Lizzy Ford's POV“Take this check and get the hell out of my house this instant. I know what you are up to. I have seen so many girls like you who want to trick my son,” Margaret Oswald, Jason’s Mom said in a lofty tone as she grabbed both my hands and rudely forced me to accept the check. Her words that morning were like lightning in the day that struck me. My mind became chaotic instantly, and I questioned many things. While staring at the check that was right in front of me, with a trembling voice, I asked her, “I don’t understand. I don’t do trick to Jason and I can’t accept this check. Please, don’t kick me out of here, Ma’am,” I pleaded as I knelt before her and a clear liquid ran down my eyes. I needed an explanation because I was sure I hadn’t tricked anyone. “Yes, you do! You seduce and climb onto his bed to reach your goal. You are after our wealth, but your trick can’t fool me,” she said as she stood with her back to me, as if reluctant to look at me. “No, Ma’am. You are
Jason Oswald’s POVThat night I drove my car alone. All I wanted at that moment was to see Lizzy immediately and bring her back to my house. I just wanted to be with her forever, even though I was still waiting for the right time to confess everything to my parents.Why did you leave, Lizzy? Did I offend you? Can’t you wait a little longer with me?Damn! Everything was getting complicated and messy.Moments later, the car I was driving stopped right in front of the entrance of her apartment. After getting out of the car, I observed the window of her room on the third floor. The room lights weren’t on.Could it be that she had left Maldiva? I had to find out right away.I hurried up the elevator to the third floor. One minute felt like an hour. My eyes kept staring at the numbers above the elevator doors.“Come on, hurry,” I muttered.The elevator doors finally opened. I ran as fast as I could to her apartment unit. Arriving at the door, I pressed the password to open it. It opened inst
Lizzy Ford’s POV And within seconds, she was standing in front of me, smiling. “Let’s take a shower, Mom,” she said with a smile. Right at that moment, the doorbell rang. “Anya, go to the bathroom. I’ll catch up soon,” I pleaded. She obediently rushed into the bathroom and closed the door, while I rushed to open the door. “Ah, Aaron. I thought we will leave in fifteen minutes,” I said as I hugged him and he kissed my cheek. “Yeah. I just wanted to visit you earlier,” Aaron replied, my boyfriend and also our neighbor. He lived two units next to us. He just moved in six months ago. I didn’t know if it’s because we were both single and have had our hearts broken, but we became close and felt like we fit together. I still haven’t gotten over Jason even though six years have passed. However, Aaron’s attitude and way of talking made me melt even though I still couldn’t love him. Mia supported me to be with Aaron because she thought Anya needed a father figure. At first, I thought I c
Lizzy’s POV“Come on! What are you waiting for? Oh, come on, Lizzy. You’re not a teenager who has to go home before midnight. I just want to spoil you since we are lovers. Hurry, the night breeze is getting stronger,” he invited.The glint in his eyes was nothing like the glint in Aaron’s I was used to seeing. He seemed to have turned into a different person. I had to think fast to get home. And for that, I needed a good reason.But he wouldn’t just let me go. Just now, he said that he had paid a lot of money for this room. To be honest, a little of fear was creeping into my heart, but I was still trying to think positively.I got out of the car and I saw Aaron waiting for me while carrying a black package that he took from his car’s trunk. I was very curious about the contents.He led me by the hand into the lobby. From the outside, the hotel looked aesthetically pleasing in terms of design and interior. It was quite crowded, even though it was not a luxury hotel like those in the are
Lizzy Ford’s POV “Lizzy?” the mysterious man asked. “Oh, I remember now. You’re Miss Lizzy, Debbie’s assistant. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you earlier,” Leo said. There was a hint of regret in his tone of voice. “J-Jason,” I said, looking at him as if I couldn’t believe the sight before me. God, please. Why did I have to meet him in this hotel? Suddenly, Jason grabbed my hand and pulled my body closer to him. “Leo, take care of that man and tell the Everbury police to investigate this.” “Ok, sir,” Leo replied. “What room is he in, Miss?” Leo asked me. “308,” I replied quietly. I hoped Aaron was still there. But I was sure he must still be there because the way to the lobby must pass through the place where I met Jason. Then, Leo rushed a few men with him to room 308. “Come with me now. I have something to talk to you about,” Jason said to me. I nodded, still trying to digest everything that had happened that night. Everything happened so fast, like a movie role that was being r
Lizzy’s POVI had to think and answer their questions quickly or else they would come back to bombard me with the same questions or add new ones.“J-Jason, this is my daughter. You can go now. It’s late and I need to accompany my daughter to bed. Please,” I replied to Jason. His eyes looked at Anya intently. After hearing my answer, his face looked dissatisfied. Without another word, he left. However, before getting into the car, he looked at us with a look that I couldn’t interpret.Sorry, Jason. I didn’t know how to tell you the truth about Anya because I wasn’t sure if you would accept Anya well after hearing the truth about her, and I was afraid something bad would happen to Anya if your family knew about her. I guess we’re just not meant to be together.“Lizzy, who is he? And where is Aaron?” Mia asked for the second time.“I’ll tell you later. Let’s go inside,” I invited Mia.After putting Anya to bed, Mia and I sat in the dining room. Her face looked upset and her gaze seemed t
