PRESENTIvy's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "Why did Jeremy follow you into your room like that?" she asked, but Irene just chuckled bitterly, her eyes glinting with a mix of sadness and amusement."You're intrigued, aren't you?" she asked, brushing off Ivy's question as she slumped back on the sofa. "You know it's your fault. If you hadn't storm off from the house, maybe, just maybe, mother would still be alive."Ivy's confusion deepened as she could sense the pain and resentment in Irene's voice. "How could you say that, Irene?" Ivy said, feeling a knot form in her stomach as she realized that Irene was once again blaming her for their mother's death. Yeah, she always does, ever since her death, and she couldn't quite grasp how it was her fault.Ivy was well aware that her words had hurt her mother, and she felt guilty for that, but Irene kept rubbing it in her face as if she wanted Ivy to feel responsible for their mother's passing. Ivy's mind flashed back to that fateful da
The sound of Jeremy's body crashing to the floor reverberated throughout the whole room, making Irene's eyes dilate in both relief and shock. Irene could hear her mother's heavy breathing behind her, and she turned around. Her eyes widened further when she met the gruesome sight. "M... Mother?" she stuttered, slowly climbing to her feet as her gaze wandered over the bloody Jeremy. There was a deep gash in Jeremy's side, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and her knees buckled, but she managed to stay upright. The sound of her mother's labored breathing grew louder, and Irene's gaze snapped back to Margaret, her face etched with concern. "Mother... Mother, are you okay?" Irene asked quickly, rushing off to Margaret's side. Margaret enveloped Irene in a tight embrace, her breathing steadying as she looked away from Jeremy, whose hands were sliding to the side of his abdomen, squirming in pain. Irene held her mother tight
"D-Dad, please calm down—" Irene stuttered, her voice trembling. She attempted to plead again, but Steve abruptly cut her off. "Calm down? YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN!" he hollered, his breath shuddering with rage. Irene and Margaret stepped back as Steve's fury seemed to fill the entire room. Irene's eyes welled up with tears as she tried to reason with him again. "D-Dad, please... Jeremy needs help." As much as she hated to be concerned for Jeremy after what he had done, she had to divert Steven's attention to the dire situation. "We need to take him to the hospital." Steve's face twisted in anguish, and for a moment, Irene thought she saw a glimmer of the father she knew. He looked down at Jeremy's limp body, and his expression faltered. With a Herculean effort, Steve seemed to rein in his temper. "Call... call an ambulance," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. Irene nodded hastily, grabbing her phone to dial 911. As she spoke to the operator, Steve gently lifted
END OF FLASHBACK Ivy felt a lump form in her throat, her eyes widening in shock. "That's ...." She paused,her voice trembling with both fear and sadness. Ivy's eyes welled up with tears as she struggled to process the horrific truth that Irene had just spilled. She felt as if her breath had been knocked out of her. She stumbled backward, as if trying to escape the reality of her father's actions. "So that's what happened. Is that the truth?" Ivy whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. She looked at Irene, her eyes pleading for reassurance that this was all just a terrible nightmare. But Irene's somber expression only confirmed the worst. "You still won't believe," Irene said, her eyes filled with tears. "That your precious father gripped your mother's throat and slammed her against the wall," Irene finished, her voice cracking with emotion. "He took the life of the one person who loved and cared for him the most, and then he had the audacity to pretend like nothing happen
Zack's eyes were fixed on the phone screen, his brow furrowed in concern. He had been trying to reach Ivy for hours, but she wasn't picking up his calls. The relentless tapping of the driver's hand on the steering wheel was starting to get on his nerves."Can you please stop that?" Zack spat, his voice tinged with frustration.The driver's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. "Sorry, sir, just a habit," he muttered, his hand stilled on the wheel.Zack's gaze drifted back to the phone screen, his mind racing with worry. He tried calling Ivy again, his fingers drumming impatiently on the armrest as the call went straight to voicemail. A cold dread seeped into his veins. Why wasn't she answering? It had been over two hours since she left. He stayed in the same place where the driver dropped Ivy off and had been watching the direction Ivy had taken, but she still hadn't returned, and it was already dusk."Step on it," Zack said, his voice laced with a sense of urgency. "Go closer to the d
"Where could she have gone?" Zack muttered under his breath, his voice laced with frustration and fear."Xavier!" he called, massaging his temples. To be honest, he was lost on where to find Ivy."Sir." Xavier raced down the stairs, his movements hurried as he could sense something was off with his master."Was Ivy here?" Zack asked, his eyes wide with hope, but Xavier's response shattered it to pieces.He massaged his temples again, thinking just maybe... maybe she's okay, maybe she's just ignoring me, maybe she's... no, no, no, think, Zack, think... where would she go? Who would she turn to? Irene? No, she was just with Irene, and Irene said she left... left where? Left to go where? His mind was a jumbled mess, thoughts racing in every direction, none of them making sense... Ivy, where are you?Suddenly, his eyes flashed with realization. Judy! Her aunt Judy! Ivy had always been close to her aunt, and it seemed Judy was one of the few people who truly understood her, even though he
