“Get up!”A cold tide of water suddenly rushed over me, drenching my skin and clothes. I was taken aback, whipping my head around to find the source of the strange shower. There was mother standing close by with a plastic bucket still in her hands, evidently what had contained the cascade moments before. She was quite calm and composed while I on the other hand stared in shock at her daring deed in confusion.“M-mother…”My head suddenly began to throb and I moved my hand up to massage my forehead, casting a look towards my mother before a vision of Aiden suddenly appeared in my mind. It was as if he were right in front of me, but I knew that was impossible. He wasn't here. But the intense weight of his presence made it hard for me to deny what seemed like an undeniable truth in the moment - despite his physical absence, he was still very much alive in my thoughts and memories.“I-i remember everything…” I suddenly blurted out of nowhere.Mother didn’t say a word. Instead, she threw t
My heart pounded in my chest as I was forcefully pulled away from Aiden, his anguished cries for help ringing in my ears over the thundering of the sirens growing silent. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the dirt and grime that had accumulated on my cheeks.Exhaustion had become my new companion. My body felt drained and beaten, aching from the never-ending mistreatment it had endured at the hands of my mother. The physical pain paled in comparison to what I was feeling emotionally after miscarrying our baby, but her blows of violence were enough to break down even more of my defenses. The experience seemed like an eternity that I was unable to escape from, feeling completely helpless.It was as if I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, a burden I could no longer bear.I stumbled, struggling to keep up with my mother as she dragged me away from our house. Her grip on my arm was strong and almost punishing, her nails digging into my skin and leaving behind angry r
“Take out this trash, honey.”I hesitantly reached out to accept the plastic bag, filled with the garbage, from my mother's hands. My arm trembled with trepidations of what she may do next; perhaps I was expecting her to reprimand me or drop it on the ground. But no such thing occurred. She simply let go of it delicately, and allowed it to gently rest on the ground below us. In that moment, I felt a sudden wave of relief wash over me.“You’re too slow, come back here when you’re done.” she whispered, turning around.“Y-yes, mother.”I took the garbage outside and felt the crisp wind of the forest rushing against me, bringing with it a wave of fresh air that filled my lungs with invigorating satisfaction. It was exhilarating to feel that natural energy on my skin and smell those fragrant aromas in the air as if I was standing in a wild garden of beauty. All around me there were birds singing to each other and trees rustling almost peacefully in unison.But my heart and mind are in a st
My mind was stuck in a whirl of conflicting thoughts as I looked upon my father, who I had never seen before. He seemed like a completely different person from the one I had imagined.My throat went completely dry, and all other things around us faded away - he was the only figure in clear sight in that room. Suddenly, my mind draw a vivid picture of how my mother used to treat me, how she would always resort to abuse. I couldn't help but realize that it was because of him. He became that one common denominator that connected all these events throughout my childhood.I'd managed to have an okay life without a father figure when he suddenly showed up and claimed to be the one who had been helping me all this time, it threw me for a loop.“Hey…”He took his hat off and held it close to his chest as his eyes met mine. His smile stretched from ear to ear, radiating pure joy.While I, on the other hand, found myself unable to process my own emotions. I felt myself withdrawing from the pres
Days have passed and I am feeling better physically, now that the hospital staff has been taking such good care of me. But mentally, I'm struggling to face reality after everything my mother did to me.The thought of not knowing what the future holds is almost unbearable.It's almost as if my mother has some magical ability to make the impossible seem possible. She can take on any challenge that comes her way and find a way to make it happen, no matter what the odds may be.“What are you thinking?”I caught Adam's eye when he suddenly grabbed my hand, his grip strong but gentle. He gave me a warm smile and I felt a flutter in my stomach. We were the only ones in the room at that moment since Father had gone to the nurse station to check on my record here at the hospital. The room felt strangely peaceful, filled with an odd sense of familiarity despite it being unfamiliar territory.I let out a deep sigh, my gaze dropping to the floor beneath me. It took me a handful of seconds to try
It only took me a few days to be discharged from the hospital and it all happened because of Adam’s help.To be honest, without him, I don’t know what would have become of me. His kindness was overwhelming and filled my heart with gratitude, it was just what I needed at that trying time.Even after realizing that he was not the father of my unborn child, and understanding that he had no real involvement in my life from then on, he still chose to remain by my side throughout.I owe him an unfathomable debt of gratitude that is beyond any verbal expression. Words alone will never be enough to truly convey how much this person means to me and how he has helped and supported me.“Leilani, this would be your room.”Adam swung open the door and I was astonished by the sheer size of the room, not at all what I was expecting from a guest room. It's no secret that Adam is well-off; it's hard to forget when you're regularly surrounded by his luxurious possessions. However, this magnitude of spa
