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
"Thanks for the workout, Jethro." Stacey said when they finished working out. "I really enjoyed it.""Anytime, Stacey," Jethro replied. "You are welcome to join me whenever you want."As Stacey left the gym room, she couldn't help but smile. She felt a connection with Jethro. She could tell he likes her too, just that he hasn't confessed his feelings to her. Or maybe it was because of his current girlfriend.She went back to Anabel's room, but she didn't see her. She decided to take her bath before looking for her. She took a quick bath and left the room in search of Anabel. She wandered through the house, looking for Anabel, and finally found her lounging in the sitting room. She has a book in her hands and a relaxed smile on her face."You are here." She sauntered towards her. "I was looking for you."Anabel looked up at her. "Hey, Stacey. I know you enjoyed your workout.""Yeah, it was great." Stacey replied and sat down beside her. "Jethro can make a good coach."Anabel chuckled an
Anabel nodded, maintaining her composure. "Yes, I'm sure. Can you please bring it out for me?"The salesgirl hesitated again. She was clearly doubting Anabel's ability to afford the dress. "This dress is the most expensive one in the store. Maybe you should look at something more affordable. That is if you can even afford any dress here. I'm sorry, but this place is not for people like you.""What do you mean? Get me what I want." Anabel stated.The salesgirl crossed her arms, refusing to get the key. "I don't think you understand me. This dress is meant for high-end clients. For billionaires. You can't afford it."At that moment, Stacey, who had been browsing nearby, noticed the exchange and walked over. She could see the dismissive attitude of the salesgirl. "What is going on here?" Stacey asked.The salesgirl glanced at Stacey, then back at Anabel. "Your friend here wants to try on our most expensive dress. So I'm trying to make her understand that she can't afford it. I don't want
The room went silent. Everyone was surprised. At this point, they knew they were all in trouble if she eventually became the CEO. Kane stared at the broken remains of his phone. He never dreamt of having such a bad day. The employees around him remained silent. They looked scared and surprised. Mr. Barnard, meanwhile, stood smugly to the side. He had his arms crossed as though he had already won. He knew that what she did was bad, but since he wasn't affected, he was satisfied. "First, I don't care who you are. You are going to buy a brand new phone for me. Secondly, I’m not leaving, not until the CEO comes and explains himself. He’s the one who hired me, and only he has the right to kick me out." Kane said but Daniella only smiled. "It won’t change anything, Kane. Don’t you understand? By tomorrow, I will be taking over this company. I will be the new boss, and my decisions will stand. Your days here are already over. You can pick up the pieces of your phone and leave." "That ma
"That’s not true, and you know it! I was the one who stayed up all night working on the system. You left, leaving me here all alone." Kane said, but unfortunately for him, no one could stand up for him. Mr. Barnard and Kane were the last persons to remain in the office. No one knew the person who slept and the one who stayed behind. This morning , they came to work and met both of them in the office and also learned that everything has been fixed. "Kane, let’s not make this more embarrassing for yourself. The truth is, I’m the one who restored the system functionality. I’ve been monitoring the situation closely, and it was my intervention that resolved the issue. You are new here, and clearly, you know you are not even qualified to handle something like that. You are just here because the CEO employed you." "That’s a lie!" Kane shot back in frustration. "I was employed here because you couldn't handle all the tasks. I've saved your ass a few times, and you know it. Yesterday, you
Kane stood up slowly to defend himself. "I think there has been a misunderstanding here." He began. "I didn't know when I slept off. Besides, I wasn’t sleeping because I’m lazy. I’ve been working all night to restore the system after it was attacked by hackers. I finished fixing it very early this morning and must have dozed off." He finished, but Daniella crossed her arms to show she was unimpressed or even buying his stories."Do you really expect me to believe that excuse? Sleeping while work is going on is unacceptable, no matter how you try to spin it. Your incompetence is very clear, and you are done here.""I don't think so. This company needs me here to function properly. Mr. Desmond needs me. You can't just fire me like this. I stressed myself to restore things to order, and you want to pay me back by kicking me out? That's ruthless.""Do you want to tell me you are better than everyone here? Just pack your personal belongings and leave. I won't repeat myself. Leave when you
