THIRD PERSONThat evening, Kristen was the first to arrive home. She had earlier asked Mira to accompany her to buy groceries. Instead of dining out, she decided to cook a meal for her husband. Marcus wasn’t home yet, so she glanced at the wall clock while cooking the steak and thought to herself how fortunate it was that she had decided to prepare dinner.She began to call Marcus, but he didn't answer. So, she texted him, asking where he was. Despite not receiving a reply, she continued cooking. However, hours later, she received a text from one of Marcus’s friends, informing her that he wouldn't be able to come home that night.Kristen didn’t think much of it. For her, just knowing that he was safe was enough. She ate alone before going to bed.Almost 2 O'clock morning, just right before she fell asleep deeply, she woke to Marcus lying down beside her, his arm wrapped around her from behind."I thought you weren’t coming home tonight?" Kristen asked as she turned to face Marcus. Tha
They felt the anticipation for each other through their passionate and reciprocal kisses. After a while, Marcus began to remove Kristen's top, and since she wasn't wearing anything underneath, her ample breasts were immediately revealed. He started to fondle her breasts, using his fingers to gently pinch her n*ppl*s before sucking on them. He was sucking them with increasing pressure as he gazed into her eyes. Kristen was wailing and groaning in pleasure."A-ah..."He positioned himself between Kristen's legs while one hand remained on her mountains. As he continued to kiss and lick her delicate parts, he never released his hold on her wet folds. Kristen was deriving immense pleasure from his mere touches."Do you like it? Does it feel good?" He asked her."Yes, Marcus, keep going," she responded in between her moans.Marcus rose to kiss his wife again, and while doing so, his hand continued to play with Kristen's intimate area. After a while, he removed his boxers and slowly entered K
Kristen was at work, sorting through papers for an upcoming meeting, but she couldn't shake off what Lynn had told her earlier in the hospital lobby. It kept replaying in her mind like a broken record."I didn't want to say this, but Ashton and I were already couples before he met you. He only approached you because he knew he could gain something from you, Kristen. Your family is well-known and you're wealthier." Kristen still felt the sting of Lynn's words and the suppressed anger and sadness as she revealed the truth. "At first, I didn't know you were his other girl. When I found out, I tried to stop him because you're my best friend. Even though he said he was only after your money. But no, he threatened to leave me, and I love him so much, Kristen. He's all I have, unlike you, who still has a family."It hurt Kristen deeply to hear this from Lynn, especially those final words before she left. "I thought everything would stop once he got what he wanted and came back to me, but the
A few days had passed and Kristen still hadn't disclosed her situation to anyone except Mira. Soon they will be having a family dinner because it was Marcus' mother's birthday, but she's wondering whether to go or not. "Do you want to come? Or should I just tell mom that you're not feeling well?" Marcus suggested. They were currently lying together in bed, talking. When Marcus asked if she would come, Kristen couldn't answer. Although she really want to attend, especially since it was Marcus' mother's birthday, she couldn't help but think that it might turn into another ugly scenario once again. She wondered if she could face Ashton calmly again or even suppress her anger against him after learning the whole story behind its attitude. "I want to go. It's not like we're just going anywhere; it's your mom's birthday. But Marcus, if you see me acting weird, please stop me," Kristen said with a furrowed brow when Marcus asked her. Frowning, Marcus asked her, "Why? Is this because of
Mira decided to follow Kristen to the restroom, having noticed that Rihanna was also missing from her seat. When she opened the door, she was met with an unpleasant scene: Rihanna had Kristen by the hair. "Hey, what are you doing? Let her go!" Mira shouted at Rihanna. But before Rihanna could release her grip, Mira pushed her away from Kristen, causing Rihanna to fall to the floor. The impact echoed slightly in the tiled space, making the confrontation feel all the more intense."Oh my God," Rihanna exclaimed dramatically, looking at her hands that had hit the floor. "How dare you push me?""How dare you? Why are you pulling Kristen's hair? What's your problem besides your rotten attitude? Are you that jealous?" Mira retorted, her voice bouncing off the walls.Kristen tried to calm Mira, worried that her loud voice might attract the attention of the other guests. It was embarrassing enough to have a fight break out on her mother-in-law's birthday."Mira, stop. Just don't mind her, pl
"Really? Is that true? What did you say to your dad?" Kristen asked in surprise upon hearing Mira’s revelation about her father's condition. Mira nodded before responding, "Honestly, I didn't know what to say at that moment. So instead of refusing or accepting, I told him I would think about it." The sunlight streaming through the large windows illuminated her troubled expression. Kristen sighed, unsure how to comfort her friend given the difficulty of her father's request. "Who do they plan to marry you off to?" Kristen asked. Mira just shrugged and said, "I have no idea. I haven't even had a boyfriend. Maybe Dad is just eager to have a grandchild." After speaking, she looked at Kristen with concern, "Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to target you or anything. I'm just frustrated with Dad and feeling pressured. Not only that, but I'm scared of the idea of an arranged marriage, Kristen. Especially since not all of them are successful." "I understand." Mira took a deep breath befor
