CHAPTER 56Valerie finally tried to get some rest after packing her things for hours. Loads of half-opened expensive suitcases lined up beside the foot of the king-sized bed, and in all the room was a total mess. A small groan left her lips as she sat up against the headboard and picked up the pink journal that Alan had gifted her many weeks ago. She planned on telling him about her pregnancy before she left but he may not allow her to go once he learned that she was carrying his child. Even if she wouldn't be vocal about it, she could leave a little note behind, just for his eyes only. As she picked up a pen to scribble something on the book, she heard a rattling sound coming from the large window in the room.Confusion was written all over her expression as she stepped down from the bed, walking towards the window to see what was causing the sudden disturbance. As she drew closer to the window, the curtain that covered it fluttered around the room, leaving space in between for i
CHAPTER 57 The driver finally loaded the last of Valerie's things and went to inform Valerie who was sitting in the gazebo, sipping a cup of tea. Valerie was clad in a fitted sky blue blouse that had two ropes that tied the piece of clothing together, and a thigh-length white skirt. She wore a large sun hat on her head, and her eyes were shielded by a large brown pair of sunglasses."You're ready?" She asked the driver who just stood on the porch of the gazebo. "Yes ma'am. Ready to take you to the airport," He informed and walked away.A sigh left Valerie's lips as she dropped the tea cups and smoothened her outfit before picking up her large Dior bag that sat on the table. She walked out of the gazebo and took a slow look around the estate, not minding the fact that a figure was watching her from her former bedroom window.Alan.She had signed the divorce papers three days ago, and after she signed it, a huge sum of sixty-three billion dollars was cashed into her account. She tri
CHAPTER 58 CARRIACOU GRENADA, SPAIN Valerie stepped out of the plane, followed by the luggage carrier, she walked toward where her driver was waiting for her as she had previously hired an SUV while in California.As she watched her luggage carrier load the boxes into the SUV, her thoughts immediately drifted off to where she was going to stay after booking a hotel for 4 days. She originally planned on buying a four-bedroom penthouse that overlooked the beach, but her real estate agent told her that the four-bedroom penthouses available were far from the beach and only five bedrooms were available. Nonetheless, she was going to buy the five-bedroom. She wanted to build a safe space for her and her child. Yes, five bedrooms were too much for two people but who knows? She may have visitors soon.Stepping into the SUV, she took one last look at the horizon, feeling a mix of nostalgia and anticipation, she entered the car and asked the driver to zoom off to her hotel, where she was go
CHAPTER 59Note: This storyline is taking a five-year jump. CARRIACOU, GRENADAThe sunset was cast on the balcony of Valerie's million-dollar mansion which was surrounded by the beach and many palm trees. The wind seemed rather unsettled as it shook the trees with ferocity. The beach that was once calm and sunny was now replaced by an angry storm overhead that was threatening to pour. A little girl with a small face, big green eyes, and pigtails that had their ends tied with two pink ribbons ran around the small playroom with two Barbie dolls in her hands. The little girl scrunched her face with a hint of distaste, sat one of the dolls down, and pointed at it with so much seriousness, "You are not cool and you will not be allowed to come with us to the tea party unless you beg for forgiveness," she whined, pouting while folding her arms across her chest. The door to the playroom opened to reveal Valerie's face. Valerie had grown so much in these past few years. She was now 28 ye
CHAPTER 60CARRIACOU, GRANADA, SPAIN Gideon folded his arms across his chest while standing in between Monica and Valerie, "Okay, I'm sensing you two know each other because there's clearly some kind of bad blood between you two," Valerie snorted and looked away while Monica just stared her down."I'm just confused. What is she doing here and how is she your fiance?" Monica asked "Why do you care? And what are you also doing here? Last I saw you, you were off murdering people. Plus, I thought you died. Quite uncanny to see a ghost here in my home," Valerie quipped."Murdering people?" Gideon asked, with a puzzled expression on his face."Yes, murdering people. She was a maid at my ex-husband's estate. A low-life, fat, and common idiot, who I'm sure was responsible for some of the killings in that estate. After her fat ass was caught, she ran off like a little skank that she is. I'm sure running off like that was the reason you lost so much weight," "Wait… hold on. What killings? Y
CHAPTER 61 The first part of the pre-wedding event- The family dinner, was going to take place in the next hour and it was at this time that Valerie was getting dressed.Valerie opted for a simple white flare dress that had her whole back exposed, did her hair in a tight ponytail, and then added a few hair accessories to it and put on matching white flip-flops. She dressed Mayté in jeans and a jersey top because it was nighttime and it was going to be cold outside.The event was set up outside and it was organized by Valerie and her event planning team.Valerie didn't spend five years in Carriacou being jobless and enjoying Alan's money. With Gideon's help, she got a job as an assistant for an event planning company and then she also ventured into Real estate. By the next two years, Valerie had established her own event planning and Real estate company and started earning more than eight figures per year. It wasn't only hard work that did it for her. Gideon also played a huge par
