MELISSA’S POV The room instantly went dead silent as Nancy and Crystal exchanged some silly glances. For a moment I thought they didn't like Hollandia Palace. Maybe I might have raised their hopes too high as they seemed not to be moved nor fascinated by moving to Hollandia. Crystal was the first to break the loud silence that had enveloped the room. Holding her waist, she let out a chuckle and teased, “Mummy… we are too broke to move to Hollandia. This is such an expensive joke.” My brows furrowed slightly as I turned to look at Crystal. How does she know the meaning of “broke?” And why does she even think that we are? Bending to her side, my lips pouted as I asked, “Sweetheart, that's not so nice of you. Why do you think mummy would lie to you?” “Mummy, I know you're just joking around. My friend at the academy told me that only rich people live in Hollandia. She even said, some of the actresses that appear on the television live there”. “Yes dear, they do. And we ar
MELISSA'S POV I was pouring the coffee into the mugs when I heard his footsteps from upstairs. I turned, just in time to see him heading to the kitchen, his hair slightly messy from sleep. He smiled when he saw me, and my breath caught in my throat at how handsome he looked. My cheeks flashed pink as I recalled the steamy night we had shared the previous night. His touches were too sweet to resist, especially since I had craved them for so long. He had been away for almost a week on a business trip, and while he was away, we couldn't communicate much. Although that's quite unusual, I would guess he was only busy with work. I had received great news in his absence and I was more than excited to break it to him but his phone was mostly out of reach, so I had to keep it to myself and wait for him to return. He came back last night and I've been finding it hard to keep it to myself. My heart swelled with pride and joy as I envisioned his reaction. I will break it to him at b
MELISSA'S POV I gasp for air, reaching for the glass of water in front of me, but my fingers fumble and knock it over. Before I can fully process what's happening, Listowel is on his feet, moving with that effortless grace of his, pouring another glass and handing it to me. "Here, take a sip," he said and tried helping me with it. I snatched the glass from his hands and without thinking twice, gulped the whole water down. Why is he acting caring when he just shattered my heart? Isn't he the reason I was in this state? He watches as I drink, the expression on his face unreadable. The water soothes the burning in my throat, but it does nothing to ease the sudden tightness in my chest. Finally, able to calm myself, I looked up at him and asked with a shaky voice. "What... what did you mean by that, Listowel? About it being time to get divorced?" My knees wobbled underneath the table, but I held them back to maintain composure, waiting for an answer that made sense. He loo
MELISSA’S POV He may have used me, turn every shred of dignity I have down and ripped my heart open. I wiped the tears off my face, trying to gather what little strength I have left. So, it’s happening, everything I’ve feared, everything I’ve suspected. Listowell never valued me. The thought of it alone crushes me, and before I can stop myself, the tears start to fall again, hot and uncontrollable. I sink to the floor, my chest heaving with sobs. How could I have been so blind? How could I have let myself fall so completely for a man who never saw me as anything more than a convenience? I need to do something—anything to take my mind off the overwhelming pain. I pushed myself up, wiped my tears, and looked around the mansion that once felt like a home. It’s all a lie, every bit of it. I start to clean. I stripped away every decoration, every item that I brought into this house to make it ours. The soft throws on the couch, the family photos on the walls, the flowers I care
LISTOWELL'S POV It’s been three days since I left the mansion. I had received a call from my butler that I had to come to the office as soon as possible. A rival company had something on my company, Gordon Inc so I had to rush out and get it sorted. Later in the day, I received a call from Mr. Macinni, Wendy’s grandpa. I had a meeting with him and in the course, I lost my phone. I had wanted to call Lisa and inform her that I wouldn't be coming home but I stopped because I thought she might be angry with me. I still can't wrap my head around her reaction, the other day. Our marriage is purely contractual, and she's aware of that. Well, I’m home now, we can sort things out and if it is money she needs, I will triple it up for her. As I walked through the front door, an unfamiliar scene greeted me. I was expecting to see Melissa standing by the door, her graceful smile playing widely across her face. She would have come to hug me and take my briefcase while asking if I had
MELISSA'S POV ****SEVEN YEARS LATER**** “Congratulations Miss Mugins, you've been selected to participate in the Silver Edition of the Legal Hour Conference! See you at Aphrodite City Soon!” That's how the message read when it came through the mail that morning. I couldn't hide the excitement I felt as I saw my name boldly embedded in the list of eligibles. My dream has finally come true. It is indeed happening. My dream of becoming a lawyer is finally here. Seven years have passed, yet it feels like a lifetime. It feels like yesterday when I promised myself, to come back to Aphrodite City as the best version of myself. I left this place as a broken woman, a woman whose heart had been shattered into a million pieces. I didn't know where to go neither did I know my next move. It was as if the world was moving while I stood still. Everyone and everything was progressing while I stood still, hiding in my shell. I spent years of my life caring for that one person to the e
