LISTOWEL’S POVI turned back and forth restlessly in bed as I forced myself to sleep. Whenever my eyes closed, my mind was filled with memories of Melissa. The anger and resentment she had in her eyes while we were talking the last time had caused a sudden tightness in my chest. It was as if I was carrying a heavy burden but had no one to help me unload. I’m afraid it might escalate into something more deeper and she might not want to have anything to do with me again. But I wasn’t going to give up, not just like that. Not when I have her under the same roof as me at work. Not when I could still feel the same way I did when we were together six years ago. I just needed a way to make her realize how serious I was about her. Even though she might act distant, I know she still feels something for me. Not hate, not resentment but something else. Something deeper. I might not be certain of whatever feeling it was but one thing I’m certain about is the fact that she's mine. She has alwa
MELISSA’S POVTheir concerned look filled the unspeakable emptiness in my heart. I was still appreciating their wholesome and genuine reaction when Gloria’s voice broke through. “The CEO is really something else. After everything he passed you through…, he still got you working at his company? Woah…” her face contorted into a mischievous one as she let out her view. Yaw glanced at me with a stiffened look, a determined expression drawn all over his face, “Melissa, you don’t have to go through this alone. We’re on your side. We’ve got your back, we will make sure no one misunderstands you again”.Gloria, Collins, and Maxwell nodded in agreement, backing Yaw. Their support and kind words washed a sense of relief over me. Maybe today won’t be as terrible as I had envisioned. *****Soon, it was lunch break, Gloria and the rest had come to call me to join them at the cafeteria. As we settled in our seats, about to dig in, a group of people interrupted us.They threw a few glances at me
WENDY’S POV The morning light passed through the light curtains that manned the windows, hitting me in the eye. A groan escaped my lips as my eyes flared open. My eyes blinked severally, familiarizing itself with the rays. I tried sitting up, but the heavy arm that wrapped around my shoulders bounced me back to the bed. My eyes rolled at his audacity. It’s not as if he wasn't aware of the rules. Sex. Nothing else. No feelings attached. That was the agreement the man lying at my back, Clinton and I went into. He’s a nobody who does bartending for a living. His muscular and handsome physique is what attracted me. Our relationship is solely transactional. I pay him monthly, he gives me pleasure. Yes, pleasure. The man whom I will be boring his last name sooner or later is the one I’m supposed to be lying next but he hasn’t touched me in ages. Not since he found out about…, well…, my lies. I mean… he wasn’t supposed to, but he did anyway. To this day, I still don’t know how Lis
LISTOWEL’S POVThe force with which my door flew open startled me, causing me to look up from the paperwork before me. Anger coursed through me as I fixed my gaze at the door side, ready to descend on whoever left his manners at home for him to barge into my office like that.“What the hell is—” my words caught in my throat as I noticed the familiar figure, smirking at me as he stood by the door. It was Enerst. My best friend. He casually walked in when he noticed the grimace on my face subsiding. Loosening his tie and kicking off his shoes, he threw himself on one of the leather sofas in my office. Without warning, he stood up and turned on the fan before resuming back to the sofa. Lying on his back he stretched out one of his legs to face west while the other faced east. Rolling my eyes at him, I asked in an irritated voice, “Really Enerst? Do you realize this is an office and that not everybody slacks off around like you do?”Enerst just grinned, unbothered at my words. “And do
LISTOWEL’S POV “First of all, No, you're not my best friend. In fact, I don't know you from anywhere,” I teased. “Also, my team found out that videos spread through out the city like wildfire, all thanks to a newbie blogger who wanted to hit the jackpot by publishing a story about me. And about you not knowing of Melissa’s status here, I chose not to tell you.” “Mmm… I see… But do you have to rub it in my face like that?” “Satisfied?” “Look, I’m here to talk some sense into that stubborn head of yours. Turning back to my desk, I ignored his statement and pretended to be scanning through the documents, although my attention was focused on him. For a couple of minutes, he didn't say anything, His gaze was fixated on the ground. I guess he was cracking up his dumb mind to come up with his so-called advice. My mind almost trailed from him when his voice suddenly broke through, “Look man. Melissa might have gone through a lot when you divorced her. If I remember rig
LISTOWEL’S POV I rolled my eyes at him, trying hard to suppress the smirk that was playing at the corner of my lips. From how relaxed he looked lying down on the sofa, anyone could easily mistake him for the boss around here. His posture was so carefree to the extent that you might think he owned this place. “Honestly, do you have any respect for my office?” I asked, feigning anger. “Not even a little,” Enerst replied, not bothering to open his eyes. “Then do yourself a favor and get out before I call security.” He opened one of his eyes and grinned. “You’d miss me if I did.” “What’s there to miss about you? C’mon leave,” I insisted. Deep down he knew I was playing, that's why he didn't bother to move an inch. As I stared at his figure, the tension in my chest eased a bit. Enerst’s playful nature could be annoying but that's what makes him special. From afar, even when his life is a mess, his actions might let you assume that he has everything under control. And I g
