My eyes fluttered open at the sound of a slamming door, which interrupted my sleep.
Richard was standing inside of my room. I shot up into a sitting position as his bloodshot eyes swept over my body. Disgusted, I tried to glare at him even though my stomach twisted with nervousness.
He looked drunk. It scared the hell out of me when he twisted the knob of the door, locking it. My eyes enlarged in fear.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" I stuttered and got down from the bed. "And why did you lock—"
I couldn't speak when he strode to me and clutched my shoulders. He pushed me back on my bed and a gasp fell out of my mouth.
He smelled gro
When our eyes met, he gave me a smile—the same warm smile he used to give when my mom was alive. I didn't smile back. Damn! I couldn't even force a smile. Moreover, I didn't want to.As he walked closer to me, the wrinkles on his forehead and the bags under his tired eyes became clearer. He had aged a little bit and tiredness on his face said that he wasn't taking care of himself. Other than that, he looked the same as he had three years ago.He stopped next to my bed and called my name. "Jessica..." His voice was filled with the same affection but I didn't feel the same way. "How are you?"I didn't reply. I couldn't. Not after what he had done to me. How did we end up like this? We used to share a special bond. He use
Mike sat on the bed without any response. His right hand cupped my left cheek and he started caressing it with his thumb."Mike." I said his name again to hear his voice but he kept staring at me without uttering a word.After a few seconds, the corner of his lips lifted into a smile."I want to hear it again." He finally spoke but I didn't understand what he meant. I stared at him with a blank face. The confusion must've been evident on my face, for he added, "I haven't heard my name from your lips since you broke up with me. I didn't think I would hear it again."Tears pricked my eyes. He must have gone through so much. I hated myself for doing it to him. I never meant to hurt him. I thought I was saving him from me and my past. I didn't think I was hurting him by push
Mike turned back to John, who was staring at Rose."John?" Mike snapped his fingers in front of John's face to get his attention."Huh?" John looked back at Mike."Take Rose and leave, buddy.""I—""It's okay, Mike," Rose interrupted John. "I'll stay here. He doesn't want to take me."Frowning at Rose, John shot back, "Did I say that I didn't want to take you?""You were about to say it, right?" she argued."And what makes you think like that?" he snapped."You." Her eyes welled up with tears. "You ignored all of my calls and now that you'
As Kelvin and Rose listened to me carefully, I explained to them how I'd faced my nightmares when I'd been unconscious after Richard had stabbed me. Rose was silent and stared at me but Kelvin's gaze fixed on the floor. He looked like he was thinking intensely about something.After a few seconds, Kelvin looked up at me and said, "That's good.""Good?" Rose turned her face to look at him."Yes, it's good that she faced them. I think that it'll be easier for her to recover from her nightmares now.""I think so, too. Now that Richard is in jail, I can finally move on and leave my past behind," I said, relaxing my shoulders."Yeah." Kelvin nodded with a smile."Ooh!" Rose squealed wi
FOUR MONTHS LATER"Here, take it." Mike stretched his hand with a shopping bag towards me as he walked into our room. He had gotten off work early and had come home to me."What's this?" I asked."Your dress. We're going on a date."After spending two weeks in the hospital, I had finally been discharged. But it's taken me ninety days to recover completely. In those ninety days, a lot had happened. Mike had moved in with me to take care of me and only left my side when he had to attend important meetings.John had finally proposed to Rose within those ninety days, too. They had gotten married recently and had gone to Paris for their honeymoon. I had moved in with Mike the night after Rose and John's wedding.
"Have you guys decided on the wedding date yet?" Rose asked through a video call.Rose and John were still in Paris enjoying their honeymoon. She was sitting on the bed with John, who was right next to her. I was leaning against the couch in our living room."Yes, it's on July 27th." I smiled. Warmth filled me at the thought of getting married to Mike. My excitement was at its peak and I wished Rose would come back soon so we could do our happy giggling dance."Wait," John said. "Is Mike okay with that day?"I nodded, rolling my lips to stop my smile."What's wrong with that day?" Rose asked, glancing at John."It's Mike's birthday." I shrugged. She shifted her gaze from John to h
Ninety Days of RecoveryI got discharged from the hospital after two weeks. Once we reached home, Mike instructed me to rest then left for an important meeting.After a short nap, I found Rose sitting on the bed next to me."Do you want to eat something?" she asked. It was as if she had been waiting for me to wake up so she could feed me. But I wasn't hungry so I shook my head. When I sat up from the bed, she added, "The doctor told me that you need to rest more, at least for three months.""Three months?" I frowned, staring at her in disbelief."Yes." Her tone said it all. I had no choice in this matter."I want to throttle Richard for piercing that knife into my chest," I hissed.
