Alex and his wife Emily had been at odds with each other all day."I got a call from Mum earlier today," Emily said. "She wants to see both of us tomorrow morning. Since tomorrow is the weekend, I'd love it if we could go see her.""Why? What for? Another episode of your plans with your mum again? I don't want anything to do with her right now. Can't we just handle it over the phone or some other way?" Alex responded."No, she can't. She said she wants to discuss it in person. Moreover, it's about childbearing. Why would you say something like that? If you weren't such a bad person, you wouldn't be part of the plans. Why are you making us seem like the problem here, Alex?""Because you both dragged me into it. I would have been a very happy man otherwise."Emily rolled her eyes. "Have you been sleeping with another woman? You've been acting up lately. You don't talk to me, joke around like couples should, or eat with me. What’s the matter with you?" she asked.Alex stared at her irrit
"Surrogacy? Why didn't I think of this all this while? Mum, you must be a genius in this reproduction thing," Emily's eyes widened in surprise."You mean we should have another woman birth babies for us?" Alex stood shocked at the lengths and how far these two women would go."Yes. We will take care of her and compensate her once she gives birth. We have all the resources here now. You have the money for this, so you have to decide," Mary said.Alex shook his head, unable to hide his incredulity. "What about the consequences? What if she doesn't release the child or blackmails us with the baby? What will you do then?"Mary dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand. "I will find a suitable person. Someone trustworthy.""No, I will not be part of those plans," Alex insisted. "This is not something I can agree to."Emily crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "So what do you intend to do?"The room became thick with tension. Mary stood up, trying to maintain her composure. "Al
The following day, Richie woke up feeling weak and looked a little pale. He blinked his eyes open, taking in the familiar surroundings of the hospital room. The first person he called was Leah."Leah?" Richie croaked, his voice barely above a whisper.Leah, who had been dozing in a chair by his bedside, snapped awake. She couldn't contain her joy as she rushed over to him, calling for the doctors. "Richie! Oh my God, you're awake! Doctor, come quick, he's awake!"The doctor came in swiftly, checking Richie's vitals. "Well, Mr. Leo, you gave us all quite a scare. But it looks like you're going to be just fine."Richie managed a weak smile. "Did I miss anything important?"Leah laughed through her tears, hugging him tightly. "You missed me, that's for sure.""Is everyone okay?" Richie asked, his eyes scanning the room for familiar faces. He called everyone by their names—his mum, his dad, Dazzle, and then back to Leah. They had feared he would lose his memory, but he remembered them all
The next day, Leah was at home with her children when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was an unknown number. Sighing, she answered. "This is Leah,Who is this?""Mary, We need to talk, Leah. It's urgent," Mary said, her tone serious.Leah rolled her eyes. "Mary?? How were you able to get my number? I'm not interested in anything you have to say.""Anything can be gotten with a little money.. That aside, I called because It's about your future so you have to be interested," Mary replied cryptically.Leah hesitated. "What could be so important about my future that I have to discuss it with you of all people?""Come to the house. We need to discuss this in person," Mary said."The house you threw me out from? What an irony. I won't agree to that. If you want to meet me, I will give you an address of where to meet"...Mary reluctantly agreed and headed over to the address she sent to her cellphone. Leah was wondering what scheme Mary had cooked up this time to invol
Richard lay in his hospital bed, the memory of the accident flashing vividly in his mind. The image of the Hummer van that had rammed into him before Daz arrived was clear. He turned to Daz, who was sitting by his side."Daz, I remember the van," Richard said, his voice steady despite the underlying tension. "It was a Hummer, black, with tinted windows."Daz nodded. "Yeah, I saw it too. But all I could think about was getting you out of that car. By the time I thought to look for the plate number, it was already too far away."Their father, Mr. Leo, had reported the incident to the police as soon as it happened. He was not a man to sit idly by when his family was threatened. If the police didn’t handle it, he was more than willing to take matters into his own hands.That day, Mr. Leo received a call from the police station. He picked up, ever ready to find out who the culprit is."Mr. Leo," said Officer Daniels on the other end, "we have some news regarding your son's case. Can you co
Richie looked up, his eyes fixed on Leah. "Hey, you. Mi Lady, everything alright? You look worried. Do you need anything? "Leah managed a smile. "Just some family drama. Nothing I can't handle."Richie reached out and took her hand. "I'm here for you, Leah. Whatever is bothering you, you have to let me know. I am your man."She squeezed his hand, feeling a surge of love for him. "Thank you, Richie. That means more than you know.""So tell me, what is it?" Richie insisted."I told you about my family, remember?""Yes, you did..""The way they treated me. Do you know they still had the effrontery to come to me and say gibberish to me?"Richie just watched and admired her while she explained her ordeal with her family and the betrayals."Who came to you exactly?""Stepmum and her daughter, of course.""What do they want?" Richie was curious and paying close attention."They want me to be a surrogate mother for her daughter and my ex-husband. How? How do they think? After destroying my l
Emily and her mother, Mary, stormed into the apartment where her husband, Alex, sat on the couch, his face glued to his laptop.“Alex!” Emily yelled.He ignored her, his focus unwavering.“Alex!!!” she shouted louder.Slowly, Alex raised his head, gazing at her without uttering a word.“I hope I didn’t hear Leah correctly, or my ears have turned traitorous. Did you actually go begging Leah for forgiveness?” Emily demanded.“Alex, please tell me she’s lying,” Mary chimed in.“Who told you that?” Alex asked, his eyes returning to his screen.“Leah, of course. Who else?” Emily replied.“Well, she’s telling the truth. Were you doubting her? Do you think I couldn’t do that after we humiliated her?” he shot back.“You let us down, Alex. Why would you do such a thing?” Emily pressed.“I wronged her, we wronged her. Can’t you both ever admit to your wrongdoings?”“Not only have you wronged her in the past, but you also accused her of having an affair with me and wanting to bear my children. N
"Alex!!!" Emily yelled. "I won't let you divorce me. Never! Do you really want to leave me for Leah? Are you serious?""We're tangled together, and no one's leaving. Since you want this marriage to be a battle, so be it! You can't bring that adulterer into our home! I won't let you," she added, her voice shaking with anger.Alex turned back and stared at her scornfully. "Mrs. Saint! You’re the righteous one, right? Let's see who begs for a divorce first—me or you?" He continued climbing the stairs, one hand in his pocket, slowly disappearing from view while Emily stood there, mute and speechless."When did he become so unromantic? Where are all the feelings he once had for me? Wasn't he the one who promised to give me the world? To love and cherish me? How did he change so suddenly, all because of Leah, whom he once despised? Why is he making me suffer?" she thought, clutching her head with both hands."How can I stay in this marriage if I'm treated as nothing but a tool, a disposable