Chapter 122 :A New BeginningMike pov It’s strange how life changes in an instant. One moment, you’re proposing to the love of your life with sweaty palms and a missing ring, and the next, you’re staring at a pregnancy test that says “positive.” Clara’s still asleep next to me, her hair a mess of golden waves sprawled over the pillow, and I’m lying here trying to figure out how my life got so... perfect. Except, it’s also terrifying. “Dad, I’m hungry,” Velma’s voice cut through my thoughts. I blinked at the ceiling before turning to see her standing by my side of the bed, clutching a stuffed bunny with one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other. She looked up at me with that sleepy little pout that made me realize she wasn’t a baby anymore. She wasn’t even my “little girl” anymore. And soon, there was going to be another little one in the house. “I’ll make you something in a sec, kiddo,” I whispered, ruffling her hair. Velma narrowed her eyes at me, all suspicious-like.
CLARAThree Years AgoI'm shaking in the corner of the room. My stepmom is yelling at me. I don't know what's going on."How could you bring shame to us?" she screams. "To our family?"I'm wrapped in a blue blanket. I'm naked underneath. I don't know how I got here.I look at Lucy. She's behind her mom. She's smiling like she did something bad.It was her. She gave me a drink last night. Then she took me to a room when I felt sleepy.Did she drug me?I'm scared. I woke up next to a man. It was Lucy's boyfriend, Mike Lightwood. There were cameras everywhere.But why? Why would Lucy do this?SLAP!My stepmom hits me hard. My face hurts. I'm crying."How dare you stand there and smear mud on our family's name, you filthy whore?" she yells."I-I do-don't know how it happened," I say. My lips are shaking.I look at Lucy. "Lucy?" I want her to tell the truth. But she just stares at me.I start crying. "I didn't do anything."My stepmom comes closer. I'm scared she'll hit me again."You didn
CLARA POV I'm packing my stuff in my office when Irene comes in. She's my friend at work. We're not super close, but we look out for each other."What's wrong, Clara? Where are you going?" Irene asks. She looks worried.I don't know how to tell her. How do I say my husband, who's also our boss, divorced me and fired me? And I'm pregnant with his baby? It's too much.Tears fill my eyes. "I got fired," I say. I pick up a brown box with my things.Irene's eyes go wide. "Are you serious? There must be some mistake. You're joking, right?"I look at her and sigh. "Do I look like I'm joking? You see me packing, don't you?""But why? You're one of the best workers here. They can't just fire you like that," Irene says. She sounds so confused. I am too."You didn't do anything wrong, did you Clara?" she asks.I can't hold it in anymore. I start crying. I put the box down and sob."Clara," Irene says softly. She rubs my back while I cry."I don't know, Irene. I don't know what I did wrong," I s
CHAPTER THREECLARA POV I woke up feeling dizzy. The bright lights hurt my eyes. I smelled something clean, like soap. Where was I? Then it hit me. The hospital. This wasn't a dream."My baby!" I yelled, sitting up fast. My whole body hurt.I looked down. The blood was gone. Did something bad happen to my baby? I started to panic.I tried to get up, but the door opened. A lady in a white coat came in."You're awake," she said with a smile. She helped me back into bed.I grabbed her coat. "My baby... please, is my baby okay?"The doctor touched my forehead. I held my breath, waiting."Your baby is fine," she said.I let out a big sigh. "Thank goodness," I whispered. I rubbed my belly gently. Thank you for staying strong, little one."But," the doctor said, stepping back, "there are some problems."My heart jumped. "Wh-what kind of problems?""You lost a lot of blood. That's not good for you or the baby."Tears filled my eyes. This was all Mike's fault.The doctor squeezed my hand. "W
CHAPTER FOUR CLARA'S pov Four years later...I walked into the big white room where I work. My shoes made loud noises on the floor. People said "hi" to me as I passed, and I smiled back.I looked at my watch. Only 30 minutes before work starts. I bet Velma will talk the whole time.Then I heard Sofia call my name. She's my helper at work."I got here before you again, Sofia," I said, smiling.Sofia looked sorry. "I don't think I can ever beat you, Boss. Do you ever sleep?"We got in the elevator together. Sofia told me about my day. "You have a big meeting at noon. And Dr. Mathews will be there."I nodded. This was my life now. Lots of work and making money. It was good, but sometimes I felt lonely.When we got to my office, I saw my daughter Velma sitting with Rodney. They were looking at something on his computer."Well, someone's having fun," I said.Velma ran to hug me. "I missed you, mama!""I missed you too, baby!" I said, hugging her tight.I looked at Velma's face. She looke
CHAPTER FIVE My Marriage Is A Devil's DomainI opened the door to my house and wrinkled my nose. It smelled bad, like a dirty bar. I sighed. This wasn't new, but it still made me mad."Lucy?" I called out. No answer.I walked into the living room. Cigarettes were all over the floor. I sat on the couch, feeling tired from work."What am I doing here?" I asked myself.I thought about the last five years. I made a big mistake back then, and now I'm paying for it.I heard a noise from the bedroom. Lucy was probably in there, drunk again.I didn't want to go in, but I knew I should check on her. I opened the door slowly."Surprise!" Lucy yelled. She was wearing red underwear and looked pretty, but I felt sick."I've been waiting for you," she said, trying to sound sexy.I could smell the alcohol on her breath. It made me want to throw up."You need to sleep," I said, pushing her away.Lucy got mad. "Don't you want me anymore?"I shook my head. "I'm tired. I had a long day.""Too long for
Chapter sixReclaiming PerfectionI sat in the car, feeling nervous. My friend Rodney was driving us to the airport."I can't believe it," I said. "My grandpa left me his whole company!"Rodney smiled. "You're the best person for the job, Clara."I wasn't so sure. I looked at my daughter, Velma, playing on her iPad. I thought about her dad, Mike. He hurt me bad five years ago. Now I might have to see him again."Mom, are you okay?" Velma asked.I tried to smile. "Yes, sweetie. Everything's fine.""Is this a vacation?" she asked, looking excited."Yes," I lied. "Just a short trip."We got to the airport. Rodney helped us with our bags."Are you sure you don't want me to come?" he asked.I shook my head. "No, we'll be fine. We'll be back soon."Velma hugged Rodney tight. "I'll miss you!""I'll miss you too, princess," he said. "Be good for your mom, okay?"We said goodbye and got on the plane. As we took off, I felt scared. I didn't want to go back to Los Angeles. Too many bad memories.
