Justin abruptly threw out my hand in the air as he let go of my wrist. There came a short awkward silence that was filled with tension as the next few moment was all about me and Justin exchanging glances that were full of hatred and annoyance.Never had I imagine that a day would come that the two of us would eventually become like this as though we had never been husband and wife. “Not only did you publicly display your mistress, but you even dare mistreat your wife in public for the sake of her.” I eventually said, breaking the silence that rendered me and Justin a moment ago.“Damn that statement, Marga. It was you who cheated on me and now you are coming clean trying to spit on me, something I could never do!” I scoff. His statement just made me want to feel like my stomach twisted that I couldn’t help but laugh it out. “What was so damn funny about it, huh?” Justin promptly said.“The funny thing? Oh no, it was not a thing, but who. Because it was you who was funny, Justin.
And Just like that, my ex-husband turned his back on me with glares that were too poisonous for me to keep staring at. He eventually helped Regina to push the cart away from me and before the two of them completely moved to the next aisle away from my sight, I clearly saw a glimpse of a devious smirk flashed across Regina’s face.It was clear how she took advantage of the situation to make me look worse before Justin’s presence. She obviously pulled out the plan to provoke me so that Justin would arrive seeing I was the one attacking her instead.“You really play dirty, bitch.” I uttered low that was enough for me alone as I stared at them exiting from the hallway. My hand clenched as anger flared up from within me that I had been trying to contain for a while.Come to think of it, I just couldn’t help but think that perhaps Regina may really have something to do with all the framing up that was done to me during Grandma’s birthday. There was no one else I could think of but her that
“If you think that it was just the right thing, then divorce him!” That was what Aunt Lou said during dinner. It had been hours after we arrived from the grocery and I had to help Aunt Lou a little with the preparation of our dinner. While the two of us were at it, I even told her everything that occurred earlier at the grocery mart. “You know what, they should be thankful that I chose not to meddle. Otherwise, you know that Regina? She would have suffered getting a two cents from me first.”It made me chuckle hearing Aunt Lou say that. I knew she was only trying to make me loosen all the tension I had earlier. I was able to release all my emotions in the car when I held her in my arms As a matter of fact, I could no longer feel the pain inside me. It does hurt a little but not like a while ago. I made myself a covenant that I would never forgive Justin for what he did and even if he begs me, the world would crumble first before he even gets my forgiveness.“Actually, Justin also
After hearing all of those things from Aunt Lou, I suddenly felt a surge of hope that somehow I now felt like having this decision to face my ex-husband in his office wouldn’t be so bad knowing that Aunt Lou would definitely have my back.“Thank you Aunt Lou, I highly appreciate that. I really thought—” But before I could even begin to tell her what I had in mind, Aunt Lou stopped me midway as she uttered, “How could I even dare to abandon you now that you needed a shoulder to lean on, huh?” “Well, you sounded like you were totally against me earlier. So I thought you would not let me go.”“Actually I am still against it.” Aunt Lou spoke of what was in her thoughts in all honesty. And I figured she would eventually tell me that regardless. She eventually heaved a sigh before uttering, “But I have to understand your situation. You’re not only just going there to sign papers but also face your nightmares once more. And all that I should do at the very least, was to be an additional st
I really thought Justin would be furious at me. Of course, he would have possibly since a moment ago he just told me that I shouldn’t even be expecting an alimony after our divorce has been approved. But to my shock, Justin bursted into a hoarse laugh instead.His laughter that sounded so annoying to my ear resounded inside the four brick walled corners of his office. It was like he was intentionally forcing it to become so loud to make me feel even more intimidated and annoyed at him.“I don’t see anything laughable about what I said, Justin.” I tried to tell him despite how he was still trying to make me feel like I was a fool for not being able to figure out why he was even laughing so hard.Justin then wiped the tears that had accumulated from the corner of his eyes as he once again tried to get into his senses to talk to me once more. “I can’t believe how idiot you are, Margarette. Not only were you trying to make me laugh by saying that you want to claim something was no longer
For the first in all the times that Justin pushed me away, this was the very first where I feel nothing but relief that he did want me to leave.I walked out of his office and before I completely got out, I told him something that he would surely feel more infuriated, “Oh, and just so you know, If you ever put this to court, just think of the stress and burden it will bring you having to deal not being allowed to see your mistress while the lawsuit is on going?”Justin’s eyes darkened as he glared towards my direction, “What do you mean?” he uttered. The tone of his voice was almost the same sound as a growl. And I could feel that what I just told him may have already clawed against him, slowly crawling up to his nerves and making him become more furious.That suite him just right. As a matter of fact, I was only just beginning. If I have more time, I would rather spend the whole day pestering my ex-husband but I wouldn’t risk getting physical hurt by him, and also waste anymore of Au
