LISTOWEL’S POV I slowed down my pace so that I could keep a safe distance. I know how worked out she's going to be if she sees me. And that would be the last thing I will want to happen. Occasionally stealing glances at her, my chest ached from longing. Just when I was about to avert my gaze from hers, I witnessed an unusual encounter. A man, suspiciously wearing a black playsuit approached Melissa.MELISSA’S POVMy previous encounter with Wendy had me boiling with anger even when after I woke up this morning. I’ve always lived my life without regrets but currently, I’m beginning to hate the day I accepted LISTOWEL’S offer to be his contract wife. Yes, it is true that my life was rocky and gloomy at that time but the consequences of getting involved with Listowel are gradually becoming overwhelming.After much reflection on the chaotic life I’ve had these past few days, I decided to descend to the park downstairs and exercise a bit while getting things off my mind. Forty-five mi
MELISSA’S POV The wailing of sirens filled the air. At long last, the paramedics were here. I wiped the tears on my face before turning to look in the way of the ambulance. “Hang in there okay, you'll be treated soon,” I said in a tone that was so comforting for someone I claim to hate. The crowd pointed in our direction and the ambulance also followed along. Some men in their uniforms brought out a wheel bed that had IV drips attached to it. When they reached our side, they carried Listowel from my lap and put him on the bed before moving him to the car. “Are you coming along?” one of them asked when he realized I was standing still staring at them with tears in my eyes. “Yes, yes,” I responded before rushing to board the ambulance as well. In the ambulance, I knelt beside him while rubbing the back of his palms. Staring at Listowel’s face, a pang of guilt pierced through my heart causing me to pray silently that nothing bad happens to him. WENDY’S POV Laying do
WENDY’S POV Clinton attempted to calm me down but I didn't budge. Not until I have gotten to know why the person saved Melissa. “Is there a possibility that it was deliberate or perhaps an accident?” This question kept pricking my mind several times so I knew I had to get answers to it by hook or crook. Grabbing my phone, “Enter his number,” I demanded, shoving it into Clinton’s hands. “Whose number?” my blood started boiling as he asked. I cut him a deadly glare which immediately got him back to his senses. His fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard as he entered his boy’s contact. Snatching the phone and pressing it to my ears, I rushed my hands through my hair as I waited for him to answer. Soon, “Hello?” Clinton’s guy deep voice resounded from the other line. “Yeah… it's Wendy. Can you give me more details on the guy that came to save Melissa? Was it an accident or deliberate action?” “Ummm… I can't tell if he is related to the Melissa girl or whatever her na
MELISSA’S POV “You will need to wait here, ma’am.” This is what the doctor had told me when they sent Listowel to the theatre two hours ago. I had to sign the authorization form by myself. Just as Listowel had instructed. He refused to give out any of his relative's contacts so I just had to do it. My left foot consistently tapped on the floor as I anxiously waited for the operation to be over. Everything in me can attest to the fact that this is the longest two hours of my life. I've been staring at the entrance to the Theatre for hours now, hoping that at least a nurse would walk through the door and tell me Listowel is fine. Just when I was about to avert my gaze, the door finally swung open. My heart leaped into my throat as I stood up on my feet and rushed towards the doctor. “How is he doing? Is he still in pain?” The words flew out of my mouth as fast as I thought of it. “Please calm down. Mr. Gordon is stable now.” The nurse revealed and I instantly felt as i
MELISSA’S POV My fingers halted in their tracks as Listowel’s eyes suddenly flared open. Without a second thought, I withdrew my hands from his face but he managed to hold my wrist mid-air. “Could it be that he heard me?” I thought in my head as I tried to wrestle myself free from his grip. Clearing my throat, “you're awake?” I nervously asked, my voice shaking. A smile swept across Listowel’s face as his gaze swung left and right on my face. “You… you’re here,” he mumbled. I felt relieved as soon as his deep voice hit my ears. My vision was blurred with tears as I answered him, “Of course I will be here. You nearly died because of me, you idiot.” The smile on his face broadened and something flickered in his eyes when he noticed that I was crying. “Why are you crying? Which of us is the patient here?” he teased. Sniffing back, I replied, “I’m not crying. It just… hormones..” His hand shot up, wiping the tears from the corner of my eyes. “Melissa,” he weakly mention
LISTOWEL’S POV I sat upright on my bed, scrolling through my phone as Melissa also lay down on the couch. I noticed the stress drawn all over her face so I asked her to sleep for a while. My mind trailed back to the sheet Melissa had handed to me earlier. When Melissa asked me if it was content, I had lied to her that it wasn’t anything important and that the jerk who had poured the acid on me was probably writing a love letter to his lover. Melissa didn’t press further. We only laughed it off and I guess I was able to convince myself it is no big deal. When in actual fact, my heart has been pounding with rage. I’ve always known Wendy to be a bitter person but I never expected her to go to the extent of deforming someone. Paying someone to deform a rival is no different from murder. If she had the mind to do this, killing off someone would be a small thing for her. Since the criminal is on the run, I might not get anything to use against her. No. I have to catch tha
