~~~~
We stepped out of the restaurant and got into the car. He started the engine, and soon, we were on the road.
Despite the cold wind rushing through the window, my insides burned. The music blared from the car speakers—so loud that passing vehicles could probably hear it—but it wasn’t enough to drown out my thoughts.
No matter how hard I tried to push it aside, the pain lingered. Eric was nowhere to be found. I hadn’t asked about him, but he hadn’t bothered to come see me either. No messages. No calls. No attempts to explain or persuade me.
I guess that’s how much I meant to him.
I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears threatening to spill. I loved him. He was the first man—besides my father—that I had ever truly loved. My mother only ever loved one man in her life, and I thought it would be the same for me.
But I guess true love doesn’t exist.
I shook my head, pushing the thou
~~~Ignoring the many eyes staring at me, I sat quietly on the sofa.“Hmmm.” I sighed, scrolling through my phone. “It’s a beautiful day!” I smiled to myself.Just then, the so-called boss’s phone rang. He glanced at me, then back at the screen. After a few rings, he finally picked up.“Hello?” His voice was low and hesitant. “What? No, sir… I-I didn’t… it wasn’t—”I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but with how his face kept losing color and the way he suddenly shot up, trying to explain himself, I knew one thing—Big Joe had worked his magic.For the next few minutes, there was nothing but yelling, frantic excuses, and a lot of cursing. Then, the call ended abruptly.I turned my head toward the boss, and damn—he was sweating buckets.“Wow… You look pale. Are you okay?” I asked with a forced smile.Sam, who had been watching the scene unfold, frowned. “Boss? Is everything alright?”The man let out a shaky breath before collapsing back into his seat. But then, as if jo
~~~~“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty.” Nora’s voice drifted through my haze of sleep as she yanked open the curtains. Sunlight slashed through the room, stabbing at my closed eyelids. I groaned, rolling over, tugging the blanket higher over my head.“Hmmmm… Let me sleep, please.” My voice came out rough, raw from last night’s crying.Nora stilled for a second before asking. “Your voice is hoarse. Did you cry again?”I clenched my jaw. Silence.She sighed, the sound heavy, almost tired. “I’d love to leave you alone, but you need to get up and go about your business.” A pause. Then, softer, “You’ve been sleeping too much lately. Are you sure you’re alright?”The worries in her voice affected me more than I expected. I opened my eyes just a sliver, meeting her gaze.“I’m fine,” I muttered. “Just tired.”Liar.Nora crossed her arms, tilting her head, studying me the way she always did when she knew I was full of shit. The room smelled like faded perfume and sleep, my pillow still damps fr
Continuations~~~~~Before he could finish, my fist collided with his face. The crack of knuckles against bone was satisfying... handling farming tools for years taught me a lot of ways to put men like this in place.He stumbled back, cursing."How dare you?" I snapped, heat rushing through my veins.The first guy finally turned, his expression darkening as his gaze moved from his partner's bleeding nose to me."You hit me?" His voice was dangerously low, his eyes a furious shade of red.Sam just stared, mouth slightly open."Ahhh, I’m not about to let myself be talked down to by assholes who don’t even know the first thing about manners." My pulse thrummed as I stormed toward a nearby table, one decorated with expensive glassware and an overpriced bottle of wine.Without hesitation, I grabbed the bottle and—Bang!My hand slammed onto the table, sending everything crashi
~~~~That witch! So this was her plan all along…All right, Diana Lockwood, two can play this game. I was going to leave you and Eric alone, let you both wallow in your little mess, but since you want to fight dirty—let’s go. After all, I’m a farm girl. I’ve dealt with all kinds of dirt.“Mrs. Black, cat got your tongue?” Berry sneered, her lips curling in satisfaction.I turned my gaze to her, my anger simmering just beneath the surface. “No, dear. I’m just in absolute shock at what I’m looking at.”She smirked. “So what? Are you saying you’ve never seen this test result before? Because that’s not what Lockwood told me.” She leaned forward slightly. “I understand your feud, but seriously… are you going to deny this?”Diana…“Deny?” I let out a soft chuckle, leaning back in my chair. “Sweetheart, I hav
~~~~After my conversation with Dad, Mom called me with her conditions for accepting the deal. Since there was no real deal to begin with, I agreed without hesitation. The only thing that mattered was getting them out of Chicago.The following weeks were spent preparing for my family’s relocation. While pretending not to know what was happening, I focused on finalizing the renovations on their new home, making sure every detail was perfect. For the first time since I left home, I could finally do things on my own without begging or struggling. The excitement of it all nearly made me forget about Diana and her damn pregnancy.Everything was ready now. But I had chosen not to tell Nora or the Blacks about my family’s move—not yet, at least. It wasn’t necessary for them to know until the time was right.I called Sam to confirm the arrangements. “Everything is set on my end,” he assured me.“Should I pick them up at the airport?” he asked.“No, I want to be the one to do that. You’ve done
