Arian The sound of my phone ringing wakes me up but I don't bother opening my eyes and just reach out my hand to pick it up from my bedside table, swipe up to answer the call and put it to my ear. "Hello Diane." My voice comes out slurred because I'm still so sleepy but I don't care either way. All I can hear is someone breathing which makes my brows furrow and I force my eyes to open and remove my phone from my ear to look at the screen. It isn't Diane's number but an unknown number. "Hello... Who is this?" I am more alert now. I hope it's not my father playing pranks on me because he used to do that after I got separated from Rafael. "Missed me?" The dreaded voice I thought I would never hear again speaks in my ear and I freeze. "Raf... Rafael?" I ask to be sure. "Hello sweetheart." I know he's smiling even if I can't see him. "How're you doing baby?" "How did you... How did you get my number?" I've not had the chance to go out and get a new local SIM card but I didn't think
Gabriel "Stupid." I curse myself as I make my way to School Kit which is a store that sells educational materials. Kareena is all out of her favorite glitter pens and School Kit is the only store I can get it.I know I shouldn't have asked her out but I couldn't have stopped myself even if I'd had a gun to my head. Ever since I met her last week... she's been on my mind and I don't know why. I'm married to Lucifer's queen for the rest of my life so I don't think I have any business thinking about another woman. "Good morning Mr Cruz." A sales attendant walks up to me with a smile on her face. "Morning. Do you have Sparkle glitter pens in stock?" I ask her. "Yes sir." She nods. "It just got delivered this morning so you're in luck."I smile. "Very well. I want to buy twelve packets.""Okay sir. Anything else?""Six coloring books and two sketch pads." I reply."I'll get them for you sir." She smiles and leaves.I walk around the store just taking everything in when a woman bumps in
Gabriel "What's happening?" I demand immediately I settle down at the head of the table and Gabi sits next to me."Someone obviously leaked the information about our new product." One of the directors speaks up. "We're working on it sir.""Is there anything we can do?" Gabi asks. "We can... reduce the price of the laptop once it's released so we can have an edge over our competition." Another says. "No way." I snap. "Is that all you can say?" I glance around the faces at the table. "Can we change the design?""Well sir, considering how close it is to the release date... It'll be impossible." The assistant CTO says. "It'll derail our plans for the release and we can't let Sky Tech get away with what they did. It will also affect the next lineups."I let out a sigh. "Well... If we can't change the design then the function needs to be different. Can any new function be brought from another model?""Yes but the next product will be...""You can't guarantee that there will be a next one
ArianI was very surprised when I got the call about the interview. I'd found the ad on-line and I'd just decided to apply for the job without the hope of ever getting called for an interview because I'd left a lot of blank spaces due to the fact that... Rafael had not given me permission to do anything else except being his punching bag and sex slave when needed.Pushing the thought out of my mind, I grab my suitcase from its place by the wall and set it down before unzipping it then kneeling down to go through my clothes. I didn't come back here with fancy clothes even though Rafael had bought me designer dresses and shoes but I knew it was to show the world how generous he was. He'd wanted women to be jealous of me because I was married to him and they'd been - the women- but until I helped the police show the world just the kind of demon he was, they thought my life was a bed of roses. It had been hell on earth and even now... it still is.I sigh and shake my head, knowing it's n
Arian He'd made me watch. It had been brutal, horrifying and inhumane but Rafael had had someone hold my head so I couldn't turn my head away as he'd cut up Matteo's body. I let out a scream as the image refused to leave my mind and I slide down to the floor clutching the sides of my head and pleading with Rafael to let him go. "Arian!" A distant, concerned voice calls my name then someone's hands shake me. "Arian!" "No. No!" I shake my head. "No!" I feel arms around me and then a soothing voice begins to ring in my head telling me everything is going to be alright and my strangled sobs turn into quiet sniffles. I'm suddenly in Mrs Collins's office and not in that terrible place. I never want to go back there. "Should I call our family doctor mom?" I hear Mrs James ask. "No." Mrs Collins replies. "Not yet." I realize how foolish it was of me to go down memory lane - that memory lane - and now they probably think I'm certifiably mad. I mean, who stares off into space and then st
Arian"Told you." The stupid voice sings in my head as I stare at the woman in front of me.I knew I wouldn't get the job but I didn't expect that it'd hurt this bad. I'd be homeless by Sunday and even when Mrs Collins offered to let me stay in her house, I had to refuse. But I really thought that my heartfelt speech about taking care of her children would change her mind if she'd not wanted to hire me in the first place."No one likes you Ari." The voice snickers sardonically. "Go back to Rafa. He'll take you back."I think I'll rather shoot myself and end it all before I go back to Mexico with my tail between my legs. "Um..." I start. "Okay ma'am. I understand."The woman shakes her head then presses a button on the intercom on her table. "Belinda?""Yes ma'am?" The same voice that answered me earlier speaks."Bring Kary to my office." She orders."Yes ma'am."She releases the button and looks back at me. "You're not going to take care of my children because I can do that myself bu
