As Jeffrey parked his car in front of Francis' house, he could not help not remembering how he had suggested and made her sign the open marriage contract.Now that he was thinking about it, he seemed to be the one going against the contract. He had admitted that he liked her, though he knew there was no hope and there was nothing that could be done to that. And besides, all the likeness had disappeared after seeing her in the bathroom that day. He regretted ever thinking she could have a space in his heart. He didn't hate her. Not yet. He was just annoyed. He was… His eyes strayed to the doorstep of Francis' as he was alighting from his car. At first, he thought he was seeing things, but no. He wasn't. His sister and his best friend were kissing. What the fuck was that? When did that start?Angrily, he got out of the car and slammed the door so hard that the two splitted in shock, but were more shocked at the sight of Jeffrey. "Jeff, hold. I can explain. I've always wanted to tell
"Hold on a minute. I'm coming," Meredith told her husband before looking back at her daughter. She had entered the gate into the home, so she alighted and ran towards the gate. She entered and looked around a little before seeing her. She walked closer to her and turned her around. "What are you — Oh!" Her eyes widened. She wasn't Rhoda. She had been mistaken."Huh?" The lady was surprised, but then smiled. "Hello, ma. I am Zoe. Do you need any help? Are you looking for someone?" Zoe asked her. Meredith sighed. "No, my dear. Never mind. You just looked like uhm… Well, I thought you looked like my daughter," she explained. But this lady seemed to be a little skinnier than the one she saw entering the gate. Maybe she was mistaken. And she looked no way like Rhoda.Perhaps she just missed her daughter that much. She knew she had been a bad mother to her, barely calling or texting to check on her. "No problem, ma. I shall take my leave, then," Zoe said and started walking away after the
Rhoda decided to escape her misery by reading. She had been digging her head into the 'After' series. She got herself a bowl of popcorn as she continued the third book of the series. It was dinner time and any good and responsible wife would be in the kitchen, preparing food for her husband, but since she wasn't one, she could only do what she could. Be on her own, in her own world.Moments later, Jeff returned home and went to sit beside her on the three-seater chair. She took that as a call to go to her room, so she rose to her feet to leave. Jeff grabbed her wrist and made her sit back. "Stay," he breathed to her face, making her frown. "You're drunk." He would never be doing what he was if he was sober. "No, I'm not. I drank a little," he said, bringing his right thumb and index finger closer to each other. "Oh!" She nodded. Of course, no drunk person would ever admit that. He looked at her face and held it for a while before she looked away. His expression suddenly turned s
Jeff came out of his room and walked down the stairs into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. He had been trying his best to avoid running into Rhoda after the intense moment they shared a few nights ago. Aside from the fact that remembering everything that transpired that night embarrassed him the following day, Rhoda hasn't been helpful as well. She had asked him if he remembered anything from that night and he had denied remembering anything. He knew she wanted to talk about it, but he was too ashamed to do that. She had not been any different from her usual self, though. She didn't try to get closer nor did she try to pester him into discussing their passionate moment together. But her presence had been troubling his heart. Just like now, Rhoda was in the kitchen trying to take a dish from the cabinet above her head and his eyes were so stubborn they weren't looking from her thighs and bum. The huge top she was putting on had rode up and was making him sweat all of a s
Jeff starts to round up in his office as he awaits the arrival of his friend. He had called Francis over to have a man-to-man talk with him regarding his sister. After the drunken conversation he had with Rhoda, he decided to give him a chance. Maybe he had actually changed. Maybe what he felt for his sister was real. He decided to give it a trial. And talking of Rhoda, he was still as clueless as ever as to what to do. He liked her, but he very much knew he couldn't start anything new with her. Why?Aside from their open marriage contract, he was still struggling to get himself to trust her. If he must start anything, he has to trust her. And that was a difficult thing to do for him. After the heartbreak from his ex-girlfriend despite how much he loved and trusted her, he couldn't bring himself to do so again. Not even when he had seen her doing 'it' in the bathroom of a bar. He had been celibate for months now and that wasn't easy. He could have chosen to do it outside, but he k
Sharon got tired of dancing in the bar and decided to go outside for fresh air. Her date for the night has not gotten there so she decided to call and wait for him outside. She walked outside and was slapped by the naturally calming air, so she stretched her arms apart and breathed in as much as she could. Her phone started ringing. She brought it out and said, "Hello." It was the person she was waiting for."Why are you not here yet?" She asked and listened to his excuse. She sighed and smiled. "Okay. Don't stay too long, I'm waiting for you." She was about to hang up but brought the phone back to her ear when she heard him talking. "Come on. I don't think we can make use of the bathroom again. The last time, I suspected someone saw us," she said in a low voice and turned around to see if no one could hear her.To her surprise, the phone of the man behind her dropped to the ground and his mouth was wide open. It was obvious he had heard her and that shocked him. She hung up and too
