Thank you for your patience. If you are enjoying the story so far, consider leaving a gem or two in appreciation. Thank you :)
[Addison]Looking up into Hunter’s deep blue eyes, I’m unsure if I’ll ever be okay again. For a moment neither one of us moved, both looking just as unsure of what to do next as the other. Blinking, I take a shuddering breath. “It’s okay, Hunter, I…it was just a bit startling.” “Livy, you need to be more careful,” he reprimands her gently, his voice taking that soft touch he only has for her. “I know you are just being affectionate, but you could have hurt one of us. You scared me, Livy, and poor Miss Addison. That was too much.” “But I wanted a hug too,” she blinks innocently enough. Maybe all she needed was a hug. Maybe that’s all I needed too because I still haven’t stepped out of his arms.“Did I hurt you, Auntie,” her large hazel eyes look up at me innocently, although I see a touch of mischievousness around the corners of her mouth when she adds, "I'm sorry, Auntie Addison. I can kiss it to make it better.” Livy leans forward and places a small kiss on my waist. “Now Uncle,
[Addison]Hunter blocks the view of the cameras with his wide back, creating a barrier between them and me as he shouts, "No comment," over his shoulder. Cameras continue to flash as he leads me toward the door of an elegant six-star luxury resort.We're just going out to lunch, but from an outsider's point of view, seeing billionaire Hunter Grant walking towards a hotel with a young woman must look salacious. It won't matter that we are only friends, or that we aren't planning to enter any of the bedrooms. It will look bad enough that we are entering the resort at all. "What about Jessica Jackson?" the photographer shouts. "Does she know about her?"Jessica Jackson? Isn't she the 19-year-old model making headlines during fashion week? The "it" girl for all the leading brands? Annalise? I know he has a reputation for having many lovers, and he's my boss, but I can't help but feel the sting of jealousy burning from my gut. "No comment," Hunter repeats as his driver pulls open the door
[Addison]We stand, turning towards the young woman. With short, clipped steps, a stunningly beautiful young woman comes into view. With bright red hair and a perfectly heart-shaped face, he black eyes are startling as she gazes adoringly at Hunter Grant, her stylish bag swaying behind her as she marches forward with arms outstretched. "Oh Hunter, I've missed you!" As she jogs forward, dozens of eyes watch as she makes her way across the room. A few cameras flash but are then discretely hidden away under the hard glares of tight-lipped servers."Who is she?" I start to say but the words die on my tongue as she comes into view. There isn't a New Yorker who wouldn't recognize her. Her face has dominated every billboard and magazine cover for years.It's hometown hero Jessica Jackson, teen idol, supermodel, and the creative genius behind her own size and gender-inclusive fashion line, Jake. Beautiful, talented, and ridiculously skilled, she swept New York Fashion Week's hot young face
[Addison]My hand reaches up to cup my sore cheek. The young supermodel, her hands on her hips, taps her foot impatiently as if waiting for a response to a question she never asked. When I don't say anything right away, her cheeks color a bright scarlet, turning her perfect ivory completion blotchy. "I...Hunter, I mean, Mr. Grant and I are just friends. I care for his niece Livy, we don't....""I see you're playing coy," she huffs. "Well, I'm on to you, Mrs Stone." Her voice is painfully blunt as she says my marital title. "Stay away from him," she repeats. "I know about women like you, hopping from one rich man to another like it's a game of checkers. You aren't the first woman to think Hunter Grant is your playtoy."It feels wrong, being told off by a woman barely more than a child with a face so perfect it makes no sense that she'd care about someone as insignificant as me. If she wants Hunter, she can have him. Not just because we're not dating, but because with her exotic, sha
[Addison]I thought we were in love. I thought we were a family. It’s funny the way things can change in a snap. My world changed the day of my son‘s sixth birthday.It’s not everyday that your only child turns six, so I wanted to make the day extra special for my son. I work overtime every day, securing business for our family law firm, but I left early, squeezing as much as in to the early morning hours, so I could take the rest of the day off to make his favorite meal from scratch and bake his very special birthday treats. He is my miracle child and deserves the very best.Donning a fancy outfit I selected for this occasion, I floated out of the house on a cloud of happiness. He is going to be so surprised! I can’t wait to see the look of joy on his smiling face. “Mrs. Stone,” the crossing guard., Mrs. Jenkins greets me as I approach my son’s school. “What’s the occasion? This wouldn’t be for a special little gentlemen’s special day?”Her eyes sparkle as she gazes up at the bal
[Addison] It is hard to keep my smile from cracking as Michael approaches, but somehow I manage to keep my expression sunny as I make my way over to my family. “Addy,” Michael said, out of breath, placing a hand on my shoulder and frowning as he looked up at the decorations. “Why are you here? I thought you had a case to work on.”“I promised Jayson we’d have a special day,” I replied with a grin, glancing down at my son, who was clinging to Evelyn’s hand, avoiding my gaze. “So I shifted things around. I mentioned it last week…”“It’s fine,” Michael interrupted, his voice casual. “I just wasn’t expecting you. I was in the neighborhood when I learned Evelyn was interviewing nearby.” He smiled at her, his tone overly friendly for two people who clearly had a past.“Mommy, why are you ruining my birthday?” Jayson’s voice cracked with anger as he looked up at me. “Mama Evelyn was going to take us for ice cream! And a barbecue! And get me presents…”I blinked, shocked. “Mama Evelyn?” I r
