Jack stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his eyes swollen, he was so wasted last night.. accompanied with throbbing headache.The weight of his actions from the previous evening clung to him like a heavy shroud. Regret had taken hold of him, gnawing at his insides, making it nearly impossible to think of anything else.He turned on the shower, hoping the hot water would wash away some of the guilt, but as he stood under the stream, the tears began to fall, mingling with the water. He couldn’t stop them. He felt like he was drowning, not in the water, but in the overwhelming guilt that filled his chest. “How am I supposed to face Mariam?” he whispered to himself, his voice cracking. He loved her deeply, more than he had ever loved anyone, but now that love felt tainted, corrupted by his actions. The thought of what he had done tore at him, the betrayal too fresh, too raw to be pushed aside."Maybe we were meant to stay apart", he thought bitterly. "Two different people in
Brown, one of the executives, walked into Jack’s main office after the clients had left. He had been waiting outside after the meeting, for Jack to speak one on one with them. Knowing how important it was to Jack. But as he entered and saw the look on his face, he knew something had gone terribly wrong.“Jack?” he said softly, his voice filled with concern. “What happened in there?”Jack looked up at him, his eyes filled with the regret and guilt that had been eating at him all morning. He couldn’t bring himself to explain, couldn’t tell him that his personal life had spilled over into his professional one and had cost them the deal.“We lost it,” he said simply, his voice flat.Brown frowned, his brow furrowed in confusion. “But why? We were so prepared. You were so prepared. What went wrong?” "I made sure I coordinated the meeting arrangements properly alongside your assistant".Jack shook his head, unable to find the words. How could he explain to him that he had been too consumed
Jack was lost in thoughts until his phone buzzed again, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Mariam’s name on the screen. But this time, it wasn’t a text. It was a call.For a moment, Jack considered letting it go to voicemail, considered avoiding the conversation he knew was coming. But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t keep running away from her. They need to sort things out or everyone goes their various ways. Taking a deep breath, he swiped up to answer the call, bringing the phone to his ear.“Hello?” he said, his voice trembling slightly.“Jack?” Mariam’s voice was calm, “Can we talk?”Jack closed his eyes, “Yeah, Mariam. We need to talk.”“I’m outside your office,” she said. “Can I come up?”"Again?".. he said inaudibly."I didn't ask you to meet me in my office, Mariam?"..."I know but you didn't reply to any of my messages, so what would you have me do? Stay idle and wait?"..Jack’s heart raced. She was here already, at his office. There was no more avoiding it.“Of course
Richie had been away for over a few weeks, traveling for work—a series of important meetings that couldn’t be handled over the phone or zoom, despite Leah’s gentle suggestions. This was the longest stretch of time he’d been away from Leah and their boys, Jayden and Jayson, in weeks. As important as the work seemed, He still missed home so much. Especially being around his wife, Leah.Every evening, no matter how late it was, Richie found a quiet corner in his hotel room, propped up his phone, and called her... They would talk for hours, their voices soft, filled with longing. It didn’t matter what they talked about. Their day, the kids, what they had for dinner. They just wanted to keep talking to each other.One evening, after an especially grueling day of meetings, Richie called Leah. He flopped onto his hotel bed with a tired groan, barely waiting for the video call to connect before Leah’s face appeared on the screen, her smile instantly making him feel at ease.“There’s my han
Dazzle had never been one to keep secrets or keep any important information about himself from his family.. But then, he wished his family had backed him up by saying no when he complained about Kimberly's condition.Marrying Kimberly had been the toughest decision of his life. A decision he had wrestled with for months. He had known deep down that he never loved her, and the commitment had scared him. It wasn’t just about saying "I do" in front of a judge. It was about everything that came after: the responsibilities, the expectations, the unknown future. But in the end, Dazzle had realized that his little one in Kimberly's stomach outweighed all his fears. And so, he had made the leap.Dazzle stared down at his phone, his thumb hovering over the call button. He had already told Leah, and as he expected, she had been surprised, maybe even a little shocked, but ultimately supportive. She was, after all, his sister-in-law.But now came the hard part, telling Richie.Finally, after wha
No matter how old he got, she would always call him that. "Gisting with dad, old lovebirds. Anyways Mom, I’m good. How are you and Dad?""Ooh, we're still very young lovebirds. Don't be jealous.. We’re just fine, dear," she replied cheerfully. "Your father went in to have some coffee, but I can get him if you want to talk to him too.""Actually, yeah," Dazzle said, his heart pounding in his chest. "Could you get him? I’ve got something I need to tell you both."There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Dazzle could almost hear the shift in his mother’s demeanor. "Is everything alright, Dazzy?""Everything’s fine, Mom," Dazzle quickly reassured her. "It’s just... it’s important. I’d rather tell you both at the same time.""Alright, dear. Hold on a moment."Dazzle listened as his mother called for his father, her voice slightly muffled as she moved through the house. He could feel his palms sweating, his nerves getting the better of him as he waited. Finally, he heard his fath
The following evening, Richie paced back and forth in his hotel room, the phone pressed against his ear. His heart pounded with nervous excitement as he listened to the ringing on the other end. Finally, Dazzle picked up, his voice cheerful and relaxed.“Yo, Richie! What’s up, man? How’s the trip going?”Richie let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Hey, Dazzle. The trip’s fine, work’s a bit hectic, but that’s not why I’m calling.”Dazzle’s tone immediately shifted, sensing the seriousness in Richie’s voice. “Alright, spill it. What’s going on? Why are you all serious now?”Richie stopped pacing and leaned against the window, looking out at the city lights. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately… about Leah and the kids. You know, she’s everything to me. And I’ve asked her to marry me before, but she wasn’t ready. We had our issues, especially with how things started between us, but we’ve worked through them. We've been together for months now and I think—No—I know it’s time. S
Alex woke up the following morning. He remembered a discussion he had earlier with Emily. He couldn’t shake the thought of Leah, the boys. The idea of Leah having kids, it just wouldn’t leave his mind. It ate at him, gnawing away until he couldn’t stand it anymore. "Did she really get pregnant after that night?.. and if she did, she probably doesn't know their father. I need to call her"...He picked up the phone and dialed her number, his heart pounding in his chest. As the phone rang, he tried to steady his breathing, but the moment he heard Leah’s voice on the other end, all that calm flew out the window.“Hello?” Leah’s voice was sharp, impatient.“Leah, it’s me, Alex,” he said, trying to sound composed, but his voice wavered slightly.Leah paused for a moment, and he could almost feel her irritation through the phone. “What do you want, Alex?”“I... I heard something from Emily,” Alex began, choosing his words carefully. “She said you have kids... twin boys. Is it true?”Leah’s s