MARY'S POV.We've had dinner and was just having random talks in the living room but my mind was far away from the discussion.Alex, Saraya and Evan's giggles and small laugh jolts out of my reverie time to time but I couldn't stop the many thoughts in my head.I saw Evan rubbing his eyes and that was my cue to take him to his room. "Stop rubbing your eyes, it's bad for your sight." I chastised.Alex stood up on his feet. "Go easy on him, you know it's been a long day for him. I think it's time to get some sleep, I'll take him to bed."I interrupted. "No, I'll do it." I insisted. "At least, let me do one thing to keep myself busy. You've been doing all the runnings all day. Take a break."I walked up to Evan and helped him on his feet, while taking him upstairs, I took a glance at the father and daughter who clinked their glasses and continued their discussion amidst giggles. Anger surged through me.I helped Evan to his room and once we were in, I locked the door behind me. I tossed
SARAYA'S POV."Mom, don't tell me, he is sleeping already?" I asked the moment Mary walked in."Trust me, he is snoring as we speak." She replied. "The flight must have taken it toll on him."I nodded. "You're right."I took a sip of my juice, letting the coolness calm my nerves. My phone buzzed on the table, and I glanced down at the screen. Dominic’s name flashed, and I recalled I had almost forgotten about him.Dominic: Looking forward to tomorrow. Hope your family won’t mind me tagging along.After a quick exchange of messages, I looked up at Mary.“Is it okay if a friend of mine joins us for the funeral tomorrow?” I asked.Mary raised her eyebrows. “Your friend is coming?”“Yeah,” I said. “If it’s a problem, I could just cancel, you know?”She let out a soft laugh. “And that would be rude. Besides, why would it be a problem? I’m not going to pass up the chance to meet your friend. It’s about time, honestly.”“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, feigning ignorance.“It means,”
ARLAN'S POV.I stood by the car, glancing at my watch while waiting for Matilda."Where was she?" The longer I waited, the more I questioned my actions. When Matilda finally appeared, I almost didn’t recognize her.She walked toward me, swinging her hips in her black gown hugging her curves, the fabric almost too much for the occasion. Her makeup was little too much if I'm being honest, it made her look like she was ready for a runway."Arlan," she said with a smirk, "Am I that good-looking you're drooling?"I blinked, snapping out of my trance. “You look… stunning, Matilda. But—""But?" She stopped in front of me, one hand on her hip.“I mean, the dress is a bit... revealing. It's a funeral, not a fashion show.” I reminded trying to be subtle so I don't come off as being judgemental.She laughed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Don’t forget, I’m a designer. Fashion’s my thing.”“I know, but—”“Relax,” she interrupted, stepping closer. “This is the same edition Saraya wore
ALEX'S POV.The funeral had dragged on longer than I expected. Guests kept coming in, offering their condolences, and it felt like we’d never get a break.But by evening, things finally started to quiet down.Mary, Matilda, and I were talking, the conversation light for the first time all day. Just as I was starting to relax, the door opened. Saraya walked in, Dominic beside her."I'll like to talk my leave now." Dominic announced, standing few inches away from us.He turned to Mary, offering his condolences once more. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”Mary smiled softly. “Thank you, Dominic. It means a lot.”Dominic hugged her gently. “Take care of yourself,” he said before stepping back.He gave me a nod. “See you around, sir.”I nodded. "See you around, my boy."“Take your time, Saraya,” I called after her, my voice steady. She looked back at me, flashing that familiar smile, then disappeared through the door with Dominic.I watched him leave, then glanced at Mary. “You know, I thi
SARAYA'S POV.Saraya shut the door to her room and leaned against it, her heart thudding in her chest. The scene played over and over in her mind. Mary’s face, that quick flash of anger when she hugged Evan it couldn’t have been her imagination. And Evan...She sat on her bed, rubbing her temples. “What was that about?” she muttered under her breath.Grabbing her phone, she hesitated before texting Evan. Hey, are you okay?A minute passed, then two, but no reply. Saraya dropped her phone on the bed with a frustrated sigh.“Why would Mary look at me like that? And Evan... holding my hand like he didn’t want me to leave?” she whispered to herself, trying to piece it together.Her mind raced with questions, but one thing was certain—something was off.The buzz from her phone interrupted her thoughts. She glanced at the screen—Arlan.Saraya frowned. “What does he want now?” she muttered, letting the call ring out. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with him.The phone buzzed again, and Saraya
DOMINIC'S POV.I told the taxi driver to drop me a few blocks away. "Just here is fine," I muttered, not wanting to be seen. I pulled my hood up, trying to blend in.As I moved closer, I spotted Arlan standing near Saraya’s window. What the hell is he doing out here so late? I thought.Then, Saraya opened the window, her phone pressed to her ear. I froze. She was talking to someone, but I could tell something was off. The she looked at him made my heart sank.And then, she disappeared from the window only to reappear at the door. Arlan stepped closer. Before I knew it, they were hugging. My eyes locked on them, unable to look away. No. No way...I saw it. I saw the kiss. The long, lingering kiss. I bought out my phone and started recording.My heart slammed against my chest, and I couldn’t move. I kept filming them, though. Just... couldn’t stop.Once they'd disappeared from my sight, I let out a sharp breath, stomping my foot against the ground. "What the hell...?"I shook my head, m