LISTOWEL’S POVMy butler, Kevin, had informed me earlier about my invitation to the legal hour conference. If not for the fact that it is one of the most prestigious events in Aphrodite City, I would have turned down the invitation. I hate meetings and conferences. But this is a chance for me to network with other executives and presidents of famous brands, so I wouldn't miss this for anything. To maintain my influence and power in this city; I've got to mingle with these people. Within the blink of an eye, my car pulled up in front of the infamous Glory Palace, where the conference was going to be held. It is an 82-floor building, known for its serenity and perfect ambiance, purposely built to cater to the demands of the first-class citizens in the city. Kevin walked up to my side of the door as soon as he turned off the engine. With a slight bow, he opened the door to usher me out. Fixing the one stubborn button on my suit that had removed itself from its hole earlier, I headed
MELISSA’S POVAs I forced myself through the crowd, trying as much as possible to endure the curious stares of the people around, Wendy’s image played relentlessly in my head. She looks like a literal model. Her slim pretty face, her hair, make-up, dress and the jewelry she was adorned in screamed nothing but luxury. At a glance, anyone can tell she's a typical spoiled rich brat.The kind of glare she shot me when our eyes met is what startled me and caused me to pull myself from Listowel’s embrace. I must admit, I got frightened by her unexpected presence. I felt like I had taken something that’s not mine. Just like seven years ago, I couldn't help but think that I'd stolen her man. I did it once and I don't plan on repeating it. Things naturally crawl to their owners no matter how far they wander. Seeing her wrap her hands around Listowel’s arms caused a stir in my chest. It was as if she was asserting her ownership of him even when he had me tight to his chest. I swung the doo
MELISSA’S POV The room instantly went dead silent as Nancy and Crystal exchanged some silly glances. For a moment I thought they didn't like Hollandia Palace. Maybe I might have raised their hopes too high as they seemed not to be moved nor fascinated by moving to Hollandia. Crystal was the first to break the loud silence that had enveloped the room. Holding her waist, she let out a chuckle and teased, “Mummy… we are too broke to move to Hollandia. This is such an expensive joke.” My brows furrowed slightly as I turned to look at Crystal. How does she know the meaning of “broke?” And why does she even think that we are? Bending to her side, my lips pouted as I asked, “Sweetheart, that's not so nice of you. Why do you think mummy would lie to you?” “Mummy, I know you're just joking around. My friend at the academy told me that only rich people live in Hollandia. She even said, some of the actresses that appear on the television live there”. “Yes dear, they do. And we ar
MELISSA’S POVI rode a taxi to the airport immediately I left Legalstone. I was in so much hurry that so I left my car at the company. The realtors I had consulted in regards to the new place I wanted Crystal and Nancy to live had sent me numerous messages so I was in a rush. It was already time for my flight so it didn't take me long and I was aboard. As I sat in the plane, my mind raced for a while. I thought over and over again about my decision to work at Legalstone. I knew working in Aphrodite will expose me to Listowel and Wendy’s drama but I was willing to take the risk. I won't let their brouhaha stop me from realizing my goals of becoming one of the best attorneys in countries. But while taking this huge risk, I still have my daughter in mind. I don't want to see me as a failure neither do I want her to be living in constant fear. After several arguments with my inner self, I came to the conclusion that I will rather buy a home at Zeus instead of renting. By this, my
MELISSA’S POV “Yes, even I am surprised because that is very rare of him. He hardly commends his staff not to talk of making recommendations. You must have made quite the impression on him?” “I see…” I said, wondering who this Giovanni of a director is and what could have probably been his reason for the recommendation. The lady didn’t say anything again, but I could sense her unwelcoming demeanor even though I wasn’t paying much attention to her. As the elevator rode downstairs, my mind swirled with different thoughts. I was trying to figure out where in particular I might have met this director or how he got to know me. After a couple of minutes of trying, I finally gave up and silently prayed that my recommendation was based on my portfolio and that things would not end up like what happened at Gordon Inc. “I hope it wasn’t a selfish decision,” I said and immediately covered my lips with my hands as I realized the words had flown out of my lips unconsciously. “We
