Michelle could no longer tolerate Damian's repeated shades thrown at her. She stood up defiantly from her seat and challenged him.'How dare you talk to me like that! Did you forget your place?' Michelle was heaving in anger and Sheena could not help but shake her head at the girl. Mirabel obviously still didn't know what was coming at her.Damian had assumed a calm demeanor. He relaxed into the sofa, raised his legs onto the small center table, and crossed them. He spread out his arm behind the sofa comfortably before speaking to Michelle.'I know my place. The question is, do you know your place?' Damian raised a questioning brow at her.'Are you two going to just sit there and not say anything? Are we going to watch him speak to us like this?' Michelle was now talking to Mirabel and her husband, Shawn.Sheena could see the tiredness on Mirabel's face. Shawn felt the same way as his wife. He held her hand, silently encouraging her.Mirabel slowly turned her head to her husband and t
TWO YEARS LATERThe jingling of keys, the clanging of metals. Oscar turned away from the gloomy wall he was fixated on to face the door where these sounds were coming from.As he expected, the doors opened and his eyes first met with the swollen sore legs clasped tightly with chains.Oscar's eyes traveled up the length of the wounded legs to the torn blood stained white singlet and rested on the battered face of a man. It took more seconds than supposed before his eyes shone with recognition.Oscar's eyes widened with disbelief. He closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his vision. Sadly, he opened his eyes to the same sight.Oscar felt his heart tighten, his shoulders slumped and his head drooped. His whole being ached. His heart bled. He didn't want to believe he was looking at his best friend, Jake.'Jake?' He had to ask. He needed to confirm he was with the right person even though he already knew. He just didn't want to believe the sight before him.Oscar's call was returned
Sheena watched as her toddler playfully climbed on her father. Her joy just watching the sight was exhilarating, her smile broad as daylight.Sheena birthed Jayden the next year, a few weeks short of nine months after her unceremonious marriage to Damian. Damian had been so excited with the news of being a father. He didn't even consider that the child might have not been his.She was glad that he didn't suspect a thing. The birth of Jayden made her living with Damian bearable. The child was adorable.'You could never get tired of watching that.' -Elena gestured to her father playing with Jayden- 'She is so adorable.' Elena commented.Sheena smiled up at her sister. Elena had taken those words right out of her mind. 'You can say that again.' Her pride as a mother was beaming.'It's good Damian lets you visit us. It's always wonderful to have you over. Dad loves it! It's the best medicine for his weak heart.''Look at him, he's so happy.' Sheena had turned her gaze to her father again.
'They just showed you where to go? How did he know you were coming?' Oscar asked, his eyes fixed on Jake with rapt attention.'I don't know. Maybe someone called him from the house.' Jake shrugged.'And you said Damian was there with him?' Oscar sounded baffled.'Yes.''So what happened next?''When I entered and saw how calm and collected Mr Dominic looked, I began to feel stupid. I mean, what was I going to fight him for? I was in the wrong. I'm the one having an affair with his wife.' Jake shook his head at himself before he continued.'I hated the old man all my life for nothing. And he just let me hate him.' 'What are you talking about? Just stop going in circles and allow me to understand this.' Oscar was getting impatient.Jake ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. 'He welcomed me into his office and offered me a seat which I took. He said he wanted to discuss the matter of his Will, that I came at the right time. He asked Damian to excuse us.'When Jake looked at Osc
'Why did it take you so long to get home?' Damian's cold voice greeted Sheena as she stepped into the room.Sheena was calm and collected. She wasn't so scared of him, especially since she had Jayden with her. Damian never got violent with her in front of the child. 'You are not planning to go see that bastard in prison.' Damian's words sounded more like an accusation than a question.Sheena thought his assumptions were unbelievable. 'How would I when your dog hardly lets me go to the bathroom by myself?' Damian gave her a condescending stare-down. 'Pack up, we are leaving.' He ordered and began to walk away from her.Sheena was stunned. 'Leaving to where?' She asked Damian's back. He was already out of the room before she could speak again.She stood on the spot stunned, wondering what Damian meant. Was he taking her on a vacation? Or was he going to ask her to leave his house? Pack up! The instructions were ambiguous.It didn't take long and Damian was back. 'Are you still standin
Oscar stared in shock at Jake's mop of dark hair bent over the table as he cried out his guilt.'You killed him?' His voice was bathed in disbelief. 'Why? How?' 'What's worse than knowing your son hated your very existence?' Jake was so absorbed in self-loath that he did not read the implications of what Oscar was asking.'So you poisoned him because you hated him?' Oscar was asking direct questions to reach a clear conclusion.'Was my hatred towards him not poisonous enough to kill him? I wished him death so many times and now he's dead. I may not have been responsible for his physical death, I however killed his dreams, his hope, and his happiness.' Jake lamented.Oscar breathed a sigh of relief. He had gotten a clear answer to the doubt Jake had stirred in him. Jake didn't kill his father but he blames himself for his death."Could it be because of his self-loath, Jake accepted being responsible for Mr Dominic's death as atonement?" Oscar's mind was plagued with this unsettling th
FOUR YEARS LATEROscar's phone beeped. He dipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve it. He spoke to Jake after checking his phone. 'They've been spotted in an airport in Australia. The information I just received says they should arrive later than supposed, their flight has been delayed.' Oscar announced. Jake was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of his skyscraper office, his gaze focused on the overview of the city from his vantage point, but his mind paid no attention to the view. His mind was working, thinking, and brewing his next line of action.Jake only got out of prison a few months ago. Damian hadn't made it easy for him to get out with the reason of his mistreatment while in prison. The man was determined to see Jake's life ebb away. He pulled whatever string he could to ensure this and it favored him that he was a lawyer with many lawyer friends who were willing to throw him a good deed for a little something. Jake had to wait until six years to be released on pa
'I can't wait to see Jayden. I bet she has a boyfriend now.' Elena was squealing over the phone.Sheena laughed. 'A boyfriend? She's just five!' 'I was four when I had my first boyfriend-' Elena tutted '-What do you take us for? We are so beautiful and they just can't resist us as soon as we are born.'Sheena laughed harder at her sister's joke. She could imagine Elena flipping her fingers over the air dramatically.'I've missed you so much!' Sheena said amidst her laughing.Elena smiled heartily. 'I've missed you too sis. It's a shame I'd have to wait until tomorrow before I can see you. Damn that delayed flight!' Elena cursed.'Tomorrow is only a few hours-' Sheena chuckled '- You've waited four long years and can't wait a few more hours?' Sheena was teasing.'I see you sharpened your tongue some over there. I'll clip them when you reach here.-' Elena could hear Sheena's light laugh over her statement, she smiled and continued '-Don't you know those few hours would seem like foreve