ALEX'S POV.We had just wrapped up an afternoon at the bowling alley, and I couldn’t help but smile as Saraya celebrated her latest victory with an exaggerated fist pump. Evan groaned dramatically, slumping into a chair."She cheated," he muttered, glaring at the scoreboard."How exactly does someone cheat at bowling?" Mary asked, raising an eyebrow as she set her shoes on the counter."Maybe she bribed the pins," I said, grinning as Saraya stuck out her tongue at all of us.We gathered our things and made our way out to the car. On the drive back, the kids bickered in the backseat about who deserved to win while Mary shook her head, trying to hide her amusement.Soon we arrived, I cleared my throat to get their attention. "Alright, listen up, everyone."They stopped mid-conversation and looked at me, waiting."We’re heading to Sydney tomorrow," I announced."Wait, what?" Saraya asked, sitting up straight. "Tomorrow."I nodded. "Christmas is a few days away, and it’s tradition to spen
DOMINIC'S POV.The garden was supposed to be my escape, but even the quiet couldn’t silence the chaos in my head. The whiskey burned as it slid down my throat, but it wasn’t strong enough to dull the ache.“Dominic.” My mother’s voice was gentle, but it still grated against my nerves. I didn’t turn to look at her.“What is it?” I muttered, my eyes fixed on the glass in my hand.“You’ve been out here for hours,” she said, her steps crunching softly on the gravel as she came closer. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing.”She sighed. “Don’t do this. Don’t shut me out. I’ve seen the change in you since you got back. What happened on your trip?”I clenched my jaw, gripping the glass tighter. “I said it’s nothing. Just leave it alone.”“Dominic—”“God, just drop it, okay?” I snapped, raising my voice.The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating. I didn’t have to look to know she was staring at me, hurt and confused.“Dominic, what has gotten into you?” she asked quietly.“What’s going on here?” My
SARAYA'S POV.I turned to my side when I noticed a figure hovering over me. I stirred and open my eyes and couldn't make sense of who it was so I screamed."Easy, it's me." Gabby held me."You scared me" I said breathing heavily. "What's going on?""You were sleeping longer than expected, it's already 10a.m in the morning so I came to check on you." She explained."What? 10a.m?"Gabby stood up and drew off the curtains and opened the window. "You believe me now?"I quickly grabbed my phone, there I saw Dominic has replied my message and he had also called severally.I sat up quickly, my heart racing as I unlocked my phone. I read his message and he had also sent another message about an hour ago.Dominic: Hey, how are you doing? I called a few times. Call me back when you see this.Guilt settled in my stomach. I had been so lost in sleep that I hadn’t heard my phone ring. I tapped on his contact and called him back, my fingers trembling slightly.Gabby sat on the edge of my bed, watch
MARY'S POV."That little rat, I wish I could just yank his neck off his body this instant. How dare he spy on me?" I asked breathing heavily at the realization that I was about to drag down.Arlan aside, if Isla gets to find out about this, she will never look at me the same way again."I've built my reputation to be a submissive wife, respectful daughter in law and dutiful mother and all of that is about to come crashing down because of that idiot! I can't stand that let that happen." I told myself.I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I paced the room. "I have to do something very fast." I kept reminding myself as several thoughts ran through my mind but none of my ideas were good enough for the situation I had found myself.Ian thought he had me cornered, thought he had the upper hand? "That fool had no idea who he is dealing with, I will show him that I'm not to be disrespected.""But you have until tomorrow morning, what can you do before then?" A tiny voice ask
IAN'S POV."Awesome," I clapped my hands. "So Mary intends using Dominic to spy on Saraya. Guess I'm not the only one who is worked up about Saraya's existence." I said to myself."I've known she didn't care for Saraya like she claims to but I don't know Saraya made her so insecure she would go all the way.""Let's shake her up a little with this." I said staring at my phone before replaying the voice note."Isn't it too early to confront her? What if it goes down south?" A voice said in my head. "While it's still early, time is not on my side. With the way the company's shares have been plummeting since I took over, it's just a matter of time before those punch of greedy people start discussing my impeachment.""I'm in no position to consider the timing, even if it's just a straw, I have to grap it tightly with both hands and figure out a way to survive."I stood up and headed to her room with a victorious smile. "Let's see how she would react."I knocked twice on the door, taking a
