NoahI couldn’t accept Lisa’s death. This was just too much. I felt weak and dizzy. The people and the waiting room in front of me became more and more blurred, until I lost consciousness.Visions of the happy times I had with Lisa came over me. Childhood memories of baking cookies and pancakes together, laughing at each others’ silly faces, Lisa teaching me how to ride a bicycle and comforting me when I fell… We shared so many sweet moments. She never made me feel different because I was an orphan. She treated me with love, care and respect.Suddenly, I was in a vast, dark space. A light appeared in the distance. As it got closer, I could see it was Lisa’s silhouette walking - or floating - over to me. She was glowing and looked 10 years younger. Her gentle smile and warm eyes felt vivid and real.She hugged me tenderly and said, “Noah, take good care of yourself. I have to go now. It is my time. This is how it was meant to be.”“Where are you going? Lisa… Please, don’t leave me.” I
OwenWhen I was 7, I was kidnapped at the supermarket. My parents went ahead to the next aisle. I was still trying to decide which chocolate bar I wanted. Suddenly, a pair of gloved hands held a strong smelling napkin over my nose and mouth. I lost consciousness.Next thing I knew, a masked man was carrying me along a dark alley. Two other guys were with him.They were talking among themselves, “This kid is gonna make us so much money. His parents are loaded.” They were planning to blackmail my parents. Money, or my life.I kept still, pretending I was still asleep. “Little dude's getting heavy. Can I pass ‘m to you?” the man who was carrying me said. This was my chance.As he released me to pass me over, I flung my arms around wildly and screamed. They were startled for a moment. I ran as fast as I could.One of them almost caught up to me. He got close enough to spray me with pepper spray. Only some of it reached my eyes, but it was enough to blind me. It hurt like crazy. I screame
OwenThe girl called Noah explained that she heard a boy scream on her way to collect groceries for her age group. She told me and my parents exactly what happened. This convinced me that it was her. She was the girl who saved me.When my parents told her they wanted to adopt her, Noah was over the moon. She couldn’t believe she would finally have a family and a home. It was her biggest dream come true.We grew up together and got closer and closer with the years. We had our first kiss that one magical evening, when we were 18. I finally admitted to her how I felt. I was the happiest man in the world when we got married. We had such a happy life together. But everything changed when we went to Josie’s place for a dinner party.Noah and I usually invited Josie over to our villa. Josie never had a long term place of her own. When she finally bought her own apartment, she invited us to her housewarming party. It was a cozy night with lots of laughter.When I went to the toilet, I took th
NoahEver since Lisa's death, Raymond hired a housekeeper to do the cooking, cleaning and laundry. I only assisted with his medical care. Even though I felt bad for not helping more, I was grateful. I felt so weak and tired to the bone.The grief hurt so much. It felt like the loss of Lisa had knocked a huge gaping hole in my being. The emptiness felt dark, painful and raw. I spent most of my days in bed or on the wooden terrace, staring out over the lake.Death was an inevitable part of life. I learned that lesson as a young girl, growing up without my parents. I had always known that death could come at any moment. But this was the first time I experienced a loved one’s death consciously, as an adult. It hurt more than I ever imagined.On the morning of Lisa's funeral, Raymond and I had a light breakfast together, although I wasn’t hungry and felt queasy. We both got dressed in black and took his BMW to the funeral.The season was turning to winter. The weather outside was gloomy. T
OwenAs I drove back from the cemetery, Noah’s words echoed in my mind. They left me unsettled and filled me with doubt. I needed answers. Josie seemed to hold the key to understanding what happened at the Grand Palais hotel.When I arrived home, I found Josie sitting alone in the living room. She was still wearing the inappropriately sexy black dress that she wore to the funeral. Her expression was a mix of sadness and defiance. She looked up as I entered. Her eyes searched mine for a hint of what I was thinking.“I saw you talking to Noah before I left the cemetery,” She pouted, “What were you talking about? Was it about those texts? Did you not believe me?”I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before I spoke.“Josie, I need to know the truth,” I began, my voice tinged with urgency. “Noah told me what happened at the hotel. She said you drugged her and almost got her raped.”Josie’s eyes widened, shock flashing across her face before she composed herself. “Owen, I… I didn’t d
NoahDays of retching left me feeling weak and haggard, but I resisted going to the hospital. The memories from the last time I was there were too painful. The hurt of Lisa’s loss still lingered.Instead, I spent hours with my laptop on the terrace by the lake. The winter sun warmed my icy fingers as I searched online for answers. Various possibilities came up, from food poisoning to a stomach virus. But one result kept appearing more frequently than others: pregnancy. It seemed absurd, ridiculous even. I couldn’t be pregnant.I comforted myself with the thought that it was just a stomach bug. Maybe something I ate at the funeral. Determined to find some relief, I decided to go to the pharmacy.Standing in front of the full-length mirror in my room, I took in my reflection. My stomach looked the same as usual… I shook my head. Then I got dressed in my winter attire.The rich, emerald green of my cashmere turtleneck sweater contrasted beautifully against my fair skin. The fabric felt l
NoahAfter a night full of strange, vivid dreams, I woke up as a wave of nausea hit me. I was prepared for it this time. I threw up into the bucket I had placed next to the bed the day before. I was hoping to find that my period started last night. It hadn’t.I got up and had a long shower. My appointment at the hospital later this morning made me feel nervous. Although it would be good to finally get some answers.I got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my body and another around my hair. I noticed the pregnancy test that I had tossed next to the sink yesterday. A nagging feeling of anxiety nestled in my chest. I hid the test in the back of a bathroom cabinet, then got ready for the day.“Morning,” I said to Raymond as I passed him in the hallway. He had been feeling a lot better lately. His rib was healing well. He even felt good enough to work from home. He spent a lot of his time in the study, on conference calls and working through emails that had built up over his si
NoahStaring at the screen of the ultrasound, I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me. The gynecologist was still speaking. She pointed to the faint image of a tiny life inside me. Her words seemed distant and muffled.How could this be true? My mind raced, trying to piece together my memories. In the last months of my marriage with Owen, we never shared intimate moments anymore.The only time… Oh, my God. It must have happened that night at the hotel. I counted back. Yes, that was about 6 weeks ago. That would mean…Raymond was the baby’s father.A fleeting image crossed my mind. Raymond and I sitting by his lake on a checkered blanket. Drinking champagne and snacking fr