I left Adam alone in his room to ensure that everything for the arrangement was looked after.As I paced back and forth, my fingers were crossed tightly while my mind was spinning with worry. Anxiety rose within me as I continued on and on without pause. My heart beat erratically in anticipation of the outcome, and sweat began to accumulate against my forehead. Despite these worrying signs of distress, I couldn't stop myself from pacing back and forth in hopes that all would turn out alright in the end.I know I should not expend too much energy worrying about my father's case, and that Aiden is also somewhere out there. In order to try and gain some sort of peace of mind, I shut my eyes closed and take a few deep breaths. The past few days have been an immense strain on me both physically and mentally, but here I am still standing tall even if it feels like the walls are closing in around me.“Leilani…”Before I could be fully swept away by my own thoughts, the door suddenly slammed
Deciding on my own has always been a struggle for me. I grew up with a mother who treated me harshly, always telling me I was useless and too dumb to make any sound decisions. Even now, I could feel the sting of those words echoing in my head. It's something that will never fully go away. The tears streamed down my face as I told Adam to drive us to where my father was. Aiden was expecting our reunion, and it hurt me that I wasn't able to fulfill his wish. Adam’s car seemed to almost take off with the speed he was driving. I was a bundle of nerves, my eyes focused ahead of us on the road. We had driven for what felt like an eternity before we came to a stop at the scene of where my father had previously been seen. I was dreading what we might find, not knowing if he'd still be there or what state he'd be in. I almost had to force myself to make it out the door. As soon as my feet stepped out of the house, I saw a large number of officials and witnesses encircling the area. Despite
I was running, desperately trying to escape the clutches of whatever danger was chasing me. I refused to turn back and look because of my fear, but could always feel the presence just behind me.My heart raced as I continued on, not knowing what would happen if they caught up. The sound of metal hitting the ground with each footstep only made matters worst as the chaser closed in on me. Desperate for a way out, I frantically searched around for a solution to escape.“You can’t escape from me!”My heart leapt when I heard her voice coming closer and I panicked, running away from the source. Just as I was about to turn around the corner, out of sight, my foot got tangled up on something on the ground causing me to trip and fall harshly onto the ground.A sharp pain shot up my leg that caused me to cry out in agony. The noise of me falling had surely alerted her of my presence.“I have warned you a thousand times already...”I slowly glanced back over my shoulder and felt my jaw drop in
Everyone was running around frantically trying their best to make sure everything would be ready in time for the upcoming event.I nervously bit my bottom lip as all of them were preoccupied with last minute tasks when suddenly, the make-up artist caught me off guard and started talking to me.“Madam, I need you to lift your gaze.”I took a deep breath, steeling myself before finally raising my eyes to meet those of the make up artist. She gestured for me to look higher, so I complied without hesitation. We had been at this for two hours already.Though I wouldn't say I'm complaining, my bottom is already becoming quite numb sitting in the same spot for such a long time. It's understandable that they have to do their jobs, but my need to stand up and move around has become ever more urgent.“It’s almost done, Madame.”I had nodded my head in agreement but the hair stylist gently restrained my head, keeping me still as she attended to every strand of my hair.I was not accustomed to be
The emergency services and police had come in order to locate my mother's remains.I found myself alone at the back of the ambulance, with a blanket draped around my shoulders to keep me warm. The paramedics had already attended to some of my injury, but it was decided that I should be taken to the hospital for a further examination, they wanted to make sure there were no internal injuries that may have gone unnoticed. As I lay there, thoughts raced through my head.I have been feeling a little lost ever since the news of my mother’s passing arrived. I take one look at the cup of coffee in my hands, but can't bring myself to take a sip. At this moment, I feel like a hollowed-out shell on the inside, completely devoid of any emotion. The realization is slowly sinking in, she's gone and nothing can be done to change that fact.The thought on my mind lingers…have I finally attained freedom? Now that she’s gone?“Darling…”I shook my head to clear the fog of my thoughts when I heard Aiden
