“Are you really this stupid?” Margaret's voice thundered through the room. “ How could you keep this from me, Aysel? The man who was chosen for you wants to marry Jeri instead. And you thought I did not deserve to know?” Margaret's face turned beet red as she stood in the living room, her eyes blazing with rage. Aysel cowered in front of her, her eyes wide in fear. “I… I didn't want to hurt you, Mother. I knew you wanted me to marry him…” Aysel trembled, and her voice was barely audible. “You believe you are protecting me by keeping secrets? You are just as dishonest as your father!” Aysel flinched as her mother's words made her eyes well up with tears. “You are just like Jeri,” Margaret's rage grew even more intense." You always get what you want, but I end up with nothing! Aysel, you are going to regret not telling me the truth. Mark my words!" There was an obvious sense of tension in the room, a tension born of unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Aysel burst into tears a
“What are you talking about, Clara?” Margaret curiously inquired, anticipating her sister's response.Margaret chuckled, and crossed her legs as she displayed an evil smile.“Well,” she sighed and rested her back against the couch. “ I once invited her to your husband's former friend, Mr. Adrian, who was celebrating his birthday in a certain hotel. If I could remember, your husband couldn't attend the birthday for a reason best known to him."However, before the birthday, I made a deal with a certain billionaire old man who required a one-night stand with a virgin. He was willing to pay any amount of money just for that, and I was determined to get it."Since I was certain that Jeri was a virgin, I had to persuade her to come over and have some fun with me. I bought her expensive clothes for the birthday celebration…”“Oh, I guess those were the clothes my mom took from her and gave to me,” Aysel confessed.“Obviously,” Margaret
As agreed between the three women, Clara invited Darien's Mom over, ready to carry out her plan. "I apologize, Lucinda. I had to leave the house quickly to take care of something that came up. Perhaps I should reserve a hotel room so we can meet there. “As I previously stated, we are having an important conversation, and I would prefer that no one hear about it. So, I believe that discussing it in a hotel room would be safer. What is your opinion?” Clara's voice echoed from the phone. “Well,” Mrs. Lucinda sighed."I am fine with meeting you wherever you choose. I do not mind as long as it benefits me. Simply send me the address, and I will be there as soon as possible." “Alright,” Clara nodded and hung up the call. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Lucinda, her best friend, was planning to set her up. A set-up that will turn her life around for bad. She did not think much of Clara's decision to meet in a hotel. She was convinced that her friend would never do anything to hurt her. Unfortunat
“Huh?” Clara gasped, her mouth widened in shock.“ You mean, your son spent two years with his grandfather, unaware of the relationship between them?”“Exactly,” Mrs. Lucinda concurred with her. " I am still wondering why the old man failed to tell Darien that he was his grandson. Or does he intend to reveal it remarkably?"“What exactly are you saying, Lucinda? Have you forgotten that your father-in-law left the house even before you got married to your husband? How could he have noticed that Darien is his grandson?”“That’s not difficult to know, Clara. I am certain that Darien told him everything about himself before welcoming him into his home." Silence reigned between the two women as they gaze at each other, countless questions pacing up and down in their minds.“I’m scared, Clara,” Mrs. Lucinda began.“You fear what exactly?” Clara asked with a frown face."You know this old man was opposed to his son's decision t
"You have been here for more than a week, and I still have not seen what you have done to help the company grow," hissed Larissa, the lady with whom Jeri switches shifts." From the moment you were introduced to us, I knew you had nothing to contribute to the growth of this company. "To make matters worse, they hired you as a market researcher, which is the same position I hold. I cannot recall telling the CEO that I want to work part-time. I should be the only one in charge of this position, not the two of us…” “Come on, Larissa,” Jeri finally cut into her words."When I was hired at this company, you welcomed me like a sister. Why have you suddenly changed? Have I done anything wrong to warrant those hurtful words?" "Yes, Jeri," Larissa replied, clenching her jaw and lowering her gaze. "I welcomed you like a sister because I assumed you were a hard worker, not realizing you were just a lazy piece of trash." "I have done my best in this job, Larissa. So I am not going to let you in
Although Sophia's older brother, Henry, was a womanizer, he was not a lazy man like other men. He takes his professional photography job seriously. As a result, he was always too busy to bother Jeri. Jeri and Sophia would occasionally go to bed before he returned home.He chose to keep silent, though, because his sister had threatened to report him to Jeri's husband and their parents if he dared to harm Jeri. Unfortunately, he does not communicate with Jeri. Even though she greets him, he does not respond.Jeri, on the other hand, was forced to start ignoring him because she was tired of giving him the respect she believed he deserved, but he did not reciprocate.Jeri was able to stay at her friend's house and work her part-time job without being disturbed by Henry.Sophia was, however, in her final year of university. So she spent more time at school than at home. Jeri went to see Sophia later that day after she had returned from school to talk about an important matter. She was aw