When they arrived at the hospital, Mira made sure Kristen was resting comfortably in her room, which was softly lit by a small bedside lamp casting a warm, calming glow. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and lavender, a mix that somehow felt both sterile and soothing. Once Kristen was settled, Mira left to look for the man who had saved them. She searched through the slightly cold and clinical hallways until she found him at the billing section."Who is this patient, sir?" the nurse asked the man, her voice carrying a professional yet curious tone."Ah, well, I don't know their names. Just the ones in rooms 301 and 302," he replied."Okay, sir. Are you paying their entire bill?" the nurse asked, sounding a bit hesitant.''Why would he pay our bill?' Mira wondered, hiding behind a column near the vending machines.After the man and the nurse finished their conversation, he was about to leave, so Mira quickly hid behind a large potted plant. She felt strange about hiding, as if sh
"You know, I've been wondering for a long time how I ended up in the hospital. I believe it was because of what Ashton did to me, since that's the last memory I have before being hospitalized. Yes, it truly traumatized me, but you know," Kristen looked down while sharing this with her husband. "When I woke up, it felt like I'd been lying in the hospital for a very long time. What I don't understand is that none of the people around me told me what really happened."At that moment, Marcus didn't know how to react. While listening to his wife, he couldn't help but think if he should finally tell her about what happened in the past. "Could it be that something else happened to me after that?"Meanwhile, when Pablo and Rihanna met at their hangout spot, Rihanna couldn't stop herself from hurting him. "You're so stupid, Pablo. The task I gave you was so simple. Those pests were right in front of you, and you still couldn't do it properly?"Even though Pablo didn't like Rihanna's tone, he t
KRISTEN's POVThe silence between us hung heavy, but eventually, Marcus broke it. His voice was calm, detached.“About the divorce papers—I’ll have them sent to your address tomorrow. Just text me where, so I’ll know.”“Uhm… Sure. I will. Thank you,” I replied quietly. He didn’t say anything else and hung up.So that’s why he called. Just business. Nothing else.With a sigh, I let the thought go and quickly turned my attention back to Daniel. I replied to his earlier message, letting him know it was fine and that I understood why he had to leave. He texted back almost immediately, asking why I hadn’t picked up when he tried calling earlier. Honesty felt like the easiest route, so I told him the truth.His response caught me off guard. He said he was coming back to the hospital. He didn’t want me to be alone, and I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. The truth was, it would be nice to have someone there—someone to lean on.The timing was perfect. Daniel arrived just as the doctor came by
KRISTEN's POVI didn’t know what to feel as I stood in the sterile, echoing hallway. Relief, certainly, that Nathan was alive, but it came tangled with something heavier. Guilt. The man I’d kept at arm’s length—the man I’d fought so hard to shield Nathan from—was the very one who’d stepped forward to save his life without hesitation.Marcus didn’t question or waver. The moment the doctor asked for a donor with B-negative blood, he simply nodded and followed them, as though it was the most natural thing in the world."What happens now? What if he starts questioning why Daniel isn’t a match for Nathan when he’s supposed to be his father?" That thought gnawed at me as I watched Marcus walk away, his silhouette growing smaller until he disappeared from sight.Mom and Dad approached me together. Meanwhile, I stood frozen, staring at the empty space Marcus left behind.Hours dragged by, each one heavier than the last. Finally, the doctor emerged, and we rushed to meet him.“Your son’s condi
KRISTEN'S POV“I’ll give you what you want.” That was the last message he sent before I closed the laptop.At that moment, I didn’t even think about how he might feel when he saw I read his message without replying. To be honest, I was caught off guard.Is it weird that I’m feeling something strange? I expected this message—I knew it was coming. But why does it feel like this?I glanced at Nathan, still sleeping soundly, hugging his pillow tightly.It was still early, so I lay back down beside him, my gaze fixed on his peaceful face. As I watched him, I couldn’t help but admit it—so much of him resembled Marcus. Even his stubbornness, that difficult-to-understand personality, he clearly inherited from his father.I hugged my son tightly, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep again.When I woke up, it was almost 4 PM. A few minutes later, Nathan stirred awake as well. I planned to get ready and leave after leaving him with Mom, but when I went downstairs, the house was empty. It was
