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Chapter 23: Heartache and Despair
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It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 24: Consequences of Chaos (1)
I quietly ate at the dining table, not conversing with the kids or grumpy Rominic. He was still in pain and I felt so much better after crying because he deserved it. Crying reminded me of why I need to hate him, and why I must show him no mercy for his wrongdoings.Zachary and Savia noticed it, but they didn't do anything to question me and I was glad they didn't. "So, Mom, you're quiet," Zachary stated, looking at me from the corner of his eyes. Or not.I sighed, he was ready to bother me. "I'm tired,""So I'm guessing your day didn't go so well," Savvy added, giving me her signature smirk. I rolled my eyes to Nic who grumbled something about me being an insufferable woman."Dad, how did your day go?""Bad, terrible, and I blame your mother,""Seriously?" He slammed his fork down and flared his nostrils in furious annoyance."Yes, seriously. Working with you is like signing a contract with the grim reaper. First, you almost lost your mind because of holographic snakes," my cheeks bu
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 25: Consequences of Chaos (2)
"I was going to tell him but there were snakes!" I exclaimed.Rominic stared at me seriously. "What happened to my children?""Some bitch teacher—""Manners, young lady," I scolded, glaring at Savia.She huffed. "Can't I just swear out loud this once?""No,""Permitted,""Rominic! You can't go encouraging your kids to swear! She's just eight!""I'm like a few months away from my ninth birthday,"My lips twitched into a sneer. "That doesn't warrant it, sweetheart. You're not allowed to swear even in your head,""That's taking away their freedom of speech," Rominic said in a somewhat complaining manner.I glared at him. "They are kids, Nic,"He rolled his eyes with a scornful glare. "You cursed at me the whole day,""I'm an adult in my early thirties,""Then you should show a good example too,""They can swear as much as they want when they are grownups," I argued, folding my arms once again."No one is allowed to tell my children what to do. They can do and say whatever they want,"I an
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 26: A Night of Anguish
I feel the familiar sting of hurt and anger as I recall how he had forgotten my birthday. I had planned everything so meticulously — baking a cake, cooking a special meal, all with the intention of spending a simple, yet meaningful day with him. But he had broken his promise and never came home, leaving me to sleep off my disappointment while waiting for him.For the past seven days, I've been giving him the silent treatment, refusing to even cook for him. Part of me wished I could just leave his house, but my anger hadn't quite reached that level yet. I was determined to make him feel the full weight of his oversight.His Royal Majesty finally joined me in bed. I'd made sure to surround myself with a barrier of pillows, creating distance between us. He hadn't even bothered to apologize, dismissing my reaction as "childish.""It's just a birthday," he said, the nonchalance in his voice only serving to infuriate me further."Laverne, are you still angry?" he asked, as if the answer was
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 27: A Pinch of Possession
The day began with a heavy silence. After waking up, I felt a sense of embarrassment and lingering anger over my terrible outburst the night before. To my surprise and unease, Rominic didn't utter a single word about the incident. In fact, he barely spoke to me at all throughout the day, and this only worsened my already foul mood. I couldn't bring myself to talk to the children, afraid that I might end up venting my anger and frustration on them.I had hoped we could get through the day without any further interaction, but I was wrong. It was I who ended up disrupting the tense silence.As I observed Rominic, I couldn't help but notice that he was clearly in pain, likely due to the fall he had taken the previous day. Try as I might, I couldn't ignore the fact that he was suffering. The more I tried to push it out of my mind, the more I felt the tears threatening to spill. It was my fault that he had fallen, and my mind raced with fear-driven thoughts. What if he dies? How would my ch
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 28: Overdose
I twisted my lips in a pained grimace, biting down hard on my lower lip until I could feel the delicate skin break. Oh, how I longed to just punch that infuriating, smug smile right off his face, to slam his head down against his desk until that self-satisfied expression was wiped away. But I couldn't, and Rominic knew it — he knew he had me trapped. My heart pounded with a burning fury as I clenched my hands at my sides, feeling the joints of my knuckles crack under the strain. The metallic taste of my own blood seeped into my mouth as my teeth continued tearing into my tender lip.Rominic's expression softened, and he slowly rose from his seat, moving to loom over me. His hand came up, reaching towards my face, and I instinctively tried to pull away, but he was too fast. His fingers gripped my chin firmly, forcing me to hold still as his thumb gently stroked the tense muscle of my cheek."Stop biting your lip," he murmured, using his other hand to press his thumb against my bottom
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 29: A Prescription for Deception (1)
I watched as Rominic vehemently insisted, "Lavender, I'm telling you, I'm not sick." I stared at him blankly as I proceeded to remove the medications from the bag. Rominic let out a huff of laughter, sensing that I wasn't buying his claims. "Seriously, I'm fine!" he insisted.My gaze traveled over his trembling form. Despite being bundled up in layers of blankets and heavy coats, he was shivering uncontrollably. The only aspect of him that seemed stable was his voice."Mm hm," I hummed sarcastically in response."I'm okay, Laverne. Don't you trust me?" He pleaded. I ignored his protests and walked over to the water dispenser, filling a glass with warm water. I approached him, setting the cup and the bag of medications on the nightstand before beginning to remove the pills from their sealed packets."You bought me drugs?" He asked, his tone laced with uncertainty."Uhm," I replied, gathering the medications in my palm and stretching them out to him. Rominic took a deep breath, his gaze
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 30: A Prescription for Deception (2)
Stacy departed with the doctor, and Cadmus also left the office. Once they had all gone, I approached Rominic's desk, intent on completing any outstanding work to the best of my abilities. I found myself constantly moving between the two desks, juggling tasks to ensure everything was handled while he rested peacefully, like a baby. At some point, I simply stopped working and found myself gazing at his sleeping form.At first, I was utterly perplexed by the unfolding events. Stacy swiftly snatched the drugs from Rominic's drawers before I could get a good look at them, hastily handing them off to Cadmus. I couldn't reclaim them from Cadmus without causing an unnecessary commotion, which was the last thing we needed. My curiosity, however, was piqued.I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and drummed my fingers on the table. I could have sworn that someone had mentioned to me once that Rominic was unwell and that a certain someone always ensured he took his medication. But I couldn
It Should Have Been Like This Chapter 31: Beneath the Facade
Rominic's ViewpointI flexed my throbbing shoulders, trying to work out the lingering ache. The pain had subsided somewhat, but it still nagged at me. I felt an urge to just punch myself in the face, a self-loathing impulse that I had to resist.After Lavender's outburst the other night, I knew I was likely to lose control again. But despite the temptation, I had refrained from taking my usual medication. Deep down, I had this foolish hope that by enduring the discomfort, Lavender would see that I was punishing myself more harshly than she ever could. Of course, that plan had been a total failure, and before I knew it, I had foolishly taken more than I should have.I didn't want Lavender to see me in such a state, but I knew she already had. And knowing Lavender, she wouldn't stop until she uncovered the truth. Part of me hoped she would investigate, thinking that perhaps I could gain her sympathy. But another, more rational part knew that using her conscience against her was wrong. B
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