CALEB Katherine gasped in horror, and her wobbly feet lost their support on her body, sending her down to the ground. Casper was fast enough to catch her before she reached the floor. Mom sprang up from her seat and marched towards me in fury, throwing a slap across my face. I swallowed hard and clenched my fist as I tasted blood in my mouth. “You useless boy, what exactly do you think you are doing?” She snapped, waving her fingers at me. “Stop shouting, Mom, you just got discharged from the hospital,” I said in a calm voice. “Like you cared!” she raved. “Why will I care about a woman who faked a suicidal attempt? I knew you were faking it, Mom; I knew you were wide awake!” I snapped back at her and her eyes widened in shock. She was taken aback by my unexpected accusation. “What… what… what are you saying?” she stuttered, glancing over at my dad who sat down quietly, watching the drama going on before him. “I am telling the truth,” I retorted. “That isn’t enou
CALEB The room was as silent as a graveyard as we sat around the large oval dining table, none of us uttering a word. I could tell how hard my mom was trying to sink into the drama that was playing out in the church. It was harder for her with the number of eyes glaring at her. Grandma was the first to make a sound by clearing her throat, her large accusing eyes fixed on my mother who kept fidgeting in her seat. “I respected the girl because you were the one who chose her for Caleb,” Grandma began, referring to my mother. My mom’s lips parted and slammed together in guilt. “Look at the disgrace that wretched girl has caused our family, she ruined our reputation!” Grandma spat, and Mom shuddered slightly, picking on her manicured nails. “No, no, grandma. You are getting everything wrong. Katherine’s family is the one getting the embarrassment,” Mom tried to defend herself, and Grandma scowled at her. “You think so? What are people going to think about the futu
MADAM HELEN “Get the work done by tomorrow if you’re not ready to fit into the list of unemployed people,” I snapped and slammed down the receiver, sighing loudly as I rubbed my forehead. I glanced down at the birthmark again and my lips twitched as I tried to remember where I had seen the mark before. I am certain that I have seen this mark somewhere before, but I can’t seem to discern the exact place and body. But one thing was sure, the mark was found on the body of a little boy. The problem I have now is remembering the boy’s name or his parents. “Miss Rosy is here, Madam Helen,” the intrusive voice of the chief maid seeped into my thoughts. I groaned out and nodded my head in approval as I pulled the paper into the drawer. The door opened and Rosy sauntered in as sassy as always. It always makes me happy to see one of my grandchildren taking after me, I won’t have to worry about the fortunes of the Connor family when I’m gone because I’m sure they’ll be in safe han
ROSY I frowned upon seeing Caleb still in the garage, pacing restlessly around his car. I narrowed my eyes and began to walk towards my car, ignoring his presence. “Don’t try to act like you didn’t see me,” his hard voice made my heart skip a beat. I swallowed hard and continued walking briskly towards my car. I still wonder why I gave my chauffeur a leave. Now I’m alone with this madman in the garage. “We need to talk, Rosy,” he shouted when I got to my car. I spun around and glared at him. “There’s nothing to talk about. Let’s end the deal and stop seeing each other. The sex never happened, okay?” I snapped out without thinking twice. I realized the mistake I had made when I saw his lips twitch into a sardonic smile. “Didn’t you say we should keep that secret behind the doors of my room but here you are blurting it out,” he mumbled. The serious and angry look on his face was gone; it was replaced by that mocking smirk that caused a stir of irritati
MADAM HELEN I shifted my attention away from the flower and glanced at my phone which had been ringing for some minutes. “I hope it’s not one of those useless employees,” I muttered as I wiped my hands on a rag and picked up the phone. “Yes?” I groused, staring at the blooming buds of the hibiscus flower. “Okay, send it to me.” I dropped the phone and sighed before going back to inspect my plants. The glass doors of my private plant house opened and a maid stepped in. “Miss Rosy is here to see you, ma’am,” she announced with her head bowed low. My brows snapped up in surprise as I stared at the maid in disbelief. “Rosy is here?” “Yes, madam,” she replied. “Let her in.” She left the house, and soon the door opened, and Rosy ran in, breathing heavily. I pushed out the smile that tried to break out on my face as I glared pretentiously at her. “It seems like you missed your way. This is the house of Caleb’s puppet, have you forgotten?” I said. From the corner
ROSY“This is a sample of the product; we need your approval before the production is kicked off. We took our time to research it, and the team of researchers concluded that the product would be a hit in the food industry,” Miss Theresa concluded and dropped her tablet on the desk.“Hmm…” I hummed, staring at the juice before me.“The advertisement?”“It will begin as soon as the production is completed, ma’am.”“When will that be over?”“In less than a week,” Miss Theresa assured.“You don’t have to worry, we’re out to get a famous model for the advert. The offer will be so tempting that she won’t be able to say no, also—”“I don’t need the model,” I cut her off and her jaws dropped.“Huh?” she huffed.“I have someone in mind for the advert. Slash the offer, I will handle it myself,” I said.Miss Theresa darted her lashes and slowly nodded.“Yes,” she said before retrieving the tablet.I picked up the small bottle of juice and clicked it open before consuming half of the