Regina was just a wanna-be bitch in my eyes.She always acts like she could stand up against me every single time that the two of us cross paths. However, I would always have my way to overcome her in the end which was why my encounter with her now would only be just the same just like in the past.“Is that what you really think? Do you seriously think I would crawl to my husband for his forgiveness?” I promptly answered her in a query while I drew myself towards the sink to wash my hands.Regina seemed to be a bit bold enough to walk closer to me so that she could provoke me more. “Well, what else were you even capable of any than always act like a dog waggling her tail to Justin for a little span of attention.”I titled my head a bit to face her as I replied, “Wasn’t that supposed to be role? I mean, you act like a bitch hanging around someone else’s husband, my husband.”“As far as I know, he is your ex-husband now. You are divorced.”“About to get a divorce. That’s a correction. U
The moment that I opened my eyes once more, I was confused to recognize that I was no longer inside the bathroom. Everything around me was blinding me with brightness of white. The four corners of the room eventually registered to me in that instance.A hospital?It made me rise from my bed, and the second I did, I was surprised that Aunt Lou was already helping me to get up.“Aunt Lou? How did we end up being here?” I had the urged to ask her right away.And she was just smiling back at me. We had to go and bring you here right away. “Why?” I was pretty much bewildered by what was going on around me. I really don’t know how I ended up being here.For some reason, I found myself having some kind of a gap within my memories. It was giving me the discomfort knowing I could not be able to recall what had happened to me at all.And to make things worst, Aunt Lou was not doing anything to help me ease the burden I was having at the moment. She remained silent as though refusing to tell m
The rain was falling again.It always did on days like this—days that felt like endings.I stood on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the stormy waters of Anacortes, my coat pulled tightly around me, the hood shielding my face from the wind that carried the scent of salt and something older—something like goodbye.Leon stood behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to feel him there. His presence was familiar now, carved into my skin like muscle memory. He’d been my gravity, my storm, my salvation, and my ruin—sometimes all at once.“It’s really over, isn’t it?” I whispered, more to the wind than to him.He didn’t answer right away. His silence was as heavy as the stormclouds above us.“I wanted to fix everything for you,” he said finally, his voice hoarse, like it had been dragged across a battlefield. “I wanted to give you a life that didn’t hurt.”I closed my eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed with every beat of my heart. “You did,” I said. “For a while, you did.”I heard the crunch
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I’m not the same person I was before,” I said, my voice firm, unwavering. “And I’m not walking away this time.”The man’s eyes flickered with a moment of doubt, just enough for me to catch. And then, before I could even register what had happened, Leon moved.Faster than I could blink, Leon was in front of me, his hand grabbing the gun and twisting it out of the man’s grasp. The force of it sent the man stumbling back, but he didn’t go down easily. His bodyguards rushed in, but Leon was already a step ahead, disarming one of them with a swift, calculated move.I stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what I was witnessing. Leon—always so calm, always so careful—was ruthless. He was like a force of nature, determined to protect me at all costs.But the fight wasn’t over yet. The man recovered, his eyes burning with rage. “You really think you’ve won?” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you can’t ev
The sound of boots drew closer, pounding the floor with an urgency that echoed through the cavernous halls of the estate. My heart raced as the reality of what I had just heard crashed into me like a tidal wave. The man who had once been a part of my life—my family’s betrayer, the one who had orchestrated their deaths—stood there, calmly, as if this was just another night for him.Leon’s grip on my hand tightened, but I didn’t let him pull me away. I could feel the air thickening with tension, the walls pressing in as everything I thought I knew began to crumble.The intruders were only moments away.The man—he—smirked, watching us. “You think this will end well? You’ve no idea what you’re up against. My people are everywhere.”I took a step forward, ignoring Leon’s silent plea to retreat. “You killed them. And you thought I would be the next one to fall in line?” My voice was a whisper, but it held a power I hadn’t realized I had. “You were wrong.”The man’s face faltered, just for a