Fifteen-year-old Ivy's feet wobbled, drained from all the running, as she pushed through the door of her home. She panted heavily, catching her breath and meeting the stunned silence in the house.It was odd; she had expected to see her mother standing in the doorway, ready to scold her for running off like that, or perhaps to be welcomed by her sister's taunts, but there was nothing.She raised her head only to find the living room empty."Mum? Irene?" she called, scanning the room, but then someone else emerged—someone she didn't expect to see."Dad? Dad!" She kicked off her shoes and enveloped him in a tight embrace. "I've been looking for you, Dad. Where were you?"Steve pulled away, his expression somber. "I, um..." he began, his gaze on Ivy's face faltering. Ivy noticed the way his voice quaked; her eyes scanned his face, and she caught his hand trembling at his side."Dad, why the face?" Ivy asked, concern etched on her face.Steve looked away without responding; his eyes seeme
Irene stepped into her house, closing the door behind her as if trying to shut out the world. She stood still for a moment, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.Everything around felt hollow. If she knew recollection of the past would cause her this emptiness, she wouldn't have done it. Now she felt like she had traveled back to the past experiences she wanted to shut out for so long."Hey, why are you back so late? It's midnight," Dave sprang up from the couch, but then he noticed the distant look in Irene's eyes. "Irene?"Irene didn't respond. She just walked past him, her feet carrying her on autopilot to the bedroom. Dave's eyes followed her, concern etched on his face."Irene, what's wrong?" he asked, getting up from the couch to follow her.Irene stopped in front of the bedroom door, her hand on the doorknob. She turned to face Dave, her eyes empty and haunted."Nothing," she said flatly, "just tired."With that, she slammed the door
Ivy refused to sit back and let things unfold before her eyes. Though she hadn't recovered from the trauma of her past, she had to take action.Ivy concealed her plan from Zack and her decision to investigate on her own. She needed Zack, but there were actions to be taken without Zack's help.So, the next day as Zack left the office, Ivy put on a brave face, not wanting to arouse any suspicion and also to avoid the retort of a therapist. She waited until Zack was out of sight, and with a sense of purpose and trepidation, Ivy dialed Irene's number.The line went through, and Irene's voice sounded with a hint of irritation."What do you want now?"Ivy ignored Irene's icy tone and got to her point."Let's meet up at the French bistro," she said flatly, leaving no room for protest.Irene chuckled at Ivy's slightly commanding tone, intrigued by whatever reason Ivy might have."What do you want?" Irene repeated, exasperation creeping into her voice."I'd rather discuss that in person, and I
As Zack swept her into their bedroom, Ivy's heart skipped a beat, racing with anticipation. She felt the wall against her back as Zack's strong hands pinned her in place."Late noon sex won't be so bad after all," Ivy teased as she felt Zack's hands cradle her hips, lifting her higher, his fingers digging gently into her skin.Ivy was breathless as her body was pressed closer to Zack's, their faces merely inches apart. The movement sent a thrill through her, and she felt her body responding at all turns."I'm glad you like the ideas," Zack finally spoke, a soft whisper in her ears, as he held her suspended, her hips at his mercy.Ivy's lips parted slightly, her body leaning into him. Her heart throbbed. Instinctively, she found her hand already wrapping around Zack's neck, pulling him close.She knew she should probably pull back, as it wasn't their usual position, but she couldn't help herself. She was drawn to Zack, and she didn't realize it at first, but she needed him right now. H
"Yeah, I don't see tears on your cheek," Susan said, her voice laced with sarcasm as she gently wiped away the tears streaming down Ivy's face.Ivy's eyes widened in embarrassment, and she quickly looked away, trying to compose herself.Susan's expression softened, and she wrapped her arms around Ivy, pulling her into a warm hug. "It's okay, Ivy. Let it all out. I'm here for you."Ivy's resistance crumbled, and she buried her face in Susan's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. Susan held her close, whispering words of comfort and reassurance as Ivy finally allowed herself to release the emotions she had been bottling up for so long.As Ivy cried, Susan stroked her hair, murmuring softly, "That's it... Don't worry about the time; we have all day."After what felt like an eternity, Ivy's sobs finally subsided, and she pulled back from Susan, her face red and puffy from crying. Susan handed her a tissue, and Ivy blew her nose, feeling a little more composed."I'm sorry," Ivy said, her voic
