It was New Year’s Eve. Mia made pizza as well as other dishes. She asked Zoe to invite Ella over for dinner. “She doesn’t have any family. How else is she supposed to spend her New Year’s Eve?”Zoe took a slice of pizza and ate it quietly. “I already gave her a call earlier!”She gave Zoe a sidelong glance, and smacked her hand. “Eat it when everyone else is here! You’re not a rat!”That brought a smile to Zoe’s face.Mia was relieved that Zoe was able to move past her tragic marriage. She was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.Zoe opened the door and found Ella standing there.There were a few paper bags in her hands. Aside from Gordon and Mia’s supplements, she also bought a branded scarf for her friend. The design was exactly Zoe’s cup of tea.However, that didn’t stop Zoe from saying, “You shouldn’t have!”Ella put it on for her and said, “It looks so good on you! It matches your fair skin!” She also prepared a gift for her. It was a limited edit
Zoe looked at the door and realized that Sherry’s toys and food were in a box.Mason didn’t want to keep the puppy anymore.Moving the stuff inside, she said softly, “He’s got a big project going on. I know he’s reveling in his great success. So, he’s not going to bother me! I’ll keep Sherry, from here on out!”Sherry stared at her innocently with its black eyes and buried its head into her arms again. It was clearly attached to her.Ella grumbled, “It loves you!”At that moment, Zoe’s phone rang. It must’ve been Mason. She went to the balcony to take his call. The sound of a whistling wind came from the other end of the phone. She could hear his light breathing as well.They both remained quiet for a while before he finally said softly, “Happy New Year, Zoe!”She hadn’t exactly moved on from the traumatizing pain, but she chose to remain graceful. “Happy New Year to you too!” She paused briefly before continuing, “I’ll keep Sherry, but you’re not allowed to visit her. I won’t
Mason’s eyes grew darker. Did she just address him as ‘Mr. Mason?’They locked gazes with each other for a brief moment. The lady sitting next to him saw the tension between them, leaned over, and asked, “Should I step away for a while, Mason?” She put her hand on his arm without a thought. They looked intimate with each other that way.He wanted to withdraw his arm, but he realized Zoe’s brows fluttered and did the exact opposite. He responded tenderly, “It’s fine!”Zoe brushed past him and went to her seat. Then, he lowered his gaze and looked at the lady’s hand. It was a good thing she had the sense to pull back her hand.Actually, she was just testing it earlier. She wanted to know what she meant to him. At first, she was delighted. However, she knew she stood no chance when Mason’s face turned blank immediately after Zoe left.The lady spent some time and effort dressing up herself tonight. Brushing her hair lightly, she lowered her head and continued to dine. She asked aff
“You’re out of your mind, Mason!” She tried to shake him free to no avail.He pulled at her gently. Then, she fell into his arms unwittingly. They were so close to each other that she could smell the odor of smoke as well as the aftershave off of him.“How are things lately?”Leaning over, he snuffed out the cigarette. His voice was gentle. She didn’t respond to him. Her eyes turned red and she asked, “What do you think you’re doing, Mason? We're divorced. You have no right to treat me this way!”He stared at her. It was impossible to tell what he was feeling through his black eyes.Then, he loosened his grip on her wrist.Just as she thought he was about to let go, he pinned her to the wall, held the back of her neck, and lifted her head forcefully. Then, he lowered his head and closed his lips on hers.Needless to say, she wouldn’t have any of it, but he was pressing against her. His body felt so hot that it could swallow her whole and melt her from within.“Mason…“Don’t…
Zoe rushed back home. True enough, Sherry wasn’t feeling well. It hadn’t been eating for the whole day. Not even its favorite snack or toy could lift its spirits.Mia was wracked with worry. “Is it sick? I’ll get changed and go to the vet with you. I’m afraid it’ll get worse if we drag this out.”She carried the puppy, thought about it, and said, “Given Dad’s condition, we can’t afford to leave him alone. I’ll run Sherry by the vet myself! I’m thinking about hiring a private nurse. That’ll make your life easier, too, Mia.”Mia pondered on it and said, “That’s a good idea! It’s late, so watch out and stay safe.”Gordon came out of his room just as she was going out and rubbed the puppy’s head. He said to Mia when his daughter had left, “You’ve always given that puppy the stink eye, but you’re more concerned about it than the rest of us when something happens!”She went to the kitchen to pour him a glass of water and medicine. Moments later, he heard her voice from the kitchen, “Loo
Mason got out of the car and walked into the pet shop.He came out of the pet shop in less than five minutes and put the dog diapers into the trunk. He even petted Sherry when he got back into the car, but his words were directed to Zoe instead, “I bought the Extra Small diapers. Put them on for Sherry when you’re back home!”She nodded and turned her head to the side to watch the views out the car window.He started the engine and chatted with her casually, “Why did Rosemary tell me you’re setting up a business? Is it because you need more money? You could’ve just told me that.” The tone was gentle, but the hint of condescension was unmistakable. That made her slightly uncomfortable, “Stop finding out stuff about my life, Mason.”“I’m just expressing concern!”There was a traffic light up front. He stopped the car and leaned over to look at her. His voice was very soft when he said, “We might be divorced, but we’re still technically family! All I want is to care about you the w
Zoe went into her apartment and found that Mia hadn’t slept. She was waiting for her stepdaughter to come home. She was dumbfounded when she heard Sherry was having a period. “I didn’t know dogs get periods!”Zoe tore up the diaper bag and put one on Sherry. It fit well! Sherry probably felt much better after putting on the diaper. It proceeded to eat some food and drink some water before falling asleep on her chest.The lights were turned off but she found it hard to sleep. It wasn’t until midnight that she dozed off.…Two days later, she brought Ella along to check out the location Rosemary recommended. It has everything she was looking for. With Rosemary’s help, she made a lunch appointment with Clayton, who owned Skyline Galleria.Rosemary said to her, “Clayton took his wife’s last name in order to marry her and he’s a proud man. Watch your steps and don’t trigger him. He’s very flexible and easy to talk to, aside from that.”That gave Zoe a peace of mind. She thanked Ros
Rosemary might be forty years old, but she retained her charm and her eyes were looking very seductive now.Terrence had a lover on the side recently, but it had been a long time since he was intimate with her. He was aroused by Rosemary’s suggestive eyes and walked over to wrap his arms around her waist in hopes of having sex with her.However, she thought of the affairs he had and felt sick instantly.Patting his hands lightly, she feigned anger, “It’s broad daylight. The servants are moving about in the house! They’ll see us! Moreover, I’m having a period. So, I can’t do it!”That ticked him off. Then, he quickly made up an excuse about work and left. She knew, deep down, that he was going to find his lover and sate his lust.…Zoe gave the gifts to Ella. She felt quite moved. It wasn’t so much about the gifts as it was about Rosemary showing her respect. Then, she told Zoe about the fact that Clayton had been pestering her for the past few days. He didn’t do anything too