Next Morning at the Estate Archives. The basement was cold and damp, and the air smelled of mildew and secrets. Old boxes lined the walls, labeled in my father’s tidy script. Financial records. Land deeds. Correspondence.Leon sifted through a crate of documents while I dug through another.Then something caught my eye.A faded folder labeled: Project Thornfield.I opened it slowly.Inside were blueprints—plans for development across coastal land that was supposed to be protected forest. There were signatures from multiple board members, including names I recognized.And then, one I didn’t.N. Vallis.Leon leaned over. “You know that name?”I shook my head. “No. But look here—he signed off on the project two weeks before my parents died.”Leon pulled out his phone. “I’ll run a background check.”I kept flipping through the documents—and found something that made my blood run cold.An aerial photo.Of the cliffside. Our property.With a giant red X drawn over the coordinates where my p
THREE WEEKS LATER...The investigation moved faster than I’d expected. With the board fully on our side now, the paper trail unraveled like a thread pulled from an old sweater—each piece of evidence exposing the next. Shell companies. Forged contracts. Witnesses who had remained silent out of fear but were finally coming forward.Still, no one had seen him since the day of the summit. He had vanished without a trace. No flights. No offshore activity. No messages. It was like he’d disappeared into smoke.But Dorian didn’t believe in ghosts. “He’s hiding,” he said as he handed me a thick folder. “And this—this will force him out.”I flipped through the documents. Bank records. A property registered under an alias. Hidden deep in the woods outside of Anacortes. I felt my stomach twist.Leon stepped up behind me, his hand grazing my shoulder. “Let’s pay him a visit.”The cabin was barely more than a shadow tucked between trees. No lights. No car. Just silence and the thrum of insects in t
Sunlight crept cautiously through the cracks in the blinds, casting golden slivers across the hardwood floor of the safe house bedroom. I sat curled up on the edge of the bed, a blanket draped around my shoulders and the journal heavy in my lap. The cover was cracked, worn with age and secrets. My fingers hovered over the first page for what felt like an eternity.Leon was nearby—he hadn’t slept much, either. He stood at the window with a mug of black coffee, watching the world outside with quiet alertness. When I finally opened the journal, he turned slightly but didn’t speak. He knew I needed silence for this.The first entry was dated nearly two decades ago.July 14th. We signed the contract today. Two families, one future. The woman from Delmar Holdings is more cunning than I expected. She knows we’re desperate—and she used it. I told Mariana to trust me. That this was the only way. God help me, I hope I’m right.My breath hitched. Mariana—that was my mother’s name.I flipped thro
MARGARETTE'S POVBefore we could react, the door behind us burst open.Three armed men rushed in, dressed in black, their movements precise and rehearsed. Leon shoved me behind him, drawing his gun up in an instant. Dorian, who had been lingering near the entrance, took cover behind a cabinet, gun already out.“Elise’s father wasn’t bluffing,” I breathed, my heart hammering. “He had backup ready.”Leon fired the first shot, catching one of the intruders in the shoulder and sending him crashing to the floor. Chaos erupted. Dorian ducked low and returned fire, narrowly missing another attacker who retaliated with a spray of bullets that shattered the windows.I crouched behind an overturned table, the sound of gunfire drowning out my thoughts. The locket in my palm dug into my skin, its edges sharp—a painful reminder that I couldn’t afford to lose control now.“Elise’s father!” I shouted to Leon. “He’s escaping!”Through the haze of smoke and broken glass, I saw the man slinking toward
The sound of footsteps pounding in the hallway was the last thing I heard before the door slammed open.I barely had time to react before a rush of armed men poured into the room, their eyes scanning every corner, landing finally on me. There was no mistaking the intent behind their cold stares.“Get down!” Leon’s voice crackled through the earpiece again, but there was no time to obey. I couldn’t allow myself to hesitate—not now, not when the truth was within reach.I raised my gun, my hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around me. I wasn’t going down without a fight, not after everything I had lost. Not after everything Elise’s father had taken from me.Before the first man could react, I fired. The sound of the shot echoed in the confined space, the bullet finding its mark in the man’s chest. His body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, but the others didn’t hesitate. They moved in faster, their guns drawn, but I was ready.I ducked behind the desk, using it as cover
Dawn came in silver slivers through the cracks in the window. I hadn’t slept—not really. My mind was too loud, looping the footage over and over like a broken reel.Leon sat across from me at the table, sipping his coffee like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. Neither of us had said much since the footage. We didn’t need to. The truth had cut so deep, it didn’t leave room for small talk.But I had questions.And I needed answers.“How long do you think he’s known I survived?” I finally asked, voice hoarse.Leon didn’t look away from his mug. “Long enough to start covering his tracks. But he didn’t expect the locket to resurface.”My hand instinctively reached for it. The locket was warm now, like it had absorbed my grief and fury. Inside was a picture of my mother and me—her arm around my tiny shoulders, her smile soft but tired. A photo I hadn’t even remembered until last night.“He killed her,” I whispered. “He killed my father. For what? A project?”“Not just a project,”