CHAPTER 62 The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore were heard amidst the clanking of cutleries against the plates. Soft music was played in the background as everyone chattered as they ate.Valerie looked nervous as she sat in between Maria and Gideon, but Alan was just seated opposite her. She called Mayté's nanny earlier to take her to bed because Mayté said was sleepy and that was why she wasn't present at the dinner table.Valerie watched as everyone talked with each other, Maria and her girlfriend, Gideon and his sisters were arguing about politics, and it was just her and Alan who weren't engaging in any discussion. Glee cleared her throat, breaking Valerie out of deep reverie, "As you all know, we are in Carriacou as a family to have some family time with Gideon's fiance before the wedding. I would like to commend my brother for his impeccable taste when it comes to women. The only time he picked an ugly one was when he introduced us to Sally," Glee joked and everyo
CHAPTER 63Valerie shut the door to the storeroom behind her and Maria and then watched as her cousin paced around the small room with her hands on her head. "Oh my God you guys were kissing? And in public?" Maria asked unbelievably.Valerie came closer to cup Maria's hands, "No, it wasn't like that, I promise," "It was like what then?" Maria asked with a scoff."You know what, Valerie? When I told Alan that you now lived in Carriacou, this wasn't what I had in mind. I thought you had gotten over him. Hell, you and Gideon were in a relationship for three fucking years, he proposed and now I'm getting to know that you still like Alan?" Valerie's face contorted into confusion as she heard what Maria had just said, "Wait. You told Alan that I live in Carriacou? Why on earth did you do that?" Maria rolled her eyes, "Oh shut it. Were you deaf when I said that I thought you had gotten over Alan? I even told him that you were in a serious relationship that was leading to an engagement be
CHAPTER 82 - FINAL CHAPTERValerie was discharged from the hospital a week later, and after they moved into their new home in the Maldives, Gideon never left her side. After several pleas, Gianna agreed to leave Fareeda alone and return to Spain, but not before forcing her son to appeal to the Spanish and Maldives governments to have Fareeda taken to jail, prompting her to go back into hiding. Fareeda continued to tail Valerie, her presence marked by the scent of her shampooed hair and body mist."Is this what she's going to do for the rest of our lives?" Gideon asked one evening while they were relaxing in their gazebo.A confused looking Valerie dropped the cocktail she was sipping and faced her husband, "Who? What are you talking about?" "Fareeda. I know she follows you around. Is she like your bodyguard? Did she make a pact with you to ignore living her own life to focus on yours? It's absurd how everywhere that you are, the wind still carries the aura of a second person," Valer
CHAPTER 81"I'm sorry! It was the alcohol!" Scarlett's screams and sobs rang in Valerie's mind as she gained consciousness while in the hospital. "She's going into labor now!" The nurses yelled as she felt herself being placed on a stretcher, and then being rushed into the emergency room."She is in a critical condition, sir! We cannot allow her to push while she is unconscious, she may lose her life!" Another nurse screamed at Gideon."I can see the baby's head!" Another nurse added. "Get Doctor Michael! Where is Doctor Michael?" This was the thing about pregnancies and going into labor, everyone was always so stressed out and crazy. Even as she felt weak, she could still tell what was going on around her. She could hear the loud thumps and thuds on the floor, the click and clack of the nurses' block hills. The clean smell of the white walled hospitals, and the smell of fresh blood oozing out of her vagina.On hearing a nurse suggesting the emergency room, her eyes flew open, "I do
CHAPTER 80Seven months later. Gideon had the whole suitcase cleared out and taken to his private jet because his parents decided that it would be better for Valerie and the babies in her stomach to have the chance to take in the good life in a different environment. Actually, the doctor said so, but everyone except Valerie agreed to it.Valerie hated many things about pregnancy, but one of the things that she hated most was the fact that she wasn't having one, but two babies.She almost fainted at the gender reveal party that her in-laws hosted two months ago because she was scared to have one baby, but now two was indeed a crowd. But, so far, being pregnant in the McCarthy household has been great. Everyone was wrapped around Valerie's fingers, she had had numerous tea parties thrown in her name, been sent congratulatory notes and presents from Spain's big dogs, including the president, Fareeda sent her two lovely electronic cots and with beautiful notes, and Gideon's mom visited