"Why would I lie to you, Mr. Ethan? I was the one who invited her to the hotel to discuss some important issues. And because she was unfamiliar with the hotel, I begged the hotel CEO, with whom they had accidentally crossed paths, to bring her to her room. That is all that occurred—not what you are imagining.” Seated next to her friend on the same couch, Clara gave an explanation. "Are you considering me a fool? Do you really think I would fall for such a sleazy lie? Oh, so you are supporting her because you two are friends? I get it now.” Mr. Ethan roared, clenching his fist furiously as he sat opposite them. Unfortunately, before Clara arrived at Mr. Ethan's mansion, despite her friend's plea to come save her marriage, the stranger who sent Mr. Ethan a video of his wife cheating had texted him. He warned Mr. Ethan not to believe what his wife's friend would say when she arrived. However, when Mr. Ethan attempted to find out who the person was and why he was spying on his wife, the
The next day, Darien found himself in Dr. Emiliano's small house, eager to find answers to many questions that no one could answer. "Dr. Emiliano, I am here to discuss a crucial issue with you, and I will expect nothing but sincerity from you, please." Darien spoke with the elderly man, his elbow resting on his thigh and his head resting on his fist. "You abandoned me for so long after you achieved your goal. And now you have returned to request something from me? Isn't that an indication of your lack of wisdom?" The elderly man snarled. A wave of guilt washed over Darien, prompting him to consider a few things. "Forgive me, grandfather," Darien nervously apologized. "I am not your grandfather, Darien," Dr. Emiliano objected. "Come on, addressing you as my grandfather does not imply we are related. It is just a show of respect," Darien explained, feeling uneasy. Dr. Emiliano remained silent as he observed Darien, who intended to bombard him with endless questions. “So, what do
"Well,” Maya said, " if you think that's the best thing to do, then go ahead and do so since the whole thing centered on her.”With newfound determination, Darien left for Jeri's mansion after a long discussion with Maya.Perhaps the truth would change everything. Who knows?Darien arrived at Jeri's mansion a few minutes later, his heart pounding. One of the gatekeepers led Darien to the garden where Jeri was having fun with her son. "Jeri," Darien said, his voice barely above a whisper.Upon hearing her name, Jeri swiftly turned, her eyes narrowing. She was taken aback when her eyes fell on Darien."What is it, Darien?" Jeri asked, her brows furrowed.Darien stood dumbfounded as though he didn't hear her. Unfortunately, his attention was carried away by the little child who was busy playing with a ball.When Jeri noticed that, she became uncomfortable so she decided to ask her child to go into the house and he did.Dawson ran past Darien without greeting him. Probably because he did
Ever since Darien got the text, he became restless to the point of refusing to eat his dinner.He was eager to meet this unknown person to know who the person is and what the person wants.When it was almost midnight, Darien took with him three guards and exited the mansion without telling his father or grandfather.Within a few minutes of driving in the almost empty road, he arrived at the old warehouse, his heart racing with anticipation and fear. The text had been cryptic, but the threat to Jeri's life was clear.Since he was asked to come alone, he asked his guards to wait for him from a far distance from the old warehouse.As Darien stepped out of the shadows, a figure emerged, causing him to flinch in fear."Who are you?" Darien demanded out of fear.The figure revealed a woman with piercing green eyes and raven-black hair."I'm Maya," she said. "I've been tracking Adrian's operations for months.""Huh?” Darien's eyes narrowed."What do you want?"Instead of responding to his que
Darien began to pace around in the garden, wondering what to do. It was as if his head were going to explode for trying so hard to figure out what to do next.“I need to act fast. I can't sit back and watch them hurt Jeri. Not now," Darien said to himself with determination.At last, he retreated to the living room after giving it much thought.As he re-entered the mansion, he heard his grandfather speaking."Jeri, dear," Dr. Williams said, his voice soft, "I know my family has wronged you. But Darien has changed. He's trying to make amends. And as his grandfather, I will beg you on his behalf to please forgive him even though he deserves to face the consequences of his actions. He was still a kid that time when it happened and probably his father was afraid to lose his son that was why they kept it hidden. Please have mercy on them, Jeri."As Dr. Williams' words pierced into her ears Jeri's gaze wavered. Her plan was to get Darien and his father arrested, and not to forgive them. Now
