Iris"They’ll tender the apologies in person," I said. "Very good. I have to finish this. You can go." "Oh, and when you’re coming back later on, get me some lunch. Pasta, something creamy, something with a fuck-ton of meat. And, I don’t know—" I shrugged. "Water, I guess." All the while, I kept my eyes focused on the screen. Eventually, when Sophie came back, I found myself hungry enough to appreciate the meal she brought. After a quick lunch break, I went back to work, and sooner rather than later, three o’clock came. "I’m sure it was the nerves," Macy said once I had taken my seat. "I normally would never talk like that to anybody ahead of me, and perhaps I was just thinking you were a nepo baby.""Even if I am," I said, drumming my fingers on the table and noticing just how still and quiet the room had become, almost as though it was holding its breath. "Even if I am, it does not give you cause to talk to me like that, Macy. Believe it or not, I’m your new boss. Even if yo
Iris’ Pov "How dare you!" Tiffany pulled my arm backward. "You can’t keep me out," she said. “I’m the CEO of T.M corp, you can’t treat me like I’m some random stranger, trespassing.”"Oh, but I can." I stepped away from her, feeling suddenly suffocated by her strong perfume. "I can do that. It’s my building; it’s my office. You’re not welcome here. Get out," I said. “Who the hell do you think you are, Iris ? Telling me what I can and can’t do. Or have you forgotten, the reason why you’re with Orchard in the first place is because I made it possible.” My hand immediately collided with her face. At least, in my thoughts they did. I couldn’t believe she just admitted she was a back stabbing bitch and had no shame in doing so. “Look, Tiffany, I’m only being patient because of dad. Respect yourself and leave.”“Why don’t you make me?” She snickered. "You know what? Don’t make a fool of yourself any longer. And if you want to stay for a couple of minutes, you can. Go ahead, look aro
Dave I woke up that morning to the sound of movement. My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the faint light that seeped through the curtains. The air felt heavy, and the room was still except for the quiet rustling near the closet.My eyes darted across the room, until they landed on Tiffany. She stood with her back to me, sliding her arms into a jacket. Her dark hair fell across her shoulders, but her stiff posture spoke louder than any words. It was clear she didn’t want to be here any longer than necessary.I sat up, running a hand over my face to shake off the sleep. My voice was groggy, but I asked, “Where are you going?”She didn’t answer. She grabbed her bag, moving like I wasn’t even in the room. That was Tiffany for you. She becomes a completely different person when she’s mad.“Did you hear me?” I tried again, louder this time.She stopped then turned to face me as her hand hovered over the door handle. Without turning fully, she said, “Mind your own business, Dave.” Her voic
Dave The car hummed quietly as I drove, my grip on the steering wheel tight enough to make my knuckles pale. My palms were slick with sweat, but I didn’t dare ease my grip. The road stretched ahead, the streets were empty and dull under the gray sky. A cold knot of dread sat in my stomach, twisting tighter with every mile I drove. The closer I got to his mansion, the more I dreaded going there.Whenever my father summoned me like this, it was never good news. Not once. And with everything that had been happening lately, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. My thoughts ran in circles, trying to guess what this meeting might be about.The towering gates of my father’s mansion soon came into view. I slowed the car as the gates opened automatically, making no sound.Even though I’d been here countless times, the place never felt like home. It was a fortress, my father’s domain, not mine.Parking the car, I stepped out, the crunch of gravel under my shoes echoed as I made my way to the house
Iris I was sprawled across the couch, a warm blanket over my legs, a pack of popcorn in my lap, and my favorite romantic movie playing on the TV. The soft glow from the screen filled the room as I sank deeper into the cushions, feeling perfectly cozy.I decided there would be no calls, no interruptions. I had even turned off my cellphone, leaving only the house phone on in case Orchard needed to reach me. He was the only exception to my “no disturbances” rule.As the movie started, I tossed a handful of popcorn into my mouth and smiled at the opening scene. It was cheesy, predictable, and overly dramatic—exactly what I needed. The lead characters met by chance in a bustling city, bumping into each other on a rainy day. I had seen it at least a dozen times before, but it never got old.I laughed softly at a particularly over-the-top line from the male lead. “I would cross oceans for you,” he said with such intensity that I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Yet, a part of me secretly lo
OrchardThe stack of papers on my desk was enough to bury me alive. Each document demanded my full attention—contracts to sign, reports to review, and decisions to make. The office was eerily quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustling of papers. Sunlight streamed through the large windows behind me, casting golden streaks on the floor, but I barely noticed. My entire focus was on my work.I leaned forward, flipping through yet another contract, but my mind wandered. Lately, life had been a blur of meetings, deadlines, and long nights in the office. Even Iris and I had been swept up in the chaos, barely finding time for each other. It hadn’t been intentional, of course, but it gnawed at me. The thought of her bright smile, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she loved, it felt like it had been ages since I’d seen those little moments.The buzz of my phone pulled me back to the present. I glanced at the screen and saw a messa