ROSY I shuddered slightly as I stared at Cassandra’s prying eyes, wondering what she was doing here. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying not to sound hostile. She batted her lashes and sent a fake smile across to me. “You think I will leave my daughter alone?” She answered. I scoffed, twitching up my lips in disgust. “You not only believe that I will hurt your son but also your daughter?” “I just want to be sure that my daughter will be fine in your company,” she chipped and I scoffed out loudly, glaring at her. “Why do you want to see me?” Juliet demanded, faking a smile at me. I sighed, slowly developing second thoughts for this meeting. I shook my head and turned around to walk away. “You are walking away, don’t tell me that you brought us here to waste our time,” Cassandra snapped. I spun around, glaring at her. “I sent for Juliet, not you!” I snapped back at her. She narrowed her eyes at me and waved her hand in the air. I looked at Juliet, rem
CALEB I watched Rosy drop down to the ground in dejection. Her ghostly face held heartbreaking emotions as the ambulance carrying Madam Helen's body drove away. The house was in chaos as everyone ran around with horror in their eyes. After we found her dead body in the plant house, it was assumed that she had overdosed on her medication because her bottle of medicine was found lying close to her. The only one who seemed to be in pain was Rosy; the rest of her relatives had a blank expression. Perhaps, a happy one was hidden within the mask. It all seemed like a dream to me as I watched the ambulance skid away with its unique siren blaring in the air. How is this possible? I spoke with Madam Helen a few hours ago, how can she be dead? Why did she ignore the doctor's prescription? Could it be a mistake? “How did this happen?” Melanie chipped behind me, drifting me away from my thoughts. “When you get to the hospital, you will find that out,” Mariano snapped at her and got i
With a smile on my radiant face, I watched the kids run around the field aimlessly. I shuddered slightly when I felt wet lips touch my bare neck. I didn't need to turn around to find out who the person was, the scent of his cologne gave him away. “You came here to clear your mind during the holiday, not babysit seven-year-old kids.” He muttered and I chuckled lightly. “I just need to make sure that they're okay,” I replied and he scoffed, wrapping his hands around my shoulders. “Come on, nothing bad is going to happen to them, let's go in,” he nudged. I glanced at our three kids and then back at Caleb's face. “Are you sure?” I muttered and he threw his head back, groaning loudly. “I will be blamed if anything happens,” he said confidently. I turned up my lips and finally relented. Caleb smiled and took my hand, pulling my body against his as he brushed his lips against mine. “Don't try to act weak; what you did years ago still amazes me,” he muttered, and I giggled.
ROSY I took the elevator back to the penthouse, my heartbeat increasing with each step I took from the elevator to the door. I pushed the door open and stepped into the living room. The smell of liquor hit my nose immediately when I stepped in. I turned up my lips in disgust and glanced around the room for him. “Evan?” I called out. My stomach churned when I saw him spin a swivel chair around, his hand holding onto a bottle of liquor. “There you are! I thought you wouldn't show up,” he laughed and got up from the chair. “What do you want?” I snapped, sending a murderous glare at him. He raised his brows in surprise and laughed like a lunatic, waving the bottle of liquor at me. He became quiet and tilted his head in my direction. “All my life, there's only one thing that I have ever wanted.” He gulped a reasonable amount of liquor then shook his finger at me. “You.” My heart shrank and my blood boiled. “Sorry to disappoint you,” I muttered and raised my hand
ROSY "Hello, little red rose, miss me?" The phone dropped from my hand and my heart constricted as I staggered back and panted for air. The excitement in the hall vanished and everyone stared at me in shock. Caleb flinched back at my behavior and stared questioningly at me, but when he realized that I wouldn't give him an answer, he bent down and picked up the phone. It isn't true, is it? That isn't who I thought it was, right? Could it be that Katherine was right? No, no, it can't be. My belly knotted when I saw Caleb's face turn grave. His lips trembled as he forced a name out of his mouth. “Evan?” I felt my heart stop beating and my eyes rolled up. Caleb looked at me, his hand tightening around the phone. He's back! He fucking came back! “Evan?” Mom gasped and murmurs filled the hall. Everyone who knew Evan had a grave look of dismay on their faces. The once joyful atmosphere turned sober and tense at the mention of that terrible and monstrous name. My b