Gabriel I have been anxious since I dropped off Kary at Gabi's house this morning but I can't say why I am. It's probably because I've been dying to know the outcome of the interview and I didn't want to call Gabi to find out until I got back from the construction site.Pulling up in front of her house by 7pm, I let out a sigh and rotate my neck to relieve the tension that has built up there, then I turn off the engine, unfasten my seatbelt and get out of the car. I know dinner is probably long over but I hope Gabi left some for me because I'm starving.I shut the door, press the lock button on my key fob and I make my way up the short steps and into the house. The construction site is a new branch of Emerson Cruz Group outside of Lagos and I probably should have had someone drive me - preferably Micah- but I'd wanted to drive to clear my head and hope that I didn't make a mistake telling Gabi to hire Arian."I'm home!" I call out as I step into the living room."Uncle Gabriel!!" Gab
Gabriel I frown in my sleep wondering why I'm bouncing. A little voice calls out to me then small hands simultaneously shake me awake and I groan. "Good morning daddy." Kary's cheerful voice sings. I want to turn on my back but can't and I soon realize that she's sitting on my lower back. That's probably why I was bouncing in my sleep. "Morning baby. Did you sleep well?" My voice is groggy from sleep and I have to force myself to keep my eyes open even though I'm still very sleepy. "Yes daddy." She says. "I had fun playing with my new nanny." "So, you like her?" I sound hopeful. "Yes. She's really cool." She replies. "I know we'll be good friends." "That's good to hear." I say. I'm happy that Kary likes Arian and all that talk with Gabi last night about Arian's relationship with her ex husband - though insightful - is something I've decided I will overlook. I reach behind me to tap Kary's leg and she climbs off me so I am able to turn on my back to look at her. She's dres
Arian Six months later Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today in the sight of God to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Not to be entered lightly, holy matrimony should be entered into, solemnly and with reverence and honor." The priest begins in Italian. "Into this holy agreement, these two persons come together to be joined. If any person or people here can show cause as to why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace." Gabriel and I turn at the same time to look behind us but no one speaks up and we face the priest again. Majority of the people here probably don't understand what he's saying so we're good to go. "Do you, Gabriel Emerson Cruz, take Arian Katerina Macavinta to be your lawful wedded wife and live together in the estate of holy matrimony? Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse as long as you both shall live?" The pri
Gabriel Two years later Dear Gabriel, Two decades ago, I was a little girl who had been abandoned by her beloved father and I'd thought myself unworthy of anyone's love but you saw me, took your time to get to know me and at the end of that day, I went back to the orphanage with the knowledge that I was worthy of being loved by someone. Months ago, I thought I was returning home to get far away from the clutches of my ex husband and I vowed never to get involved with any man but I met you and you turned my life upside down. You made me happier than I'd ever been in years and for that, I'll be forever grateful to you. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I am the girl you'd been waiting for and I didn't even realize it until you told me about your story. I'm sorry for leaving you and your daughter after I promised not to go, but I hope you can understand why I have to. Rafael is finally dead and I'm free from him forever, thanks to your father. I need to find myself again. I need t
Gabriel Arian probably thinks I'm out of my mind for challenging her ex husband to a fight. He's a dangerous man who has no qualms about killing someone in cold blood but I don't care. He made her life miserable for ten long years and even after being incarcerated in prison, he was still tormenting her in her dreams but it has to stop now. She was his and now she's mine and I will make sure I win this fight, then take pleasure in blowing his brains out with his own fucking gun. I have the upper hand in this fight and I don't give him an inch, throwing punches after punches making him bleed but he also doesn't give me an inch either as he throws a sucker punch that almost knocks me out. My ears ring from the punch and my vision becomes blurry but I shake myself out of it and attack him again and we end up rolling around on the floor trying to get the best of each other. My attention becomes divided as I see Lucille pick up one of the guns from the floor, turn off the safety and