IrisI stood there, watching Orchard as he lowered himself onto one knee, the faint light catching the edges of the small velvet box in his hand.My heart skipped a beat. “Orchard… what are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My thoughts were a tangled mess. We were already married. Why was he doing this? But as I looked at his face, his soft smile and hopeful eyes, I realized I couldn’t say anything that would ruin this moment for him.“Yes,” I said gently, a warm smile spreading across my face.Relief washed over his features, and his hands shook slightly as he slipped the ring onto my finger. Once it was on, he exhaled and stood up, taking my hand in his.“Thank you,” he said, a crooked smile playing on his lips. “Thanks for not making this awkward.”I let out a soft laugh, the tension melting away. “I understand,” I said.I looked down at the ring again, tilting my hand to see how it caught the light. It was breathtaking. The dia
DaveI couldn’t stop myself. My lips crashed onto Bella in a wild, fiery kiss. It was desperate, consuming. Every ounce of self-control I’d sworn to have evaporated the moment I felt her respond.I kissed her like a man starved, my hands gripping her waist as though letting go would end me. She tasted like everything I shouldn’t want but couldn’t resist.What the hell was I thinking coming here? I’d told myself over and over that I wouldn’t let this happen again. But being around Bella, hearing her voice, seeing the way she looked at me—it broke every ounce of resolve I had left.Her soft breaths hit my skin, sending a charge through my entire body. My pulse was racing, my hands moving as if they had a mind of their own, tangling in her hair, pulling her closer.Our tongues tangled, her warmth and mine becoming one until we were breathless. I didn’t care about the world outside this moment. Nothing else existed but her.The loose knot of her bathrobe slipped, and it fell away entirely
Iris’ POVI found him with my dad, they were standing by the fireplace in the lounge, deep in discussion. Orchard’s brow was furrowed in concentration as my father gestured animatedly, his voice rising and falling as he made his points. They both looked up when I entered the room, and I decided to break the tension with a little humor.“Dad, don’t scare him off,” I said with a grin as I walked over.My father chuckled, his serious demeanor softening. “Iris, you underestimate Orchard. He’s a sharp young man. He can handle me just fine.”Orchard glanced at me and smiled, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Your dad’s a great storyteller. I think I’m enjoying this more than he is.”I laughed, shaking my head. “Well, just remember he’s not above pulling out embarrassing stories about me if he runs out of other things to talk about.”My father gave me a sly smile. “Don’t tempt me.”We all laughed together, the moment feeling light and easy for the first time that evening. Just as I thoug
Iris’ POVWhen I first saw the invitation from my father, I felt nervous, but at the same time, a little spark of curiosity lit up inside me. It wasn’t just about making peace with my father, I realized this could also be a chance to learn more about Tiffany. She had always been a shadow in my life, maybe tonight, I’d find some answers.The night of the dinner, I spent extra time getting ready. I chose a simple black dress, one that was elegant but not too flashy. As I stood in front of the mirror, I smoothed the fabric and tried to steady my breathing. This was it, my chance to reconnect with my father and, hopefully, uncover something about Tiffany.“Iris,” Orchard’s voice called from the living room. “Are you ready?”I took one last look at myself in the mirror, then grabbed my purse and headed out to meet him. Orchard was dressed in a dark blazer that made him look effortlessly handsome. His presence had a way of grounding me, even when my thoughts were spinning.“You look beaut
Iris’ POVHow was your day?, I was thinking m..” Orchard didn't let me finish my words as he took over my lips in a hot steamy kiss. Even though I was first taken aback by his actions, it didn't take long for me to be completely lost under his charms. My lips melted in his, in an explosion of ecstasy.Within seconds we were both hurrying to take off our clothes, he helped me unzip my dress and peeled it off my body. Every inch of me, he unraveled, had me wanting more. I wanted him to see more. The room was cold but the moment our skin were pressed against each other, the room started to feel warmer right away, almost like the lustful desires in our hearts were burning right through our bodies into the air of the room.Our lips connected, he began sucking on my tongue while slowly guiding me to the bed, and once we were close enough, he turned around and went over me and pushed me into the bed while he slowly peeled his half-buttoned shirt from his body. I could see in his eyes how
