Sylvester was sitting in his living room, sipping on a glass of whiskey, when he heard a knock on the door. He glanced at the clock; it was just past eight in the evening. He wasn't expecting anyone, but he got up and opened the door to find his old friend, Marcus, standing there. "Marcus! What a surprise. You didn't tell me you are coming." Sylvester said, stepping aside to let him in. "You can come in." Marcus walked in. "I said let me drop by and catch up. It's been a while." Sylvester nodded, closing the door behind him. "Yeah, it has. Make yourself comfortable." They settled down on the living room, and Sylvester handed Marcus a cup of whiskey. "So, what's new with you? I Heard you have been busy with some big plans." Sylvester smirked and took a sip of his drink before replying him. "You could say that. I've been working on something... something interesting." Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is that?" Sylvester leaned back, a confident glint in his eye. "You re
Sylvester arrived at Anabel's company and asked her to join him in his car. She hesitated for some moments before she got in. On their way to the restaurant, they chatted about work and the latest developments in the company. The restaurant was a cozy, upscale place with dim lighting and a romantic ambiance. Sylvester had reserved a private table by the window, offering a stunning view of the city skyline. When they settled into their seats, a waiter approached to take their orders. Once their meals were ordered, Sylvester leaned forward with his eyes fixed on Anabel. "I'm really happy you agreed to come out tonight. I know you've been under a lot of stress lately." Anabel smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Thank you, Sylvester. I appreciate it. It's been a tough few days." Sylvester reached across the table, gently taking her hand in his. "It's normal, everything comes with challenges. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. You don't have to g
Sylvester poured himself a drink and settled into his favorite armchair, replaying the events of the night in his mind. Just as he was beginning to relax, he heard a familiar knock on the door.He knew who was knocking. It was Vanessa, his fiancée. He had invited her to come over. She knew all about Sylvester and Anabel.Sylvester got up and opened the door. He wasn't surprised when he saw Vanessa standing there with a mischievous smile on her face. She was wearing a sleek and form-fitting red dress that accentuated her curves."Hey, babe." She greeted and stepped inside, then gave him a quick kiss. "How did it go with Anabel?"Sylvester closed the door behind her and led her to the living room. "It went better than I even expected. We had a nice dinner, and she opened up to me about her pregnancy and divorce. I pretended to be surprised and told her it didn't change how I felt about her.""Oh, poor Anabel. She must be so desperate for someone to care about her." Vanessa laughed. "And
"Hello, Sylvester. I guess you are in your house now." Anabel asked."Yeah, just relaxing." Sylvester replied. "That's nice. I said let me know if you have gotten home, and also thank you for the dinner. I had a good time with you, despite everything that happened. I like your vibe." Sylvester smiled before responding back. "I'm happy to hear that, Miss Anabel. I enjoyed our time together as well." Vanessa rolled her eyes and stifled her potential laugh, before mouthing the words "poor Anabel" with a mocking expression. Sylvester shot her with a warning look, but she just grinned and snuggled closer to him, clearly amused by the situation. "I really appreciate your support, Sylvester." Anabel continued. "It means a lot to me, especially with everything that had been going on." "I'm here for you, no matter what. You can always count on me. What are we friends for?" Vanessa covered her mouth to suppress her laughter, causing her shoulders to shake with silent mirth. Sylvester ge
On Friday morning, Anabel was eating her cookies and watching one of her favorite TV programs when she heard a knock on the door. "Who is there?" She asked but didn't get any response. She sat up and headed towards the door to check who was that. Anabel was overjoyed when she saw her best friend, Stacey, standing in the doorway."Stacey!" Anabel exclaimed and rushed forward to envelop her best friend in a tight hug. "I've missed you so much." "I've missed you too, Anabel." Stacey replied with her eyes sparkling with excitement. Anabel was very happy to see her best friend after what felt like an eternity. Stacey had just completed her BSc program in New York, and Anabel had been eagerly waiting for her return. "You didn't tell me you will show up today." Anabel said. "I wasn't expecting you.""I want it to be a surprise." She laughed."You look great!" Anabel stared down at her. "I can see you have added in perfect places. See your skin, your waist—gosh! Please come in"She grabbed
A few minutes later, Jethro returned, this time with a shirt on, carrying a tray of drinks. He set it down on the coffee table and took a seat across from Stacey. "So, Stacey, how was New York?" He asked."It was incredible," Stacey replied. This time, her initial shyness was fading. "I learned a lot, both academically and personally."Jethro nodded. "I can imagine. It's a big change from here. You must have had some amazing friends and experiences.""I did," Stacey replied, smiling. "But I also missed home. It's good to be back."Jethro leaned back in his chair. "You know, you have changed a lot since I last saw you. You have become even more beautiful."Stacey's cheeks flushed a deep red. "Thank you, Jethro." Deep down, she wanted to return the comment and tell him how handsome he was looking, but she couldn't."It's just the truth," Jethro said casually. "Your boyfriend must be lucky.""Yeah, but he broke up with me when I told him I would be traveling back to my country." Stacey re