A few minutes after assisting Listowel to climb back into his bed, the nurse from earlier entered, her breath rugged. As soon as her eyes fell on me, she asked, “Oh miss.. where have you been? I was looking everywhere for you. I thought you’ve even left your boyfriend behind ....” Listowel and I looked at each other’s faces before I turned back at the nurse. “Oh, I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I just stepped out for fresh air. Also, we are not a couple. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just acquainted,” I clarified with a straight face. “Sorry, ma’am. My mistake..” “It is fine dear.” By the way, the doctor has a message for you. “Me?” I asked, stunned. “Yes, please. I will do you the honor and break it to you since he’s not here..,” Sure.” Considering Mr. Gordon’s current condition, she commenced, ” The doctor thinks it will be best to have someone he’s familiar with to assist with this recovery at home even if it is just tonight. Since you’re already h
WENDY’S POV I've been refreshing my phone for the past two hours, hoping to come across an article covering LISTOWEL’S injury. But not even a single article was published about him. Heaving a sigh for the nth today, I tossed my phone aside and leaned into the chair. The utterance I had with Clinton filled my memory as I closed my eyes. Clinton was adamant about not allowing me to go out not to even talk of going to the hospital. He locked the room and threw the keys into his pockets, but I was still not having it. I wanted to go out and see how Listowel was doing. It took the intervention of an attendant at the hotel who came to open the with spare keys after hearing me bang on the door for help; to I was able to go out. I was even more pissed when I realized, Clinton, in fact, wasn't concerned about my safety at all. He only needed me to stay put so that his so-called, “competent” boy won’t be in trouble. I stormed out of the guest and headed to the hospital. Bani Me
MELISSA’S POV Listowel kept the fork he was holding down and leaned back into the chair. He narrowed his eyes at me and simply asked, “Why Not?” “Because it was a mistake?” was my response. I busied myself with cutting the steak in front of me. In a deep gentle tone, “Look at me….” he demanded. As if I were a robot who could be controlled, I lifted my gaze from the plate to meet his. His pupils dialed, and his eyes widened as soon as our gazes locked. “For me. What happened between us was not a mistake. I cherish everything we shared.” I couldn't help but scoff at his words. Even though deep within myself I wanted to believe his words, a part of me couldn't help but scoff. I have to admit. It has become very difficult for me to let go of the past and trust him again. A part of me wants to give it a shot especially now that he's no more with Wendy but a part of me also dreads this decision most. Leaning forward, he moved his hands across the table to hold me. I instin
MELISSA’S POV The soothing sound from the fountain at my far right was the only thing that could be heard amidst the clatter of plates and in the restaurant where Listowel and I were seated. To disguise ourselves, Listowel had on a cap while I covered half of my face with a scarf. We made a stop at a boutique nearby to buy it because Listowel thought it would be awkward if we both came to the restaurant wearing a mask. A black mask to be precise. Thankfully, when we walked in, there were very few people here. Even the few people around were also busily eating, chatting, or having a meeting with their colleagues. No one seemed interested in who we were. Despite this, I requested that we sit at the secluded side of the restaurant and the manager was very kind to allow us. A few minutes adterfettubg seated, a slim petite lady who from the black mini dress with a white collar and tie she was wearing; hinted that she was a waitress, stridden to our table. Listowel on the
MELISSA’S POV “Back off…” I sneered. “What if I don’t?” He asked in a low whisper, his hot breath, fanning against my face. I inhaled sharply and rolled my eyes before muttering in annoyance, “Then I will be forced to—“ Before the words could fully leave my lips, he shut me up with a kiss. I pushed back slightly but his firm grip on my neck weakened my effort. I couldn’t understand why Listowel was being so careless. Was he not aware that any slight mistake could land us over the news? I closed my eyes and kissed him back for a while but as soon as I realized his hold on me had loosened, I bit him hard on his lips. “Ouch…,” he winced and I couldn’t help but let out an evil smirk. “Serves you right…” I remarked, trying hard to suppress myself from laughing at the face he had made. “Did you have to bite me?” he retorted, but I didn’t say anything. I only pulled up the nose mask and stared straight ahead. He didn’t push further. He turned on the engine and started the