Daniella seemed entirely unfazed by the attention. That was what she was expecting. She love the way people stared at her. In her mind, she was already the CEO, and these employees were her subjects.The whispers grew louder as she continued down the hallway. "Isn’t that Mrs. Daniella?" one worker murmured to a colleague, trying to hide his voice behind his hand. "Why is she here?" "I thought she was just the CEO’s lover." Another worker replied quietly. "Why is she walking around like she owns the place?" Daniella overheard some of their conversations as she passed by and smirked to herself. She was enjoying the subtle power of being at the center of attention. It was clear that Daniella’s unexpected arrival had sent ripples through the company. Even at that, she remained entirely focused on her mission. To assert herself and make her presence felt. For her, every gaze was a silent acknowledgment of the authority she believed was already hers. Tomorrow, once Desmond signed t
As he was walking closer, his eyes were darting between Daniella and the security man.When he got to the entrance door, Daniella spun around to face him. Her demeanor shifted slightly as she realized someone in authority had showed up. Someone who may know who she is. "Finally," she said with exaggerated exasperation. "Someone who I know will have some common sense."The deputy manager frowned slightly as he looked at Daniella. He has not seen her physically before. Desmond has once shown them his woman on the phone."You must be Mrs. Daniella." He said cautiously. "The CEO’s wife.""Exactly! I know you will know who I am." Daniella snapped and pointed her finger at the security guard. "This man has been keeping me from entering the building, treating me like some kind of intruder!""Are you serious?" The deputy manager asked."Why will I be standing here if not that he's blocking my way? I went on to explain myself to him, and he went on to threaten that he will kick me out." Danie
She stared at him from head to his shoes before saying, "Who are you to ask me who I am?" "I'm the security officer here. I need to know who you are, or rather, an identification, before you can enter the building."Daniella stopped abruptly. She couldn’t believe the words she had just heard. "Identification?" she repeated. "Do you even know who I am?" She asked, and the guard shook his head. "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t. That’s why I need to see some ID or confirmation of an appointment before I can let you in. It’s standard protocol for security purposes.""Standard protocol? Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" Daniella asked. "Anyway, let me tell you who I am because it's obvious you don't know who is standing before you. My name is Daniella, Desmond's wife and soon-to-be ex-wife. But more importantly, I am the new potential CEO of this company. This building, this business, it will all be mine by tomorrow." Daniella finished, but the security guard’s expression didn'
Vanessa smiled faintly but didn’t respond immediately. She took another slow bite of fruit before speaking. "It’s been... hard. But I’m trying to stay positive. I just want to get better." "You will," Anabel assured her. "You are strong, Vanessa. And you have me and Sylvester here to take care of you. Just make sure you adhere to the doctor’s instructions and don’t push yourself too hard." Vanessa nodded again. "I will." For the next several minutes, Vanessa continued to eat the fruit salad slowly, pausing every so often to adjust her posture or to make it seem as though she was in discomfort. Once it was ten minutes, Vanessa slowly dropped the food and laid back on the bed. "Sorry, you will be fine." Sha said and gave Vanessa’s hand a gentle squeeze before turning to Sylvester. "I will be going now. Take good care of her," she said and turned to Vanessa. "Remember—no overdoing it. Rest as much as you can." "I will." Thank you for everything, Anabel." Vanessa replied.
Few minutes later, Anabel got to the hospital and made her way down the bright hospital hallway. She was carrying the fruit salad she had bought for Vanessa. She believed it was what she needed and that it would help her recover faster. It was a way of showing how concerned and how caring she was. The few staff members that saw her the other day were confused. Some were assuming she was the billionaire lady look-alike, while others were believing it was the same person. When she reached Vanessa's hospital room, she hesitated only briefly before pushing the door open. She had grown comfortable enough during her visits to skip knocking. Besides, she was her cousin's girlfriend. When she stepped into the room, the sight that greeted her made her pause in her tracks, her brow furrowing in confusion. Vanessa was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her legs were dangling loosely, and she looked more comfortable than she had expected from someone who had surgery the previous day. She wasn't
Anabel couldn't help but laugh at Daniella's words. "This is so funny. I didn't know you were a comedian.""What's funny about what I said now? You should be thanking me for informing you on time. You should be grateful to me for letting you know." Daniella said."I’m not sure where you are getting your ideas, Daniella, but let me make one thing clear. I don’t need Desmond in my life anymore. I've found a man who will be a better father to my unborn child. I'm even wondering why you left the man you snatched from someone. He's no longer taking good care of you?"Well, let me give you the full picture, since you are clearly out of the loop." Daniella began. "I never wanted to marry Desmond and live with him forever after. My intention was to marry and divorce him, then take half of his wealth, and it worked. I never loved him, and he's not even the father of my baby.""You must be joking.""I'm serious. I have a boyfriend, and he's the father. We just used Desmond, and soon, we will be