“Leilani! Where the hell are you going?!”I didn't give Aiden a second thought when his voice cracked with frustration as he called my name. Good thing the door beside me wasn't yet locked and I was able to hurl myself from the car, sprinting in the direction of Adam where I can save him!I can’t believe Aiden! Adam gave up everything for us, placing his life on the line selflessly in order to help us out of a difficult situation.And yet, Aiden isn't willing to do the same and put their differences aside in order to save another person's life. I understand that he hold a grudge against Adam, but surely this isn't an appropriate response?We are talking about someone's life here!I heard Aiden’s shouts echoing off behind me, ordering me to turn around and come back but I refused to do so.“Mother! Stop!”When I finally laid eyes on Adam and mother, it felt like time had stopped. I had to pause for a moment to catch my breath, and when I looked at mother her gaze seemed almost venomous
It was too late.Everything came to a standstill in my mind, as if time had suddenly stopped moving and the clock had stopped ticking when I finally understood what was happening.My mother had pushed me far off of the cliff.My eyes widened, a feeling of helplessness consuming me as I stretched my arm out before me, despite knowing that there was no one who could rescue me from this situation. I felt my heart thumping so hard against my chest, memories of the events leading up to this moment all too vivid in my mind.A single tear escaped from my eye as I prayed under my breath. It was not at all what I had expected, this would end up being the way I would die. In my mind, I pictured myself alive and running away from my mother, starting a new life and living the kind of life that was meant for me - but it all turned out to be nothing more than another dream.Is this where it's all going to end? What did I possibly do to deserve such a cruel fate? Am I okay with my life ending in suc
The cold air blew in like a wild animal, biting at my delicate skin and making me shiver.Despite this, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her face, we stood so close as if no distance could separate us from each other- neither space nor time. The cliff we were standing on overlooked the city below us, its lights glowing in darkness like thousands of distant stars that had found their way home to us.I've always been aware of the fact that my mother has never had a very high opinion of me. From the moment I was born, she seemed to have a contempt for me that grew over time. Not only was I constantly being criticized by her, but she would often blame me for things even when it wasn't my fault. It seemed like no matter how hard I tried or how much effort I put into pleasing her, she would always find something to be disappointed in.I was aware of this all along, but why did I get so hurt when I heard those words come out of her mouth? When I looked into her eyes, there was no sign of regre
It was an icy night, the darkness so oppressive it felt like I could taste it.I had no idea where I was going but I knew one thing, whatever lay ahead of me had to be better than living in fear of the demons that continued to haunt my footsteps. As I ran, my breath foggy plumes visible against the moonlight, a single thought kept me going - freedom. Freedom from this nightmare that followed me wherever I went.“Leilani! You can’t live without me!”Her voice had an eerily chilling effect on me. I felt my entire body tense up, my spine becoming rigid with fear.Goosebumps rose on my skin and I trembled, feeling powerless in her presence. Refusing to turn around and face her, to risk seeing the knife she brandished threateningly in her hand, I valiantly did all that was in my power to keep my cowardice contained.I glance up from the sky, “I-i'm begging you, please help me find a way to escape from her. I need somewhere that is safe, where I can go and forget this nightmare that she has
I felt a deep, primal anger bubbling up from within me as the word cursed spilled out of my mouth. My mind struggled to contend with what I had just heard, and my eyes widened in utter disbelief.I can’t f*cking believe that f*cker. I can hardly restrain my anger, feeling the urge to throw my phone across the room. But I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down and think straight.I quickly dialed my assistant’s number to uncover what Adam was really doing. I had a suspicion he knew where Leilani was and that he was trying to keep her whereabouts hidden. I could feel my anger rising, a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach as it became more evident that something fishy was going on.“Sir Villarreal, how may I be of assistance to you today?”“I want you to locate Adam Hallowes! He needs to be located as soon as possible and explore every place and lead as quickly as you can! Once he has been tracked down, contact me immediately and let me know his whereabouts!”I ended
“A-alicia, how could you?”I slowly shake my head in disbelief, studying her face for any hint of guilt or regret. It's hard to believe that someone as kind and gentle as her could be capable of such a thing…Alicia was speechless as she looked at me, unsure of what to do. Her eyes widened in fear and shock by my sudden presence. I slowly glanced down at the phone that she dropped on the floor, remembering everything that had been said during her conversation with Leilani’s mother.All of her words were clear in my mind…“How could you?”Taking a deep breath in, I slowly made my way towards her and grabbed her shoulders. As I gazed at her, she avoided my gaze and refused to look me in the eye. My heart started to race as my mind was filled with different questions.I don't want to give attention to these ideas, but the words were loud and clear enough for me to directly accuse her. It's difficult for me to accept this. This is an uncomfortable sensation - like tiny needles prodding at