Sharon brought in the brown envelope she had found at her door and walked in. She wondered what was in there and from whom it came from. But after opening it, her curiosity dwindled. She knew who it was from.There were a few pictures of herself in different places and she looked at them in shock. What was shocking was that she had never been in those clothes and had never been to those places where the pictures were taken. She recognized one of the places to be the house her biological parents were living in. That was when everything made sense. How could she have believed they had no child? Every couple wants children. Then, she realized that the reason she was forsaken was because of this lady that looked so much like her. Anger filled her up immediately and she squeezed one of the pictures in one hand. She looked into the envelope again and saw another picture she didn't bring out. It was a picture of her… No, not her. It was a picture of the lady in a wedding dress and beside
Kelly looked behind her to see who Rhoda was referring to. She looked back at Rhoda and touched her hand. "Are you okay? Is he someone you know?" She asked."Yes, I am fine. Excuse me for a moment," Rhoda replied and walked towards Nas and they moved some feet away from Kelly. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?""Good day to you, too," Nas replied, still smiling.Rhoda's heart started melting seeing him smile. His smile had been what she had fallen in love with when she saw him for the first time. She tried to look hard even though she was not. "I'm sorry. I'm just surprised to see you. You wanted me out of your life, remember? You said you never wanted to see me again, so why —""That's because I thought I could live without you, Rho."She loved him calling her that. She always has. And he was doing that on purpose because he knew. "It's been over a year and I can tell you lived just fine. It is so obvious," she said while looking at him from head to toe. She admitted he
“Oh, gosh! Rhoda!” He exclaimed as soon as he barged inside. “How did you fall?” He asked as he rushed to her side. She was in tears and couldn't utter a word. He helped her up and hugged her. “It's okay now. You're fine,” he consoled and she tried to subdue the tears. She shook her head in disagreement to what he said. “I'm not fine, Jeff. I don't think I'll ever be able to walk again. I can't even stand up by myself after falling. I am doomed!” She cried. “Sshhh!” He said, looking her in the eyes. “Don't say that. You are not doomed and you'll walk again. I'll make sure that happens,” he assured, wiping her tears with his thumbs. She sniffed and nodded. He lifted her up in his arms and was about to put her back on the bed when she stopped him. “I need to use the restroom,” she said, looking everywhere but him. He smiled at her shyness and helped her to the bathroom and waited outside to help her back to the bed when she was done. “Are you okay now?” He placed her on the bed, po
After being discharged, Rhoda decided to go to Jeff's house. He didn't oppose it. He was surprised instead. Why would she want to go to his place instead of her boyfriend's? And why would the guy agree to it? No matter how he looked at it, it seemed odd to him. She wouldn't even go to her parents' house. Well, Rhoda gave him the excuse that she had to stay with him because of her parents since they didn't know about the boyfriend. Made sense, but at the same time didn't. He said nothing as he drove her to his house and helped her out of the car onto her wheelchair. She has not been able to stand and walk on her own properly even though there has been improvements in her condition, but the doctor insisted that she should keep using the special chair for a while. And of course, just as Jeff had predicted, Rhoda had been against it but had been left with no choice. As he was about to put her on the chair, she glared at him. "Are you kidding? I am not sitting there. I have legs," she
Few days later, the doctors finally concluded that Rhoda had had enough rest and could be visited, but one after the other. Rhoda said nothing as she saw her father walk in. Her mother had just gone out and she knew he was going to do the same thing her mother did. Apologize. And she was already tired of that. She had forgiven them and had told her mother that. She hoped she would relay the message to her father. She was getting bored with the apologies. When would he even come in? She thought. "Dad," Rhoda called and smiled. He held her hand and squeezed it a little. "I am glad you're better now. Rhoda, I am …"She nodded repeatedly. "I know, dad. I know you are sorry. You regretted it. Not telling me about Sharon, the marriage and sending me abroad? I know. I've forgiven you. So, you don't need to apologize."When would anyone ask her how she was feeling and not just assume that she was better? It seemed no one was interested in that even though she had just been to the moon and
