MAVIS I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "He’s disappointed, maybe I should have told him." I said, "He thinks I should have consulted him first, that I’m not being responsible."Isabel bit her lip, "Are you okay?" I turned in her direction, "We should be more bothered about you, are you okay?"She took a breath, "I think we’re going to be in trouble soon," She said and rubbed her belly. I couldn’t help but glance down at her stomach, my heart hammering in my chest as I considered her meaning. "Dad has noticed how close we are, I think it's the paparazzi. What'd you think?""I don't know what to think unless you tell me what he told you,""He said I should be careful whenever I'm around you," "Dad said that?" She asked with surprise. I simply nodded at her and she smiled shaking her head at the same time. Cars on the road crawled along, bumper to bumper. The noise of honking horns and idling engines filled the air as everyone tried to reach their expected destination early
ISABEL "This way," He said, leading me to a cozy room with comfortable sofas. "I've got a TV in here. Why don't you sit down and relax for a while? I'm expecting a patient soon, so I'll need to attend to them first, but I'll come find you afterwards." "Remember to call me if you need anything," He added, glancing back at me as he walked away. He patted my shoulder gently before leaving me in the room, closing the door behind him. I sank into the soft cushions of the sofa, attempting to distract myself from the unfolding events with the flickering images on the TV screen. My phone chimed, its ringtone piercing the quiet of the room. Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was Mom. "Hey, Mom. What's up?" I answered. "I'm good, I want to know how it's going over there, have you been able to meet a lab scientist?" "Things are going well, Mom. Thanks for asking," I responded. "I was able to find a lab to run some tests. I'm waiting for the results right now." I lied. Mom's co
ISABEL The sleek, black vehicle pulled up to the curb, the driver opening the door for me with a courteous nod. As I settled into the comfortable backseat, I drew in a slow, deep breath, steadying myself as the car pulled away from the curb. I clenched my jaw, determined to remain composed for the sake of the fragile life growing inside me. As the car purred up the driveway and came to a smooth stop, I exited the vehicle. The gatekeeper looked up in surprise, his brows knitting together as he noticed my solitary entrance. "Is everything alright, madam?" He asked. I forced a smile, my trembling hand gripping the strap of my purse. "Yes, everything's fine," I replied, offering a nod before stepping past him and into the house. Amelia was replacing the throw pillows when I walked into the living room, "Hi, Isabel, welcome back!" She chirped. But I could barely muster the energy to respond, I offered a nod and a faint smile in acknowledgement. Upon getting into my room, I approache
NARRATION Estelle's scheming had finally yielded the desired result. She had planted the seeds of suspicion in Mavis' mind, nurturing them with deceits and insinuations. She watched as Mavis stormed out of her house, and descended the stairs with rage. She ran to her window to continue watching his move, he slipped into his car and sped out onto the road. A sinister smirk crossed her lips as she whispered to herself, "He'll be mine again." "That son of a bitch!" Mavis cursed with anger as he proceeded to his best friend's house to tell him off. The distance to Jackson's house wasn't that long, but for Mavis, it was the opposite. He took a brake seeing the car already parked on the curb. He reversed his car until he was able to get through the gate. The crunch of gravel announced Mavis’ arrival, as he slid the car into a parking spot with a practiced flick of his wrist. His tires squealed as he threw the car into the park. He got out and stormed across the driveway, his
NARRATION "Let's find out together, then," Mavis said turning to the door. "You were pretty drunk that night, I believe you have no clue that you dumped it there." "Dumped what?" "Her panties," Mavis gave him a brief response as he held on the door knob. "Seriously, Mavis?" Jackson replied, "This is quite ridiculous." He slid the key into the lock panel and pushed the door. "Alright, fine," Jackson said as he led Mavis into the house, their shoes clicking against the hardwood floors as they strode toward his bedroom. "If that's what it takes to prove my innocence, then I'll do it. I've got nothing to hide." He threw open the closet doors, revealing a neat row of shirts and trousers. With a wave of his hand, Jackson gestured towards the garments. "Here there are, everything I wore to the party. Get the panties and let's see, " As Mavis reached for Jackson's trousers ransacking the pockets carefully, he felt a silken fabric, smooth and light against his fingertips. He froz
ISABELLA I repeatedly blinked away the tears that were welling up in my eyes. "What do you mean by what you just said?" He didn't look up but pretended to be more interested in his phone. "I did nothing with Jackson, are you trying to fabricate a story or what?" "Where's the orange-colored panties I bought for you? If you can produce it right now, maybe I'll reconsider the information I received earlier today." Overwhelmed by his demands, I struggled to comprehend his insistence on the same panties I wore to the party. Alarmingly, it crossed my mind that Jackson might have taken advantage of me during my intoxicated state. I arrived pantless at the beach and still couldn't comprehend what could have happened, or, who could have got hold of my panties during the party. I found myself frozen in place, uncertain how to process the situation or respond to him, as feelings of being exploited consumed me. "You may now leave," He stated, noticing my apparent confusion and
ISABELLA Aware of the potential consequences, I refrained from showing the photo to my mother. Emotionally broken and yearning for a confidant, I was weighed down by the realization that I had been naive all along. A sense of self-blame pervaded my thoughts as I struggled to reconcile with the unfolding events, feeling as though I had brought this mess upon myself. I made an effort to complete the estimates on the paper, mustering the strength to rise and make my way upstairs to meet my stepfather. With a reassuring pat on my back, my stepfather declared, "That's wonderful. I'll reach out to my account manager right away, and you can expect to receive the funds before the end of the day." A small smile formed on my lips as I walked away, turning my attention to packing my bags in preparation for my departure. I intended to leave the house well before Mavis' return, and though the possibility of him spending the night with his ex at the hotel lingered in my mind, I res
ISABELLA The atmosphere was charged with an expression of emotions especially by the children. I reassured them that I would return to visit them shortly. I just needed to leave in a hurry so that Mavis wouldn't see me leave. Amidst the emotional farewells, one person's reaction stood out to me. Amelia seemed to be devoid of the sadness that engulfed everyone else. Instead, her demeanor suggested an underlying indifference to my leaving, or perhaps a hint of satisfaction. It occurred to me that she may have viewed my departure as an opportunity to interact with Mavis in a manner that she had always desired, unhindered by my presence. In a display of affection, I embraced Jane tightly, knowing that my heart would ache with her absence. This sentiment extended to my younger step-brothers, particularly Jessie, and most significantly, to my beloved mother. The driver pulled away from the confines of our home, and as we drove along the road, I nodded to the gentle melody of a song play