~~~~~ Nora, the ever-so-composed, always-in-control Nora Black, was crying. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks, her chest rising and falling with quiet, restrained sobs.For a brief moment, guilt twisted in my stomach. But then, I reminded myself—this wasn’t my fault. None of this was my doing.Before I could say anything, she started speaking again.“I’m sorry!” she choked out between sobs. “It’s just that I’m scared, Mary,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I’ve spent years protecting this family and its reputation, doing whatever it took. But to just watch it crumble like this… I don’t think I can handle it.”Her sobs grew heavier as she covered her face with both hands, shoulders shaking. “But this isn’t just about my reputation.”I folded my arms, unimpressed. “Oh, isn’t it?”She lifted her head, eyes red and glossy. “Eric is an idiot, I know that. But this… this is more than just a scandal. Diana has the entire media on her side now. If she keeps pushing this narrative, s
~~~~~“This is just not my day,” I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temple before grabbing my phone. With a sigh, I dialed Sam’s number.The phone barely rang twice before he picked up. “Hello, ma’am. You on your way now?” he asked, straight to the point.I exhaled sharply, already exhausted. “No, Sam. As a matter of fact, there’s a change of plan,” I said in frustration.“Oh…” Sam hesitated for a moment before continuing, “but we can’t send them back… the plane is already in the air.”I rolled my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “What? Of course, we’re not sending them back, Sam. Just—please—go to the airport and pick them up.”“Oh, okay,” he said quickly. “Should I drive them to the hostel?”“No. God, no,” I replied, exasperated. “Take them to the house, and whatever you do, don’t mention my name or say anything about meeting me. I still want it to be a surprise. When I’m done here, I’ll come to you, okay?”“Okay, Ma
Continuation~~~~While I was still bracing myself, a man who appeared to be the manager of the event approached her. “Ah, Ms. Nora, I’m glad you could make it,” he said, extending a hand.“Me too,” Nora responded confidently, shaking his hand.“Well, the stage is this way. The selected reporters are already here,” he informed her. Then, with barely concealed anticipation, he added, “Are you ready for this?” There was no sympathy in his voice—if anything, he sounded eager to watch her crumble; I just sat down there watching their exchange in silent, waiting for my queue to step in.Nora, fully aware of their intentions, simply smiled, feigning ignorance.“What?” she asked, tilting her head.“The interview, I mean. Are you ready for it?” he rephrased his question, his tone filled with artificial politeness. “We can always improvise,&
~~~~When we finally got to the mansion, I felt his hesitation again. Like his body was here, but his mind was somewhere else. Still, I took his hand and didn’t give him the choice to pull back. We got out of the car together.Just as I was reaching for the front door, it swung open from the inside. Nora came rushing out, out of breath, panic written all over her face.“Oh my God,” she gasped the moment she saw Eric. “You look thin. Eric, why are you so stubborn?”Her voice cracked slightly—she wasn’t trying to scold him; she was just scared. And honestly, who could blame her?I let out a long breath. “Not here, Nora,” I said, calmly. “Let’s go inside first.”Because the last thing I needed was to be on someone’s Instagram feed by morning.“Okay,” she nodded and stepped aside.We followed her in.But once the door shut behind us, it
~~~~I turned to Carol, eyes narrowed like blades.“You want to tell me what the hell is going on right now?”She flinched, visibly rattled. “Ma’am... I-I don’t understand—”I didn’t wait for her to finish. My gaze snapped back to the glass.Inside, Eric sat on the sofa, flipping through a stack of documents with visible tension in his jaw. Beside him, the client—some woman with more chest than shame—leaned in so close she was practically sitting on his lap. Her breasts brushed his arm, again and again, while she smiled like she owned him.Eric didn’t look at her. Not once. But the way his shoulders stiffened, the way he clenched the papers—he hated it.She didn’t care.She leaned even closer.Pressed harder.Smiled wider.Behind me, Carol whispered a stunned, “Oh my...”I didn’t move. “That’s
Continuations~~~~~~By the time morning came, I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. My muscles ached from all the running around, and mentally, I was just drained. I needed a moment. I needed to breathe.Without thinking too much, I got up and headed to the bathroom. “I’m beat,” I murmured as I slipped out of my nightwear and sank into the bathtub. There’s nothing more relaxing than soaking in rose-scented hot water. It’s heaven—like my bones were finally sighing in relief.I stayed there longer than I planned, just letting the heat melt everything away. When I finally got out, towel wrapped around me, I caught sight of the chaos I left behind the night before—twenty different outfits scattered across the bed.I sighed again.The thought of going to Black’s Enterprise had kept me up most of the night. It’s been months since I last saw Eric. And after that little stunt I p