Arian "She has a gun." The voice in my head whispers fearfully. "She has a fucking gun!" I feel the cold sweat that has broken out on my face and I have trouble breathing. I hate guns, hate seeing them because I've had to live with gun-toting, knife-toting men like Rafael and his men for ten years. I'd prayed to God to keep me away from guns when I came to this country, but I'd ended up taking a bullet for this man in front of me and now his ex wife wants to exact revenge on him. Gabriel moves to stand in front of me, shielding me from his ex wife's murderous glare, all the while trying to placate her to drop the gun so they could talk calmly about this, but his words fall on deaf ears. "Did you think I was joking when I told you that I'd kill you and the woman you choose to leave me for?" She asks. "How stupid of you to think I'd just accept defeat like that, Gabriel Cruz! You're mine and no one else's." I don't know why Mrs Cruz and her daughter aren't here to see a certifiable
Gabriel I leave my car running, the automatic gear in Park and the door open as I race up the steps to Lucille's front door and I press the doorbell incessantly until the housekeeper appears to open the door for me. I don't give her the chance to say anything as I march into the house and head straight for the living room. She calls my name but I don't answer until I walk into the living room and my steps falter when I come face to face with my wife - soon to be ex wife - having sex with an unknown guy on the sofa. "Mr Cruz!" Helen stops beside me but she turns her back quickly, unlike me, as Lucille and the guy break apart. "What the hell, Gabe?!" She snaps. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. I tried to stop him but he barged in before I could." Helen apologizes. Lucille picks up her discarded dress from the floor and puts it on as the guy hastily dresses up but he doesn't quite finish and hurries out of the living room with his shirt and shoes. Good for him that he had the good sense t
Gabriel Six weeks later Walking out of the High Court with the knowledge that in a few weeks, I'll be a single guy once again has me grinning from ear to ear. The judge had listened to both sides of our story and even as Lucille had laid it thick on her tears for the judge to rule in her favor... He hadn't and had declared our marriage irretrievable, but it hadn't been his final decision and that was good enough for me. I'd wanted Arian inside the court with me but she'd refused to go in, saying it reminded her of her own divorce and I'd not pressed her. Seeing her waiting for me on the steps of the building makes me very happy and my smile widens when she looks up and sees me. "How did it go?" She asks. "I'll be a single guy in a few weeks." I reply. "I don't know why he didn't just give a decree absolute instead of a decree nisi. It's all good, though, because I have finally beaten Lucille at her own game. She won't be Mrs Cruz for much longer." "It's fast." She remarks. "Min
Lucille Gabriel has finally done it. He wants to get rid of me so he can have a good life with that bitch and my stupid daughter who wouldn't know a good mother from a bad one even if it hit her in the face. She has forgotten that it's because of me, because of my love for her father that she's alive today, but I'm going to let it slide with her because she's just a little girl.I'm sure Gabriel has been feeding her lies about me, which was the reason why she'd not wanted me at the party. One thing Gabriel Cruz doesn't know is that inasmuch as I love him, my love could easily turn to hatred and I did promise to never let him be happy with any other woman. If killing him or her would ensure the end of their budding relationship, then so be it. I'm game."Are you really letting him go?" Samantha settles down on the single wingback chair with a drink in her hand. "It's unlike you.""I'm making him think he has won, Sam." I send her a smirk. "He may win the case in court and we'll get d
Arian"This is so surreal." I mutter. My head is resting on Gabriel's chest after our intense love making. It was better than the previous times. Although, it could be because we'd both gone two months without it and we'd been so starved for one another. All I know is that I'm not so sure I can say no to this man anymore."It is, isn't it?" I can hear the smile in his voice. "Being here with you, like this again. I feel like I'm dreaming.""Then, we're both having the same dream." I chuckle."I love you, Arian." He bends his head to plant a kiss on my hair. "It feels really good to let it out now.""Will you be okay with me saying I like you?" I ask in a tentative voice. "I can't go any further than that.""I'm more than okay with it." He squeezes my shoulder. "Half bread is better than nothing.""Do you think... Kary will hate me if I tell her I don't think I can be her mother? I mean, legally?" I look up at him. "What do you think?""I think she'll love you either way, Arian." He re
Gabriel "I'll go away." Lucille says. "I just came to say goodbye to you."Kary's gaze slides to mine in excitement, as if she's already guessed why her mother is saying that. "Does this mean... She won't be in our lives anymore?""Yes, baby." I nod. "We're finally getting a divorce.""Yay!" She claps her hands excitedly. "Thank you, daddy!" She wraps her small arms around my neck."I guess this is my cue to leave." Lucille's voice cracks with emotion as she finally realizes that even her daughter doesn't want her around. "Goodbye... Kareena. Can I hug you?"Kary literally recoils from her, burying her face in my neck. I stroke her back to calm her down and gesture for Lucille to leave. Thankfully, she listens to me and walks away."Is she gone?" Kary asks."Yes, baby." I reply. "You won't see her again if you don't want to.""I don't want to see her again." She reaches for Arian and I hand her over to Arian. "I love you, Arian. I want you to be my mother."Arian's wide eyed gaze sli