The mansion felt empty, the tension filled the air with Mrs. Lucinda's departure. Jeri's emotions swirled, relief and sadness mixed.As they exchanged glances, Sophia broke the silence. "It's time to start healing.""And seeking justice.” Freya chuckled.Just then, Darien approached Jeri, his eyes sincere, as he was eager to seek her forgiveness."Jeri," he began,“ I know I can never undo the harm I've caused. If only you could forgive me, I would be the happiest man on earth presently. Not only that, I would be able to help you as well.""Help me?” Jeri's gaze hardened, her voice icy. “ You're the reason I've suffered. In fact, I'm still suffering because without my mother, I'm just like an orphan.""I know,” said Darien as he took a step closer, his gaze full of regret. “But I'm willing to make amends. Let me help you fight those who've wronged you.""You think you can just waltz in and fix everything?” Jeri scoffed. " My mother's dead because of you."Darien's face contorted in ang
"Huh?” Jeri gasped, her eyes narrowed as she tried to digest the whole thing."So you were the one who ruined my life from day one?" Jeri's eyes blazed as she spoke to Darien. Jeri glared at Darien as if she should strangle him to death. He killed her mother. As if that weren't enough he ruined her life by impregnating her."Jeri, I…" Darien continued, but Jeri cut him off."Shut up! You have no right to speak," Jeri spat, her voice venomous.The tears she had been suppressing for a long time finally escaped her eyes, and streamed down her cheeks.She came to seek justice for her dead mother and also to expose Mrs. Lucinda's sinister plans and now this. Jeri's world crumbled right before her as she was still finding it challenging to believe Freya's words.Upon seeing how heartbroken Jeri was, Sophia stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Jeri's shoulder as she attempted to comfort her."Jeri, let's think this through," said Sophia as she gently rubbed Jeri's shoulder with her thu
Darien's face paled, his eyes filling with a mix of shock and guilt. At last, Freya exposed the secret they have been hiding for decades.Mr. Ethan's eyes widened in astonishment, wondering what Jeri was talking about. He wasn't aware that the woman his son stabbed to death in his office was Jeri's mother.“What…what are you talking about, Jeri?” Mr. Ethan inquired, his gaze shifting from his son to Jeri. "Oh please, don't pretend as if you can't recall how your son murdered my mother in your office many years ago,” she growled in response, her fist tightened.Just after Jeri said that, it dawned on him that the woman was indeed Jeri's mother who had no one to look for her after her death.Mr. Ethan averted his gaze away from Jeri to Darien. He couldn't believe his ears. Never has he for once thought that this thing will come up in the future. Mrs. Lucinda, on the flip side, couldn't say anything, rather she froze in place staring at everyone with skeptical brows. She was just imagi
“What?" Darien gasped, his eyes shifting from the old man to his father. “ What did I just hear you call him, father?" “You heard him well, Darien," Dr. Williams cut in, causing Darien to avert his gaze away from his father to Dr. Williams.“Dr. Williams,” Darien called, still trying to comprehend what was happening. " I have been searching for you. You were nowhere to be found a few months after Jeri had left this city. I thought she came back and took you away demanding that you saved her life. I was astonished when she came to my office asking me about you. Where have you been all this while? And why is my father addressing you like that?”"How many times do you need to be told that Dr. Williams is your grandfather?” Jeri snapped."Zip your mouth, Jeri. I wasn't talking to you,” Darien countered, his brows drawn together.“What Jeri said is nothing but the truth, Darien," Dr. Williams responded, walking past Darien, his hands tucked behind him.“Huh?” Darien gasped. He curiously i
As soon as they set eyes on Jeri, they were taken aback, wondering how she was permitted into the house without their permission They exchanged glances, wondering if Jeri had come with the police to arrest Darien or something different. Just as Mrs. Lucinda was about to question how she came into the house without their permission, Jeri stepped into the lounge and Aysel followed.Immediately Mrs. Lucinda set eyes on her daughter, she quickly swallowed her words, convincing herself that she had access into the house through Aysel.Upon realizing this, it fueled Mrs. Lucinda's hatred for Aysel.After Jeri and Aysel stepped forward, Freya and Sophia followed. Their faces were holding no traces of smile, causing Darien and his parents to ask themselves what exactly the ladies were there to seek.Jeri's eyes blazed as she stepped forward. "We know what you're planning, Mrs. Lucinda. And we won't let you get away with it.""I have no idea what you're talking about," Mrs. Lucinda snapped,
“What's wrong, son?" Mrs. Lucinda asked as she sat beside her son on the couch.Darien, whose face was clouded with anger, hastily stood up, avoiding his mother's touch.“Tell me, is it true?" Darien asked, his arms folded above his chest, and his back against his mother's gaze.Mrs. Lucinda was confused as she couldn't comprehend what her son was talking about.“What exactly are you talking about, son?" Mrs. Lucinda stood up and asked with skepticism.Darien turned around and faced his mother. They locked eyes as though they were about to wrestle.Although Darien didn't believe what Jeri and the other girls were saying about his mother, he felt it best to ask his mother a few questions to be on the safer side.Again, the evidence provided by the girls triggered him to believe them a little. He wasn't ready to fully trust them as he was well aware that Jeri was determined to get back at him because of what happ