Tiffany’s POVI sat in my car for a long time, staring out the windshield. My hands were still trembling from everything that had happened. My mind replayed the scene with Lisa, the tears in her eyes, her shaking voice, the way I had slapped her. The memory made me feel… strange. At first, I thought it was satisfaction. But it wasn’t. It was shame.What was I doing?Lisa wasn’t the one I should have been angry at. Sure, she had been with Dave, but it wasn’t like she forced him into anything. No, Dave was the one who betrayed me. He was the one who lied to my face and broke my trust. And yet, I had let my anger spill over onto someone else.I took a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Crying wasn’t going to fix anything. Yelling, slapping, and chasing after Lisa wouldn’t bring back the love I thought I had with Dave. It was clear now, he didn’t love me. He probably never did.There was no point holding onto someone who didn’t care about me. And there was no point in makin
Tiffany’s POVI decided to spend my afternoon at the mall, hoping to treat myself after a long and stressful week. Shopping always helped to clear my head. The hustle and bustle of the stores, the colorful displays, the feeling of new things in my hands, it always brought me joy.As I wandered through the aisles, my eyes landed on something stunning: a beautiful, leather designer handbag. I couldn’t stop staring at it. Just as I was about to pick it up, I realized someone else had beaten me to it.A woman, probably around my age, held the bag in her hands. She examined it, running her fingers over the material. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. That bag had my name written all over it.But instead of walking away, I decided to strike up a conversation. Maybe she’d put it down, and I could swoop in.“That’s such a gorgeous bag,” I said with a smile, stepping closer to her.The woman looked up at me, her expression polite but distant. “It really is,” she replied.“I was just
Tiffany I watched Dave. Not because I was beginning to quite enjoy stalking, but just watching him, and I knew that he was hiding something. They say every woman knows when a man is doing something like that, and I was no stranger to this. After all, I had been on the receiving end. "Let’s just try one more time," I told myself as I crawled into bed beside him and reached him. "Not right now," he said, confirming my suspicions. Until now, he was practically hanging off the edge. I wanted to spite him just a little bit. I felt like it, and he would deserve it in some ways. But somehow, even as I watched him shift within me, I told myself to just let it go. I hugged myself into a ball. It was a strange thing, I thought. Admitting it was even stranger. But my sister didn’t even really get the nicest things, men included. If not for me, Dave would still be with her. And probably, if you thought about it really deeply, if not for me, in the next few months, Orchard would still be
Iris My dad placed a hand on my leg, squeezing—a strange kind of contact, I decided. When was the last time he ever touched me? When was the last time I felt the warmth of his hand or the worry in his voice? "I'll be fine," I said. "You know what? Just… let's drop it," I added, using the opportunity to wiggle myself out of his grasp. At that instance, my phone buzzed. Reacting to the activity, my hand dove into my bag, and I pulled it out. It was my mother-in-law. "Iris," she wrote. "I found this really funny article online, and a few of my friends were talking about it the other day, you know, about your mother. I believe Chameleia was her name or something like that? Yeah, they mentioned how she was quite popular... I know this might sound weird—I mean, she was your mom—but they say your mom was sort of like a prostitute. I just wanted to confirm and tell them off, you know, tell them that it wasn’t true. But I already did! I already told them it was impossible, someone like
Iris "You see, your grandfather on your mother’s side died young, but not before making my marriage to your mother a pain every step of the way. When we started the company, he didn’t see us as those who cared much. In fact, he didn’t. She begged him for support, but he gave nothing, so we had to look for money on our own to start. "She would be the one talking to people because, Lord knows, I was bad at that. But she was pleasant, you know. You have the same smile," he said suddenly, catching me off guard. "She could convince anyone to do anything, and so she was the one mostly going out, looking for investors. We made quite a team," he said. "Until, you know, the decline started, and everything seemed as though it was all rubbish." He stayed silent suddenly, breathing in and out heavily. This is my moment, I thought. I needed to tell him about Dave. "Dad," I said, calling him what I used to way back when I was younger and when our relationship was less rocky. "Dave," I said
IrisThis was the last place I wanted to be, especially after the events of the past few days, but I needed to pay my respect. Being normal of a graveyard, there wasn’t much activity. But I found a familiar car just as he reached the parking lot. Then again, it could also just be my mind playing tricks on me, but I waved it off. The closer I got to Mom’s grave, the more I felt a rather impending feeling, something strange was going to happen. As if the thing with Dave wasn’t bad enough, whatever fate was about to throw at me again, I didn’t think I was much ready for it. I reached Mom’s grave and nearly screamed out loud. Of course, I mean, everything wasn’t fine. It wasn’t just the flowers, though. The entire place had been unearthed, looked on, touched. In fact, the only problem had arrived in the person in front of it. It was the hunched figure of my own father. “What are you doing here?” I asked, too angry to hide my disdain. He stood, glaring. “I wouldn’t see you in