We got married recently, Mom," Marcus explained, his tone steady despite the tension in the air. "It was a decision we made together, and one that we both believe is right for us."His mother's brows furrowed in confusion, her gaze flickering between us as she processed the news. "But why now? And without even informing us?" she pressed, her tone tinged with disappointment.I noticed Ashton, shooting a surprised glance in our direction, though he remained silent. His expression betrayed a hint of cu
MARCUSI felt someone's hand over mine, a fleeting touch that vanished as quickly as it came. Blinking open my eyes, I beheld the silhouette of a woman cradling a baby, a speeding car hurtling towards them. My instincts screamed to intervene, to swap places with them, yet my limbs weighed heavy, impeding any heroic dash.My heart thundered as the car drew closer, closer..."Marcus," a voice pierced through the chaos.Gasping for air, I found Kristen's worried gaze, her brow furrowed in concern."Kristen," I managed amidst ragged breaths."Are you okay? What's wrong--" Her words trailed off as I pulled her into a tight embrace, haunted by the specter of my dream."Don't leave me," I pleaded.I could feel her hands tapping my back as she say, "Are you having nightmares? Do you want to go home now?"What she said made me realize that we were still here in my parents' mansion, here inside my old room."It's nothing, just a bad dream," I uttered before moving slightly away from her. "We ne
KRISTENAfter the seemingly endless whirlwind of events over the past few days, I am finally back at work. I hoped that burying myself in my tasks would help me stop overthinking his mother’s decision. Yet, before we left the house this morning, his mother seized the moment to talk to me. She suggested that I should quit my job and stay at home, so Marcus could focus on their company.Yes, he finally decided to compete with Ashton.What frustrates me the most is the favor his mother asked of me. Why should I stop working so he could focus? As if I would do something crazy, or do I look like the type of girl to cause a mess? My gut tells me there's something off about this request."Seems like you're mentally absent, Ms. Sterling?" A woman's voice broke my thoughts.It was Rihanna.It would have been a relief to let out a deep sigh before testing my patience with her again, but I refrained. She's getting closer, and if she noticed, she would surely cause a scene, accusing me of disresp
KRISTEN"How was talking with Mom? I hope she didn't act rude to you," Mira asked as soon as she saw me heading upstairs. She was waiting at the top of the stairs, looking really worried."Uhm, don't worry. She wasn't that rude. Not at all," I replied weakly.Mira stared at me, trying to gauge if I was telling the truth, but I just gave her a slight smile.After that, I went straight to Marcus's room. He wasn't here yet; he was probably spending another night at the nearest hotel due to issues at their company. Recently, before he even announced that he would be joining the company, unexpected events occurred. Many investors began questioning whether it was still safe to invest in them, as the funds were mysteriously decreasing, causing some real estate projects to be postponed. We were supposed to go back to his house—I mean, our house—but due to his hectic schedule, we couldn't. I was hoping we could as soon as possible, since I didn't want to live under the same roof as my ex and
KRISTENJust as I lost all my strength and my shirt was nearly ripped, someone suddenly barged in and landed a powerful punch on Ashton's face."You f*cking *ssh*l*! How dare you touch my wife!" he shouted, continuing to pummel Ashton's face.I heard Ashton laugh, a sinister sound that sent chills down my spine. "Why? Can't I touch someone I've already touched a few times before you?""You're going to die today, Ashton. You piece of sh*t!"I knew I had to stop them before he kill Ashton, and I didn't want him to end up in jail. But I felt paralyzed, unable to move an inch.Thankfully, Mira heard the commotion from the other room. She burst in, her face pale with disbelief, as she ran towards her brothers, who were on the verge of tearing each other apart. Marcus kept cursing at Ashton, who just laughed and taunted him with nonsense."Marcus, stop! You're going to kill him!" Mira cried, trying to wedge herself between them.That's when I started to lose consciousness, the edges of my v
MARCUSReturning to the hospital room where I left Kristen, after settling everything, I felt a pang of guilt. Normally, these tasks were handled by someone else in our family, but I wanted to be there for Kristen. I wasn’t there when she needed me most, so this was the least I could do."Hey," I said softly as I entered, the door closing with a gentle click. Kristen seemed lost in thought, staring blankly at the pastel-colored walls and didn’t notice me at first. I gently tapped her back. "Is there a problem?"She gave me a faint smile. "No. Can we go home now?"I nodded.We stopped by our family's mansion to gather our things and say goodbye to Mom. The mansion, with its grand chandeliers and opulent decor, felt cold and distant compared to the cozy home Kristen and I shared. I had to fabricate a story to explain why we were leaving, masking the truth behind a series of half-lies.As we headed to the car, I noticed Ashton standing with his fiancée, glaring at us from a distance. His
THIRD PERSONKristen, who was left alone at home, received a call from Mira, who informed her that Rihanna was frustrated after learning she wouldn't be able to work for a few weeks. Concerned and not wanting to cause any stress to anyone, Kristen decided to head to the gallery to talk to Rihanna personally about her plan to take a break.When she arrived at the gallery, Kristen immediately saw Mira, who was taking a quick coffee break in the sunny, bustling lobby. "Mira," she greeted her warmly, despite the anxiety bubbling beneath her calm exterior.Mira turned around as soon as she heard Kristen's voice. She smiled at first, but it quickly faded. "Good thing you're here. You know what? I feel like I'm going to explode any minute today. That woman can't shut her mouth for a second," she vented, her frustration evident in her furrowed brow and tense shoulders."Come on, calm your heart," Kristen said sweetly, gently tapping Mira’s back in a soothing gesture. "Maybe we should sit down
THIRD PERSONRihanna was determined with her plan. Ever since she discovered that Kristen had secretly married Marcus, whom she believed should have been hers, she had been seething with anger and jealousy. Even Marcus's mother, whom she used to confide in, no longer spoke to her about it.She wondered why she was always left out in the cold by these people. She was used to such situations, as her biological parents had done the same to her. If not for an elderly rich man who adopted her and became a father figure, she wouldn’t be where she was today."Papa," Rihanna began, her voice steady but cold. "I need your help."Her foster father leaned back in his plush armchair, studying her face under the warm glow of an antique desk lamp. "What is it this time, Dear? Who's causing you trouble?""It's that woman, Kristen Sterling," she said, clenching her fists. "She needs to pay for what she's done. She stole everything from me. Marcus should have been mine, not hers."Scenes like this were