(ARIELLE’S POV) I returned home feeling a whirlwind of different things in my mind. My eyes were open, but not quite focused on anything in particular. It felt like I stood at a crossroads, burdened by the weight of past choices and the one glaring decision looming ahead. I sighed with relief, t
I shook my head sadly as my eyes welled up with tears. “Woah, honey. It’s okay,” my mother said soothingly as she sat beside me on the sofa and took me in her arms. “You’re okay. Do you want to talk about it?” she asked softly. “It’s all just so overwhelming,” I began. I narrated everything that h
(REBECCA’S POV) I showed up to work with a ready smile on my face, not for anything in particular —because the day was just as ordinary as any other. I moved through the motions of my role at the restaurant with efficient muscle memory for most of the day. “Who’s taking the order for table eight?
“Yeah,” Stephen concurred with a nod. He always agreed with anything she said. I could tell he was hopelessly smitten. It explained why he was hurt that Arielle had received an exceptionally good looking visitor the other day. I shook my head with a small smile at the thought. “Alright. That’d be a
(SOFIA’S POV) "Ms Sofia, this is Rachel from the card services department. Unfortunately, your credit card has been declined for the transaction you attempted today." My hand froze on the edge of the phone. “What the hell? Say it again??” “The payment could not be processed. Is there another card
A warning bell instantly went off in my head, a sign that all was not well. But I pushed it aside, deciding things were not serious. As long as I got help, whatever tone or name she used on me doesn't matter. “ I need your help, Mom,” I began. “I need you to talk to Jared for me. Please. You know
(SOFIA’S POV) I lay down on my back, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. The sound of the humidifier in the background was my only touch with reality. My mind flashed back to the past. The first man I ever married was wealthy — decades older, but wealthy. That’s what mattered to me at the time. He p
I dialed his number and waited hopefully as the dial tone rang. “Hello?” he answered. The background was a bit noisy. “Hi. This is Sofia,” I introduced and paused hesitantly. There was a long pause on the other end and I had to look at the screen to be sure he was still on the call. “Sofia. Why
It was evident in the way she switched her weight from one foot to the other and opened her mouth to speak multiple times without saying anything. Nana Jean leaned forward in her seat, her face mean and sober in the manner of an old Catholic nun. “The diagnosis is Early-Onset Memory Degeneration S
(DWAYNE’S POV) The air in the room around me was electric with underlying animosity. They might have put on their best acts, but I wasn’t fooled. And truthfully, there was nothing they could do to change the state of things. The board members sat quietly, their gazes eluding mine like it was a life
I’d almost turned around to leave when I caught sight of it, sticking out from underneath the stack of papers on the desk. I looked closer at the letterhead and identified the name of a hospital—medical reports. Was this the result of ye MRI scan?, I wondered to myself. I knew better than to look. I
(ARIELLE’S POV) My time in Germany finally reached its end. After conducting a series of tests and feeding me with supplements and a great deal of other tablets, Dr. Ellen and Dr. Julian agreed that their procedure was indeed successful. They made their discovery public and what followed afterwards
“Did you get that yourself? Why didn’t you let the paramedics check you?” I inquired with a mix of concern and relief. “Paramedics? What paramedics?” Jared asked, his smile dampening a bit with confusion. “I was in a meeting with my associates… back at the hotel. Yeah. I was on a call…” he explaine
(ARIELLE’S POV) When I woke up, I learned from Ashley that Jared had to leave earlier because of some business. But he’d yet to return and I was due to leave for my hotel. “Any sign of him yet?” I asked Ashley as she stepped into the room. She’d left earlier to get me something to eat on the docto
(JARED'S POV) I left the hospital hesitantly, my mind hazy with worry. I was tired myself. I sat behind the wheel and looked into the rearview mirror. I let out a sigh and steered the car onto the road. I struggled to maintain my concentration as I drove. I resorted to driving slower than usual, a
(JARED’S POV) For the rest of the evening, I couldn’t help but feel guilty about forgetting Maverick’s birthday. It beat my imagination how I’d forgotten something as important as that. I never forgot important dates, especially not my son’s birthday. I smiled through the call and even instructed
He took deep breath, and slowly knelt down on one knee. He let go of my hand momentarily and the other arm which he’d had behind him the entire time produced a velvet box. He gently opened it and nestled right inside the box, sitting on a black velvet pad, was a diamond ring, resplendent and breatht