[Addison]What was happening three months ago when I didn’t notice my husband sneaking off with our son to have adventures with his “old friend?”My heart sinks like a stone as I remember. I was in Brooklyn taking care of my sick grandmother, arranging for her nursing care. I was gone for three days. Every night, I called home to say good night, no matter how tired I was. Never once did he mention Evelyn. If I hadn’t shown up today when I did, would he have ever let me know she is back?I send a text with a quick snapshot of the photo strip. I type the word “explain.”Sitting there, staring at the screen, waiting for a response, my head tips back and I lean against Jayson’s bed. My body feels heavy so heavy that I close my eyes.When I open them again, the room is dark, the phone vibrating against my chest waking me. I must have fallen asleep because the clock now reads 8 pm. “Michael!” I open my phone hurriedly only to discover a text from an unknown number. Tapping the screen, I o
[Addison]My little boy looks even smaller in a hospital bed with an IV attached to his arm. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Stone, but your son’s condition is serious. He is suffering from an intense allergic reaction,” the Doctor’s face is grim. “If he had gotten here an hour sooner, we could have prevented the severe dehydration. We were lucky this time that the reaction wasn’t worse.” “Worse?” My voice warbles as Michael looks away, unable to my gaze. “How much worse?”“If he had developed anaphylaxis, he’d be dead,” the doctor’s tone. “You’re lucky his heart didn’t stop on the way here. As it is, he’ll need to remain in the hospital for 24 hours for observation.” Our son could have died, all because my husband couldn’t bear to disappoint his ex-girlfriend. Michael volunteers to pay the bill and grab the new prescription for an emergency epi-pen. “I’ll be back soon, I promise,” he kisses the top of my head before rushing out of the room as if the sight of our sick son could chase him down the
[Addison]My hand reaches up to cup my sore cheek. The young supermodel, her hands on her hips, taps her foot impatiently as if waiting for a response to a question she never asked. When I don't say anything right away, her cheeks color a bright scarlet, turning her perfect ivory completion blotchy. "I...Hunter, I mean, Mr. Grant and I are just friends. I care for his niece Livy, we don't....""I see you're playing coy," she huffs. "Well, I'm on to you, Mrs Stone." Her voice is painfully blunt as she says my marital title. "Stay away from him," she repeats. "I know about women like you, hopping from one rich man to another like it's a game of checkers. You aren't the first woman to think Hunter Grant is your playtoy."It feels wrong, being told off by a woman barely more than a child with a face so perfect it makes no sense that she'd care about someone as insignificant as me. If she wants Hunter, she can have him. Not just because we're not dating, but because with her exotic, sha
[Addison]We stand, turning towards the young woman. With short, clipped steps, a stunningly beautiful young woman comes into view. With bright red hair and a perfectly heart-shaped face, he black eyes are startling as she gazes adoringly at Hunter Grant, her stylish bag swaying behind her as she marches forward with arms outstretched. "Oh Hunter, I've missed you!" As she jogs forward, dozens of eyes watch as she makes her way across the room. A few cameras flash but are then discretely hidden away under the hard glares of tight-lipped servers."Who is she?" I start to say but the words die on my tongue as she comes into view. There isn't a New Yorker who wouldn't recognize her. Her face has dominated every billboard and magazine cover for years.It's hometown hero Jessica Jackson, teen idol, supermodel, and the creative genius behind her own size and gender-inclusive fashion line, Jake. Beautiful, talented, and ridiculously skilled, she swept New York Fashion Week's hot young face
[Addison]Hunter blocks the view of the cameras with his wide back, creating a barrier between them and me as he shouts, "No comment," over his shoulder. Cameras continue to flash as he leads me toward the door of an elegant six-star luxury resort.We're just going out to lunch, but from an outsider's point of view, seeing billionaire Hunter Grant walking towards a hotel with a young woman must look salacious. It won't matter that we are only friends, or that we aren't planning to enter any of the bedrooms. It will look bad enough that we are entering the resort at all. "What about Jessica Jackson?" the photographer shouts. "Does she know about her?"Jessica Jackson? Isn't she the 19-year-old model making headlines during fashion week? The "it" girl for all the leading brands? Annalise? I know he has a reputation for having many lovers, and he's my boss, but I can't help but feel the sting of jealousy burning from my gut. "No comment," Hunter repeats as his driver pulls open the door