Noise. Probably shuffling. Whatever the sound it was, it made me open my eyes. I turned to see Mike scrambling over the files."Sorry for waking you up," Mike apologized, staring at me. "I was looking for foreign investor's file." His gaze shifted to a bunch of files that were lying on the nightstand.I rose to a sitting position. "Found it," he said to himself.When he took the file and started walking towards the door, I stopped him. "Wait! I'll come with you."Mike turned around to look at me. Before he could ask, I said, "I want to come to the office and start working again.""No, you need rest," he protested."I don't need to rest anymore. I'm healed now." He sigh
And that's a wrap. I enjoyed writing Love Beyond The Past a lot. Even though it's my first book, I learned a lot from it. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you to each and every one who read my book and enjoyed it. It means a lot. Really means a lot. Leave your feedback because I would love to hear your thoughts about the book. Few things I really want to know: 1. What's your favorite scene of the book? 2. Who is your favorite character? 3. What's your favorite twist of the book? Share your thoughts in comments. Lots of love. Have a great day. ;)) Your's friendly author, Priyanka Reddy
Noise. Probably shuffling. Whatever the sound it was, it made me open my eyes. I turned to see Mike scrambling over the files."Sorry for waking you up," Mike apologized, staring at me. "I was looking for foreign investor's file." His gaze shifted to a bunch of files that were lying on the nightstand.I rose to a sitting position. "Found it," he said to himself.When he took the file and started walking towards the door, I stopped him. "Wait! I'll come with you."Mike turned around to look at me. Before he could ask, I said, "I want to come to the office and start working again.""No, you need rest," he protested."I don't need to rest anymore. I'm healed now." He sigh
Ninety Days of RecoveryI got discharged from the hospital after two weeks. Once we reached home, Mike instructed me to rest then left for an important meeting.After a short nap, I found Rose sitting on the bed next to me."Do you want to eat something?" she asked. It was as if she had been waiting for me to wake up so she could feed me. But I wasn't hungry so I shook my head. When I sat up from the bed, she added, "The doctor told me that you need to rest more, at least for three months.""Three months?" I frowned, staring at her in disbelief."Yes." Her tone said it all. I had no choice in this matter."I want to throttle Richard for piercing that knife into my chest," I hissed.
"Have you guys decided on the wedding date yet?" Rose asked through a video call.Rose and John were still in Paris enjoying their honeymoon. She was sitting on the bed with John, who was right next to her. I was leaning against the couch in our living room."Yes, it's on July 27th." I smiled. Warmth filled me at the thought of getting married to Mike. My excitement was at its peak and I wished Rose would come back soon so we could do our happy giggling dance."Wait," John said. "Is Mike okay with that day?"I nodded, rolling my lips to stop my smile."What's wrong with that day?" Rose asked, glancing at John."It's Mike's birthday." I shrugged. She shifted her gaze from John to h
FOUR MONTHS LATER"Here, take it." Mike stretched his hand with a shopping bag towards me as he walked into our room. He had gotten off work early and had come home to me."What's this?" I asked."Your dress. We're going on a date."After spending two weeks in the hospital, I had finally been discharged. But it's taken me ninety days to recover completely. In those ninety days, a lot had happened. Mike had moved in with me to take care of me and only left my side when he had to attend important meetings.John had finally proposed to Rose within those ninety days, too. They had gotten married recently and had gone to Paris for their honeymoon. I had moved in with Mike the night after Rose and John's wedding.
As Kelvin and Rose listened to me carefully, I explained to them how I'd faced my nightmares when I'd been unconscious after Richard had stabbed me. Rose was silent and stared at me but Kelvin's gaze fixed on the floor. He looked like he was thinking intensely about something.After a few seconds, Kelvin looked up at me and said, "That's good.""Good?" Rose turned her face to look at him."Yes, it's good that she faced them. I think that it'll be easier for her to recover from her nightmares now.""I think so, too. Now that Richard is in jail, I can finally move on and leave my past behind," I said, relaxing my shoulders."Yeah." Kelvin nodded with a smile."Ooh!" Rose squealed wi
Mike turned back to John, who was staring at Rose."John?" Mike snapped his fingers in front of John's face to get his attention."Huh?" John looked back at Mike."Take Rose and leave, buddy.""I—""It's okay, Mike," Rose interrupted John. "I'll stay here. He doesn't want to take me."Frowning at Rose, John shot back, "Did I say that I didn't want to take you?""You were about to say it, right?" she argued."And what makes you think like that?" he snapped."You." Her eyes welled up with tears. "You ignored all of my calls and now that you'
Mike sat on the bed without any response. His right hand cupped my left cheek and he started caressing it with his thumb."Mike." I said his name again to hear his voice but he kept staring at me without uttering a word.After a few seconds, the corner of his lips lifted into a smile."I want to hear it again." He finally spoke but I didn't understand what he meant. I stared at him with a blank face. The confusion must've been evident on my face, for he added, "I haven't heard my name from your lips since you broke up with me. I didn't think I would hear it again."Tears pricked my eyes. He must have gone through so much. I hated myself for doing it to him. I never meant to hurt him. I thought I was saving him from me and my past. I didn't think I was hurting him by push
When our eyes met, he gave me a smile—the same warm smile he used to give when my mom was alive. I didn't smile back. Damn! I couldn't even force a smile. Moreover, I didn't want to.As he walked closer to me, the wrinkles on his forehead and the bags under his tired eyes became clearer. He had aged a little bit and tiredness on his face said that he wasn't taking care of himself. Other than that, he looked the same as he had three years ago.He stopped next to my bed and called my name. "Jessica..." His voice was filled with the same affection but I didn't feel the same way. "How are you?"I didn't reply. I couldn't. Not after what he had done to me. How did we end up like this? We used to share a special bond. He use