WENDY’S POVI let out a heavy breath as I finally entered the room. I paced up and down the room, trying to steady the breath I'd been holding in from the entrance. Although I was striding confidently, my senses were on high alert. I was pouring a glass of water to drink when a knock came on the door. “Come in,” I said, anxiously hoping that it wouldn't be anyone I didn't want to see. The knob turned open and Mr. Derek Thompson stepped in. He's the managing director around here. He's a plump short man, who would have fit the business world more than the entertainment industry. He's a strict, boring, forty-five years old man. Writing at the clipboard he was holding, “Miss. Macinni?” he called out“Yes?” I responded, already irritated by his mere presence. Derek is a nobody but I'm forced to respect him just because he's an executive. “You've got a full schedule today. Make sure you miss none. You have an interview with YMedia this noon, a photo shoot at sunset, and a—”“An interv
WENDY’S POV“Oh no, that was my first time seeing her,” without flinching, I lied. My eyes flickered in excitement when I saw the interviewer’s curious face contorting into a sympathetic one. Yes, this is what I’ve always wanted. To garner the sympathy of the general public. If the public realizes a nobody like Melissa is trying to steal my fiancée. I would be on the victim's end. They would have no choice but to support me and kick out Melissa. As the interviewer continued to stare at me in pity, I lowered my gaze and as if trying to control myself from breaking out, used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of my eyes. The studio suddenly became tense and all cameras were immediately pointed in my direction; my face to be exact. I guess they wanted to capture my tears, but I was smart enough to not expose my imaginary tears by covering my full eyes with the handkerchief. For a brief moment, nobody said anything, even the media crew. Their eyes were fixated on me.“But… Miss Macinn
WENDY’S POV Early the next morning, I returned to the mansion, the expression on my face that of anger. I was ready to scold my grandpa for his hypocrisy. But upon my return, he had already left for a meeting. He had given the keys to the maids and instructed them not to give it to me. One of the maids dared to challenge me when I demanded the key, infuriating me the more. And yeah, she was fired from working in our mansion that very day. I hate nobodies who tend to act pompous when they get little authority. With the pretense of delivering coffee, I made my way to the guest room. Luckily, Listowel was asleep so I thought to myself that I still had the chance to execute my plan. Quietly, I sneaked into the bed after undressing. My fingers trailed on the green veins lining up on his big muscles and arms. Oh, how I miss the old days! Doing this would have made him curl me up on his chest. A sudden turn he made jolted me out of my thoughts. Slowly, he sat up on t
WENDY’S POV My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as I made my way out of the restaurant. Luckily, the bodyguards my grandpa had recruited to watch after me were at the scene. They rushed in and seized the phones of the people around, threatening to sue any of them who would post it online. Sitting in my car, I let out a steady breath, trying to calm myself from the embarrassment from earlier. Gazing keenly into thin air, “Madam Gordon, harden your resolve because the next blow that's coming your way could end you paralyzed.” I gritted. Reaching for my phone, I scrolled through my contacts, looking for our family doctor’s contact. I hesitated for a split second before tapping on the green dial sign. This was the only way for me to get the upper hand. The call went through after the ring and Dr. Mensah’s voice came through the line. “Hi…” I breathe out. “It is Wendy…” “Wendy dear, how are you?” he politely asked, even though I hate it when he treats me like we ar
MELISSA’S POV The clock struck five and it was already time to close. I shut off my monitor and started arranging my desk, bringing the day's work to an end. I grabbed my bag and put in it some accessories before I stood up and adjusted my dress. From the glass windows, where I was checking myself, I could see a blue folder with a stack of documents inside. I let out a gentle sigh as I remembered what I told the owner the other day. I remember telling Listowel that I was gonna give it to a dispatch rider to deliver it to him but there here it was, still lying on my desk as if all the riders in town were on holiday. Well, I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to go give it to him in person. Yes. Yes. I know. I know that seeing him often was gonna disrupt my healing journey but….. I forced a chunk down my guts as I inched closer to pick it up. These documents seem to be important and it'll be thoughtless of me to leave them in the hands of a random rider. Wha