CALEB The large doors pulled open and the sharp rays of sunlight pierced into my eyes. I squinted my eyes, adjusted to the stream of light oozing into the filled-up church, and then looked at the glorious sight some distance before me. She looked angelic; she looked perfect, like a heavenly being. The spotless white dress she wore flowed lazily on the white marble floor as she walked slowly toward me. Her veiled face looked ahead, causing a turbulent feeling in the pit of my belly. The flower she held was Sherry's favorite flower, the blue flower. "Miracle", like Sherry always called it. The rays from the sun surrounded her, making her look like an angel gloriously descending to the earth. Each she took towards me made my heart leap. It felt like I would have a heart attack before she got to me. Everyone's head was turned as hundreds of eyes trailed after her to the altar. I batted my lashes in disbelief when I saw her standing before me, a heart-warming smile on her
CALEB I ran my hands through my disheveled hair as I paced around the waiting room, filled with anxiety. “Calm down, Caleb, calm down,” mom complained, sighing loudly. The door burst open and I spun around, glaring at Mario's pale face. “She has been arrested," Mario said and I grunted in dissatisfaction. “I will sneak into that prison and kill her myself if anything happens to Rosy.” My mom jerked her head in my direction, glaring at me. “You won't do anything like that! And nothing is going to happen to Rosy!” She snapped and I narrowed my eyes, slumping dejectedly into the chair beside me. It was all my fault. If I had gotten there a bit earlier, if I had run up to the balcony instead, she wouldn't have fallen off. She wouldn't be in this critical condition. I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you, I'm such a disappointment,” I muttered, sighing in regret. Perhaps, if I had handled Katherine properly, she wouldn't have shown her face here again. My heart skipped
ROSYThe revolver being pointed at me didn't faze me, the face of the woman standing before me was what kept me stunned. “You seem shocked,” she chuckled and advanced towards me. I gasped out and staggered back, holding onto the railings behind me. “Katherine? What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, glaring confusedly at her. My eyes darted down to her flat belly and my eyes dimmed. Isn't she supposed to be supposed to be pregnant? “What happened to your baby?” She scoffed at my question in disbelief, narrowing her blazing eyes at me. “Well… I killed it,” she muttered and my eyes widened in dismay. “You did what?” I snapped, pursing my lips in anger. She smirked and lowered the gun then tilted her head to the side. “Why? Is it because you're unable to get pregnant again?” Her snide words pricked my heart, making my blood boil. “Does it hurt to watch a child that should have been yours die? Hmmm… I can tell how you feel at the moment. If only God had given me the
ROSY It's been three months since Evan’s escape from prison, three months of peace and curiosity. My curiosity was only satisfied when his body was found floating on water a week ago. Though his face was badly injured and unrecognizable, his body and the mark proved that it was him. Now, I'm full of peace and happiness, not only concerning Evan's death but also my upcoming wedding day. “There you are!” Juliet shrieked as she barged into my office, pulling me out of my reverie. I stretched my lips into a smile and blinked tiredly. “Don't tell me you're already tired from the shopping; the wedding is in a few days, so you better be ready,” she snapped, and I nodded my head. “Yes, ma'am.” She chuckled and dropped a large bag on my desk. “I'm sorry that I couldn't make it to the pre-wedding party, my schedule is so tight that I can hardly eat,” she muttered, breathing out loudly. “Well… that's the price you have to pay for being one of the most famous models in the country,” I
MARIO "Welcome sir!" the pygmy secretary grinned widely as she led me to my father's office. "Mr Morris has been waiting for you," she muttered, cunningly trying to start up a conversation. "The party lasted longer than I expected," I threw a flat reply. But the girl refused to give up, she tugged on my arm and forced me to look down at her. "Is it true that Miss Rosy and Caleb Thompson are engaged? I saw it on a social page." "Hmmm, it's true," I responded and quickened my pace. I got to the closed door, sucked in a deep breath before pushing it open. My dad raised his head and forced a smile into his face when he saw me enter the room. "I am sorry that I kept you waiting," I muttered and walked to the couch then slumped into it, waiting for him to tell me the reason for his sudden invitation. "I heard that they are engaged," he muttered, and I nodded, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. Does whatever he has to say have anything to do with Caleb and Rosy? "I just couldn't hol
CALEB When I saw her face, I couldn’t help but admire what a beauty she was. Her blue velvet gown flowed behind her as she stepped down from the spiral staircase accompanied by Juliet.From her lustrous curly hair cascading to her spotless shoulders to her angelic face, down to her flawless thigh which the split on the gown revealed. The dress she wore hugged closely to her body, proudly showing off her curves. I chuckled lightly and smiled at her which she returned immediately. I couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms once more, and this time, I had planned never to let her slip out my fingers again. “Happy birthday!!” We all cheered, raising our glasses in the air. She laughed and raised her glass too, her eyes pinned on me and mine on her.It was like we were sending a silent message across to each other. Everyone was present, including her rebellious family members. I was surprised that they didn’t try to kick her out when they found out about the stolen funds. That was a pe