MELISSA’S POV My mind wandered to Listowel as soon as the call ended. He was the one who handled everything that night so it was not too out of the ordinary that I was feeling obligated to call him. But as I finished putting in his contact number, my thumb hovered on the screen while I contemplated whether I really had to call him or not. Thinking aloud, “Should I call him or not? Won’t it be too awkward if I call him at any little inconvenience? Besides, Melissa… why are you acting like he’s your guardian or some sort? Since when did you start depending on people? No. You don’t need to tell him. Just go to the station, give your statement, and come back home. Simple. “ I battled with my thoughts as I put down the phone and headed back to the dining area. I had settled on the idea that I would be going to the station alone until something crossed my mind. Listowel still needed to know that the police called since he was also at the crime scene. I’m sure he
MELISSA’S POV Listowel had called out after me several times, probably confused at my reaction. But I paid no heed to him. I threw and sunk myself onto the bed. Even as I pressed the pillow hard against my ears, I could still hear him calling my name and asking if he said anything wrong but I didn't bother explaining anything to him. I could only thank my stars he was still oblivious and had not suspected anything. ****FLASHBACK ENDS*** Something flickered in me as soon as my eyes fell on the pink sticky note on the dining table. It bore Listowel’s handwriting. Yes, I still remember his handwriting because since I worked with him. Back when I was working at Gordon Inc., all my work projects had to be approved by him before any other proceedings so I pretty much recognize it. A broad smile formed on my face as I read the message. It read; “Hey, you had a good sleep? I made your favorite breakfast. I know I’m not the best cook but make sure you finish everything.
MELISSA’S POV A soft yawn escaped my lips as I sat up on my bed. My eyes darted, searching around for only God knows what. I live alone so it was so unusual for me to wake up and dart around like this. It felt as if I was expecting to see someone. Slightly lifting my hands, I stretched myself before rising up and heading to the living room. As I opened the door that separated my bedroom from the rest of my apartment, I was greeted with an appetizing aroma. My brows knitted together as I tried to process what was happening. Halting in my tracks, I squinted my eyes as I tried to figure out if what I was seeing in the dining area was real. To make sure I wasn't daydreaming, I rubbed my eyes a couple of times but as the savoring aroma that had engulfed the room filled my nostrils, no one had to tell me that whatever I was seeing was real. Yes. For the first time in months, since I moved into this apartment, there’s an actual breakfast on my dining table. My eyes flicke
KEVIN’S POV The thick silence that engulfed the car was too loud to ignore. For a split second, I thought the boss was ignoring me and probably didn't want me to disrupt what he was doing on his tablet so I kept my lips shut and drove out of the garage to hit the road. Listowel usually listens to the early morning news on his way to work so I turned on the radio and lowered the volume to a level that helped balance his attention on both the tablet and the radio. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. It's been a few minutes since we hit the main road but Mr. Gordon had still not asked me to continue with what I was about to tell him earlier nor has he made any sound. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. Suddenly, “What was it that you needed to tell me?” his deep commanding voice echoed from the back seat. He removed the glasses he had on and
KEVIN’S POV My head throbbed as I sat on my bed this morning. The hard liquor I had consumed yesterday was definitely the cause of the pain. Yes, I had threw up the one Wendy made me drink while we sitting at the counter so it was so odd for me to have felt this way. But the truth, I went back to drink more last night. My chest tightened with fury as I tried to recall the events of the previous night. A pang of guilt washed over me as I also recalled my indifferent attitude towards my boss these past few days. I felt mad at myself for doubting him and believing that Wendy deserved better. I couldn't help but replay the scene I had witnessed last night. Wendy, whom we all knew to be obsessed with Listowel was tightly entangled in another man’s arms, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Initially, I thought I was hallucinating so I got off the car and hid closer to have a proper look. It was indeed her. Even though she had on a scarf which had covered most o
KEVIN’S POV“Ouch..” Wendy let out a loud shrill cry, as she clutched her stomach. “Why what is it?” Her cry caught me by surprise, making me spring up to my feet. I sprinted to her side and assisted to get up on her feet. “My…. my tummy. It aches. I need to go to the washroom now,” she answered, although her tone sounded a bit dramatic to me. I attempted to hold up and maybe escort her to the washroom door but she yanked my hands away. “Thanks but I can go by myself. It isn't really a big deal. I think I just had too much to drink.” she said, making me confused as to what she meant. “Alright… easy there,” I said, letting go of her hands. “I'll be waiting for you here then. No. No need to wait. You can take the lead.” she shouted as she made her to the ladies. “Woww…” I said, taking out money from my wallet and placing it on the bill. The harsh cold breeze greeted me as I stepped outside the bar. I shook vigorously my head in anticipation of getting the influence of the alcoho