CHAPTER 79 Three Months laterFareeda threw a robe over her head and drove to the area where the former Carson estate was situated.Yellow and black tapes were draped over the large gates, and some post signs that had, "Do not trespass," written on them were placed in front of the estate.She peeked through one of the holes in the gate and found the estate, dark and empty. Neither the streetlights nor the house lights were turned on.A few days after the news of Alan's demise got out, his mother and wife sold the estate, the remaining shares they have under Carson Innovations, and left the United States to God knows where leaving Alex Carson to rot in prison for the rest of his life.Fareeda has never felt sorry for anyone in her life, but she believed that no matter how evil a person may have lived their life, they still deserved a second chance.The Carsons that she had spent almost ten years trying to destroy were now ground to dust. Their ruin was one of the best things that e
CHAPTER 78Fareeda raised her hands to her shoulder and stepped backward, "We used to be friends, Valerie," she warned."That was before you stabbed me in the back!"Fareeda clicked her teeth, "I know I hurt you by not telling you anything, and your father didn't deserve to die by my hands, but Val, you don't know how desperate I was! I was ready to kill anyone who got in my way!" She confessed."And, what did that old and frail man do to get in your way?" Valerie asked, angrily."He helped me get some things done and then wanted to back out when he saw how much you were in love with Alan. I was so obsessed with getting revenge on the Carsons, and I didn't want you to find out about any of it because you would have hated me and kicked me out at once. It's not like that would have stopped me from destroying the Carsons, but I didn't want to lose your friendship then, especially when you needed a shoulder to lean on," Tears gathered in the corner of Valerie's eyes, and she threw the gu
CHAPTER 77Gideon stretched his arm to turn off the blaring alarm sound. As he grabbed the phone on the bedside table he turned it off, realizing that it wasn't his phone."5 am? Why did she set an alarm when we slept late?" He asked himself with a puzzled expression on his face.He curled his head to the side, meaning to wake his wife up, but she wasn't there. He placed his hands on the empty space to feel it, and his heart dropped when he found the space cold."Valerie!" He yelled but there was no answer.He got up and moved to search the balcony, the bathroom, and the toilets, before leaving to check Maria's room.Maria opened the door after several knocks, "What is it, Gideon?" She inquired angrily."Uh…sorry to disturb you but, is Valerie here?" He asked, looking inside to see."No, why?" Gideon sighed dejectedly, leaning on the wall," We slept in the same room an hour to midnight after a long discussion, only for me to wake up and not see her next to me. She only left a note,"
CHAPTER 76NOTE: 'Silence' is a place in San Resort"Wedding bells?" Gideon asked, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.Maria nodded and paced around the place, the back of her hands shielding her nostrils, "We have got to keep moving. 'Silence' would surely be around here somewhere, we aren't just looking well," she said and walked towards Valerie who's eyes were half-closed.Tapping Valerie ferociously, Maria groaned as she watched her cousin lazily get up, "Stop being like this, Val! You're too slow and it's making me nauseous,""I'm trying," she replied in a soft voice as she leaned onto Gideon for support."You are not trying hard enough. We all saw the rotting priest in that chair, none of us fainted or fell. Yes, the smell was really bad, but we all smelt it. Give it a break, you overreact a lot and it's not even that deep, given that you have actually seen so many people die," Maria chided.Maria looked up and faced everyone else, "Now, guys… since Alan has given us n
CHAPTER 75SAN RESORTPOV- "Silence is a place in San ResortGideon's jeep pulled over at the San resort at noon because it was really far from their private island at Carriacou. Before they left, they packed some clothes and other things they would be needing, because somewhere that far, needed supplies.As they walked up to the reception, Maria pulled Valerie aside and asked, "For more clarity, did the resort officials ever tell you guys why you weren't allowed into 'Silence'?" Valerie shook her head sadly, "We even met with the CEO because he and Gideon were friends and business partners. Immediately he heard that we wanted to enter 'Silence', he shook his head and told us that only staff were allowed to enter. But, we pestered one of the staff to answer our questions, and he said that the CEO meant that only he was allowed into Silence, no one else," "This makes no sense Val. Why on earth is there a place in this resort that only the owner is allowed into?" Gale shrugged, butti
CHAPTER 74"One day, we find ourselves engulfed by passion and love.When I lose myself without any choice to make she is not right beside me, tending to my every need and want.One day, I close my eyes and I find her wrapped in the arms of another.I lose my mind but there's no loss in a fool's game," Maria said, pausing after reading out a chapter of Alan's prison diary.Valerie scoffed and threw her head back angrily, "Why does it sound like he's blaming everything on me?" "That is literally what he's saying. One day you guys were in love, and the next day you are loving someone else, that someone being Gideon," Maria answered, pointing toward him.The four of them sat in a circle, the phone to which the Californian police department sent pictures of the diaries to placed in Maria's hands as she read out the content of it.Gale nudged her girlfriend to continue and then she started to read another part, "A very discerning storm starts to rumble and she who swore by day and night t