MaybellineNext day. Monday 8:30 am.“She’s the one,”“This is the first time I’m actually seeing her at the office”“Yeah, she looks so innocent behind would have known,”The moment I stepped into the office building, I sensed something was off. Conversations died down, replaced by hushed murmurs and sidelong glances. I brushed it off, it was probably just in my head, but as I walked further, the stares intensified, growing more obvious, more uncomfortable.I fumbled in my bag, pulled out my employee card, signed in, and headed toward the elevator. When the doors slid open, I stepped in—and everyone else instinctively shifted away, pressing against the walls. The silence was unsettling, and I could feel each and everyone of their gazes on me. When the elevator finally reached my floor, I stepped out, heart racing. What’s going on?I pushed open the door to my office. Betsy was already at her desk, I could not see her face but her posture looked stiff, her eyes darting up to meet min
Maybelline.“May!, go get us some drinks, would you?” Sasha, My sister-in-law’s voice broke through the soft music playing throughout the wedding hall, sharp and commanding. Her words weren’t a request, they never were. I felt myself twitch at the suddenness of her voice but I nodded quickly, got up to my feet, and turned toward the bar. As I walked away, I heard snickers, and whispers behind my back from her and her friends.“Why is she even here?” One of her friend asked, her tone dripping with disdain. It’s the same question I’ve asked myself a hundred times tonight. Why am I here? They already told me previously that the wedding would be for intimate family and friends, and I wasn’t an intimate family even though I was married to their brother. It was the wedding of my brother older sister -Nelly. She was quite older than my husband and I with about five years so I didn’t really know her, she was based overseas, she came back few months ago because of the wedding.I ignored th
Maybelline.The slap sent a sharp sting across my cheek, leaving me momentarily stunned. My hand flew up to the burning spot as I stared at Nelly in disbelief, her eyes wild with rage, tears smearing her mascara. The entire hall had gone silent, with every pair of eyes staring at me with something more than a look of disguise, the kind of glare you’d give someone who would wants to snatch her husband elder sister’s husband. "How dare you?!" Nelly screamed, her voice breaking at her last word. "How dare you try to ruin my marriage?!""I—I don't even know him!" I stammered, my voice trembling with shock and fear. Sasha walked up to us immediately and shoved her sister aside carefully, “Let me deal with her,” she mumbled to her sister “Liar!" she spat turning to me as she raised her hands and slapped me hard across my face, my purse and shoes fell out of my hands immediately as I staggered backwards wincing in excruciating pain."I had always told my brother you were nothing but a sl
Maybelline.My heart slammed against my ribcage as I jolted upright, the initial heaviness I felt disappearing into thin air. A cold wave of realization washed over me and every single thing that happened to me yesterday began rushing back in.There he was, sitting calmly in a chair near the window, his gaze piercingly fixed on me. The man who did the job of shattering my almost ruined life. The man I had prayed I dreamt of and will never see again. I instinctively wrapped my arms around my abdomen, the memory of the sharp pain from last night made my heart lurch. “My baby,” I whispered, my voice coming out hoarse and stricken with panic. “Is my baby okay?” I stuttered, his expression didn’t change as he stood up, slowly walking toward me.“Your baby is fine,” he said, his voice calm and calculated, relief washed over me, my baby was fine and that’s all that mattered.“It was a miscarriage scare and you shouldn’t be stressing. You were lucky I was there.” I looked up at him with
Two hours later..“This is the room you’d be staying in,” Nelly’s husband or should I say ex fiance whose name I found out to be Grayson said to me. I slowly looked up at him, rolled my eyes to the back of my head and looked away.“Thank you,” I mumbled barely audibly as I dragged my box and pushed it inside the room, I dropped my bag in a corner in the room and slowly turned to the entrance, he was still standing there.“Want to say something to me?!” I asked, he slowly tucked his hands into his pocket and stared deep down into my eyes.“Let’s not pretend like you don’t know why you’re here, Revenge?! Are you game?!” He asked, I slowly turned fully, holding the handle of my box with both of my hands, “If I say no, will you still let me stay here?” I responded, he chuckled, raising the corner of his lips in a dry grin.“You should think about it well,” he replied and with that he turned around and walked away, shutting the door with a soft thud. I exhaled deeply as I slowly let go
Maybelline. 8:45am … I groaned in my sleep as I slowly turned in my bed, I folded my legs in a fetal position and softly stretched out, my joints released addicting popping sounds as I stretched out. My body felt sore and it ached. My eyes slowly fluttered open and I stared at the ceiling with pursed lips and I sighed deeply. I felt really reluctant to go to work, not with the pain in my body or the trauma I’m currently going through. You’d be going through life issues and your employer would still expect you to show up at work like everything is good when clearly everything has gone bad!. But what can I do? I don’t plan to stay in Grayson’s house for too long. The Tanners already blocked the credit card I had in their name, if I wanted to earn a decent living I needed to work. I slowly picked up my phone, immediately my eyes came in contact with the time written in hold on the phone screen I shot up from the bed with a start. Five minutes to nine?! How I didn’t not realize th