CHAPTER SEVEN A Turn of TableI walked into the big house, holding Velma's hand tight. My heart was beating fast. I hadn't been here in years."Mama, where are we?" Velma asked."This is where I grew up, sweetie," I said. "But it wasn't a happy place."I remembered hiding from my mean stepmother, feeling scared all the time. The maids weren't allowed to talk to me. I was always in trouble for things Lucy did.But now, I was different. I was strong. I wasn't scared anymore.We went through the big silver gates. They looked old but still nice. A guard checked who we were."You can go in, ma'am," he said.As we walked, I saw people looking at us. They seemed confused. I guess they didn't know who I was anymore.We got to a big door. I stopped and knelt down next to Velma."Sweetie, when we go in, I want you to put on your headphones and watch your show, okay? Sit where I put you and don't move."Velma looked confused. "But aren't we meeting your family? Won't that be rude?"I smiled. My
Chapter 122 :A New BeginningMike pov It’s strange how life changes in an instant. One moment, you’re proposing to the love of your life with sweaty palms and a missing ring, and the next, you’re staring at a pregnancy test that says “positive.” Clara’s still asleep next to me, her hair a mess of golden waves sprawled over the pillow, and I’m lying here trying to figure out how my life got so... perfect. Except, it’s also terrifying. “Dad, I’m hungry,” Velma’s voice cut through my thoughts. I blinked at the ceiling before turning to see her standing by my side of the bed, clutching a stuffed bunny with one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other. She looked up at me with that sleepy little pout that made me realize she wasn’t a baby anymore. She wasn’t even my “little girl” anymore. And soon, there was going to be another little one in the house. “I’ll make you something in a sec, kiddo,” I whispered, ruffling her hair. Velma narrowed her eyes at me, all suspicious-like.
Crossing T's And Dotting I's. CLARA The ride was quiet, tense even, and my head was glued in one position, staring outside the vehicle as the houses blurred by. It seemed like Mike had been an undeniable part of my life for too long. I thought when I got home, I would be able to get him out of my air, but here I was now, in his car. I didn't know what I was supposed to say. I had been judgy and undeniably mean to him, especially about Lucy . No, about everything, and I knew why I continuously did that. I just wanted to push him away, irk him, and show him all of the ugliest parts of me so he could get sick of it and go away! That didn't seem to be happening anytime soon, and the guilt I felt was only amplified. However does one get over this? Jeez. I glanced at him from the corner of my eyes; he even looked good from the side, focused on the road. The silence was so thick that I felt it in my chest. Felt it deep inside my heart like an ice-formed dagger and it was slowly pre
: Viva La Vida.THREE MONTHS LATER.MIKE "Ughh! This dude doesn't know how to give up, does he?" I rolled my eyes as I fell on the couch next to Clara and wrapped my arms around her. She was looking at her phone again, for the second time today. He just wouldn't stop sending her those pictures, would he? Clara snuggled closer, "I should just block him, right?" She joked. "Love really had made him mad. I mean, look at that smile!"I shrugged. "I mean, did you see what it did to me?" A giggle ripped out of her throat and I snatched the phone from her playfully. "Is it just me or does he look fatter here?""Claire must be doing such a wonderful job!" Clara beamed, sighing. "I'm just glad he's okay! He looks so happy!""He does." I pecked her. "But I look happier, look at me alone." Rodney had been on vacation with Claire for the past two months, so we get blessed with pictures like this every second.It was tons of Claire's pictures, literally every part of her had been sent to Clara a
Hope.CLARAMike didn't respond, and more tears trickled down his cheeks as he stared into my eyes. His eyes were red, and swollen, evidence that he had been crying for a longer time than right now. My eyes prickled at the sight of him crying, and tears began to roll down my cheeks as well.Why was he crying? And why was I crying too. I didn't know why but my heart felt heavy in my chest, and it ached terribly. His silence stung me all over like a thousand bees. Why was he answering? What had happened to our baby?"C-Mike ?" I stammered, arching a brow, "What happened to Velma?" The question barely left my lips, but again he was quiet. Almost like he couldn't speak, and I couldn't take it anymore.The silence was killing me, just as much as not knowing what had happened to my baby. Could she-No. I shook my head frantically at the thought of that. No way. I didn't even want to think about that. I couldn't bear the thought of it, and it felt like a part me died at that brief thought.
