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 Reginaโs face.It was clear how she took advantage of the situation to make me look worse before Justinโs presence. She obviously pulled out the plan to provoke me so that Justin would arrive seeing I was the one attacking her instead.โYou really play dirty, bitch.โ 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 couldnโt help but think that perhaps Regina may really have something to do with all the framing up that was done to me during Grandmaโs birthday. There was no one else I could think of but her that
โIf you think that it was just the right thing, then divorce him!โ 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. โYou 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.โIt 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.โActually, 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 wouldnโt be so bad knowing that Aunt Lou would definitely have my back.โThank you Aunt Lou, I highly appreciate that. I really thoughtโโ But before I could even begin to tell her what I had in mind, Aunt Lou stopped me midway as she uttered, โHow could I even dare to abandon you now that you needed a shoulder to lean on, huh?โ โWell, you sounded like you were totally against me earlier. So I thought you would not let me go.โโActually I am still against it.โ 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, โBut I have to understand your situation. Youโre 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 shouldnโt 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.โI donโt see anything laughable about what I said, Justin.โ 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. โI canโt 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, โOh, 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?โJustinโs eyes darkened as he glared towards my direction, โWhat do you mean?โ 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 wouldnโt 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.โIs that what you really think? Do you seriously think I would crawl to my husband for his forgiveness?โ 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. โWell, 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.โI titled my head a bit to face her as I replied, โWasnโt that supposed to be role? I mean, you act like a bitch hanging around someone elseโs husband, my husband.โโAs far as I know, he is your ex-husband now. You are divorced.โโAbout to get a divorce. Thatโs 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.โAunt Lou? How did we end up being here?โ 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. โWhy?โ I was pretty much bewildered by what was going on around me. I really donโt 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
โNooooooo!โ I screamed at the top of my lungs.I was sure it was too loud that my voice must have echoed even across the other rooms from where I was confined.Yes, I found myself waking up from what seemed to be a horrifying nightmare. It was just like that dream I had before but this time, it was truly a horrifying nightmare that I donโt wish to see again.I even had to pinch my face right away the moment I woke up just to make sure I was already in my reality. The pain I felt was surely enough to convince me that I was already up in the reality.It wasnโt even that long when Aunt Lou came rushing back inside to see me. โMarga? Child, are you alright? Whatโs the matter? We heard you screaming from outside.โ She urgently stated the moment she was able to walk towards my side.Aunt Lou quickly held my hand and it was the right kind of warmth I was yearning to feel ever since I woke up from that horrible dream. The moment compelled me to feel the urgency to hug her right away. Aunt L
The rain was falling again.It always did on days like thisโdays 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 olderโsomething like goodbye.Leon stood behind me. I didnโt have to turn around to feel him there. His presence was familiar now, carved into my skin like muscle memory. Heโd been my gravity, my storm, my salvation, and my ruinโsometimes all at once.โItโs really over, isnโt it?โ I whispered, more to the wind than to him.He didnโt answer right away. His silence was as heavy as the stormclouds above us.โI wanted to fix everything for you,โ he said finally, his voice hoarse, like it had been dragged across a battlefield. โI wanted to give you a life that didnโt hurt.โI closed my eyes. The ache in my chest pulsed with every beat of my heart. โYou did,โ I said. โFor a while, you did.โI heard the crunch
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. โIโm not the same person I was before,โ I said, my voice firm, unwavering. โAnd Iโm not walking away this time.โThe manโs 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 manโs grasp. The force of it sent the man stumbling back, but he didnโt 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. Leonโalways so calm, always so carefulโwas ruthless. He was like a force of nature, determined to protect me at all costs.But the fight wasnโt over yet. The man recovered, his eyes burning with rage. โYou really think youโve won?โ he spat, his voice dripping with venom. โYouโre nothing but a pawn in a game you canโt 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 lifeโmy familyโs betrayer, the one who had orchestrated their deathsโstood there, calmly, as if this was just another night for him.Leonโs grip on my hand tightened, but I didnโt 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 manโheโsmirked, watching us. โYou think this will end well? Youโve no idea what youโre up against. My people are everywhere.โI took a step forward, ignoring Leonโs silent plea to retreat. โYou killed them. And you thought I would be the next one to fall in line?โ My voice was a whisper, but it held a power I hadnโt realized I had. โYou were wrong.โThe manโs 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 fatherโs 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 blueprintsโplans 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 didnโt.N. Vallis.Leon leaned over. โYou know that name?โI shook my head. โNo. But look hereโhe signed off on the project two weeks before my parents died.โLeon pulled out his phone. โIโll run a background check.โI kept flipping through the documentsโand 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 Iโd expected. With the board fully on our side now, the paper trail unraveled like a thread pulled from an old sweaterโeach 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 heโd disappeared into smoke.But Dorian didnโt believe in ghosts. โHeโs hiding,โ he said as he handed me a thick folder. โAnd thisโthis will force him out.โI 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. โLetโs pay him a visit.โThe 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 nearbyโhe hadnโt 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 didnโt 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 weโre desperateโand she used it. I told Mariana to trust me. That this was the only way. God help me, I hope Iโm right.My breath hitched. Marianaโthat was my motherโs 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.โEliseโs father wasnโt bluffing,โ I breathed, my heart hammering. โHe had backup ready.โLeon 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 sharpโa painful reminder that I couldnโt afford to lose control now.โEliseโs father!โ I shouted to Leon. โHeโs escaping!โThrough 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.โGet down!โ Leonโs voice crackled through the earpiece again, but there was no time to obey. I couldnโt allow myself to hesitateโnot now, not when the truth was within reach.I raised my gun, my hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around me. I wasnโt going down without a fight, not after everything I had lost. Not after everything Eliseโs 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 manโs chest. His body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud, but the others didnโt 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 hadnโt sleptโnot 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 didnโt need to. The truth had cut so deep, it didnโt leave room for small talk.But I had questions.And I needed answers.โHow long do you think heโs known I survived?โ I finally asked, voice hoarse.Leon didnโt look away from his mug. โLong enough to start covering his tracks. But he didnโt expect the locket to resurface.โMy 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 meโher arm around my tiny shoulders, her smile soft but tired. A photo I hadnโt even remembered until last night.โHe killed her,โ I whispered. โHe killed my father. For what? A project?โโNot just a project,โ