Grayson.“Don’t worry about what happened last week, I’ve taken care of it, it didn’t make its way to the media!” I said to her, she nodded in reply, I slowly let go of her hands and stepped away. I watched her turn around and walk away, I stood staring at her retreating figure until she was no longer in sight.My phone beeped with a message, I gently reached for for inner pocket and took it out, it was a message from Elena, -Miss May did not have anything to eat before leaving- the text read, I slowly looked up from my phone and glanced back up at the route she had just taken.“What do I do with this girl,” I murmured as I gently tucked my phone in my pocket, “What are you doing standing here alone?!” I heard a very familiar voice say behind me, I turned to see Cole and Becky behind me.All three of us are close friends from the university and to the outside world apparently. Cole and I co-own Nash and Ko. Ko from his name Cole but replacing the letter C with K just because. Cole a
Maybelline.I exhaled as we all walked back into our office, I pulled out my chair in my own cubicle and dropped heavily on it, my leg ached badly, I reached downwards and took off my heels. I didn’t even have the chance to sit for a while or eat immediately I stepped into the office. My stomach mumbled in hunger but considering the pain in my leg and how tired I was to actually stand up and go all the way to a nearby restaurant to get food? I’d rather sit in my chair and rest.“Delivery for Miss Maybelline Russet,” A loud voice called out at the entrance, everybody turned to look at the entrance, a dispatch rider was standing there, “Aren’t you Maybelline Tanner?!” Betsy, my colleague sitting next to me said, I spluttered in an attempt to speak, I gently pushed my chair backwards and got up to my feet.“Russet is my maiden name,” I muttered shyly as I walked up to him and took the order from him. I muttered thank you to him and carefully walked back to my seat. Took my seat and pull
MaybellineNext day. Monday 8:30 am.“She’s the one,”“This is the first time I’m actually seeing her at the office”“Yeah, she looks so innocent behind would have known,”The moment I stepped into the office building, I sensed something was off. Conversations died down, replaced by hushed murmurs and sidelong glances. I brushed it off, it was probably just in my head, but as I walked further, the stares intensified, growing more obvious, more uncomfortable.I fumbled in my bag, pulled out my employee card, signed in, and headed toward the elevator. When the doors slid open, I stepped in—and everyone else instinctively shifted away, pressing against the walls. The silence was unsettling, and I could feel each and everyone of their gazes on me. When the elevator finally reached my floor, I stepped out, heart racing. What’s going on?I pushed open the door to my office. Betsy was already at her desk, I could not see her face but her posture looked stiff, her eyes darting up to meet min
Maybelline. Next Morning, Sunday. 7:00am.The morning light filtered softly through the curtains as I blinked awake, stretching out in the bed, only to realize Grayson was no longer beside me. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and found him standing by the dresser, already dressed in a sharp suit, adjusting his tie in the mirror. He noticed me watching him, and a soft smile crossed his face. "Good morning, Beautiful." I managed a drowsy smile, pulling the covers around me as I took in the sight of him. "Already up and dressed? It’s early Sunday morning," I grumbled. He chuckled, crossing over to the bed and leaning down to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I’d love to stay . There’s a client I have to meet today, he’s leaving town today. I might be back late"A pang of disappointment mixed with a hint of pride tugged at me. "How about breakfast, at least?" I asked, reaching out to touch his hand. He took my hand, squeezing it gently. "I wish I could, but I’ll grab something on the w
MaybellineSaturday, 8:30 AM“Since Thursday, this guy has been pounding on my door, trying to get me to talk to him!” Betsy’s voice crackled through my phone, her frustration evident.“If someone says they’re not interested, shouldn’t you just leave them alone?” she muttered irritably. I covered the pot on the stove and turned to glance at my phone, placed on a small tabletop tripod in the mini-dining area. This was our Saturday ritual—if I wasn’t at Betsy’s place, we’d spend almost the whole day on video, catching up on everything and nothing. Like we didn’t see each other throughout the week.Through the camera, I watched her unpack groceries, the familiar ease of her movements making me smile. She was fuming.“Betsy, maybe you should at least hear him out?” I suggested gently. “He might have realized his mistakes, and letting him apologize could bring closure. Maybe then he’d leave you alone.” She paused, her gaze narrowing playfully as she turned to the camera. “Whose side are
