Ashley pov
“What? Take it, silly!” Elijah handed over the envelope to me that contained my first ever salary.
I was standing like a statue looking at it as if I might burn if I would touch it.
My first salary. The first step towards my independence.
“So, are we getting any treat from your first salary?” Evelyn placed her hand on my shoulder from behind. Chewing my lip, I controlled the unexplainable smile twitching at the corner of my lips.
“Yup. You are. But not today!” I clutched the envelope to my chest. Part of this salary belonged to the one person who helped me with all this.
I wanted to buy something for Justin
Excusing myself I went out to have a look at the convenience store around the corner. Nobody knew that today was my birthday too. The day I was placed outside the orphanage when I was just a few days-old baby.
I kept looking at the showcases displaying different items. None of t
Ashley Walters pov How did he know that it was my birthday? Nobody knew except me or my orphanage staff and friends. “I did not know how your friend dug me out and called me.” He raised his hand which held his phone, “She wanted to wish you, on your birthday.” Aniya? I felt tears quickly welling up in my eyes. I missed her so much. I blinked back the tears and was about to open my mouth to thank him when I realized that I was no more talking to him. Ignoring him, I started getting rid of my shoes and sat on the carpet to take off my socks. He crouched down before me and started helping me with it. I wanted to stop him but how. I did not want to talk. He was the one I got married to. He showed me his friendlier side and hid the fact from me that he was my husband. His granny told me that I was not allowed to talk to him. I had this image in my mind of a bratty boy who still wore diapers. He proved to be the opposite. He was kind, empathetic, funny, and caring. But now I could no
Ashley Walters pov What did I just hear? Justin telling someone that he had a wife? That he was married? Wasn’t it supposed to be a secret wedding? We were supposed to be friends. Despite being spouses, we were not allowed to get close. Nobody should know that I was his secret wife. With mixed emotions, I closed the door. Electra Deluca would kill me if she came to know that the secret was out. I will be the one bearing its consequences. Not him. I laid back on my mattress and was about to close my eyes when my gaze fell on our chat written on the back of the door. A smile spread on my lips. What were we? Teenagers? His handwriting was stable, fluid, and legible. It seemed strange compared to my handwriting which was small and appeared like a kid trying to write his first letters. Even our writing styles were different. Thinking about him, my eyes fluttered closed. In my dreams he was there, still smiling, writing something on the door. This time his writing was so small tha
Ashley Walters povThis time he groaned but did not stop me, “Urgh. You are a brat, Ashley. My innocent t-shirt!” Once I wiped my cheeks, I raised my head where amusement was dancing on his face.“That’s all you have got, Ashley Walters?” He clicked his tongue looking down at me. I was so close to him that I could easily kiss his chin.“Why?” I fluttered my eyes dramatically, “You have got a different move here? Show me what you have got!” I shrugged.We both were oblivious to the fact that our faces were drenched in caramel cream, we smelled of caramel and we both were sitting under the table like kids.“I …” he whispered causing my heart to race, “have got… more cream to rub on your face.” With that, very gently he again started touching his cheeks to mine. This time I did not get back.I not only stayed there but closed my eyes. I could sense the warmth of his breath on my face. When I no more felt the skin-to-skin contact, I opened my eyes and found him staring at my lips.I held
Sarah povI followed that Walter girl.Yeah. Last night I followed her and got to a small ice cream parlor. Ice cream Heaven, I guess. She was offering ice cream to the customers with a smile.Well! That smile was supposed to be professional. But Nah. She seemed happy. Like genuinely happy. She was just eighteen. Without a decent degree. Obviously, she could not get an executive job with it.A guy came out of the shop with a big steel container.“Hi.” I greeted him with a big smile. He ran a slow gaze all over me and looked back, thinking I was talking to someone behind him.“I … am talking to you.” I giggled tucking my hair behind one ear, “I am Sarah.”He tried to smirk quite unsure of himself, “Yes, Sarah. How can I help you?” I pointed towards the ad, displayed in the upper right corner of the glass door, “I wanted to ask you about this job. Is it still open?”He must have thought he misheard me, “Excuse me?” His brows knitted into several creases.“That ad. Why?” I laughed agai
Ashley Walters pov:ShameInsultHumiliationPainEverything started attacking me at once. How dare she? What did she think of herself? Why was she doing it?Thank God, I opened the door on time when she was about to leave, otherwise, she would have killed me if she had read the chat written at the back of the door.I was not the one who proposed Justin. Her fight was with the Deluca family. I was just a pawn. I was supposed to get my money and leave.No questions asked.But would I be able to leave Justin that easily?That was the question that kept popping up in my mind lately. The cake on that bed was still there.“Kitten? Ashley?” I jumped a little when I heard Justin calling my name and knocking the door.I did not reply to Justin. I wanted him to believe that I had gone to sleep.“I know you are still awake, kitten. I have got your necklace.” My heart missed a beat. Did Sarah give that necklace to Justin?I thought she was more interested in wearing it. Why would she do that?Ig
Ashley pov “I need your help, Ash.” I heard Evelyn trying to lift that cold steel container full of Pecan flavored ice cream. “Hey.” I quickly left the cash register and went to her. We lifted it up and placed it in the hole inside the big showcase.” “Ok. So where is the container?” Elijah asked us while stretching his arms, showing his non-existent biceps “Sorry, chief. You are late.” I could not help the smile flashing on my face. Now he was in trouble. “I had been calling you for the past ten minutes!” Evelyn roared and even hit him on the chest. “Hey! I was just coming. Ok?” “No, you were not. You were busy scrolling your phone.” “Ev!” He rolled his eyes and pulled her to him. “Oh, God. I guess I should go out. It’s too much hot in here.” I waved my hand while teasing them. “Great idea. I need this privacy so that I can kiss her.” He showed me a thumbs-up sign. “No, Ash. You are not going anywhere.” Evelyn snapped and tried to push him away. “People. Get to work. What
Ashley Walters pov I stood there rooted to the spot. Justin told me to be bold. To become a lioness. But around this girl, I was not aware of what used to come over me. No matter what façade I put up there in front of her. Her presence always used to affect my mental health effortlessly. I did not want her to see the little Ashley inside me who used to get scared easily. “What do you want Sarah?” I folded my arms on my chest and ran my gaze over her. Her face was wet with tears. Her palms were joined, and she was wearing the same dress that she wore when she took away my necklace. “I … I am …” The tears in her throat were making her choke on her words, not letting her speak. Whatever was making her upset, I did not like her standing there crying like this. She might be a stone-hearted person. However, my brought up was done in a decent environment where I was taught to be down to earth and empathetic to everyone. “You did not answer me, Sarah. What are you doing here? We can
Sarah pov “Are you sure she will talk to Justin about you?” Nadia and Shella were snuggled close to me under a big quilt. “I don’t know.” I shrugged and took a small bite of the cracker from the bowl, “She seemed sincere.” “She might be faking it, Sarah.” Shella shook her head causing her small ponytail to move, “A normal girl will never leave Justin.” “You should have seen her face when I was talking to her.” I whispered when Ashley’s face popped into my mind, “For a second she got worried when she saw me crying.” “Well!” Nadia held my hand, “Let’s be positive, girl. She might be sincere after all.” “By the way. What’s the strategy, Sarah?” Nadia asked me, leaning back against the pillow, “What are you planning to do?” “Let me enter that Deluca mansion, Nadia,” I smirked sarcastically, “I made him mine when I was a kid,” I closed my eyes in ecstasy, “I will make him mine again. I misunderstand Sean’s advice. His suggestion was brilliant. Now that Pashley will be used not only