Laura I was still devastated after Kendall's recent visit to the Hextec offices. That night when I got home, I left the girls talking and having quality time in the living room, and I preferred to go to bed after taking a shower, claiming that I was in a good mood and very tired, and I was indeed.
"Mommy?" My daughter called softly as she entered the room. I quickly wiped the tears away and lifted my head to look at her. “Come, my little angel,” I called to her, opening my arms. She walked over to me, climbed onto the bed, and hugged me. "Are you sick?" She asked, worried about me. I sm
Terrence Weeks later Ava and I were in a routine appointment with the neurologist who was taking good care of her pregnancy. Ava was lying on the couch while the doctor was doing the ultrasonography, and we were showing our child on the display. “Can you see its heart beating?” the doctor asked,
She gave a grumble and nodded. “The baby is growing well, but Suzy is a bit stubborn,” she said. “What do you mean stubborn?” I asked curiously. “She doesn’t really like following the rules. I once caught her smoking in secret, even after I asked her to stop smoking now that she is expecting a c
Jason Terrence didn't know it, but I had been following him all day. He had told me he was going to meet Ava for her routine prenatal appointment, so without letting him know, I went after him. I needed to talk to Laura and see my daughter, but since Laura had blocked all contact with me and hadn't
I had practically lost all my money and positions; my influence in that city had been taken from me, and my name was being associated with worse things. All the friends and companions that I believed loved me and would stay by my side forever left me; even Terrence was a little distant, preferring t
Laura “Who had the brilliant idea of hiring Barney? My daughter is loving it,” I said with a giggle as I watched Annie playing with the party entertainer, who was wearing a Barney dinosaur costume. There were more than twenty children there playing and having fun with my daughter; they were her
“I don’t know, honey. The last time I saw him at the prenatal appointment, I almost couldn't resist hugging him. I don’t think I could handle it this time,” she replied. I gently held her arm and caressed her. “And why do you have to hold back?” I suggested it with a smile. Ava shook her head. “
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s
I swallowed hard, Caleb’s words coming back to haunt me. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’ve gone too far?” He’d said that at the mall, and I’d hung up on him, but now they echoed in my head. Annie had hurt me, yes. The fight in the dorm, the way she called me fake, like I was trash she
Abby POV I was leaning against the wall of the ballroom, the cup of punch in my hand already warm and forgotten, as I watched Annie dance with that masked boy. The soft lights of the ball cast shadows over them, and even from so far away, you could feel something in the air—a chemistry almost tangi
Anne POV I was there, trying to at least pretend I was enjoying the party with Summer, letting the loud music and spinning lights distract me from the weight pressing on my chest. Summer danced beside me, throwing her arms up with that endless energy of hers, and I tried to keep up, forcing a smile