Jason’s POVThat very night, I headed straight to the police station to see that bastard’s face who had dared to harass Lizzy. No one could touch my woman!“Sir, we have arrived at Everbury police station,” Leo said. “Ok, Leo.”A few policemen stood in front of the entrance. They welcomed my arrival. Then, they escorted me into the investigation room accompanied by the two policemen who handled Lizzy’s case. When the door to the investigation room was opened, I saw a young man sitting with his face down looking at his fingers. When he heard the door open and footsteps enter, he looked up and asked, “Who are you? The police have already questioned me. Can I leave now?”“So, is your name Aaron Conway?” “Yes. Is there any other problem? Can I leave now?” he asked. “No, because tonight is going to be a long night for you. And I’ll make sure you don’t get out of this place easily. Give me the file, Leo.”“What do you mean? I’m not guilty. The woman you met is my lover. It’s natural I w
Anya Ford’s POV“Bye, Mia.”“Bye, my angel. Looks like I’ll be a little late picking you up. Wait for me in the teacher’s lounge, ok?” Mia replied as she hugged and kissed my cheek. I nodded as I returned her hug. Huft, I didn’t want to go to school even though I have a father, but I wasn’t sure if they would stop bothering me.I hate school!“Anya, let’s go,” Mommy said as she waved her hand at me repeatedly. Mommy and I walked out of the apartment, waving goodbye to Mia. As usual, Mommy would take me to school every morning, then she would go to work afterward and it was Mia who picked me up from school. My school was near to our apartment. Within fifteen minutes, I arrived at the front of the school. Four teachers were standing in front of the entrance to welcome the students. After getting out of the car, I waved goodbye to mommy with a smile. I loved Mommy and Mia and it felt so sad to know that I was going to meet the bullies again. “Bye, Mommy. Love you.”“Love you, too,”
Jason’s POV One morning, when I was just coming out of the bedroom, Mia and Hannah walked toward me. Their faces looked happy with smiles on their lips, like sunflowers in summer. I wondered what had happened to them. They were standing right in front of me, holding hands. “What’s wrong with you two?” “We have good news,” they both replied. “Ok. What’s the good news, then? I have to wake Anya up because I promised to accompany her to play in the park.” “We’ve found Lizzy and Harry. You don’t need to wake Anya up because she’s already up and having breakfast. She’s ready to go pick up her mom and brother,” Hannah replied. Anya’s bag that I was holding fell to the floor. I had to convince myself many times that the news I heard that morning was real. For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Really? You’re not playing games with me, are you?” “We’re serious and we got this news from Sylvia, Lizzy’s mom. They are now in Forca City. They opened a bakery and a coffee sho
Margaret’s POV I saw James enter the room. The angry look on his face was as sinister as a soldier ready to execute a death-row prisoner. His eyes stared at Nathan and me. The sweat was pouring down my forehead. I noticed that Nathan’s body was trembling and his hands were clenched into fists. Suddenly, Nathan knelt before James and lowered his face. “Sir, please forgive my impudence. I came here because I missed Mrs. Margaret so much. I confess I love her and she loves me. We had an illicit relationship in the past, but it ended because Mrs. Margaret felt guilty about you. On this occasion, I beg you to let her go so that she can be happy. She is suffering by your side. If you love her, please let us live happily.” James let out a long sigh. His eyes looked up at the ceiling of the room. “Is that what you want, Margaret? After all the years we’ve lived together.” A feeling of guilt rushed over me. I was like a child at a crossroads. In front of me were two roads that were both cov
Jason’s POV“Damn! She’s not here.”“Is there no resident named Lizzy Ford or Lizzy Oswald? She is a thirty-year-old young woman, then an eighteen-month-old baby boy. Please recall the woman’s physical characteristics. The information we received said she lives in this apartment,” I asked the guard.The guard’s expression was flat. He let out a long sigh, as if annoyed by our question. “Sir, I’ve been working here for ten years and my memory tells me that there is no female resident in this apartment with the physical characteristics you mentioned. If there were any residents with such physical features, I would have said so earlier. I showed you the list of names of the residents here. Is that not enough? I hope you won’t make a scene.”“Ah, sorry. My brother didn’t mean to make a scene. We were just panicking and sad because we couldn’t find the person we were looking for. I hope you understand,” Hannah replied with a big smile.“Alright. If there’s nothing else to ask, I’ll get bac