KRISTEN'S POVOverthinking has a way of draining every ounce of energy from your body. It’s been two days, and my mind has been consumed with one question: why is Dad so fixated on buying back our old gallery out of all the properties he could invest in?I stood by the sliding door overlooking the garden, watching Nathan play by himself. My thoughts were a whirlwind until Mom walked by. At first, I hesitated to call her, unsure if this was the right moment. But my intrusive thoughts won.“Mom, can we talk?” I asked, my voice hesitant but firm.She smiled warmly at me. “Of course, dear. What’s on your mind? Is this about Nathan’s father?”I sighed internally. Of course, she’d jump to that conclusion. But no, this wasn’t about Marcus. Not this time. I was too preoccupied with trying to understand Dad’s actions.“No, it’s not about him,” I clarified. “It’s... about something else. Actually, someone else. Is Dad here, by the way?”Mom’s brows furrowed in confusion as she shook her head. “H
KRISTEN's POVLife has a way of playing cruel jokes, and at some point, I stopped fighting it and just went along. Coming back here was supposed to bring me peace, but it feels like I’ve stepped into quicksand. The more I try to settle, the more tangled and suffocated everything becomes.I can’t forget the way Marcus looked at me as the elevator doors remained open, a barrier between us that somehow felt thinner than the air. His frustration was etched into every line of his face, his jaw tight, his eyes burning with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.That gaze—it was heavy, sharp, cutting through the fragile walls I’d built around myself. For a moment, I stood frozen, my hand hovering over the elevator panel. It wasn’t fear that rooted me in place, but something deeper, something raw.I tell myself it’s all in the past. I tell myself I’ve moved on. But moments like that—moments where his presence feels like an unrelenting storm—bring everything rushing back.But why does he seem so
"Is he your son?"That was the last thing Marcus said before stepping closer to them. Daniel, on the other hand, was immediately on alert, noticing how Kristen froze in place, her gaze glued to Marcus as he approached. But Marcus didn't come too close.He chose to keep a distance, not wanting to cause a scene, even though every fiber of his being was screaming to let loose. Why? Because, for reasons he couldn't quite understand, anger flared up in him once more. His mind replayed the visit from Dylan, his detective friend, over and over again.When Kristen had left, Marcus received a message from an unknown sender. The message claimed that Kristen had been involved with another man during the time they were apart. It accused her of aborting their child long ago because she didn’t love him and leaving him to be with someone else.At first, Marcus didn’t believe it. But for reasons he couldn’t explain, his friend Dylan had come up with the same information before suddenly disappearing.
"I like you." Kristen froze. The words hung in the air between them, unexpected and heavy. She let out a nervous laugh, trying to brush it off. “What? Are you serious? Daniel, stop joking around,” she said, her voice light, but her hands fidgeting nervously.Daniel didn’t budge. His face stayed serious, his eyes focused on her like he wasn’t going to let this moment slip away.“Daniel,” she tried again, her tone quieter now. “Are you… are you serious?”He nodded, slow and certain. “Do I look like I’m joking?”Her heart skipped. She didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t the kind of thing you could just laugh away.“I…” she started but faltered. She glanced at him, searching his face for any sign that he was teasing her. There was none. Her breath hitched as the truth of his confession started to sink in.Daniel stepped closer, his voice steady and calm. “Kristen, I know things are complicated right now, and I don’t want to add more pressure to your life. But I need you to know that yo
The ride home was quiet, with Daniel still behind the wheel. Kristen's father sat in the front seat while her mother sat beside her, holding Nathan, who had fallen asleep between them.Kristen's gaze shifted between two things: the road outside and her son's angelic face. Every time her eyes landed on Nathan, a pang of guilt tugged at her heart.Guilt for keeping him away from his father.Nathan was still too young to ask questions or express curiosity about his dad, but Kristen knew that day would inevitably come. And when it did, she would have no choice but to be honest with him.For now, though, she wanted to savor the moments when he was all hers. She wasn’t used to being away from him for long periods, and didn’t want to start now.When they arrived home, Daniel carefully carried the sleeping Nathan to Kristen’s room. Meanwhile, Kristen stayed in the living room with her parents. Her father, exhausted, excused himself to retire upstairs. Her mother, however, remained seated, her
Kristen and her parents decided to split up to search for Nathan. At the same time, Daniel informed the hotel staff about the situation before following Kristen to help her look around."Why would he wander off alone?" Kristen thought to herself, her worry growing as she searched for her son.The grand hotel where the mayor—her godfather—was holding the birthday party was enormous. Kristen didn’t even know where to start. She let her feet guide her wherever they might take her."Wherever my feet lead me, as long as I find my son," she whispered to herself."Kristen!" Daniel called out from behind, making her turn quickly."What is it, Daniel?" she asked, her voice laced with tension.Daniel, still catching his breath, took a moment before answering, "Your mom called me. They found Nathan, and he’s back at the lobby."Kristen felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank goodness! That’s such a relief.""Apparently, someone found Nathan and brought him to the lobby. Your mom had told the