Anabel came back early as she promised. Stacey woke up once she heard the door open. She asked Anabel about her day, and she began to recount her activities in the office. A few minutes later, they were in the kitchen. Anabel was cooking while Stacey was helping. Some moments later, Anabel's mother showed up in the kitchen. She heard voices and decided to check who that was. She was surprised when she saw Stacey."Oh Stacey! You are back!" She exclaimed."Yes, ma. I arrived this morning.""That's nice. Welcome back." "Thank you, ma'am." She exchanged greetings with Anabel before retiring back to her bedroom. "Why don't you employ a house help? Why do you choose to stress yourself?" Stacey asked "We don't need them. One of them nearly killed my dad. So since then, we stopped employing maids. We can do the cooking ourselves. It's not a big deal." Anabel explained."It's alright. I respect that." Stacey brought the chicken and spices for her, then slid the garden salad and helped her
"Oh, sorry. I will go and change now." Stacey said and rushed back to change. Anabel sat up when she entered."Where did you go?" Anabel asked."I heard some noise outside and went to check." Stacey replied and began to unpack her clothes."What are you doing? Are you going somewhere?" Anabel asked.Stacey picked her shirt and her thick green singlet. "I want to join your brother in his gym. He told me to go and change.""Hmmmm. I can see." Stacey smiled."See what?" Stacey asked. She knew what Anabel was trying to say."Nothing. I'm not stopping you. Don't be a distraction to him, though." Anabel said and laid back on the bed. Stacey changed and rushed back to the gym in excitement..."But... Do you use the gym?" Jethro asked when Stacey arrived."A little," Stacey admitted. "But I could use some guidance. I want you to guide me."Alright, let's start with some basics," Jethro said, moving to a set of lighter weights. "We will do a warm-up first."For the next twenty minutes, Jethro
Without wasting any time, the dad asked, “Why did you reject Reuben? You can't tell me you are not ready for marriage because that is what you need now. A man that will take good care of you and your child.” Anabel let out a sigh and leaned back against the headboard. “I don’t like him," she said flatly. “I’m not just interested in him.” She answered, and her father crossed his arms as he gazed at her. “That doesn’t matter much. What matters is that he loves you. Reuben is a good man. Ever since I knew him, he never caused trouble. All you need is a man that will love and take good care of you. You can start loving him after marriage. You think all those successful marriages started with love? No—commitment comes first, and love follows.” Anabel shook her head, standing her ground. “That’s not how it works for me, Dad. My heart isn’t in it.” Sir Orton exhaled slowly as he sensed frustration creeping into him. He wasn’t angry—not yet—but he was growing weary of Anabel's choices.
Her father continued. “I’ve told him everything. About your first marriage and your divorce. I also told her about your pregnancy, and he still accepted.” Anabel’s lips parted slightly in surprise, but she quickly composed herself. Reuben was a very cute guy, but looking at him, she doesn't see herself gisting with someone like him. She shifted in her seat before speaking. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Father. And I thank the Johnsons for coming.” Sir Johnson smiled faintly, observing her with an unreadable expression. Reuben remained unmoved as he continued to watch her with silent interest. Anabel took a breath and continued, “Under normal circumstances, I might have asked for time to think it over because we have never talked about it. But there is no need for that.” Her father leaned forward slightly and asked. “And why is that?” "I don't know how this will sound, but I am not interested in marriage now.” She answered, and the room went silent. No one was expecting
Anabel got back home and stepped out of her car. Her mind was still occupied with thoughts about her hospital visit. The conversation with Desmond had stirred something in her—an unease she had tried to push aside but couldn't fully ignore. As she walked toward her father’s grand villa, she noticed two luxurious cars parked neatly in the driveway. She slowed her pace slightly, and her brows knitted together as she took in the unfamiliar, expensive cars. She tried to recall if they were expecting visitors, but nothing came to mind. She tried to recognize the cars, but she couldn't. One was a gold Bugatti, and the other one was a gray Rolls Royce. The latest and the most expensive car in the country. Even though her father was known to have high-profile associates, these cars weren’t ones she recognized. The insignias, the vip plate number. They belonged to people of significant wealth, people who rarely made unexpected visits. Anabel straightened her posture and entered through
Desmond glanced away, knowing that it wasn't even his problem at the moment. His main problem was that someone was about to extort a big amount of money from her. He couldn't stand it. "Yeah, I know, but that’s not my problem right now." He said with a weak voice. Bella raised an eyebrow in curiosity and asked. "What do you mean it’s not your problem? What’s going on? Which other problem do we have here than winning her back?" Desmond hesitated for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "There’s a man. Her so-called new boyfriend." "Does she have a boyfriend?' Bella asked. "Yeah, but the problem is that he's deceiving her. He’s about to extort a huge amount of money from her." Mrs. Elizabeth and Bella both stared at him in shock, but Bella was the first to speak. "A huge amount of money?" "How much money are we talking about?" His mom asked with a voice tinged with disbelief. "I know you guys won't believe this, but this man is about to extort three million dollars from her.