SARAYA'S POV.I walked in feeling exhausted, at this point, there was no more tears coming out from my eyes.Gabby who had been waiting quickly rushed to me. "You gave me quite a scare, you wouldn't pick your phone..." She was saying when she finally looked up and saw my face. "Oh my, what happened?"I sank into her arms. "I hurt him, Gabby. I did."Gabby wrapped her arms around me, her grip firm and reassuring. "Who did you hurt?" she asked gently, stroking my hair."Dominic," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "He—he told me again he had feelings for me, and I... I couldn’t give him what he wanted."Gabby sighed, pulling back slightly to look me in the eyes. "Saraya, it’s not your fault. You can’t force yourself to love someone just because they love you.""But he’s been nothing but good to me," I said, my voice breaking. "He was there when I needed someone, when I was at my lowest. And instead of appreciating him the way he deserves, I—""You were honest," Gabby interrupted. "And that’s
SARAYA'S POV."Dominic, ever since I met you, you've been a good person and friend to me. I wouldn't want to jeopardize our friendship.""What are you scared of?" He asked."I'm scared of everything!" I snapped. "Letting someone new in and being vulnerable to them is something I don't want to do anytime soon.""I think it's time you let go.""What?" I asked like I didn't hear him the first time."I said it's time you let go of your obsession with Arlan." He said firmly, making me nervous. "He is never going to be yours, he is expecting a child with Matilda and if my memory serves me correctly, she should put to bed anytime from now."The realization in his words made my heart go cold. Dominic must've noticed how his words got to me but he didn't stop."Are you really going to stand between a father and a child because of your obsession?" He added.I felt the sting of his words like a slap across my face. Obsession? Is that what he thought this was?I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my
DOMINIC'S POV."Saraya...""Dominic, what's going on?" She asked sounding so worried. "I just got to my phone and saw your calls and message. Is my dad okay? Are you okay? Is everyone fine?""Calm down, princess." I managed to break through her worrisome questions. "I came to see you.""What?" She said. My actions took her by surprise just I had expected. "You mean you came all the way from Sydney to Colorado just to see me?" She asked like she needed to be sure."That's correct." I affirmed."Dom...""I know what you want to say but you can chastise me for showing up unexpectedly when you see me. What do you say?" I suggested, hoping she would agree.There was silence on the other end. I could almost see the way her brows would be furrowing right now, the way she’d bite her lower lip when she was trying to process something she didn’t see coming.I held my breath, waiting.“Dominic…” she finally said, her voice softer this time. “Why do you have to make such trip when we could have e
DOMINIC'S POV.The flight touched down at the airport and I soon checked out."Saraya, here I come!" I screamed out drawing stares from onlookers but I didn't care.I bought out my phone. "Okay, let's do this." I said, dialling her phone. It rang a few times but there was no reply. "Could she be busy at the moment?" I thought to myself, wondering why she wasn't picking I flagged a taxi down, "take me the closest and coziest hotel around, I'm so tired."The taxi ride was quiet, but my mind wasn’t. My heart raced faster than the car, my thoughts were fixated on one person—Saraya. I could help but wonder how would she react when she see me? Would she be surprised? Shocked? Angry?I leaned back in the seat, running a hand through my hair. “She’ll probably be mad at first,” I muttered under my breath. Saraya wasn’t the type to welcome unexpected visitors with open arms, especially not when she had told me that the last time I showed you expectedly on Christmas day. But I silently hoped wi
ALEX'S POV.I patted his back awkwardly, the strength of his hug catching me off guard. “I’m here, Arlan. I’m okay now.”He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. “Do you have any idea of how I felt when you collapsed? I couldn't focus knowing fully well it would be on me if you never wake up?”“I’m sorry I got you and everyone worried.” The words came out in a whisper, guilt settling in my chest.“You’re sorry?” He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. Its all my fault, I should've told you everything...” His voice broke again, and he rubbed a hand across his face.I tried for a weak smile. "It's okay." I replied. "It would have been difficult if I were in your shoes too."“Thank you for coming around,” he said, but a small, relieved laugh slipped out anyway.I gestured to the chair by my bed. “Sit down before you fall over. You look like you haven’t slept in days.” I said pointing the eye bags beneath his eyes.“I haven’t,” he admitted, sinking into the chair. His elbows re
ARLAN'S POV I tried getting some sleep but it was impossible as my mind ravished with the thoughts of Saraya. I thought about what she could be doing but I couldn't mutter the courage to call her, not with what I saw at the airport."You're such a coward, Arlan. You don't deserve her." I turned on my side again.Her smile seems genuine and I couldn't remember the last time she smiled at me that way. All I remember was her tears and struggles whenever she was with me.I sighed and sat up. Restlessness took over me but I knew drinking wasn't an option. Not with Matilda, who is due with our baby anytime from now. For their sakes, I have to be sober.I decided to keep myself busy by going to my study to sort out the stack of documents that had been left untouched for days.I took off the bed cover and got off from bed. My study is attached to my bedroom so I grabbed my phone and headed there.I sat down and placed my hand on the stack of documents and I cursed my procrastination as I got