[Addison]Looking up into Hunter’s deep blue eyes, I’m unsure if I’ll ever be okay again. For a moment neither one of us moved, both looking just as unsure of what to do next as the other. Blinking, I take a shuddering breath. “It’s okay, Hunter, I…it was just a bit startling.” “Livy, you need to be more careful,” he reprimands her gently, his voice taking that soft touch he only has for her. “I know you are just being affectionate, but you could have hurt one of us. You scared me, Livy, and poor Miss Addison. That was too much.” “But I wanted a hug too,” she blinks innocently enough. Maybe all she needed was a hug. Maybe that’s all I needed too because I still haven’t stepped out of his arms.“Did I hurt you, Auntie,” her large hazel eyes look up at me innocently, although I see a touch of mischievousness around the corners of her mouth when she adds, "I'm sorry, Auntie Addison. I can kiss it to make it better.” Livy leans forward and places a small kiss on my waist. “Now Uncle,
[Addison] The rose petals brush my fingers as I take the bouquet from Hunter, their gentle kiss like silk against my skin. “These are for me?” I stumble over my words, my heart rate spiking as I force myself to grasp the long, thornless stems. “Why?”The questioning uncertainty in my tone wilts the edges of Hunter’s smile as the shine in his eyes dims. “I was wrong, for bringing in Professor McCannon without your consent.”He seems genuinely sorry. If it had been any other flower, I'd have been more gracious in accepting them. Feeling guilty, I look away.Did Hunter know how this would affect me? Did he do this on purpose tit?“Ah,” I nod, swallowing hard as I look down at the flowers. They’re beautiful, the brightest shade of yellow I’ve ever seen, sprigs of lavender and baby’s breath mixed within, enhancing their natural sweet scent. Whoever put this bouquest together did so with meticulous care. I just wish I could appreciate their efforts. But I can't. TheBut I can’t stand to
[Addison]I was still more than a little upset at Hunter for his stunt today with Professor McCannon. How could he set me up like that? I begged him not to include him in my mess, and yet Hunter Grant, like always, decided he knew what was best.He means well, but he needs to be better at communicating his intentions. "You should go back to school," the professor advised. "Complete your master's degree. You shouldn't have ever left school just because Michael wanted you to." I had always intended to go back after Jayson got a bit older, I explained, "And now I have a job, I have Livy to watch, and I don't think I'll be able to find the time.""Nonsense," McCannon waves away my excuses. "Sometimes you need to be a bit selfish, and that time is now. If not now, then when? How much of your life are you going to put on hold for other people?"I hadn't thought about it that way but I guess the professor is right. "I don't know, professor, I'll think about it," I promise. "I don't want any
[Hunter]“Mr. Grant!” I hear her voice call out even one floor up. “You jerk! Come out and talk to me!”Snickering, I look up at Reggie, who shakes his head. “She isn’t wrong, you know.” When I raise a defiant eyebrow he shrugs, smirking. “What, Hunter, I call it as I see it. You know that. It’s one of the reasons you like me. Besides, sir, you know you could have given her a heads up before she came in this morning so that she could be prepared.”“I honestly had no idea that she was being sincere when she said she didn’t want him here,” I make a weak attempt at excusing my behavior. “I thought she was being humble.” Now it is Reggie’s turn to raise an eyebrow and I groan. “Alright, you got me. I owe her an apology.” “Flowers or jewelry?” Reggie’s face is deadpan. He’s serious. “Or something larger? Maybe a new car, a villa.” “We aren’t a couple, Mr. Carter,” My face burns as I turn away from him, shuffling papers from the right side of my desk to the left waiting for him to look s
Do I still love Michael Stone?Michael swears he still loves me, that there is nothing between him in Evelyn, that my family needs me, that I need him.But do I still love my husband?Thinking of everything he’s done, everything he plans to do makes my blood boil and my vision turn red. The embarrassment I felt as each interview went sour because he was determined to keep me at his side, the shame and hurt I felt at losing my family fortune. How can I love someone who treated me so cruelly?And yet, how does one start over after caring with all your heart for more than half a decade. I put everything that I have into this family--heart and soul. It is hard to set something that is deeply ingrained within me aside, and even harder to deny it. “Maybe," I admit, although it shames me to do so. "I wish I could just throw it all away, but how can I? There was love there, Professor, once. I don't want Michael anymore, but part of me might always love him." “That’s unfortunate,” the old
[Addison]The elevator closes and then descends, taking Charley with it. I receive a text immediately after from her, stating that she'll meet me at the reception desk tomorrow for the rest of our orientation. Fuming, I turn back towards my current situation. The professor is watching me patiently, waiting to see my next move. I know he's analyzing me even now, judging me in his intuitive way. My skin crawls under his scrutiny even as I turn away, looking up and down as if the solution to my situation were in the ceiling or floor. I thought Hunter and I were becoming friends. But friends don’t set other friends up for emotional abuse. Friends don’t hold each other hostage, denying them the chance to leave the building. Friends don’t do…whatever it is Hunter Grant is doing by bringing me to this apartment to be alone with my professor. He’s going to hear from me. This whole situation is absolutely infuriating. I didn't sign up to come in and be harrassed by my old professor. “M