MELISSA’S POV I froze, my eyes moving in between the interviewers in a daze. Since when did interviews become so simple like this? Swallowing a chunk down, “Umm… you mean tomorrow? The day after today?” I asked while blinking. “Yes dear, no need to waste time. You can start working right away. Here at Legalstone, we do our best to be efficient. Besides, you were highly recommended so the interview was more of a formality,” a gentleman from the interview board remarked. My confused face contorted into disgust as soon as I processed his words. What does he mean by I was recommended? By who? I’m certain I know not even one person who works at Legalstone so who could have probably invited me? Could this be Listowel’s doing? Recalling his name alone made my mouth turn sour. Masking my disgusted look with a smile, “What do you mean by that? The gentleman’s brows raised as he also asked, “By what?” Tilting my head in the puzzle, “What do you mean by what you said earlier… that I
MELISSA’S POV I pulled up at the parking lot of Legalstone Solicitors. As expected of an infamous company like Legalstone, the interior and ambiance screamed luxury. From the model of cars parked here, no one had to tell you the employees of this company are filthy rich and well-to-do. Well, it isn't anything unexpected because eighty percent of the attorneys who work here come from wealthy generations. The other twenty percent are also self-made business moguls, who ventured into law probably for the fun of it. That's why someone like me never dreamt of working for Legalstone Solicitors. I've not even once imagined myself working here. Never. But here I am today, clutching an envelope and some files in my hands, riding the elevator to the 18th floor, where the interview is to be scheduled. The ride was smooth yet slow. My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as I leaned my back on the horizontal pole in the lift, anticipating for the door to chime open soon. While wai
MELISSA’S POV I had been sitting by my laptop for hours, staring at the screen, trying to keep my mind occupied. But my thoughts kept drifting back to the same thing: my decision. I needed to leave Aphrodite City, leave everything behind—leave him behind. Listowel. The man who had once been my husband. The man who had destroyed me then tried to put me back together only to tear me apart again. The one who had used his influence to get me to work for his company. The one I could never forget, no matter how much I hated him. But this time, I was doing it for myself. I was doing it for Crystal. She deserved a fresh start, a life without the constant reminders of the toxic mess that had been my marriage. She deserved a life away from him. I’d already looked into apartments in the U.S. I had found a few options, but nothing felt final, nothing felt right. The uncertainty made me uneasy, but I had no choice. I was determined to go. I scrolled through job listings on my laptop, glan
I sat in my dimly lit room, my fingers nervously tapping against the wooden desk. The silence felt suffocating, and the weight of everything going wrong pressed down on my chest. It seemed like everything was falling apart, and I couldn’t see a way out. Then, my phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. It was Clinton. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to breathe slowly before picking it up. “Clinton,” I said, my voice low and shaky. “Wendy,” he replied, his voice calm but tense. “Listen, Tony has been arrested. Listowel traced and got him. This is bad. Really bad.” My heart clenched. Tony. He was the one who poured the acid on Listowel. He was supposed to be my tool, my ally in getting revenge. And now, he was in custody. The thought of losing him made my stomach turn. I couldn’t let that happen. Not after everything I’d done to get here. “What do you mean, they’re onto us?” I asked, trying to keep my panic in check. “Listowel knows that you and I are i
Listowel’s POVIt's been three days since the meeting was held. I still held my position as CEO. But I hadn’t slept in two days. Two damn days. And it felt like the world was spinning slower, dragging me with it. I’d been to Melissa’s house, again and again, hoping, praying, that this time she’d open the door. That time, she wouldn’t turn me away.But nothing had changed.The silence from her side of things felt like a rejection I couldn’t escape. Every time I approached her house, I was filled with this aching sense of defeat, as if she had put a wall around herself that I couldn’t break through.I had thought I could live without her. But now, I wasn’t sure I ever would.The sound of my phone buzzing on the desk cut through my thoughts. Kevin’s name flashed on the screen. I answered it, not even bothering with pleasantries. “What is it?”“Sir please, I’ve got something,” Kevin’s voice was steady, but there was a tension in it. “We’ve been able to track down the guy who did the att
Wendy’s POV My Grandpa had been doting on me evet since I tried to kill myself. I had cut my wrist and was lying down in a pool of blood when the maid came out of nowhere and shouted for me to be taken to the hospitalZ Since then, my grandfather has been trying to feed me, and even put me to sleep. The warmth of the food on my tongue didn’t soothe me; I pushed the plate away. “I’m not hungry,” I muttered, staring down at the half-eaten food. “Stop this, Wendy,” Grandpa said, his tone firm but laced with concern. He was always so damn concerned about my well-being, but never once had he asked about my heart—about how Listowel had thrown me aside. “You can’t keep on punishing yourself like that” I shot him a bitter look. “I’m not punishing myself. I’m trying to figure out what’s left of me,” Grandpa sighed heavily, his brow furrowed in thought . “We’ll fix this, Wendy. You just need to pull yourself together. You need to go back to Italy and clear your head. Go to sch