Where Is She?CLARAI knew it was stupid and I shouldn't be here alone but what else could I do?! Lucy had threatened to harm her if I told anyone. I'd rather get hurt in her place as long as nothing happens to my daughter!I parked the car and looked up ahead at the building. No one lived there and the whole thing looked like it would fall apart at any moment.My heart thumped in my chest when fear gripped me and the possibility of all the bad things that could happen flashed before my mind. I closed the car door immediately I stepped out, my hands balled into fists.I'd rather die than have anything happen to Velma! Oh, god! Oh god! Agatha, too! I desperately clung to the hope that she had nothing to do with this, and that she was safe, just as Velma was.The video replayed in my head in an unending loop and I almost burst into tears.My baby. My little girl was fucking tied to a chair. I was going to kill Lucy ! I was going to rip her to shreds the moment I set my eyes on her. I s
The Foe.CLARAI felt a knot immediately tighten in the pit of my stomach as my eyes scanned the empty room from the doorway. The bed was empty, Velma wasn't here. Velma wasn't here?It was 2 a.m. Why wasn't she in bed by this time? Panic was slowly setting in, and I could feel it claw it way up my stomach. Where was she?My eyes shot to the restroom at the corner of the room, and I felt a bit of calm wash over me. Perhaps she was in there. I swallowed the uneasiness that had crawled its way to my throat, slightly panicking as I dashed across the room to her bathroom. "Velma," I called as I knocked on the door or rather banged it but there was no answer, and I pushed it open, "Velma," I called again.The door swung open, and my heart sank as it turned out empty too. She wasn't in the restroom. My head spun around the room, and my palm was beginning to feel clammy as I released the door and it slammed shut in my face. Where the hell was she? Where could she go?My stomach tightened, a
More Trouble!CLARA I came out of Velma's room after I'd registered that she was asleep and I took Mike into mine.We barely made it past the door. My urges were all over the place and I'd clenched my thighs all through the ride. I needed him so badly.Mike managed to slam the door behind me and pushed me in, crashing his lips into mine! "I'll take care of you," he whispered between kisses. "I'm so sorry, Clara. I'm so sorry I made you doubt me."His breath was hot against my face and he nibbled kisses everywhere. I was dripping wet, unable to contain my hunger.He whispered lovingly as he placed kisses on my naked body. I hastily unbuttoned his trousers, and he pulled it off before tossing it aside."Mike ," his tongue twirled with mine as if I'm trying to taste all his secrets. "I know. And I'm sorry too," I replied, out of breath. "Please. I'm ready. I want this. I want you. I'm done fighting you. Let me feel you, please."I reached down between us and gripped his cock, a little
Misconceptions.ClaraMy eyes locked onto Alice as she stepped inside my home, and I clenched my palm into a fist, feeling the slight tremble of my hands, and body as the rage simmered inside of me. It felt like a fucking earthquake was happening inside of me, and I hated that she made me feel this way-this small.What the hell was she doing here? How dare she even show her face here after what she had done? How dare she? Anger clawed it way up my throat, and I swallowed it back down, struggling to stay in control as my gaze fixed on her.My mind raced with a mix of emotions-Anger, hurt, betrayal, each feeling fighting for dominance, but I kept my expression blank, masking my feelings. I couldn't let her know how much her presence was affecting me or how much she had hurt me. No way. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of a reaction so I feigned calm even if I felt nothing like that.Even if I felt like I was caught in the middle of a freaking storm or hurricane. My emotions we
Loss!MIKE *THREE HOURS EARLIER*I didn't touch Alice! I didn't do anything with her so who captured these incriminating photos? My eyes burned when I looked down at the envelope once more. The weight had multiplied in my hand, like I carried the problems of the world inside that piece of paper.Fuck! Who the hell took this?Why?I was...just a step away from having my entire life together and this happens? I felt like a car running on fumes. Why was I stupid enough to think things would continue to go smoothly like they had these past few days?My heart had ripped from my chest and my hands wouldn't stop shaking no matter how I tried. I gulped hard as I tottered towards my car from Clara's building.She'd shut down and those entrances were slammed in my face. The ones I'd worked so hard to reopen. It felt like a knife was being carved into my chest and I swear, I couldn't breathe!I couldn't breathe. Who sent those photos? What did I do? If only she'd let me explain! Nothing happene