A wave of gasps erupted from the people around me as the liquid drenched my designer dress, turning the white fabric into red.My lips parted widely, my eyes closing shut as the wine dripped from my hair to my face and onto my dress. I froze. For a moment, I couldn’t move or utter a word.Was I just hallucinating or that dang old bat had poured the wine on me?I let out a slow breath, my fingers curling into a fist beside me as I stood properly. “What the hell do you think you’re—“ I yelled, but my statement died on my lips as her palm vehemently clashed against my cheek.My head snapped to the side, my hair flying everywhere as the sting spread through my face. My hands shot up to caress the area she had just slapped, glaring at her with deadly fury. Whispering, the onlookers started inching closer to the scene; their phones shot up in the air as they started recording. I raised my hand, intending to return the favor. These people were recording and I hate to be the one at the m
WENDY’S POV Tonight made it exactly a month since Listowel woke up in my bed. I had sent the photos to Melissa to get a reaction out of her. But to my surprise; she never reached out as I expected. I was even doubting she must have seen the photos until I witnessed Listowel being thrown out of her house by security two weeks ago. Only the heavens know how happy I was that day when I realised my plan had worked. Their so called lovely relationship had crumbled. I had this in mind and was in the process of planning my next move not knowing the blow that hanged in the air, waiting to be served. I was dining at the rooftop restaurant, when the articles of Listowel admitting that Melissa is the lady he’s been going out with circulated the internet. The people around had started murmuring among themselves so I had requested to change to a private dinning room. The music played softly in the background while the symphony of clinking glasses, people conversing over their foods an
MELISSA’S POV My phone buzzed with messages as my colleagues from work texted to inquire if I was really dating the famous ‘Listowel Gordon’. Who the fvck released these images and how the hell did the person get them? My mind raced with thoughts as mixed feelings wrestled to take over me. I couldn't really tell how I was feeling. I didn't know whether to be happy or pissed. Unlike before, people were admiring me now. They were somehow glad that we were a couple and wished that our relationship would prosper. Really? What changed? Why were they happy for us all of a sudden? Well, this and other thoughts swirled in my mind as I tried to connect the dots. The fact that the pictures that were trending were personal ones I took with Listowel baffled me. Unless maybe Listowel got hacked, I’m not sure he will release the photos like that without informing. Even though I wasn't getting immediate answers, I was glad this in some way had cleared rumors. For weeks now, I have
LISTOWEL’S POVI let out a long exhale as I read through the articles about Melissa and I. Surprisingly, all the comments we were receiving are all good and encouraging. Unlike the previous months, the people were complimenting our resilience to have kept our relationship going despite everything. The articles were spammed with people admiring Melissa’s beauty. Even though I didn't like the fact that they were comparing her to Wendy; I was happy either ways that she was getting the good recognition she deserved. With a smile on my face, I scrolled through each comment, liking each compliment. Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed outside of my door. My brows knitted together as I wondered who could have been at the office at this time aside Kevin and I. Glancing at my wrist, I noticed it was a few minutes past eight. I was about signalling Kevin to go check who it was when the door flung open. The audacity! Who enters my office with such disrespect?! My eyes darted the doorway, as I p
LISTOWEL’S POV Listowel, do I look stupid to you?” Lisa’s voice jolted me back to reality, anger flashing across her face as she crossed her arms over. My lips parted, and I was about to tell her that she was the smartest person I've ever known and that I was the stupid one there. Because all this was my fault. I was stupid for failing to see the signs of Wendy’s plot when it was so obvious. I couldn't believe how stupid I was to have ignored the fact that, Webdy had seductively rubbed her shoulders against mine that evening. But before the words could part my lips, she grabbed her bag and stood. “You know what? I don't have time for your little games…” I reached for her hand but once again, she pulled away as though I was a plague. I wanted to follow her but stopped. I was going to give her some distance in the meantime. Now that a major part of the puzzle has been revealed, it will take me no more than a few days to find out the whole truth. ********** With a fo
LISTOWEL’S POV I have faced several challenges in my life, from impossible negotiations to dealing with rival businesses but none of them have taken a toll on me as the one that I have been currently battling. This one was the worst kind of battle. Why? Because I was fighting the one person I loved most. And it looks as if there wasn’t any chance of me winning. For the past few weeks, after the event that happened at Melissa all my attempts to get her to listen to me have proved futile. There have been days that I’ve tried to reach her by waiting at her doorstep, but I couldn’t anymore because she reported me to the landlord and now I’ve been banned from entering her residence till further notice. I tried to catch up with her at work but her goddamn boss, Giovanni has had security chase me away several times. Even though it was humiliating, I was willing to endure it all for her. I could have countered Giovanni’s actions by making my men oppose him but the fact