Susan's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly composed herself and hurried around to the driver's side of the car. "Okay, Ivy, let's get out of here," she said softly, starting the engine.Meanwhile, Anna merely stood by, observing as Ivy's car disappeared into the distance. It appeared that her pleasant chat with Ivy would need to be postponed, as it was clear that Ivy had her own issues to address. Anna sighed and shook her head, feeling a pang of concern for Ivy. She had no idea what was going on but made a mental note to reach out to Ivy later and check in on her.As she turned to head back to her own car with her PA, she noticed a figure watching her from across the parking lot. It was a man, and the moment their eyes met, the man turned away and hurried out of the parking lot."I think that's a paparazzo," her PA suddenly spoke up from behind her, having also noticed the man."Or a journalist," Anna remarked. "Either way, we should be careful," Anna continued, her eyes scann
Ivy blinked incredulously as she stared at her father. Was he being serious? "You want me to lie under oath and perjure myself to save Jeremy's skin?" she spat, her voice trembling with rage.Steve's expression remained impassive, as though nothing else mattered to him. "I'm not asking you to lie, Ivy," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "I'm asking you to... refrain from testifying for the sake of our family, and I promise I'll make sure that after Jeremy serves just a few years, he will never bother you again."Ivy laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? After everything he has done, you want to manipulate the whole situation and lighten his sentence?"Steve's face darkened, and for a moment, Ivy thought she saw a flicker of anger in his eyes. But then, his expression smoothed out again, and he spoke in a tone that was almost... reasonable."Ivy, listen to me. Jeremy made a mistake, okay? He's sorry for what he did, and he's willing to face the consequences. But if you testi
Susan's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly nodded and signaled to the host that Ivy was ready to continue. Ivy took a deep breath, smoothing out her dress and pasting a bright smile on her face. She was determined to get through this, no matter what.As she walked back onto the stage, the audience applauded again, and Ivy waved, her smile never wavering. The host greeted her warmly and introduced the next segment of the show. Meanwhile, Ivy's eyes scanned the audience, her gaze locking onto her father and aunt, who were still sitting in the front row.Instantly, Ivy's anger and resentment simmered again, but she took a deep breath, determined to keep her cool. She was going to get through this, and she was going to make sure that her father and aunt didn't ruin it for her. They really had guts showing up here; whatever the reason, it didn't seem good.With a newfound sense of determination, Ivy refocused on the show, answering the host's questions with poise and confidence. She
Two days flew by in a whirlwind of preparations for the talk show. Ivy's days were filled with rehearsals, interviews, and wardrobe fittings. Susan was a constant presence, guiding Ivy through the process. Zack, on the other hand, kept a low profile, but Ivy could sense his eyes on her, watching her every move. It was as though he was scrutinizingly waiting for any mishap.As the day of the talk show approached, Ivy's nerves began to fray. She had always been comfortable in the spotlight, but this time felt different. She couldn't shake the feeling that facing an audience was a terrible idea. It wasn't supposed to be the case, but with everything that had happened lately, she needed time to heal. The nightmare and recollection had been haunting her; it worsened, and it was taking a toll on her appearance.Her eyes were always moist from crying late in the night despite her resolve not to shed tears. She couldn't brush off the pain, grief, and guilt that was eating her up.With thought
Zack shot out of bed and made his way to the door. Meanwhile, as Ivy watched him go, she felt a sense of trepidation. Who could be visiting her now?As Zack opened the door, he spoke in a low tone to Xavier. Ivy couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she could tell that Zack was not happy.After a moment, Zack turned and walked back into the room, his expression grim as he locked eyes with Ivy."It's your manager."*****Meanwhile, Susan had already made herself at home in the living room, sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of water that Xavier had offered her.As Zack entered the room, Susan stood up, a bright smile plastered on her face. "Zack," she said, extending a manicured hand. "It's so good to see you."Zack's expression remained grim, and he ignored Susan's outstretched hand. "What are you doing here, Susan?" he asked bluntly.Susan's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "I came to see Ivy, of course," she said matter-of-factly. "I've been tr
Zack and Ivy exchanged glances, wondering who it could be. But then Ivy began to have a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I can take a rough guess," she said, slumping back on the bed and mouthing, "Judy." Zack's expression hardened, and he quickly got up from the bed and strode out of the room. "Let her in," he instructed Xavier, and Xavier nodded and hastened down the stairs. Zack followed suit. Judy was allowed in shortly meanwhile Zack had already taken a seat in the living room, his expression twisted in annoyance as he locked eyes with her. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice flat, as if bored by her presence. Judy's eyes were soft and gentle, scanning the whole room, expecting to see Ivy, but there was no sign of her. "Where is she?" Judy asked, her voice slightly trembling, her eyes scanning the room again as if hoping to catch a glimpse of Ivy. Zack's expression remained impassive, his arms crossed over his chest. "She's not available to see you right now,"