"I need to see her now. She should come to the office immediately. I can finally see my woman, the mother of my twins," Richie instructed.He hoped Leah would understand him. It wasn't entirely his fault that night. He had also suffered, enduring sleepless nights, as she was the only one in his thoughts day in, day out for the past seven years.********Leah urged the driver to speed up. "You're driving like a snail! Don't you understand what 'faster' means? Which part don't you get?" she demanded of the innocent man. The driver, though taken aback, increased his speed without replying."I'm in a hurry, please," she added, her voice tinged with desperation. Leah clutched her chest, tears welling up in her eyes. She was prepared for a confrontation with anyone attempting to take her children from her.Flashbacks of her dreams and the phone call with her children that morning filled her mind... The pieces were falling into place.As they arrived, she almost forgot to pay the driver in h
"I know you're hurt! I apologize. But please, hear me out. It never happened the way it is in your head. The way you are thinking it is..." Richie tried to coax her.Richie’s face had already turned red, and painful finger-like lines mapped out across his cheeks. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had hit him.He tried to hold her, but Leah kept fighting him. "What do you mean it didn't happen the way I thought? Are you telling me I don't know what I went through? You had your way exactly how you wanted it, and now you're spitting out these cock and bull stories. You are a fool, a rapist, and without conscience!" she yelled."I lost everything because of you in just one night..."As she continued to yell, Richie let her speak and released his grip on her hands. He allowed her to say all the things that had hurt her."I have carried the baggage of the past for seven years. I have tried to heal. Then, after I did heal, you reappeared out of nowhere. Where were you all this time?
Richie paced up and down in his office, trying to figure out how to make peace with Leah when Gracy's call came in. She had heard from one of the cleaners that a woman came to claim the kids. Supposedly, she was the mother of the boys and might end up taking her place in Richie's life. She had her informant.Feeling uneasy, she decided to call him.Richie sighed at the sight of her name popping up on his phone but decided to pick up."Why aren't you taking my calls, Richard?" she asked."Is there something I can do for you?" Richie asked."Yes, a lot of things. I need your attention, I need love, I need care, and everything a woman should get from her fiancé.""Don't you realize that you can never be my woman? Move on," Richie said."I can't move on. I have given you all my heart and soul. I've invested so much time loving you over the past four years. Can't you see that? Why do you want to allow a total stranger to replace me?"Richie was irritated. The last person he wanted to talk
"What is life without my kids? How am I supposed to live without them? All I have done is be a good mother, working hard to make sure they lacked nothing. The only thing that keeps me going and surviving has been forcefully taken from me..." Leah lamented, her life steeped in agony."How did she end up with a man as wicked as he is? He doesn't care about her feelings. All he thinks about is taking her kids away. He is their father, but so what? How could a wealthy man be a rapist? He could have patronized prostitutes or is he only interested in virgins?" Leah’s thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and pain."How did Alex, Emily, and her wicked mother hook me up with a man like him? Was it a disguise? Is my life a joke to them? Was there a mix-up or was I taken to the wrong room?" Leah was tormented by questions she couldn't answer.She braced herself, cleaned up, and decided to report the past and recent incidents to the police.A few minutes later, she arrived at the police station
Three days later, Leah still hadn't left her house or done any work. She had over thirty missed calls from Dazzle regarding work and to check on her after hearing that his brother had taken the kids from her again. She also hadn't heard from her children.All she did was sleep, cry, and drink alcohol in a vain attempt to feel better. She had considered every possible way to get her kids back, but each plan she devised was futile.This morning, she decided to get up and try to feel somewhat alive. Her phone rang for the thirty-fifth time; this time, it was an unknown number."Hello," she answered."Hey, Leah. I called to check on you. How are you doing?" Daz asked."Good. Who is this, please?""Dazzle. Please listen to me, don’t hang up. I know my brother has been unfair to you. It's just one of his ways of showing up, I know how it is. I’ve dealt with him before, but not in your situation. Moreover, he shouldn’t be the reason you stop working or earning a living for yourself.""There’
Meanwhile, Emily had been unhappy ever since that day at the party. She hadn’t spoken or had any conversations with her husband. She had been giving him the silent treatment, but Alex didn’t seem to care.All he did was wake up, have breakfast if she had made any on time before he left for work. Sometimes he ate out, then returned home, freshened up, and went straight to bed. Ever since then, he had been coming home late and had turned to alcohol.Emily had lost weight from excessive worry. She finally went to see her mother to devise plans on how to teach Leah a lesson.She arrived, knocked, and walked in on her mother, who was busy on her phone. She was almost in tears."Mom," she called out."Emily, you didn’t tell me you were coming over.""When did I ever have to tell you that I’m coming over? Am I not welcome in my father’s house anymore? Since my own husband’s house is no longer conducive for me.""You are always welcome, but you should have given me a heads-up. What if I had g
While Leah lay on the bed, still unconscious, Richard sat right beside her. He admired her beautiful yet pale face, wishing that once she woke up, everything would be fine. If he had found her sooner, he wouldn't have let her go through whatever she might have endured raising those boys and surviving.He desperately wanted just one chance to make things right, but she had stubbornly refused to grant him that wish.His life now revolved entirely around her. If she eventually agreed, he wouldn't hesitate to make her his wife immediately and focus solely on her and the kids. Richie was deeply unhappy as none of his plans had come to fruition.He glanced at the clock repeatedly, wishing she would just open her eyes. His worry and regret grew. The only words that intensified his anxiety were her saying she hated him.He sank into the chair, his head in his hands, recalling each and every word she said.He suddenly went to her bedside again, held her hand, and prayed silently for her to wak
"Are you ready to bury me? Because her family collaboration with our company will definitely be cut off. So I will have to lose a shareholder just because of your stupid decision, Richard," his father erupted."Dad, please. You did this to yourself by initiating this marriage and making a deal with her father. I don't want to be dragged into your schemes. I am trying to be happy, not sad. Ending up with someone I don't care about and never will is not an option."His father couldn't respond but continued to stare at him with disdainful eyes."As I said earlier, I have a woman I have sworn to spend the rest of my life with, and she has already given me children. I am not about to break her heart anytime soon. If we are done, MA and PA, I'd like to take my leave. I have more important things to do with my time.""Boys, time to go.""Okay, Dad," they said in unison."Bye, Grandma, bye, Grandpa.""Bye, my children," Grandma replied. "Don't look for trouble and be of good behavior, alright