~~~~~After that day, I spent the following week with my family—taking them out, making sure they got used to the new environment.I still needed to convince my mother that this place was far better than that dump.Although, to avoid confusion and the media, I had to take them to places where I wasn’t well recognized, always covering my face with sunglasses.Despite the fact that my family was here, and I was happy seeing the way Lisa and Lora’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the new clothes, shoes, and accessories I got for them, I couldn’t shake this feeling deep in my chest. Despite the joy of being reunited with my family, I felt... disconnected, like I was smiling on the outside but drowning inside.Since that call from Nora, my mind and heart have been a storm of confusion and guilt. I pretended to be okay for the sake of my family, but no matter how many times I told myself to focus on them, my thoughts kept circling back to Eric.I worried about his health. I wondered if he wa
Continuations~~~~~~My ring… my wedding ring.I thought I’d hidden it well.He held it out to me, his hand hovering in the air, while I just stood there, staring at it like it had grown teeth. My fingers didn’t move.Sighing, he gently took my hand and placed the ring in my palm. Then, keeping his hand over mine, he looked straight at me.“You’re grown now, Mary. And there’s a part of you—no matter how much we love you—that we no longer know,” he said calmly, but with a heaviness in his voice that only a father could carry. “Still, no matter how old you get, there are some decisions you shouldn’t make without talking to us first. You know that, right?”Shit. He figured it out just from the ring?“Yes, Papa… I do,” I murmured, nodding. “And I promise, when the time is right, I’ll tell you everything… all the parts of me you don’t know yet. But please, for now… just don’t tell Mother. Not yet.”“Of course,” he said gently. “I’ll wait until you’re ready to talk. But don’t take too long,
~~~~But of course, my mother wasn’t done. She never was. She always loved having the final say.Just to confirm my suspicion, she turned back to me, arms folded and tone firmer than ever.“Yes, I’ll say it again… we’re not settling here,” she stated with finality. “After we’ve saved enough, we’re going back home—and that’s final.”“Okay, I know I’m not supposed to interrupt when the elders are talking, but…” Lisa cut in, raising her hand a little.“Sorry, but I’m not going back to Chicago,” she announced plainly.“Me too,” Lora added quickly. “I like it here.”“Enough,” Mom snapped at them, her voice sharp. “This isn’t up for discussion.”I turned to my father, desperate.“Dad! You’re not saying anything. Are you seriously going to let all
~~~~For the first time in years, I felt safe, loved, and at ease—this was truly where I belonged. In my mother’s arms.“Mother… Mo… ther… Oh, Mom!” I wailed, like a child who had been abandoned, even though I was the one who had left.The years of separation, the pain, all of it came rushing back, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. Slowly, I lifted my head from my mother’s chest, and I saw Lara and Lisa frozen in place, both of them crying, smiling through their tears.“Hey…” I managed to choke out, raising a shaky hand toward them. “Don’t leave me hanging,” I whispered through a tearful smile.“Sis…” Lisa and Lara cried, their voices breaking as they rushed toward me.And then, we cried together, the weight of all the years apart crashing over us like a wave.Then there were heavy footsteps, and my heart lurched at the sound. “What’s going on? I heard screams,” my father’s voice rang out, followed by the door bursting open. His worried expression turned to confusion as he looked from
~~~~As I got closer to the top of the stairs, I could hear laughter and chatter coming from one of the rooms—the twin bedroom. The room I had specially prepared for Lisa and Lora. I should’ve felt joy, but instead, all I felt was fear.Funny how I felt more scared seeing my family again than I did standing in front of the whole world defending Eric Black’s unfaithfulness.I paused for a moment, catching my reflection in the windowpane. I had never felt so small, not even when I was still the innocent little Mary.Yes, I looked more beautiful now—refined, mature, confident—but for some reason, the thought of meeting my mother’s eyes made my knees weak. She was my mother, the woman I grew up watching, learning from, and admiring. But if she found out what I had done—how I’d gone against everything she and Dad raised me to believe in... I couldn’t even imagine what would happen.Worse still—
~~~~Sam took a deep breath. If it hadn’t been for the fact that he witnessed how she overpowered his boss with just a single call, he wouldn’t have believed her to be connected to a powerful man like Eric Black of the Black Empire, let alone being his wife.Of all the celebrities he had come across, who seemed to control wealth without needing to be told—just from their appearance, their cars, and the guards surrounding them—you could tell they held wealth beyond your wildest imagination. That was why, when he first saw her and heard that she was a Black, Sam had questioned it and even thought she might be a scammer. How could someone with so much wealth to rule the world be so simple? He would never understand.While Sam was still deep in thought, Mrs. Johnson appeared out of nowhere, scaring him out of his thoughts.“So, how long do we have to wait here?” she asked.“Jeez, woman, don’t do that!&rdq