Desmond's mom let out a long sigh and let her shoulders sag slightly. "I don’t blame her, though. She has every right to be angry. After everything we did, after how we treated her... I wouldn’t stop to listen either." Bella, who was standing a few steps away, folded her arms tightly across her chest. "But she should at least hear us out," Bella muttered. "Why would she do that? I mean, we are trying to apologize. We are trying to make amends, aren’t we? It’s not like we are asking for much. She could have rolled down the window for a second. Just a second." Mrs. Elizabeth shook her head gently and glanced at her daughter. "Bella, don't say that. She's angry, and she should be. This is not about what we think she should do. We pushed her away. We hurt her. She doesn’t owe us her time, not after the way we treated her." Bella huffed in response and said,. "Yeah, okay, we were wrong. But if she doesn’t let us talk, how are we supposed to make it right? She should have just let us tal
Desmond turned and walked briskly through the hospital corridors. His thoughts were tangled and heavy.As he got closer to his mother’s doctor’s office to collect her medication, he couldn’t stop replaying his encounter with Anabel. Her coldness, her denial, and the sharpness of her words had left a mark he couldn’t shake. She had insisted the child wasn’t his, calling him impotent. A word that hit like a dagger, even though he refused to believe it. Deep down, he was sure the baby was his, but doubt lingered at the edges of his mind. Could she be right? Could there be truth in her statements? The uncertainty gnawed at him as he tried to focus on what he came to do.Meanwhile, Anabel stepped out of the elevator into the bustling hospital lobby. She hasn't stopped thinking about what Desmond said.Desmond’s words about Vanessa’s surgery played on a loop in her head, rattling her confidence in Sylvester and Vanessa’s story. She hated to admit it, but the seed of doubt he had planted w
Her words stung Desmond, but he took a deep breath, refusing to let them dissuade him. He stepped closer and spoke up. "Anabel, everything that happened... everything that came between us... It was because of my mother and my sister. They drove a wedge between us, and I've already admitted that I'm stupid for allowing them. This time, they will treat you differently. They’ll treat you like the precious treasure you are. They regret what they did. They are longing to have you back, Anabel." Anabel’s lips curled into another bitter smile, and she folded her arms tightly across her chest. "I'm not a kid, Desmond. I know exactly why they want me back," she retorted. "It’s not about treating me like a treasure or making amends for their wicked character against me. They want me back because Daniella disappointed them. They want me back because they didn't get what they wanted from Daniella. They want me back because they heard I’m pregnant. Let's say my tummy is still flat, they won't wan
"Hey! Mind your words. Sylvester is not a scumbag, but you are. You are the scumbag here. And...you don't have any right to tell me where to spend my money or ask me how I will get it. Whether I have the money or not is none of your business. And if I decide to borrow, that’s my choice. Stop acting like I'm going to borrow it from you. Stop pretending like you care." Anabel said, even though she was already seeing some signs. She just wanted to get on Desmond's nerves. "I do care, Anabel. I care about you, and I care about the choices you’re making. And if you borrow that kind of money, you will spend the rest of your life paying it back. Is that what you want?" "You really think you know me, don’t you? You really think you can stand here and judge me? But let me tell you something, Desmond—you don’t know me at all. You never did. If you think I can’t handle this, then you’re sorely mistaken." "I know you are now rich, even though you are trying so hard to hide your real identity f
"Anabel, I know you will not believe me. You may say I'm jealous, which I won't deny, but I can boldly tell you that you are actually single. I mean, very single." He said while looking at her in the eyes. She could see how mean he was. "Sylvester is not who you think he is. You are dating yourself, stressing yourself over someone whose only intention was to gain financial assistance from you. You are single." He finished, and Anabel struck him with a sharp glare, then crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Single?" She echoed with a disdainful voice. "Is that what you think, Desmond? Let me be clear—I am not single. You are the one who is single. Don’t confuse my situation with a pathetic one like yours." Desmond frowned as her words hit him with an unexpected force. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "At least I didn't lose anything to her. But you… you are about to lose everything you have. I will still warn you. Sylvester isn’t who he says he is. He’s just usin