MaybellineNext day, Friday. 1:30pm"What a ride that was!" I exclaimed excitedly with a bright smile. "I don’t know about you, but I’ve laughed, and I’ve learned more about love from our incredible couple than I ever thought possible."“A round of applause to our beautiful couple, Luna and Novan Maxwell” I paused, the audience’s applause took over. I glanced at the couple and they were all smiles as they waved at the audience. They looked so good together and I could not help but admire how well they knew each other and how very in sync they are.“Tonight’s show was all about reminding ourselves of the power of connection—of the joy, the laughter, and, yes, sometimes the tears that love brings to our lives.” I continued as the applause subsided.“And none of it would be possible without each of you, tuning in week after week, sharing in these stories, and cheering our guests on." The room erupted in cheers and applause again. My smile softened as I looked up directly into the camera
Meanwhile,Fred.“How about my wife?!” I asked the nurse as she changed my drip. They insisted I stay in the hospital two days to rest properly even after I said I was fine. “I have no idea sir. She left as soon as she dropped you,” she replied, I nodded thoughtfully in reply and she quietly kept at what she was doing.“How long does it take for the belly bump of a pregnant woman to be very visible,” I suddenly asked, she paused and slowly looked down at me. “It’s different for different body types.”“Some women's baby bumps start to become visible around three months, some other women probably five or six months. So I can’t really say,” she replied and I nodded slowly. It’s only been one month and probably three weeks since Maybelline left. She’s obviously still carrying my child. I need to see her as soon as possible.“Why are you suddenly asking questions about pregnancy!” I slowly looked up at the door to see Nora standing there. She held her bag on her elbow with her hands fold
Later that Evening.6:30 pmMaybelline. I wiped my hands dry with the napkin as I turned to the mini dinning in the kitchen and picked up my phone. It was a call from Tyler. “Tyler!” I called out immediately and I answered the call.“I’m so sorry, I should have called you but I’ve been so busy with work I barely had time,” I said all at once.“It’s very fine. There’s no need to apologize, I knew you’d be very busy, that’s why I held off on calling too” he said, I slowly moved closer to a stool by the dinning and took my seat on it. “Yeah, So, what’s the update?! How did it go?!” I asked him. “If you’d be free tonight, let’s meet and talk?!” He asked, I rubbed the back of my head, it wouldn’t have been an issue before but now that Grayson and I are together, I definitely can’t just leave the house without first explaining. “Huhhh— I — I’m —““Love! I’m home!”“Babe!” I heard Grayson yell all the way from the entrance.“Babe?!” Tyler asked immediately.“Huhh—““Babe!” I heard Grayso
Maybelline I felt the lightest, feathery kiss on my forehead, and a slow warmth spread through me as I stirred awake. My eyes fluttered open to find myself wrapped in Grayson’s arms, his embrace tender and protective, and I couldn’t help but smile at the comfort of being held by him all night. I only came in to kiss him goodnight yesterday’s night, after that he insisted that he wanted me to sleep by his side. I wanted it too, so he didn’t have to persuade me for too long. Here we are."Good morning, my sunshine," he murmured, his voice deep and husky from sleep. His eyes sparkled as he looked down at me, and I reached up, my fingers tracing slow, loving patterns along his jaw, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my touch."I could get used to waking up like this," I whispered, and he chuckled softly, his hand moving to cradle the back of my head as he threaded his fingers through my hair with care.“Then move in with me,” he said, his voice a quiet, earnest plea that sent butter
Grayson. “Since when?!”“Why didn’t you tell us!” Becky exclaimed immediately. I told her that Maybelline and I are dating already. We were on video call, my phone was on a table top tripod with my laptop beside it.“Well, I was going to. But there was never a perfect time,” I said to her, her lips stretched into a smile. “Finally. I’m happy for you ” she giggled and I nodded slowly. “I’m happy too,” suddenly the screen splitted into two and Katrina’s Video appeared. “What are the both of you discussing,” Katrina said as she raised a piece of pancake and bit into it. “We’re discussing how to sell you off. Since you no longer know how to keep quiet,” I replied immediately, the corner of her lips raised in a small sneer as she bit into her pancake again and chewed slowly. “Guys, I have exciting news for you!”“What is it?! You met someone new?!” I replied not matching her energy, I definitely knew that was what she was on to, her eyes slowly rolled to me and she glared at me.“I
Maybelline. After Work. “When you said something nice, I didn’t think that it’d be this — Nice” Grayson said after he pulled out my chair and rounded the table to sit. He carefully sat like the chair would break under his full weight. I chuckled lightly at this.“I know this is not what you’re used to, but their food is good and not expensive” I said to him and he nodded slowly in reply. “If you say so,” he replied, shortly after, the owner of the shop walked up to us. Her eyes lit up immediately when she saw me.“Belline,” she called, my lips stretched into a wide smile as I got up to my feet and pulled her into a small hug.“It’s been ages. I hope you’re good!” She said as we disengaged and I nodded in reply, my lips still stretched into a wide smile. She slowly turned to look at Grayson and then backed up at me.“You came with someone today, who is he?!” She asked.“He’s the Pre …” My gaze slowly flickered to Grayson, he sighed slowly and gently looked away from me.“He’s my boy