Rhoda got rushed to the hospital in an ambulance without much time. Her pulse was very weak and she was bleeding profusely from the gunshot and was barely holding on. Jeff drove behind the ambulance with the family and his friend. He had been warned a couple of times to slow down his speed, but he paid no heed to them. He tried to. It just wasn't working. "Jeff, calm down. You don't want to kill us all and then get to know in heaven that Rhoda made it to your funeral," his sister said and he shot her a glare from the rear view mirror, but said nothing and slowed down. They arrived just as Rhoda was being wheeled in. He ran to her and kept calling her name, begging her to hold on. "You have to make it, babe. Please," he pleaded as he pushed the wheel alongside with the nurses with bloody hands and into the emergency ward. He was asked to wait outside the ward as the doctor and nurses attended to her, so he obeyed hesitantly, but not before using everything he knew and believed in t
Jeff's phone started ringing. He rolled over on his bed and looked at the phone beside him to check who the caller was. He didn't bother picking up when he realized it was his best friend. Ex-best friend. Moments later, it started ringing again and that happened a couple of times more until he got frustrated and forced to pick up. He put the phone to his ear. "What's up?""There's something I need to tell you," Francis said from the other end. "And it's urgent. Can you come over now? Please?"Jeff was still sleepy and it was evident in his voice. "Why would I? Sorry, but no. Bye…" he said and put the phone out of his ear. "Rhoda," Francis said as fast as he could before he hung up and Jeff put the phone back to his ear and sat upright immediately. The sleep left his eyes all of a sudden. "What's wrong with Rhoda? Oh, wait! Is she your partner too? Is that what you want to confess?" He was irritated and annoyed and he didn't bother hiding that from his tone. "Jeff, no. You know she'
Rhoda paced her room back and forth as Steve told her about the man he had seen that was following her. From the description, she knew who it was. He had found her. It seemed that fate wanted them to cross paths again. "I told him I am your husband –"She squeezed her face as she tried to re-listen to what he had just said. "You did what? You told him that you're my husband?" That would make him confused. "He wasn't sure if it was you. Well, with the look on his face, he was quite sure, but I stopped him from following you," Steve said as he crossed his legs and relaxed on her bed. He sensed and noticed the anger that was building up in her, but chose to ignore it. She wouldn't get mad at him. And if she would, he was ready for it. He would readily take her anger. He was going to be protective of her until the end. Rhoda had been an amazing person and he had grown to love her. He wouldn't let her go back into a life where she wasn't valued and appreciated. He was even ready to fathe
Sharon got out of her car and walked to the entrance of her parents' house. She paused at the door as she hesitated on knocking. She was going in to see her parents. Her biological parents. She had seen them before, of course, but then she had been pretending to be sick. Now, she was all well and good, going in as their only daughter. The only daughter of the parents who gave her up for adoption because they didn't want her. She wasn't needed. And now, she was going, pretending to be someone she was not. The original daughter. That realization stung and it hurt her really bad. She raised her head and fought back her tears because she wasn't the type that cry. They didn't even look for her. She had wasted so many years thinking they would, but it was sad that they were fine without her. The hurt pierced through her heart, but she refused to let a tear drop. She had become too strong for that. She hoped. It was obvious she was an unwanted child. It was only a matter of time and she wou
Meredith walked closer to where her husband was sitting and took her seat beside him. He had been avoiding her and saying little or no words to her ever since their argument. He was about to stand up and leave when she grabbed his arm. "How long do you plan to ignore me? Please, listen to what I have to say, at least."Rhoda's father said nothing and took his seat again. He ignored her totally and continued with the news he was reading on his iPad. "It was a mistake, Fred. A terrible mistake that I — regret.""Really?" He asked sardonically."Listen to me, please. I admit I allowed something wrong with your brother, but the kids are yours. Believe me," Meredith pleaded. She tried to hold her husband's hands, but he jerked them away. "Don't touch me, Meredith. Why are you so adamant about this? Why won't you admit it? Your secret is already known, why deny it? The kids are mine? Really? Care to enlighten me on how, you whore? How could you sleep with my brother?""I didn't sleep wit
Jeff could not have been more shocked in his life, because, now, he realized what had been going on in his life. Now, he knew the reason he was doubtful of his wife after the accident. It was because of one thing. The wife at home wasn't the one he got married to. Now that he was looking at his wife, he could see the differences between them. But how possible that he was able to confuse the two? They looked so much alike. What was going on? He thought."Oh, my God!" He exclaimed as the answer suddenly struck him like thunder. "Oh, my God!" He exclaimed again and all he could picture in his head was the lady he met at the bar the day he went there with Francis. He started finding it hard to control his breathing. He held his neck as he tried to get the full picture of what his brain was telling him. This lady in question had been the one he saw in the bathroom and had blamed Rhoda for it for months! How could he not know?! But who is the lady? And most importantly, why would she