Lizzy’s POV“Mom, is it them?” I asked.“Y-yes. Then, what’s your plan? If we go after them, wouldn’t that mean your agreement with Minister Vladimir is off? I’m afraid he’ll do something bad to us if the deal is off. He won’t hurt Harry, but he might hurt you or both of us. But whatever you decide, I’ll support you,” Mom answered.“I-I miss him. But, I can’t go to them. It’s not like Anya is with them.”“Yes. There are only a few men dressed in black with them. If you’ve decided, let’s hurry and get out of here,” Mom said.“Let me look at him for a while longer.”“Lizzy, let him go. Let’s go before they realize we’re near them,” Mom said.We hurried away from there and we deliberately took a spot that was crowded with visitors so as not to be seen by them. However, unfortunately, that day the mall was full of visitors because in Malia there was only one mall and coincidentally it was a long weekend, so many people went to the mall.“Lizzy, come with me. I have an idea,” Mom said. She
John’s POV“Because she didn’t want to worry you. All this time I knew nothing about her illness until one day I heard moaning in pain from inside Elsa’s bedroom. Worried and curious, I knocked on her bedroom door a few times, but suddenly the moaning no longer sounded. When I asked her, she said everything was fine. However, the moaning could be heard almost every day. The curiosity and worry I felt were getting the better of me. I finally forced open the door to her room and saw her lying on the floor, whimpering in pain while holding back tears. I ran over to her, then I yelled for her sister, and asked her to call an ambulance. The clinic in our village has an emergency ambulance,” Sheila replied, wiping her wet eyes. Her tears did not stop flowing.“So, what happened after that?”“After she was rushed to the clinic and examined intensely, the doctor declared her illness to be severe. The clinic in our village could not treat her illness. Therefore, Elsa was referred to a hospital
John’s POVI stood in line at the ticket counter. I looked at the screen hanging above the ticket counter for the schedule of trains operating that day. Thirty minutes later, after waiting in line for a long time, it was finally my turn to buy a ticket.After mentioning the destination city, the ticket seller immediately gave me a sheet of tickets for the train that would depart in forty-five minutes. While waiting for the train to arrive, I sat in a coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee and a plate of spaghetti. Maybe it was because I had eaten nothing since morning, so the spaghetti tasted good and was gone in no time.During the meal, I tried to call Sheila’s cell phone, but her number was unavailable. The same was true for Elsa. So far, her cell phone has never been inactive. Elsa always made sure her cell phone and number were active.What’s going on? What exactly happened to you, Elsa?That afternoon, I couldn’t get in touch with either of them and even when the train to Vanor
Hannah’s POVI woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of breaking things and the commotion on the first floor exactly one hour before midnight. I hurriedly put on my sweatshirt and slippers and left my room. Just before descending the stairs, I noticed that the living room of Jason’s residence was quiet and dark. The lights in the dining room were always on. So, from the second floor, I could see the light reflecting into the living room from the dining room.Then, where did the sound come from?From the direction of the kitchen, I saw some maids running to another room on the first floor. Could it be Jason’s workroom or his bedroom?As my feet descended the stairs, I heard Mia call, “Hannah, what’s wrong? What’s going on? I heard things breaking repeatedly.”I turned to look at Mia, who was shaking in the cold. “I don’t know. What if we check together? I saw the maids running into a room?”“Oh no, Jason. Let’s go there,” Mia said. She had a panicked look on her face.We hurr
Lizzy’s POV“Thank God, you’re home. I came to see you.”“Are you alone?” he asked. His eyes widened as they scanned every corner of his front porch.“Yeah.”“Come on in. It’s freezing outside. I’m sorry if the house looks so chaotic because I have to do a lot of things by myself. Have a seat here, and I’ll get you something to drink. Coffee or tea?” he asked after putting away some things and putting them in a box. “Tea. Thank you.” Then he left the living room and entered the kitchen.I saw that the living room of Steven’s house was in complete chaos. Most of the couches were covered with piles of clothes. On the table lay a lot of snacks, then at the end of the room lined up dirty-looking shoes. In addition, since setting foot in the house, there was a terrible smell. I didn’t know where it came from. It was like the smell of dirty clothes that hadn’t been washed for a few weeks or a damp house that hadn’t been cleaned.From the direction of the living room, I saw that the door of
Lizzy’s POVAfter the beach trip, I never saw Steven again. The working hours where I worked were divided into two. We used to call them the morning shift and the night shift. The morning shift works from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon, and the night shift works from three in the afternoon until nine at night. Each employee gets a week to work the morning shift, and a week to work the night shift.For that week, I worked the morning shift, so my work hours finished at three in the afternoon. But, usually, we morning shift personnel don’t go straight home. We would sit by the restaurant and sip a cup of coffee and some leftover snacks from the kitchen that could not be sold to customers.If there are a lot of leftovers, we will wrap them up and take them home. However, if the leftovers aren’t too much, we’d eat them together at the side of the restaurant while chatting away. Enjoying the afternoon and waiting for the sun to set, watching the originally bright sky turn